LON is supported for SmartServer Pi 4.3 and higher, with the exception of LON PL.

You can use the SmartServer to integrate and manage LON devices. If you are using LON IP-852 or IP-70 devices or routers, you can interface with them using the SmartServer's built-in LON driver and the built-in LAN and WAN Ethernet interfaces. If you are using LON FT, LON TP-1250, or LON PL-20 devices, add a U60 FT, U60 TP-1250, or U70 PL-20 network interface to communicate with them. 

You can use the SmartServer as a remote network interface (RNI) for an application or tool using an IzoT Net Server, OpenLNS Server, or LNS Server. Using the SmartServer as an RNI, you can run your application or tool on a remote computer connected to the SmartServer and its attached LON networks via a LAN connection. You can also use the SmartServer as an RNI for the EnOcean LonScanner Protocol Analyzer to monitor all LON network traffic on one of the SmartServer channels.

If you are using a U70 PL-20 network interface to communicate with LON power line devices, you can optionally enable power line repeating to extend the range of the power line communication.  Power line repeating requires power line repeating support in all the power line devices to be provisioned by the SmartServer.  When you enable LON power line repeating on a SmartServer, the SmartServer is limited to a single U70 power line interface and you cannot add any additional network interfaces.  You also cannot use the remote network interfaces (RNI) or routers. LON PL is not supported for SmartServer Pi.

If you are not using power line repeating, you can add up to four U60 FT interfaces, one U60 TP-1250 interface, and four U70 PL-20 interfaces. To attach more than four USB interfaces to a SmartServer, add a powered USB hub to get additional USB interfaces.  Always plug any IOX modules directly into the SmartServer and do not plug them into a hub.

You can manage the network of LON devices using any of the following methods:

• Use the SmartServer to manage the network.  This mode of operation is called SmartServer LON device management mode (DMM). This is the default LON management mode.
• Use another tool such as the IzoT Commissioning Tool (CT) to manage the network or allow the LON devices to manage themselves using self-installation. This mode of operation is called SmartServer LON independent management mode (IMM).

This section describes how to get started using LON devices and consists of the following:

Overview

Following are guidelines for using the SmartServer LON interface:

• A SmartServer internal router is required for each LON network interface you plan to use.  Each U60 or U70 that you attach to the SmartServer creates a new internal router from an internal IP-70 channel in the SmartServer to the channel attached to the network interface.  If you enable IP-852 routing, the SmartServer creates an IP-852 to IP-70 router.  If you are using LON DMM, the SmartServer automatically provisions all the routers.  If you are using LON IMM, you must explicitly commission the routers you require from an external network management tool such as the IzoT Commissioning Tool (CT).
• If you are using LON IMM, add a SmartServer IoT device on the SmartServer IP-70 backbone channel. The SmartServer IoT device allows the SmartServer to monitor and control edge devices.
  
  

      IzoT CT IP-852 LonWorks Network using Two SmartServer IoTs

The LON Configuration page is shown below.

SmartServer IoT LON tab


SmartServer Pi LON tab

Using Multiple Network Interfaces

Initial U60 Installation

If you are using a single U60 or U70 network interface, you can attach it to the SmartServer regardless of whether the SmartServer is powered or not.

If you are using LON power line repeating, you cannot use more than one network interface.

If you not using LON power line repeating and you are using multiple network interfaces, after attaching the first network interface, attach the additional interfaces while the SmartServer IoT is powered.

If you are plugging the network interfaces into a powered hub, first attach the powered hub with no network attached, and then attach the network interfaces to the hub.

Once you have attached your network interfacers and the SmartServer completes their configuration, you can power cycle the SmartServer at any time and your LON network interface configuration will not change.

Reset to Defaults (applies only after U60s are installed)

You can clear the contents of the SmartServer database.  Alternatively, you can restore your SmartServer to its factory default state.

To clear the contents of the SmartServer database, select the Reset Database action from the System Configuration page. You do not have to remove any network interfaces for this action.

To restore the SmartServer to its factory default sate, remove all but one of your LON network interfaces and then select the Restore to Factory action from the System Configuration page. Once the reset is complete, reinstall each network interface that you removed one at a time as explained above.

See the Resetting the SmartServer IoT to Factory Defaults section for more information about these reset operations using the System Configuration page.

RNI Configuration

The LON RNI Configuration area is described below. For more information about how to set up the SmartServer RNI feature, see (Optional) Add a Remote Network Interface (RNI). 

1. To create an RNI for an LNS application, select the checkbox for a lon0 interface to the channel to be connected to the IzoT, OpenLNS, or LNS Server. For SmartServer 4.3, disregard the vlon0 settings. 
   
   
   • As needed, you may change the port number of an RNI. Each RNI created on a SmartServer must use a different port number. By default, a lon0 RNI uses port 1628 (with SmartServer IoT release 2.8, this default port setting cannot be changed). If only one lon0 RNI is being enabled, and the LNS server only uses one RNI, the default port number may be used. If you plan on enabling more than one lon0 RNI on the SmartServer, or if your LNS server uses multiple RNIs, then you must change the port numbers so they are all unique. Any port number for each RNI that is not already in use by the SmartServer may be used. For example, you can use sequential port numbers after 1629. To change the port number for an RNI, enter the new port number for the RNI in the Port field.
     
     
   • The SmartServer can be used with a single LON interface, or with up to eight LON interfaces. If multiple LON interfaces are being used, each interface that you plug in is assigned a new LON interface number, starting with lon0, lon1, lon2, etc. The interface name is associated with the unique ID of the interface so that if you power cycle the SmartServer, the interface numbers stay the same. 
     
     
   • For a single LON interface, any LON interface that you plug in will be assigned to lon0. This option makes it easier to replace a failed LON interface with a new one, without change to the interface name. If a single LON interface is being used, select the Single LONTalk Interface Mode checkbox on the LON configuration page. When this option is enabled, any LON interface that you plug in will be assigned to lon0. This option makes it easier to replace a failed LON interface with a new one, without change to the interface name. To use multiple LON interfaces, clear the Single LONTalk Interface Mode checkbox. To use multiple LON interfaces, clear the Single LONTalk Interface Mode checkbox on the LON configuration page.
     
     
   • For an EnOcean LonScanner Protocol Analyzer, select the check box for Protocol Analyzer.
     
     

2. After the RNIs are selected and the port numbers are entered, click Update to update the settings on the SmartServer.
   
   

3. Use the Service/Connect button to send a service message to provision SmartServer IoT interfaces.

Once the RNIs are enabled, you can use the LonWorks (32-bit) Interfaces control panel applet to define RNIs managed by the SmartServer for use by external tools through OpenLDV driver layer.

IP-852 Configuration

The LON IP-852 Configuration area is described below. For more information about how to set up the SmartServer IP-852 feature, see (Optional) Add a LON IP-852 Router. 

If you are using the IP-852 interface, an IP-852 Configuration Server must be used and configured to manage the IP-852 channel. Also, all devices on the same IP-852 channel must be added to the IP-852 Configuration Server. Any IP-852 compliant configuration server may be used. The EnOcean IP-852 Configuration Server is available for free download here. For more information on how to set up an IP-852 channel with the IP-852 Configuration Server, refer to the IP-852 Channel User's Guide.

If you are not using LON power line repeating, you can add up to six native LON interfaces and one LON IP-852 interface to a SmartServer. 

1. To add a native LON interface, connect an EnOcean U60 FT DIN, U60 TP-1250 DIN, or U70 PL DIN USB Interface Module using a USB cable connecting one of the USB ports on the SmartServer to the U60 or U70 module.  

   Notes:

   When more than one U60/U70 is being used, the first LON interface can be plugged in before powering up the SmartServer. Power up the SmartServer before plugging in the remaining U60/U70. You need to wait up to 4 seconds (or until you see the new U60/U70 appear) before plugging in the next U60/U70. This process only needs to be done once during the initial U60/U70 installation. You can then power cycle the SmartServer with the U60/U70s plugged in.

   More than two TP-1250 interfaces cannot be connected. If you have more than one PL interfaces attached, you must connect each PL interface to a PL channel isolated from the other PL channels connected to the same SmartServer. To connect more than four interfaces, connect a powered USB hub to the SmartServer and connect the U60 and U70 interfaces to the hub.

2. Select the checkbox for IP-852 Router Configuration.
   
   
3. Specify the port in the Port field. The default port is 1628 (with SmartServer IoT release 2.8, this default port setting cannot be changed).
   
   

4. After the IP-852 configuration is set, click Update to update the settings on the SmartServer.
   
   

5. Provision the IP-852 router by clicking the Service/Connect button.

   Commissioning an IP-852 router

   When commissioning an IP-852 router, you can either use the IP-852 Router Configuration → Service/Connect button on the LON Configuration page, or you can use IzoT CT to manually enter the IP-852 router's MAC ID that appears on the LON Configuration page.

6. Provision each U60 router by clicking the Service/Connect button for the specific U60.

   Each SmartServer IoT must have its own IP-70 channel.
   
   A SmartServer IoT device (as shown in the figures below) needs to be added when using built-in SmartServer features (e.g., CMS, alarming, data logging). The SmartServer IoT device is not needed if the SmartServer is only used for IP-852 routing.
   
   

   
   IP-852 Network with Single SmartServer IoT and Single U60 
   
   

   
   IP-852 Network with Single SmartServer IoT and Two U60s, an i.LON 600 and an i.LON 700 

Internal IP-70 Extent Configuration

For internal IP-70 extent configuration, use the dropdown list to set Internal Only or Internal + eth0. 

Save your changes by clicking the Update button.

LON Interface Settings

The LON Interface settings are described below. For more information, see (Optional) Add a LON IP-852 Router and (Optional) Add a Remote Network Interface (RNI).

The LON Configuration page displays LON interface information (transceiver type, install ID, and MAC ID). Use the Service/Connect button to send a service message for provisioning LonTalk interfaces.

If you plan to use your SmartServer with only a single LON adapter, select the Single LonTalk Interface Mode checkbox. When this option is enabled, any LON interface that you plug in will be assigned to lon0. This option makes it easier to replace a failed LON interface with a new one, without change to the interface name. 

To use multiple LON interface adapters, connect each device so that you can identify the channels lon 0 through lon n. Once the channels are enumerated, disable the Single LonTalk Interface Mode option.

LON/IP Class A Network Settings

If you are managing an IP-70 network channel extent externally, you have access to the second octet of the Class A subnet to manage the domain ID used in the LonTalk address space. 

You can enable or disable the LON/IP Class A Network override standard option and specify the Class A Network prefix setting (1-126) in the designated field. Save your changes to LON/IP Class A Network settings by clicking the Update button at the bottom of the page.

LON Domain ID Settings

SETTING THE LON DOMAIN ID IS AVAILABLE WITH SMARTSERVER 3.2 OR HIGHER.

LON DOMAIN ID DISCOVERY IS AVAILABLE WITH SMARTSERVER 3.4 OR HIGHER.

You can initiate LON domain ID discovery using one of the following methods:

• By specifying the LON domain ID – if the Enable Domain ID Discovery setting on the LON Configuration page is not checked, then you can specify the domain ID length and value. In this case, discovery only happens on the domain ID that is specified.
  
  
• By discovering the LON domain ID – if the Enable Domain ID Discovery setting on the LON Configuration page is checked, then you can initiate LON domain ID discovery. 

You can manage the site from the SmartServer CMS when discovery is completed in DMM, including adding more devices, replacing devices, reconfiguring devices, creating connections and flows with the devices, and deleting devices. 

You can initiate discovery multiple times at the same site. If there are already devices with a configured domain existing in the driver when you initiate discovery, then the discovery will be incremental. An incremental discovery is similar to an incremental export by IzoT Net Export. An incremental discovery uses the domain ID already in use and skips collecting data from previously discovered devices that have not been modified.

For example, you can initiate discovery and discover 50 devices. Later, you do site maintenance from the SmartServer and make changes to the discovered devices. At the same time, you realize there were some devices that were not powered at the time of the initial discovery. You can then initiate a second discovery that results only in the newly powered up devices that are discovered and added.

The following steps occur when you initiate LON domain ID discovery: 

1. If there are no LON devices with a configured domain defined in the LON driver and the LON domain configuration method is enabled, then the LON driver will initiate a search for devices in every one byte domain followed by the zero-length domain. Only domains configured in domain index 0 will be considered, and any domains configured in a domain index other than 0 will be skipped. The LON driver will assign itself a subnet and node ID to itself in each domain, assigning high values for each to minimize the possibility of a collision with a medium size LON network. The search will stop in the first domain with a discovered device, and the LON domain ID length and value will be set to the domain. This step is skipped if the LON domain configuration method is not enabled. 
   
   

2. The LON driver will discover and store the subnet ID, node ID, group IDs, connection selectors, unique ID, address table and alias table entry usage, and configuration property types and values for each device in the discovered domain if the domain ID configuration method is enabled, or in the configured domain if the domain ID configuration method is configuration method is not enabled. The LON driver is not required to discover connection topology, but is required to discover enough connection information on a discovered device to preserve those connections and support creating new connections that do not break the existing connections. The LON driver will discover both configured and unconfigured devices. Unconfigured devices will appear with blue icons in the CMS. The LON driver will skip hard-offline, soft-offline, and application-less devices in the discovery process. 
   
   

3. If the discovered device has an NV with the SNVT_config_src type, the LON driver will update the NV with the CFG_EXTERNAL value, which is one, and reset the device. This disables self-installation, if any, on the device. 
   
   

4. The CMS will create a device name and assign a device icon for each discovered device. 

The sections that follow describe how to specify the LON domain ID as well as how to discover the LON domain ID.

Specifying the LON Domain ID

You can change the LON domain ID if your LON management mode is set to DMM as described in Switching off LON Management.  By default, the SmartServer uses a LON domain ID that is allocated at random from a small pool.  If you have a network with multiple SmartServers with LON devices using DMM, each SmartServer must be configured to use a different domain to prevent LON address conflicts.  If you use the default random domain assignment, it is possible that two SmartServers will be assigned the same random domain ID. 

To change the LON domain ID in DMM, follow the steps below:

1. Log into the SmartServer Configuration page as described in Accessing the SmartServer IoT Configuration Page. The Network tab appears as the default SmartServer Configuration page. Once the network settings are configured for the SmartServer system, then the System tab will appear as the default.
   
   
   SmartServer IoT Network tab
   
   
   SmartServer IoT System tab
   
   
   For SmartServer Pi, open the SmartServer Configuration page as described in Accessing the SmartServer Pi Configuration Page. The Configuration page view that appears depends on your cache data. As needed, click the SmartServer IoT tab (left-side). The System tab (top) will appear as the default as shown below.
   
   
   SmartServer Pi System tab
   
   
2. Click the LON tab.
   
   SmartServer IoT and SmartServer Pi LON Configuration pages are shown below. The examples that follow are shown using SmartServer IoT.
   
   
   SmartServer IoT LON tab
   
   
   SmartServer Pi LON tab
   
   
3. Set the domain length and ID in the Domain Length (bytes) and Domain ID (hex) boxes. 
   
   You can set the domain length to 1 or 3 bytes, and you can set the domain ID to a hex value with two characters for a 1-byte domain or six characters for a 6-byte domain.  If you select a 3-byte domain, select a 3-byte value as follows:
   • The last byte must be 00.
   • The first byte cannot be:
     • 00 - the network IP addresses are reserved.
     • 0A - the 10/8 network IP address block is reserved for one-byte domains.
     • 7F - the 127/8 network IP address block is reserved for the Internet host loopback.
     • 2C - the 44/8 network IP address block is reserved for one-byte domains.
   • The first two bytes cannot be:
     • C0A8 - the 192.168/16 network IP address block is reserved for the zero-length domain.
     • A9FE - the 169.254/16 network IP address block is reserved for the link local purpose.
   •  ExC0xx (where x is any hex digit) is not allowed - the 224-239.192/16 network IP address block is reserved for multicast.
     
     
     SmartServer IoT LON tab
     
     
4. Click Update to save your configuration.

Continue with device discovery using the Devices widget as described in Discovering, Defining, or Importing Devices.

Discovering the LON Domain ID

The LON domain ID can be discovered by enabling the Enable Domain ID Discovery setting on the LON Configuration page and then initiating discovery using the Discover button () on the Devices widget. Discovery can be done in DMM or IMM, and the mode will not be changed.

With this method, you can discover a previously installed system, preserving all existing device configurations. The previously installed system may originally have been installed using any of the following methods:

• IzoT Net Server or LNS-based tool such as IzoT CT. These systems may be imported from IzoT Net Export. In some cases, there may no longer be access to the original installation tool or database, so the option to use IzoT Net Export is not available.
  

• Pre-configured devices that are assigned network addresses when they are manufactured.
  

• Self-installed devices that use ISI or another self-installation methodology to assign themselves network addresses at installation time.

To perform LON domain ID discovery, follow the steps below:

1. Log into the SmartServer Configuration page as described in Accessing the SmartServer IoT Configuration Page. The Network tab appears as the default SmartServer Configuration page. Once the network settings are configured for the SmartServer system, then the System tab will appear as the default.
   
   
   SmartServer IoT Network tab
   
   
   SmartServer IoT System tab
   
   
   For SmartServer Pi, open the SmartServer Configuration page as described in Accessing the SmartServer Pi Configuration Page. The Configuration page view that appears depends on your cache data. As needed, click the SmartServer IoT tab (left-side). The System tab (top) will appear as the default as shown below.
   
   
   SmartServer Pi System tab
   
   
2. Click the LON tab.
   
   SmartServer IoT and SmartServer Pi LON Configuration pages are shown below. The examples that follow are shown using SmartServer IoT.
   
   
   SmartServer IoT LON tab
   
   
   SmartServer Pi LON tab
   
   
3. Select the LON Domain ID Enable Domain ID Discovery option.
   
   
   SmartServer IoT LON tab
   
   
4. Click Update to save your configuration.

Continue with device discovery using the Devices widget as described in Discovering, Defining, or Importing Devices, Discovering Devices section.

Once device discovery is initiated using the Devices widget → Discover button (), you can optionally press a service button on a device in the domain to be discovered. The LON driver will wait for a service message that is generated by the pressing of a service button. Next, the LON driver will read the domain index 0 configuration at the unique ID that is included in the service message, and if a domain is configured for domain index 0, then the LON driver will assign the configured domain ID as the LON domain ID to be discovered.