NodeUtil Node Utility ReadMe File
Release 2.21, September 2010

Copyright ^© 1994 – 2010 Echelon Corporation
All Rights Reserved

1 Overview

This document describes how to use the NodeUtil Node Utility.  NodeUtil is a Windows console application that can be used with Echelon’s family of network interfaces (including the PCLTA-20, PCLTA-21, PCC-10, i.LON® 10, i.LON 100, i.LON 600, SmartServer, SLTA-10, U10, and U20 network interfaces) to diagnose and configure LonWorks® network interfaces, routers, and devices.

NodeUtil is a test and diagnostic tool—it is not a network management tool.  It will not assign destination addresses or bind network variables.  Nor will it format LonMark® interoperable device information.  A large number of LNS® based network management, diagnostic, monitoring and control tools are available; a directory of LNS based tools is available at www.echelon.com/lns.  A popular LNS based network engineering tool is the LonMaker® Integration Tool; see www.echelon.com/lonmaker for more information.  NodeUtil runs on top of OpenLDV™ 3.3C or higher.  The OpenLDV driver is included with the LNS Turbo Edition and the LonMaker Integration Tool Turbo Edition, and is available for royalty-free download from www.echelon.com/OpenLDV.

Additional information and updates, including critical updates, may be available in Echelon’s Downloads web page at www.echelon.com/downloads.

NodeUtil is provided as an unsupported software tool intended for advanced LonWorks device developers and integrators.

2 Contents

1 Overview.. 1

2 Contents. 1

3 Requirements. 2

3.1 PC Hardware Requirements. 2

3.2 PC Software Requirements. 2

4 Changes in this Release. 3

4.1 Release 2.21. 3

4.2 Release 2.17. 3

4.3 Release 2.10. 3

4.4 Release 2.08. 3

4.5 Release 2.07. 4

4.6 Release 2.06. 4

4.7 Release 2.05. 4

4.8 Release 2.04. 4

4.9 Release 2.03. 4

4.10 Release 2.02. 4

4.11 Release 2.01. 4

4.12 Release 2.00. 4

4.13 Release 1.97. 4

4.14 Release 1.96. 5

4.15 Release 1.94. 5

4.16 Release 1.93. 5

4.17 Release 1.92. 5

4.18 Release 1.89. 5

4.19 Release 1.88. 5

4.20 Release 1.87. 5

4.21 Release 1.84. 5

5 Getting Started. 5

3 Requirements

3.1 PC Hardware Requirements

The following are minimum requirements:

• Intel® Pentium® III 366MHz processor
• 128MB RAM
• 10MB of available hard-disk space
• 800x600 screen resolution
• Echelon LonWorks network interface—including the PCLTA-20, PCLTA-21, PCC-10, i.LON 10, i.LON 100, i.LON 600, SmartServer, SLTA-10, U10, and U20 network interfaces
• Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) compatible network interface (if you are using an i.LON 10, i.LON 100, i.LON 600, or SmartServer network interface)

3.2 PC Software Requirements

The following are minimum requirements:

• 32-bit version of Microsoft® Windows® Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2008
• OpenLDV 3.3C or later
• Appropriate Echelon Network Interface Driver (if you are using an SLTA-10 or LTS-20)
• Windows TCP/IP software (if you are using an i.LON 10, i.LON 100, i.LON 600, or SmartServer network interface)

4 Changes in this Release

This section lists the major changes implemented since NodeUtil 1.84. 

4.1 Release 2.21

• Added the –H and –M command line parameters.
• Added the (<) Redirect input from a file command and changed the command key for the Redirect (O)utput to a file command from O to >.
• Added the (Q)uickly add device to list command.
• Added the (<) Redirect input from a file device command and changed the command key for the Redirect (O)utput to a file device command from O to >.
• Added the ([) Performance test device command and the (=) Signal strength device command.
• The following device commands can now be used to update as well as display:  Device (A)ddress table, Network variable al(I)as table, and (N)etwork Variable configuration table.
• Domains can be set as clone domains, and the key for a domain can be set even if the domain is not used.
• Published the NodeUtil Node Utility User’s Guide (078-0438-01A).

4.2 Release 2.17

• Added support for Echelon Series 5000 chips. Allow clock setting changes for Series 5000 chips.
• Added the (*) Refresh Memory command.

4.3 Release 2.10

• Added the –B and –J command line parameters.

4.4 Release 2.08

• Added support for version 2 of the SNVT data structure.  This version is used by host based devices that support dynamic network variables.
• Add support for devices that use the Extended Command Set (ECS) network management messages.

4.5 Release 2.07

• Maximum NV size increased from 31 to 227 bytes.

4.6 Release 2.06

• Program ID model number is now interpreted just as a number (was shown as Neuron model).

4.7 Release 2.05

• Don't show NV fixed table for host nodes.
• Added support for alias indices beyond 255.

4.8 Release 2.04

• Added missing lines to generated device interface (XIF) files.
• Read the LonWorks directory location from the Windows registry.  This location is used to locate the stdxcvr.xml file.

4.9 Release 2.03

• Prompt for an authentication key after adding a device if authentication fails.  Use the supplied key whenever switching to the same device with the (G)o to Device Menu command.  Display the supplied key in the device list.

4.10 Release 2.02

• Use stdxcvr.xml to map transceiver IDs to names.

4.11 Release 2.01

• You can include spaces in file names entered at console prompts, with or without quotes.  This does not apply to file names specified on the command line.

4.12 Release 2.00

• Display an error message when a download fails due to version or model mismatch.
• When invoking the device Application (C)onfiguration Structures command, refresh the cached data from the device first.
• When stopped in paged output mode, allow an escape key to abort the output.
• Properly handle the new Version 16 firmware read only data structure.

4.13 Release 1.97

• Show F1 in the Help menu.
• Take the device offline before starting a download.
• Disallow reboot of 3120 devices.  This will prevent the Echelon U10 or U20 USB network interface to be rebooted and become unusable because of default communication parameters being restored and becoming TP/XF1250.

4.14 Release 1.96

• Don't resize the window when starting up.
• Don't set the priority buffer counts to 0 when automatically resizing buffers.

4.15 Release 1.94

• Don't attempt to read extended read-only data from devices with a base version less than 16.

4.16 Release 1.93

• Allow the device (Q)uickly Send a Message command to send authenticated messages.

4.17 Release 1.92

• Support Version 16 firmware including the new read-only data structure format and new event table format.
• Allow escape out of the device Application (C)onfiguration Structures command.

4.18 Release 1.89

• Fixed crash when doing a (N)etwork Variable Configuration Table command with an NV count that doesn't match the device’s actual count.  This could occur with a misconfigured ShortStack® host, for example.
• Reject hex numbers with more than 4 characters.

4.19 Release 1.88

• Fixed crash when directing output to a file via the Redirect (O)utput to a File command when the file already exists.

4.20 Release 1.87

• Fixed problem with reading the escaped alias count in the SI data.

4.21 Release 1.84

• Increase re-transmit timer for power line transactions to 1.5 seconds.

5 Getting Started

To install NodeUtil, follow these steps:

1. Install OpenLDV 3.3C or newer if you do not already have it.  You can download OpenLDV from www.echelon.com/openldv.
2. If you are using an Echelon network interface that needs a driver in addition to the OpenLDV driver, verify that you have installed that driver.  The OpenLDV ReadMe lists the network interfaces that require separate drivers.
3. Configure your network interface driver if required.  See the documentation for your selected network interface for details. 
4. Install StdXcvr.xml if you do no already have it.  This file is automatically installed by many applications including the LonMaker Integration Tool, NodeBuilder® Development Tool, NodeBuilder Resource Editor, and ShortStack Developer’s Kit.  If you have it installed, it will be in your LonWorks Types directory.  This directory is C:\LonWorks\Types by default, but you may have changed the location of your LonWorks directory when you installed your first LonWorks tool.  If you do not have a StdXcvr.xml file in your LonWorks Types directory, download the file from the Design Guidelines page that you can reach from www.lonmark.org.

To start NodeUtil, follow these steps:

1. Open a Windows command prompt by clicking Start, pointing to All Programs, pointing to Accessories, and then clicking Command Prompt.  Set the path to the folder containing NodeUtil and then start NodeUtil as described in the next section.  Alternatively, you can create a shortcut for NodeUtil that sets the starting directory to the directory containing NodeUtil.  Your shortcut can also specify the command line options as described in the next section.
2. NodeUtil starts, displays a sign-on message, and displays a menu of commands.  If there is any problem in opening the network driver, NodeUtil displays error messages and exits back to the command prompt.  If this happens, check that the network driver is loaded correctly, that you have OpenLDV 3.3C or higher installed, and that your network interface hardware is correctly configured.  If NodeUtil succeeds in opening the network driver, it displays a message similar to the following:

Echelon Node Utility Release 2.21
Received uplink local reset
Successfully installed TP/FT-10 network interface.
Welcome to the Echelon Node Utility application.
Activate the service pin on remote device to access it.
Enter one of the following commands by typing the indicated letter:

This is followed by the NodeUtil Main menu.  See the NodeUtil Node Utility User’s Guide (078-0438-01A) for a description of the main menu and device menu commands.