Integrated Device Manager

The Integrated Device Manager (IDM) is a collection of PC computer applications that allow users of the OKC Products, Inc. line of vTagNet™ products to customize, program, test and interact with local or remote sensors and controls. The IDM application is available to all as a free download from OKC's web site. The IDM application includes six separate utilities:

• File Manager - Device organizer.
• Setup - Device access information.
• Profile - Device application notes

The Program Generator provides all the tools necessary to create an application program, assign numeric variables, test program functionality and develop user LCD displays and menus. Application programs are created using standard programming practices with the exception that the programmer need not know any programming language. Program scripts or subroutines are created from an assortment of graphical objects that include function call, script call, decision, math and return blocks that are linked together in a flow diagram format. Program variable data types include Byte, Integer, Long, Time and Float for mathematical computations with additonal built-in I/O control and math functions to support even the most complex applications. The Program Generator includes four integrated development tools:

• ChartWriter™ - graphical scrip diagram generator.
• Variables - setup and manage program variables.
• Display Manager - LCD display generator.
• PCT - Program Configuration Table generator.

The ChartWriter™ programming utility uses Typed data variables, which means that all variables must first be declared before they can be used. This involves assigning the variable's name and data type in the Global script variables table. Local variables are data typed using a symbol ($, #, !, %) as the 1st character in the local variable's name.

A variable's data type determines the values it may contain, plus the operations that may be performed on it. The five data types supported by the ChartWriter™ programming utility are:

• byte: 8 bits ($)
• Unsigned 0 to 255

The byte data type is an 8-bit signed two's complement integer. The byte data type is useful for saving memory and as a substitute for the boolean data type which has only two possible values: 1 or 0

• A "1" can represent ...  true/open/enabled/active/on/up etc.
• A "0" can represent ...  false/closed/disabled/inactive/off/down etc.

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• int: 16 bits (#)
• Signed -32,768 to +32,768

The int data type is a 16-bit signed two's complement integer.

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• long: 32 bits (!)
• Signed -2,147,483,648 to +2,147,483,647

The long data type is a 32-bit signed two's complement integer.

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• time: 32 bits (!)
• Signed 0 to 2,147,483,647 seconds
• 596,523 HRS, 14 MIN, 7 SEC

The time data type is a long integer representing HRS:MIN:SEC in a seconds format. Although time is displayed in the HRS:MIN:SEC format, all calculations are performed using the seconds eqivalent as a long integer.

Useful time conversions:

• 31,557,600 seconds/year
• 2,629,800 seconds/month (avg)
• 604,800 seconds/week
• 86,400 seconds/day
• 3,600 seconds/hour
• 60 seconds/minute

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• float: 32 bits (%)
• Signed -1.0E(-126) to +1.0E(+127)
• 1 bit Sign, 8 bits Exponent, 23 bits Precision

The float data type is a single-precision 32-bit floating point number.

IDM v6.00 / OpSys™ v8.00

Load Defaults

The abilitiy to define Default values for variables in script subroutines has been reserected from being deleted in previous versions in favor of using the Product Configuration Table (PCT). Any script subroutine may be attached to a "Load Defaults" system interrupt that is fired during the OpSys™ v8.00 power up initialization. The Load Defaults interrupt is only fired during power up when the "Load Defaults" selection in the BIOS menu is set to "YES".  Note that any user changes made to variables assigned a default value will be replaced with the default value when istructed to do so in the BIOS setup menu during power up.

In addition, the "Load Defaults" eliminates the need to program the PCT into each vTagNet™ device, reducing an important and often overlooked aspect of device setup.

Analog Functions

Analog-to-Digital (ADC) and Digital-to-Analog (DAC) initialization and scaling functions have been simplified to eliminate the need to specifiy the hardware's voltage reference range. All analog components in vTagNet™ devices have the same 0-5Vdc reference for input and/or output range. Analog setup funtion now oly include MIN, MAX and SCL for input/output scaling.

Programmer Utility

The need to have the complete Integrated Device Manager (IDM) application installed on a PC or laptop computer to program any vTagNet™ device has been replaced with a simple Program utility. The IDM compiler now generates two files in native microprocessor code (Mororola S19) format. The two files include the application program and LCD display menus. Thus, only two native S19 code files need be sent to customers to program their vTagNet™ devices instead of a complete suite of IDM project files. The Program utlity also alows updates to the OpSys™ operating system since it is also supplied in native microprocessor code format.

vTagNet™

vTagNet™ is the term that refers to how products connect through a wireless network and share information. Previously, the amount of shared information was limited to 127 eTags (Coils) and 16 nTags (Holding Registers) in a fixed, specified format referred to as a vTagNet™ packet. The OpSys™ v8.00 operating system eliminates the constraints of the vTagNet™ packet by including script Read/Write functions that programatically define the data content shared between networked devices. Data sharing or "collaborative processing" is now only limited by available RAM variable storage.

Wireless Network

Using wireless protocol Bluetooth 802.15.4 with sleeping nodes presents a basic limitation on just how many sleeping nodes (End Devices) may be serviced by a single network master (Coordinator) within a relatively short update interval. OpSys™ v8.00 modified the wireless network control scheme to allow up to 255 End Devices to interact with a single Coordinator at network update intervals a fast as 1 second.

Log Records

Previously log records were comprised of a date and time stamped vTagNet™ packet caputured and stored at a user specified Log Update Interval (LUD) sample rate or upon the occurrence of programmable events.  Log record content is now arbitrarily defined by organizing  RAM variables in a sequence and format to match whatever is needed by a specific application. Using a new Log Configuration control in the IDM application, the user simply specifies how many memory bytes starting at Register 0 is saved as a log record.