FieldServer instruction manual FS-8700-40 SBT FSI Driver Manual

Notes

1Map Descriptors are used to determine which bit to set in the Data Array. When an event arrives from a panel, the FieldServer will scan for a Map Descriptor with a Node_ID matching the panel number reported in the event. This Map Descriptor will point to the Data Array to be modified. The location can be further refined if a starting module within the panel is specified in the Block_Number field. Each module represents 256 bits that can be set or reset by an event. A Map Descriptor that is 512 bits long with a starting module (Block_Number) of 3 represents the events for Modules 3 and 4. A Map Descriptor that is 10 bits long will only map the first 10 devices for that module. The combination of Block_Number and Data_Array_Location can be used to map multiple panels with various numbers of modules into a packed array to be read by the Server side of the FieldServer.

2When the customer receives a Communication FieldServer with the default driver installed, the configuration is set to poll 2 MXL/XLS devices once per second.

3In addition to the two sets of event counters, alarm bit arrays are set up for 8 modules (1 to 8) per device. If the required configuration falls within this size, only the Server side of the FieldServer needs to be configured. To connect to a device using Modbus RTU protocol, configure the interface as if the FieldServer were another Modbus PLC and create a Map Descriptor to assign a Modbus address (such as 40001) to the Counts Data Array so that it can be read by the Modbus bus master.

4If the customer has different panel numbers, the Nodes section of the configuration file will need to be changed. To add more panels, add Node entries and Map Descriptors by copying the original ones and modifying the Panel number entries and Data Array offsets. To access panels with more modules, first increase the Data Array lengths. If the extra modules are contiguous, the Map Descriptors for that panel can have their lengths increased also. If there are large gaps in the numbering of the module, it will be more efficient to add additional Map Descriptors by copying the ones that are given and modifying the Block_Number to start at the next existing module number.

5While the creation of passive Client-side Map Descriptors is optional, error messages will appear when events arrive for which Map Descriptors cannot be found. It is therefore recommended that Map Descriptors (especially ack mapdescs) be allocated even if only as dummies to prevent nuisance error messages.