Devices Channels (Reference)

Devices → Tutorial | Concept | How-to Guide | Reference

Creating Channels

1. Navigate to Devices → Channels
2. Click New Channel or Plus button
3. Select protocol from list
4. Configure:
   • Channel Name - Unique identifier
   • Description - Documentation
5. Click OK

Channel Properties

Core Settings

Interface Types

Serial

• RS-232/485 communication
• Single port configuration
• Hardware handshaking options

Multi Serial

• Multiple RS-232 ports
• Port count configuration
• Independent port settings

TCP/IP

• Ethernet/wireless networks
• Connection pooling
• Multiple simultaneous connections

Interface Settings

TCP/IP Settings

Serial Settings

• Baud Rate - Communication speed
• Data Bits - 7 or 8
• Parity - None, Even, Odd
• Stop Bits - 1 or 2
• Handshake - None, RTS/CTS, XON/XOFF

Channel States

Remote Channels

Configure channels to run on remote computers:

RemoteSettings:
  Primary IP: 192.168.1.100
  Backup IP: 192.168.1.101
  Port: 3101

Benefits:

• Distributed I/O processing
• Network segmentation
• Load balancing
• Redundancy support

Runtime Control

Start/Stop Operations

csharp

// Stop channel
@Device.Channel.ChannelName.Stop();

// Start channel
@Device.Channel.ChannelName.Start();

// Stop with timeout
@Device.Channel.ChannelName.Stop(10);

Script Example

csharp

public class ChannelControl 
{
    public void RestartChannel(string channelName)
    {
        // Stop channel
        @Device.Channel[channelName].Stop(5);
        
        // Wait for stop
        Thread.Sleep(1000);
        
        // Start channel
        @Device.Channel[channelName].Start();
    }
}

Common Configurations

Modbus TCP

Protocol: Modbus
Interface: TCP/IP
Port: 502
Node Connection: 1
Timeout: 1000ms

Serial RS-485

Protocol: Modbus RTU
Interface: Serial
Baud: 19200
Data Bits: 8
Parity: Even
Stop Bits: 1

OPC UA

Protocol: OPC UA
Interface: TCP/IP
Port: 4840
Security: Basic256
Max Connections: 5

Best Practices Checklist

• Name Channels Clearly - Include protocol and purpose
• Document Settings - Use description field
• Set Appropriate Timeouts - Match network conditions
• Configure Connection Limits - Prevent overload
• Use Remote Channels - For distributed systems
• Monitor Channel Status - Track communication health
• Test Before Production - Verify all settings

Troubleshooting

Channel won't start:

• Check InitialState setting
• Verify protocol license
• Review interface configuration
• Check port availability

Communication timeouts:

• Increase timeout value
• Check network latency
• Verify device response time
• Review connection settings

Connection failures:

• Verify IP addresses
• Check firewall rules
• Test network connectivity
• Review security settings

Remote channel issues:

• Verify remote computer online
• Check remote settings
• Test network path
• Review firewall exceptions

Diagnostics

Monitor channel performance:

csharp

// Get channel status
bool isConnected = @Device.Channel.ChannelName.IsConnected;

// Check last error
string error = @Device.Channel.ChannelName.LastError;

// Get statistics
int successCount = @Device.Channel.ChannelName.SuccessCount;
int errorCount = @Device.Channel.ChannelName.ErrorCount;

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