PakBus router

When the RS-232 or CS I/O port is configured as a PakBus router, the NL200/201 can route packets to other devices in the network that it has in its routing table. These are devices that the NL200/201 has learned about through beaconing or allowed-neighbor lists.

Use the following list of terms as a reference:

Beacon Interval – Devices in a PakBus network may broadcast a hello message to other devices in order to determine neighbor devices. Neighbor devices are devices that can be communicated with directly by the current device without being routed through an intermediate device. A beacon in a PakBus network helps ensure that all devices in the network are aware of other viable devices in the network. The beacon interval determines how often a beacon will be sent out. Set the Beacon Interval to 0 to disable beacons.

Verify Interval – This interval, in seconds, determines the rate at which the NL200/201 will attempt to start a hello transaction with a neighbor if no other communications has taken place within the interval. If the Verify Interval is set to 0, the verify interval becomes 2.5 times the Beacon Interval. If both the Beacon Interval and Verify Interval are set to 0, the verify interval becomes 300 seconds. Generally, the Verify Interval should be set greater than or equal to the interval at which you will be talking to the attached PakBus devices. For example, if the NL200/201 is being used as a PakBus router to allow scheduled collection of a network of data loggers every 15 minutes, consider setting the Verify Interval to 30 minutes.

Neighbors Allowed (RS-232 port only) – Used to set a list of “acceptable neighbors” which the NL200/201 expects to hear from within set intervals (the Verify Interval). If the NL200/201 does not hear from neighbors in this list within the verify interval, it will attempt to contact them on its own. It will ignore all devices it hears that are not on the Neighbors Allowed list except if the PakBus address is ≥4000. Following a hello message, devices with PakBus addresses ≥4000 are automatically accepted as neighbors.