NodeBuilder™ Release Notes
Release 4.4 Update 2, April 2021

Overview

The NodeBuilder software provides software development tools for Dialog Series 6000, 5000, and 3100 Smart Transceivers and Neuron Chips. The NodeBuilder software requires the Dialog IzoT Commissioning Tool and 32-bit Microsoft Visio software.

You can use the NodeBuilder software with the Dialog FT 6050 EVK. The FT 6050 EVK is a complete hardware and software development platform for creating LON™, LON/IP, and BACnet FT devices based on Dialog Series 6000, Series 5000, and Series 3100 Neuron™ Chips and Smart Transceivers.

The following sections describe NodeBuilder 4.4 Update 2 (NodeBuilder version 4.40.14 with 8-Apr-2021 exporter):

· Requirements

· Releases

· Getting Started

· Changes

· Warnings

See Getting Started below for installation instructions, including the required serial number and installation instructions for the updated exporter. For additional documentation, see the Resources listing at https://www.dialog-semiconductor.com/products/communications/free-topology/ft-6050-evk. For the latest software updates, see http://iecdocs.diasemi.com/display/PortTL/IzoT+NodeBuilder.

Requirements

Hardware and software requirements for computers running the IzoT NodeBuilder tool are listed in the IzoT NodeBuilder User’s Guide.

Releases

This ReadMe document applies to the IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4 Updagte 1 software. You can find your version of the NodeBuilder software by starting the NodeBuilder project manager, opening the Help menu, and then clicking About NodeBuilder. The About NodeBuilder dialog appears. This dialog displays the version number of your NodeBuilder software. The following table summarizes the IzoT NodeBuilder software release history:

Name	Number	Date
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3	4.30.47	July 2014
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR1	4.30.52	September 2014
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR2	4.30.53	October 2014
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR3	4.30.55	January 2015
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR4	4.30.60	October 2015
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR5	4.30.61	November 2015
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR6	4.36.01	January 2016
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR7	4.37.01	February 2016
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR 8	4.38.02	July 2016
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4	4.40.10	April 2018
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4	4.40.11	July 2018
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4	4.40.12	January 2019
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4	4.40.13	May 2019
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4 Update 1	4.40.14	October 2019
IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4 Update 2	4.40.15 with Neuron Image Exporter dated 8-Apr-2021	April 2021

Getting Started

To get started with the NodeBuilder software, follow these steps:

1. Install a 32-bit version of Microsoft Visio. Microsoft Visio is required for the IzoT Commissioning Tool (CT). You cannot install 32-bit Visio on a computer with 64-bit Microsoft Office. If you have 64-bit Office, uninstall it before installing Visio.

2. Install IzoT CT. IzoT CT is required for the NodeBuilder software.

3. Download the NodeBuilder software from http://iecdocs.diasemi.com/display/PortTL/IzoT+NodeBuilder.

4. Extract the files from the NodeBuilder zip archive.

5. Run the NodeBuilder.exe application to start the NodeBuilder software installation. You can install the NodeBuilder software on the same computer with an earlier version of the NodeBuilder software. The new NodeBuilder software will delete any prior installations.

6. When you are prompted for a serial number, enter the following serial number:

0750B72-70020

7. Copy the LonNex32.dll file that you extracted in step 4 to the LonWorks bin directory. The default LonWorks bin directory is c:\Program Files (x86)\LonWorks\bin, but you may have changed that for your installation. The new LonNex32.dll file has the same version number as the version you will replace, but has a newer 8-Apr-2021 file creation date.

8. See the IzoT Commissioning Tool User’s Guide and the IzoT NodeBuilder User’s Guide for details on using IzoT CT and NodeBuilder. These manuals are installed on your computer when you install the IzoT CT and NodeBuilder software. You can find the documents online on the following pages:

http://iecdocs.diasemi.com/display/PortTL/IzoT+NodeBuilder

http://iecdocs.diasemi.com/display/PortTL/IzoT+CT+and+OpenLNS+CT

9. If you are using the IzoT WireShark Plug-in, update your WireShark software to version 1.12 or newer. The version of the IzoT WireShark plug-in included with SR2 and newer will not work with versions of WireShark prior to 1.12.

10. If you created any custom devices with Neuron firmware 21.03.07 included with the original NodeBuilder 4.3 software, or with Neuron firmware 21.03.09 included with the NodeBuilder 4.30 SR1 software, or if you have an FT 6000 EVBs shipped prior to October 2014 that are running Neuron firmware version 21.03.09 or earlier versions, then update the firmware in your devices or EVBs to match the new Neuron firmware 21.04.08 firmware included with the service release. To update the firmware in your devices or EVBs, follow these steps:

1. If you do not already have a current version of NodeLoad or NodeUtil, download and install one of the utilities from www.echelon.com/downloads. If you are downloading NodeUtil, also download the latest NodeUtil Node Utility User’s Guide. NodeLoad is easier to use for just downloading images to device, whereas NodeUtil provides other useful tools for device developers, including tools for verifying Neuron firmware version numbers.

2. Download the following boot loader file with NodeLoad or NodeUtil:

<LonWorks>\images\ver21\bla6000.ndl

Enter your LonWorks directory for <LonWorks>. By default, the LonWorks directory is C:\Program Files (x86)\LonWorks or C:\LonWorks depending on which Echelon software you previously installed on your computer.

To download with NodeLoad, enter NodeLoad /? to display help. To download with NodeUtil, see the NodeUtil documentation for the Y command.

3. Download the following Neuron firmware image file with NodeLoad or NodeUtil:

<LonWorks>\images\ver21\b6050v4.ndl

4. If you are using NodeUtil, you can verify the firmware version number with the S command.

5. Rebuild any applications you created for your custom devices or FT 6000 EVBs using Neuron firmware version 21.04.08.

Changes

The following enhancements and fixes are included in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4 Update 2

Extend the Neuron image exporter to also export NXE image files in addition to NDL image files. [NDB-5775]
Uninitialized memory was sometimes initialized to zero if gaps existed between two initialized areas. This has been addressed with an updated Neuron image exporter that trims any memory fillers in uninitialized memory. The new exporter is not installed by the NodeBuilder installer and must be installed manually after the NodeBuilder installer has installed the NodeBuilder software as described in Getting Started above. [NDB-5808]

The following fixes are included in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4 Update 1

Neuron firmware version 21.05.01 is included. This version of the Neuron firmware improves memory management for applications that are larger than 64K.

The following fixes are included in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.4

Timing of the I2C I/O model is improved with a stop condition extended by 8 µs, enabling the use of more I2C devices.
The “Touch I/O” model (Maxim 1-Wire) is improved with T_slot timing of 60 µs (was 55 µs).
LonMark Resource Files version 16 are included.

The following fixes are included in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR8.

Neuron firmware for Series 6000 chips versions 21.04.07 and lower, the authenticated message reply was being formed with a destination subnet of '0' when LonTalk authentication was being used. [NRNFW-601]
The Atmel AT25F512B flash memory part (64 KiB total size, 4 KiB sectors) is now supported with the Series 5000 chips. [NDB-5610]

The following fixes are included in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR7.

The logger.h file has been corrected as it had an erroneous field for the LodInitSettings structure. The second field “mswBaseAddr” has been removed as the mechanism actually auto-locates its data. Code that used the old structure definition may have actually worked ok as the most significant byte of “mswBaseAddr” would have been interpreted by the library as the “countSectors” field. If a deployed program is using the erroneous structure and needs to be corrected in a backward compatible manner (one that won’t lose the persistent data on an upgrade), then the “countSectors” field must be set in the fixed program to the value that was formerly provided for the most significant byte of “mswBaseAddr”. For example, say the previous definition was

LodInitSettings lis = {0x80, 0x0F00, 0x07};

Then the backward compatible code would be:

LodInitSettings lis = {0x80, 0x0F};

Yes, this allocates more sectors (0x0F) than originally intended (0x07), but it will do so in a way that matches what actually occurred in the old device. [NDB-5674]

The following enhancements are included in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR6.

The IzoT NodeBuilder Hardware Template Editor failed to read the “neuron.xml” data file when the local regional settings use a comma as the decimal symbol.

This error has been corrected; IzoT NodeBuilder Hardware Template Editor reads “neuron.xml” data correctly, regardless of local and regional settings. [NDB‑5661]

Debug images for use with a Series 6000 chip were incorrectly linked such that a message buffer used by the network kernel debugger could overlap with application RAM variables.

This error has been corrected and the network kernel debugger’s message buffer is correctly accounted for. [NDB-5662]

IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR6 has the full version number of 4.36.xx (where xx is the build number). IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR1 to SR5 all declare version 4.30 (with different build numbers as detailed in the table above).

The following enhancements are included in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR5.

The new swspi.h standard Neuron C include file has been added. This include file specifies the API to support a software driven 3-wire SPI interface.
The NodeBuilder Hardware Template Editor specified the clock multiplier attribute in an invalid format. This prevented building images, but would only occur if new or newly modified hardware templates are used, and a clock multiplier less than one was specified. The Hardware Template Editor now uses the correct format for clock multiplier values less than one, and the build tool chain has been enhanced to recognize both formats.
Figure 61 in the Series 6000 Chip Databook incorrectly stated that the 100k pull-down on MISO for the flash memory interface can be omitted. The databook has been updated to clarify that this pull-down is required. [NDB-5656]

The following enhancements are included in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR4.

The following features have been added to the Neuron BACnet Stack:

BACnet MS/TP (master-slave, token-passing) support in addition to BACnet/IP-FT. The Neuron BACnet examples have been updated to demonstrate the new capability, and two new Neuron BACnet libraries have been added in addition to baclon.lib: bacmstp.lib and bacmisc.lib.
BACnet Change of Value (COV) support
BACnet Read Property Multiple (RPM) support
Dynamic BACnet object type support
BACnet priority array access
High resolution scaling

For targets using Series 6000 chips or higher, NodeBuilder 4.30 SR4 exports a new binary application image for network loading (.NDB file extension). NDB files are used for loading Neuron BACnet application images over the network.
The Neuron C compiler now supports the __lock { ... } construct for synchronized access with a hardware semaphore in Neuron C modules (.NC file suffix) and in pure C source modules (.C file suffix). Code using this construct can only be linked with target hardware which supports an application hardware semaphore (Series 5000 chips and newer). [NDB-5592]
Neuron firmware 21.04.07 is included for use with Series 6000 Smart Transceivers and Neuron Chips.

The following problems were fixed in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR3.

Applications using NodeBuilder CodeWizard must be re-built using the updated CodeWizard-3.lib runtime libraries supplied with IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR3. This fixes a write beyond the end error of a CodeWizard runtime variable. (NDB‑5514)
Devices using one of the following serial flash memory parts can now be built and exported without error: Micron M25PX80, Macronix MX25L8035E, Adesto AT25SF041 and Adesto AT25SF081. (NDB-5517)
The Neuron C Compiler crashes when compiling ShortStack Micro Server applications (code containing pragma micro_interface). (NDB-5520)
Neuron firmware version 21.03.10 has been updated in a way that is backward compatible in order to correct the way Direct Memory Files are handled for ShortStack Micro Server applications. The image is link-compatible with the previous 21.03.10 image.

The following problems were fixed in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR2.

Correctly handle turnaround datapoint connections using extended address table entries (address table index larger than 14). (NRNFW-511)

The following problems were fixed in IzoT NodeBuilder 4.3 SR1:

· Power failure recovery has been improved when downloading an NDL file. (NDB‑5409)

· Network variables bound using the alias table (such as can occur with fan out connections) were not always updated properly. (NRNFW-509)

· Memory was sometimes corrupted when loading large applications. (NRNFW-500)

· Memory allocated for sending a message was sometimes not freed if application_restart() was called while sending a message. (NRNFW-498)

· If an application contained eeprom far data and all of it was declared as uninitialized (uninit without any explicit initializers), the exporter sometimes crashed when creating the NEI or NDL files. Variables declared with the uninit eeprom far attributes variables and not explicitly initialized are now initialized to zero in the NMF file. (NDB-5466)

· The NME file generated by the NodeBuilder software for programming serial EEPROM memory parts for a Series 5000 Smart Transceiver or Neuron Chip was sometimes corrupted, preventing the device from operating correctly. (NDB-5462)

· Open Media Authentication (OMA) could be enabled for targets with version of Neuron firmware prior to version 14 that do not support OMA. (NDB-5462)

· Linker errors were reported by the retrieve_stat() function for the _stats_unlock and _stats_lock symbols. (NDB-5460)

· An incorrect offset out-of-range error was sometimes reported when compiling an application. (NDB-5423)

Warnings

Following are warnings for NodeBuilder.

FT 5000 Examples do not Compile

The NcMultiSensorExample, NcSimpleIsiExample, and NcSimpleExample examples for the FT 5000 Smart Transceiver fail to compile—the examples for the FT 6050 Smart Transceivers compile correctly. Workaround: No workaround is required if you are building the FT 6050 examples for an FT 6050 Smart Transceiver. To rebuild the FT 5000 examples for an FT 5000 Smart Transceiver, replace all include directive double backslashes with single backslashes. (NDB-5384)

Changes in Default ISI Domain

The LON/IP default domain for ISI is 0x49.53.00 ("IS\0"). This is a change from the original ISI default domain of 0x49.53.49 ("ISI"). Workaround: To use the LONk/IP default ISI domain, no workaround is required. To create ISI devices operating on the original ISI default domain of 0x49.53.49 (“ISI”), assign the 0x49.53.49 primary domain ID by overriding the IsiGetPrimaryDid() callback function.

If DHCP is enabled and an IP address is assigned by a DHCP server, the Neuron firmware will use the IP address assigned by the DHCP server, and will not use the default ISI domain. Workaround: To use the default ISI domain, use the #pragma dhcp disabled directive to disable the DHCP client for your devices when using ISI. (NDB‑5337)

IzoT CT Browser Fails after Installation

The IzoT CT Browser sometimes displays a system error when started after installation. Workaround: Restart Windows to complete the installation. (LMWIN-1930)

Locating the Neuron C Example Project Sources

After restoring the IzoT NcMultiSensor example network, you must specify the NodeBuilder project. When prompted whether to create a new or open an existing project, select Open an Existing Project and browse to the NcExamples.NbPrj project located in your local C:\Users\Public\Documents\LonWorks\OpenLnsCt\Source\FT 6000 EVB folder. (NDB-5374)

SCI Rates Missing for BACnet FT Device

When building a device with BACnet FT support, the examples include a file blonsys.h. blonsys.h references a variable of type TSciRates, which is defined in io_types.h, so within your own project, before including blonsys.h, also include io_types.h (NDB‑5668).

The slow and fast Keywords Scale with System Clock

The “IO Model Reference for Smart Transceivers and Neuron Chips” implies that using the __slow keyword gets you an SCL rate of 100 kbps, and the __fast keyword gets you a 400 kbps rate. While this is true with a system clock of 80 MHz, note that the SCL clock rate scales with the system clock rate (NDB-5663).

The 100k Pull-down on MISO for Flash is Required

The “6000 Series Chip Data Book” claims that for the flash memory interface, the 100k pull-down on MISO can be omitted. Instead, this pull-down is required (NDB‑5656).

Install Failure with Visio 64-bit

IzoT CT requires the 32-bit version of Microsoft Visio. Existing installations of the 64-bit version of Microsoft Visio can cause Izot NodeBuilder not to install correctly. Running IzoT NodeBuilder causes runtime errors in reference to missing dynamic link libraries (DLL).

Uninstall Microsoft Visio and re-install it from the Open CT installation media provided. Then execute the "repair" option with the IzoT NodeBuilder installer from the Windows Control Panel. [NDB-5750]

Dialog, Adesto, Echelon, LON, the Dialog logo, the Adesto logo, the Echelon logo, LonWorks, NodeBuilder, LonTalk, LonPoint, Neuron, 3120, 3150, LNS, i.LON, ShortStack, LonMaker, IzoT, OpenLDV, LonScanner, and LonBridge are trademarks of Dialog Corporation that may be registered in the United States and other countries. For a complete list of registered trademarks see the Dialog web site at www.dialog-semiconductor.com. All rights reserved.

Other trademarks belong to their respective holders.