Appendix B: Glossary
225
NetLinx Programming Language Reference Guide
Appendix B: Glossary
Array: A single variable that has more than one storage location.
Buffer: An array variable that is associated with a particular device for the purpose of storing
information sent by the device.
Button Event: Include pushes, releases, and holds associated with a push or release on a particular
device-channel.
Calling Parameters: Variables or constants that originate from the caller and are received by the
function or subroutine being invoked
Central Controller: The NetLinx controller (processor) that controls the activities of the NetLinx
system.
Channel: The basic I/O unit in a NetLinx system. It corresponds to single unit of control such as a relay
or an IR signal. The Axcess system supports up to 255 channels per device; the new NetLinx system
will support up to 65,535.
Channel Event: Generated when
PULSE, TO, MIN_TO, ON or OFF is called. The CHANNEL object is
available to the channel event handler as a local variable.
Constant: An identifier whose value cannot be changed throughout the entire program.
Data Event: Events associated with a device only; includes commands, strings, status, and error
messages.
Device: A component that has an address and can communicate on the NetLinx bus.
Device array: Specifies a group of
DEVs (devices) for a command or event handler.
Device-channel: A reference to a specific device-channel (
DEVCHAN) in the NetLinx system.
Device-channel array: Specifies a group of
DEVCHANs.
Device-level: A reference to a specific level in the NetLinx system (
DEVLEV).
Device-level array: Specifies a group of
DEVLEVs.
Device number: A unique number from 1 to 32767 designating each device connected to the NetLinx
bus. The compiler replaces the device number with an internally generated
DEV structure. This DEV
structure contains the specified device Number, a value of one (1) for Port indicating the first port, and a
value of zero (0) for System indicating this system (the system that is executing the code).
Device:Port:System (D:P:S): Notation used to explicitly represent a device number, port, and system.
For example, 128:1:0 represents the first port of the device number 128 on this system. The syntax is
NUMBER:PORT:SYSTEM, where the parameters are: NUMBER is a 16-bit integer representing the Device
number,
PORT is a 16-bit integer representing the Port number on the device, and SYSTEM is a 16-bit
integer representing the System number.
Event: An activity such as a button push, relay closure, or device status change. Events are received by
NetLinx in the form of messages that are generally acted upon by blocks of code called event handlers.
An event is always associated with a particular device on the bus.
Event Handlers: Blocks of code defined in
DEFINE_EVENT for incoming events/notifications. There
are handlers to support five types of events: Button Events, Channel events, Data Events, Level Events,
and Timeline Events.
Expression: Sub-component of a programming statement, such as the conditional portion of an IF
statement or the right-hand side of an arithmetic assignment statement.
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