Setup Controller

Setup

In general, the set-up process follows the distributed nature of the iNetGrow system. The iNetGrow architecture treats each controller as a peer device with its own IP address on the LAN. Each controller has one or more modules. Each module has several inputs and outputs.

A typical set up process involves initializing the controllers and the modules attached to each controller. The Setup Wizard guides you through these steps. The wizard is helpful, especially to new users who are setting up an iNetGrow system for the first time.

The following steps apply to initializing a single controller and the modules attached to it in a systematic manner. This process may then be repeated for each controller in the implementations.

1. Setup the Controller

a. Connect the controller to the serial port of the PC. Power the controller.

b. Run iNetGrow on the PC. On the main dialog, in the box titled “Setup” click the “Controller” button.

c. Use the “Setup Controller” dialog to set the network and security parameters (see “Setup Controller” for more information.)

d. Disconnect the controller from the serial port. The serial port is only used for security parameters and to set the network parameters. This prevents anyone from changing the security settings remotely over the Internet. All other operations are conducted over the LAN.

2. Add the Controller to the List of Controllers

a. If not already connected, connect the controller to the LAN and power up the controller.

b. Run iNetGrow on the PC. On the main dialog, in the box titled “Setup,” click the “Network” button.

c. Add the newly configured controller to the list of controllers. See the section “Setup Network” for more information.

3. Configure the Modules

a. If not already connected, connect the modules to the controller.

b. Run iNetGrow on the PC. On the main dialog, in the box titled “Setup,” click the “Network” button.

c. Select the controller whose modules are to be initialized. Then click the button “I/O Modules” under the prompt “Configure.” The following dialogs depend on the type of modules connected to the controller. Refer to the section “Configure I/O Modules” for more information.

Typically, when you configure I/O modules, you enable or disable the various inputs and outputs, and assign names to the inputs and outputs. Naming the inputs and outputs, called named variables, is an import step if you want to log variables or automate control actions. See the section “Named Variables” on the page “Concepts” for more information.

Note that iNetGrow components have default values already programmed. These defaults may suffice in minimal installations. See the section “System Defaults” for more information.