Modifying Datapoint Types

When you define a device interface, part of the device interface includes a definition of the datapoint type. You can modify this datapoint type to another datapoint type that matches its function in your installation. The new datapoint type must be the same as the original. That is, if the datapoint is a scalar, then the new datapoint must also be a scalar. Or, if the datapoint is a float, then the new datapoint must also be a float.

For example, if you have a datapoint has datapoint type that is a float, but you want to use the datapoint for temperature, then you can change the datapoint type to SNVT_temp_p. Or, if you have a device that has a voltage datapoint, but the way you are using the datapoint is to measure current, then you can change the datapoint type to a datapoint type for current.

To change a datapoint type, you first use the Datapoints widget to export the selected datapoint(s), or all datapoints, then modify the datapoint type in the file, and finally import the file using the Datapoints widget → Import Datapoint Types action. The steps below describes how to modify the datapoint type. See Data Model for more information about datapoints and datapoint types. 

To modify datapoint types, perform the following steps:

1. Open the SmartServer CMS. 
   
   

2. Open the Datapoints widget. Click the Expand button (  ). 
   

   
   
   

3. Click the Action button () and select the Export Datapoint action.
   
   Or, to export multiple datapoints, select the datapoints to be exported by clicking the checkmark for the desired datapoints (the checkmark changes from blue to yellow), and then click the Action button () and select the Export Selected Datapoints action.
   
   Or, to export all datapoints, click the Action button () and select the Export All Datapoints action.
   
   A datapoints CSV file is created.
   
   
4. Save the datapoints file to your desktop.
   
   

5. Open the datapoints file and modify the Datapoint Type column as needed. You can modify the datapoint type to another datapoint type that matches its function in your installation. 
   

   For more information about LonMark datapoint type definitions, go to www.lonmark.org/technology/technical-resources/functional-profile/. See SNVT – Standard Network Variable Types and ENUM – Standard Enumeration Types for datapoint details.

   An example of the datapoints file is shown below with the Datapoint Types column that can be modified highlighted in red.
   
   

   
   
   

6. Save the datapoints file changes.

   Datapoints file naming convention

   When importing a datapoints file, the extension should be .data.csv (e.g., allDatapoints.data.csv). When the datapoints file is exported, a number may automatically be appended to the filename to differentiate files, such as allDatapoints.data(1).csv. In this case, you will need to remove the (1) from the .data.csv extension before importing the file.

7. Click the Action button () and select the Import Datapoint Types action.
   
   
   
   The Import Datapoint Types view appears.
   
   
   
   
8. Select the modified datapoints file to be imported and place it in the DROP FILE HERE area.
   
   
   
   
9. Click IMPORT FILE.
   
   The modified datapoint types are imported into the SmartServer.
   
   
10. Click BACK to return to the Datapoints widget.