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152 lines
9.6 KiB
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152 lines
9.6 KiB
Plaintext
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<!-- Copyright Bob Jacobsen 2008 -->
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<title>JMRI: Maple Node Configuration</title><!--#include virtual="/help/en/parts/Style.shtml" -->
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<h2>JMRI: Maple Node Configuration</h2>
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<h3>Background Information:</h3>
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<p>Maple Systems makes touch screen HMI (Human Machine Interface) panels that can have
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application to model railroading. In particular, these touch screen HMI panels can serve as
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hi-tech substitutes for fascia panels on a model railroad layout. This Maple-to-JMRI
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implementation supports multiple identical HMI panels that can be plugged in at various
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locations around the layout and used to control and display items related to that location.
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Each HMI panel has a built-in microcomputer that can be programmed (using a programming
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package supplied by Maple Systems) to display any number of user selectable displays. It is
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envisioned that after plugging in his/her panel, the model railroader will select that
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display appropriate to his/her current location, allowing the panel to serve as a
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communication device directly into JMRI. After completing tasks at a location, the model
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railroader will unplug the panel and move with it to another location, etc. Multiple HMI
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panels operating simultaneously are supported.</p>
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<p>The "coil bits" in the Maple HMI panels are used to communicate with JMRI. In this
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Maple-to-JMRI implementation, all panels use the same address space and have exactly the same
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input and output bit assignments. The first 1000 coil bits are reserved for configuration as
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Sensors. Sensors are referred to as "Input Bits" and are used to set JMRI Sensors according
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to status bits (coil bits) in your Maple HMI panels. Therefore, Sensors pass information from
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configured HMI panels to JMRI. The next 8000 bits are reserved for assignment as "Output
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Bits" and are used to send the current settings of Turnouts and Lights to the Maple
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Panels.</p>
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<h3>Communication between JMRI and Maple HMI Panels</h3>
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<p>Maple communications work by polling. Each panel is polled separately, and the results of
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the polls are ORed together to set Sensors. Therefore if a Sensor is ACTIVE (Maple "1") in
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any panel, it is set ACTIVE in JMRI. If a Sensor is INACTIVE (Maple "0") in all configured
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panels, then it is set INACTIVE in JMRI. Panels are polled in the order that they are
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configured. <strong>Note:</strong> The Maple poll command allows a maximum of 99 bits to be
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requested with each poll command, so if more than 99 input bits are configured, multiple poll
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commands will be needed for each panel.</p>
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<p>After all panels have been polled, the status of output bits is sent to the panels. Output
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bits are sent in "Broadcast Mode" so all panels can receive the bits at the same time.
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Broadcast Mode is indicated by an HMI Station Address of "0". Output bits begin with an HMI
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coil bit address of "1001". All configured output bits are sent, regardless of if the bit is
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assigned or not. <strong>Note:</strong> The Maple write command allows a maximum of 99 bits
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to be written with each transmit command, so if more than 99 output bits are configured,
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multiple transmit commands will be needed. Keeping the number of configured output bits as
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low as reasonable will reduce the number of transmit commands that must be sent.</p>
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<h3>Configuring a new Maple Panel</h3>
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<p>A new Maple Panel (a "Maple Node") is configured by specifying its HMI Station Address,
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specifying timeout times for polls and sends, entering the number of input and output bits,
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and clicking the <strong>Add Panel</strong> button. HMI Station Address is unique to each HMI
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panel, the other items are the same for all panels. Each item is described below:</p>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>HMI Station Address</strong> - This is the address used by JMRI to poll the
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panel. Each panel must have a different HMI Station Address. Addresses of 1 through 99 are
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allowed. The addresses need not be consecutive. Panels need not be configured in numerical
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order.</li>
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<li><strong>Poll Reply Timeout Time</strong> - This is the time (milliseconds) to wait for
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a response after issuing a poll command before going on to the next command in the
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communication process. The value displayed is the current timeout time, or, if this is the
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first panel to be configured, the default timeout time. Changing it will change the timeout
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time for all panels. This time should be set to the smallest number that gives reliable
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communications between the computer and JMRI. <strong>Note:</strong> When a panel is
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configured, but not plugged in (not communicating), it will timeout. This is the expected
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behavior when a user is moving a panel between locations.</li>
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<li><strong>Send Delay Time</strong> - This is the time (milliseconds) to wait after
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issuing a broadcast write command before going on to the next command in the communication
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process. The value displayed is the current send delay time, or, if this is the first panel
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to be configured, the default send delay time. Changing it will change the send delay time
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for all panels.</li>
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<li><strong>Number of Input Bits</strong> - This is the number of input bits that will be
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polled when each HMI panel is polled. Values of 1 through 1000 are allowed. The number of
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input bits is forced to be the same for each panel, so if this number is changed when
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adding or editing any panel, it is changed for all panels. Because of the 99 bit limit in
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Maple polling requests, multiple poll commands will be required if this number is greater
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than 99. So keeping this number to the lowest reasonable value will result in faster
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communications.</li>
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<li><strong>Number of Output Bits</strong> - This is the number of output bits that will be
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sent in broadcast mode at the end of each polling cycle. Values of 1 through 8000 are
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allowed. The number of output bits is forced to be the same for each panel, so if this
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number is changed when adding or editing any panel, it is changed for all panels. Because
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of the 99 bit limit in Maple write commands, multiple write commands will be required if
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this number is greater than 99. So keeping this number to the lowest reasonable value will
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result in faster communications.</li>
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</ul>
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<p><strong>Important:</strong> Always check the messages in the <strong>Notes</strong> box
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after each operation! That's where success or errors will be reported.</p>
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<p><strong>Very Important:</strong> Remember to save your Maple Panel Node configuration
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information to disk after making changes. Use the <strong>Save</strong> button at the bottom
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of the Preferences window.</p>
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<h3>Other Operations</h3>
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<p>To change any of the four common parameters (poll reply timeout time, send delay time,
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number of input bits, and/or number of output bits), enter the HMI Station Address of any
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configured panel, click Edit Panel, make the desired parameter changes, and click
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<strong>Update Panel</strong>. This changes the parameter(s) in all configured panels.</p>
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<p>To see a list of the HMI Station Addresses of all configured panels, select <strong>List
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Assignments</strong> in the <strong>Maple</strong> menu, and pull down the
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<strong>Nodes</strong> popup menu.</p>
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<p>To change the HMI Station Address of a previously configured panel, enter the HMI Station
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Address of the panel, click <strong>Delete Panel</strong>, confirm the deletion, enter the
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new HMI Station Address, and click <strong>Add Panel</strong>. HMI Station Addresses cannot
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be changed via Edit.</p>
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<p>If you add a Sensor with a system name that addresses a coil bit beyond the configured
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number of input bits, the Sensor will be added, and a <strong>Configuration Warning</strong>
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message will be issued. There is no way to access a Sensor that corresponds to an HMI coil
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bit outside the range of configured bits. So if you get a <strong>Configuration
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Warning</strong> message, you should either change your configuration's <strong>Number of
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Input Bits</strong> or delete the Sensor.</p>
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<p>If you add a Turnout with a system name that addresses a coil bit outside the configured
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range of output bits, the Turnout will be added, and a <strong>Configuration Warning</strong>
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message will be issued. The configured range of HMI bit addresses is 1001 through 1000 + the
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number of output bits, corresponding to JMRI addresses of 1 through the number of output
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bits. There is no way to write to a Turnout that corresponds to an HMI coil bit outside the
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range of configured bits. So if you get a <strong>Configuration Warning</strong> message, you
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should either change your configuration's <strong>Number of Output Bits</strong> or delete
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the Turnout.</p>
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<p>JMRI will refuse to create a Light if it doesn't correspond to the configured address
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range for output bits (see above).</p>
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