Connections Tab

The Connections tab displays any connected Controller names (in alpha order), showing their connection type (Coordinator, Ethernet, Gateway, USB, or Aperio) and status. 

• A green dot by the name indicates the device is successfully connected, communicating, and working as expected. 
• A red dot indicates the device is not connected or communicating as expected.

 

Add a Connection

To add a new Connection, click the + icon in the lower right corner of the Connections tab in the Configuration screen. The Add Connection window will then be displayed. 

Click inside the Connection Type field or on the down-arrow to select a type. Based on the selected Connection Type, different options will be available for the Connection. 

Coordinator 

The 'Coordinator' option is present to allow communication with the onboard WiMAC hardware in most non-Server Cloud Nodes (Legacy and Red series). Normally you will not have to add this Connection to a Cloud Node unless it was deleted.

Name -  Enter a name for the connection here. We normally recommend naming the Connection as 'Onboard wimac' but this can be named differently if you like.

Port - This will always be 0.

When finished adding the Coordinator Connection, click the ADD button.

 

Ethernet

Ethernet connections utilize a CAT5/CAT6 network cable to connect the controller to the same network as the Cloud Node.

With Legacy Controllers (Single IO, Eight IO, Gate IO, and Pedestal IO units), the Lantronix Ethernet module is initially set up to automatically obtain an IP address (DHCP). These modules must be assigned a static IP address using the Lantronix network utility software or through the web interface for the module (accessed by entering the IP address for the module into a web browser).

For Red High-Security controllers, we recommend discovering the controllers in the Discovery tab, in the same way as wireless connections. You can manually add the connection for the Red series controllers if you know the IP address for the controller, but you may not be able to access some of the functionality of the Red series 

 

Manufacturer - Select if the module is a PDK module (Red series hardware) or Lantronix (Legacy hardware) module.

Name -  Enter a name for the connection here. This can be anything you like, from an internal code  to a descriptive name for the controller (IE the door attached for a single door controller or the location where the controller is located).

Port - For Ethernet Connections, always use the default Port of 10001 unless specified otherwise by either PDK Technical Support or IT  personnel at the installation site. 

IP Address - Enter the IP address for the Ethernet controller.

When finished adding the new Ethernet Connection, click the ADD button.

 

Gateway

A 'Gateway' is the used to extend the WiMAC wireless signal to areas that can not reach the Cloud Node itself but are on the same network as the Cloud Node or if you need to add WiMAC capability to a Cloud Node without wireless connectivity (such as a server Cloud Node or Ethernet-only version of Red Cloud Node). 

Name -  Enter a name for the connection here. This can be anything you like, from an internal code  to a descriptive name for the Gateway (IE location where the controller is located).

Port - This will normally be 2101 unless changed in the web browser interface for the Gateway.

IP Address - Enter the IP address for the Gateway. This needs to be set 'Static' in the web interface for the Gateway.

When finished adding the new Gateway Connection, click the ADD button.

 

USB

The 'USB' option is present to allow communication with the onboard Controller hardware in non-Server Cloud Nodes (Legacy and Red series). Normally you will not have to add this Connection to a Cloud Node unless it was deleted.

Name -  Enter a name for the connection here. We normally recommend naming the Connection as 'Onboard Controller' but this can be named differently if you like.

Port - This will always be 1.

When finished adding the new USB Connection, click the ADD button.

 

Aperio

When connecting a new Aperio Hub to the PDK system, select the 'Aperio' option as the Connection Type.

Name -  Enter a name for the connection here. This can be anything you like, from an internal code  to a descriptive name for the controller (IE the door attached to the Aperio hub or the location where the Aperio hub is located).

MAC Address - Enter the MAC address for the new Aperio hub. 

When finished adding the new Aperio hub Connection, click the ADD button.

 

Edit a Connection Device

Clicking on a listed device name displays the device connection information.

The following Connection Types show the same options when editing them as when adding them:

Coordinator, Gateway, USB, Ethernet (Lantronix), and Aperio.

Ethernet (PDK) Modules:

After adding a Red High-Security devices through the Discovery tab, you can edit the Controller's ethernet settings here. We recommend using the default IPv6 option, as this reduces the chances of an IP conflict occurring. 

Controller Ethernet: This allows you to make changes to the settings for the Ethernet Module on the Red High-Security device.

Address Mode: This allows the Red High-Security device to use IPv6 or IPv4. Please note that IPv6 cannot be used if the Cloud Node and Red High-Security device are on different subnets/networks.

Auto: This will show the current IPv6 and IPv4 addresses.

IPv4 Static: This allows you to configure the IPv4 address as a static IP.

Connection Locking - This feature allows a user to 'lock' the Connection for the selected Red series Controller. This will remove the ability to physically change the hardware for the current connection or Cloud Node installed system and use it elsewhere without the Controller being 'unlocked' first. This will also keep a different Cloud Node on the same network from discovering and adding the Red Controller to the other system.

When a Controller is 'Unlocked', the following image will be shown below the 'Controller Ethernet' button:

Clicking on this button will display the pop-up shown in below and you can 'Lock' the connection to the Controller.

If the Connection for a Controller has been 'locked' to the selected Cloud Node, the message below will be shown instead.

Clicking on this button will display the pop-up shown in below and you can 'Unlock' the Connection to the Controller.

 

Delete Connections

You can delete an existing Connection that does not have any devices assigned to it by hovering your cursor over the Connection to be deleted and click the trash can icon that is displayed.