Niagara4 Technical Certificate Program
2 Basic Components
This lab will explore the concept of Components and some basic tasks in creating folders
and components.
At the end of this lab, you will be able to:
• Deploy components to create a simple application
• View the component on a Wire Sheet and also look at the Property Sheet
• Describe the component properties and where to change them
• Navigate the N4 menus and Nav tree
• Explain the use of Palettes and where to find them
Concepts in this lab:
Components; Slots; Extensions; Facets; Drivers; Proxy Points; Palettes
2.1 What is a Component?
A component is the primary building block that you use to engineer an
application using Niagara 4 Workbench. Components provide a model
used to normalise data and are used to model features of different
types of protocols and networks so that they can be integrated
seamlessly. The picture of the Office component on the right here
shows how a component is shown on the Wire Sheet view.
Components that model external data are called PROXY POINTS and have a proxy
extension that contains information about the data connected through the driver. These
components must be located under their own DRIVER.
Components can contain other components as well as extensions as children (alarms,
histories etc). They can be seen in the Workbench navigation sidebar and in the
component’s own wire sheet.
Components can be placed in folders which in themselves are a type of component.
2.2 Component Attributes
2.2.1 Slots
Components are a collection of SLOTS – these are hooks into the component that can be
linked to other components. There are three types:
• Properties which represent a storage location of other Niagara data. Examples include
settings such as a timer value related to the component
• Actions which specify behaviour that may be invoked either through a user command or
by an event. Actions provide the capability to provide direction to components. They may
be issued manually by the operator or automatically through links. Actions can be issued
by right–clicking on the component. Examples include operator overrides that can be
actioned by a web browser user
• Topics represent the subject of an event. Topics contain neither a storage location, nor a
behaviour. Rather a topic serves as a place holder for an event source. Examples are
the generation of alarms or a timed trigger
Slots are either frozen (always present such as a fixed property setting) or dynamic (added
by the application engineer such as a link).
Most control components have a slot named OUT which holds the main output value of the
component. The component typically has a FACETS property that controls the presentation
of the out slot value (such as providing engineering units) both in the workbench tool as well
as browser views. Facets will control presentation but do not change the actual value of the
slot.
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2.2.2 Extensions
Components can have Extensions added to them that add functionality. Extensions appear
as a direct child of the component.
2.3 Viewing a Component
Components can be viewed in different ways. In the workbench tool components have these
standard views all showing different views of the same component data. Some components
have additional views as well. You can change the view using the drop down menu in the top
right hand corner.
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2.4 Create an Application
You will be creating a simple application to take the minimum (lowest value) of three room
temperatures and create a status flag to indicate when heat is required in the building. You
will create new folders for this lab and will learn about creating and linking components. You
will also explore customizing some properties and operator menus. When you finish this lab,
it should look like the picture below.
Create New Folders
2.4.1 In your JACE station, create a new folder, in the Nav Tree expand the Station and
right click on Config, select New then Folder
2.4.2 Name this first folder LabExercises, expand the Config folder to view the new
folder
Avoid using spaces when naming components, a space will add a “%20” in the ord,
i.e., “Lab Exercises” with become “Lab%20Exercises”.
2.4.3 Create a second folder under LabExercises and name this folder BasicsLab and
open the wire sheet by either double clicking on the new folder in the Nav Tree or
right clicking on the folder and selecting Views then AX Wire Sheet
2.4.4 Open the palette sidebar using the top menu Window then Side Bars then Palette
2.4.5 In the palette sidebar open the kitControl palette by clicking the open folder icon at
the top of the palette side bar, scroll through the list or type in the first few letters of
KitControl in the filter box
2.4.6 Click OK
2.5 Create Control Logic
2.5.1 Add a NumericWritable component from the KitControl/ControlPalette/Points
folder, which will represent a temperature value. Name the first component Office
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2.5.2 Using the right-click menu Action/Set command, set each component to a realistic
temperature value (e.g., 21.0)
2.5.3 Double click on the component to edit the property sheet for this component to set
the facets. Click the >> in the Facets slot and set the units (select the … button) to
temperature (K) / celsius (°C)
2.5.4 Click Save at the bottom of the page and then click the back button on the toolbar
to return to the Wire Sheet
Setting Facets
In a project you may be setting this property on many components and will use
facets that you have used before. You can save typing if you use the button to
recall recent facet settings (AX property sheet).
There are several methods of creating copies of a single or for multiple components, for this
exercise we will use the duplicate and copy/paste method
2.5.5 For the first method right click on the Office NumericWritable component and
select Duplicate from the right click menu, name this component MeetingRoom.
Arrange the two components on the wire sheet so they no longer overlap. You will
note the Fallback/Out value and facets have been kept from the original component.
Using the right-click menu Action/Set command again, set the value to a sensible
(different) value
2.5.6 For the second method, again, right click on the Office NumericWritable
component and this time select Copy from the right click menu, then right click on
the wire sheet and select Paste, name this component Kitchen. Using the right-
click menu Action/Set command again, set the value to a sensible (different) value
2.5.7 Expand the Math folder of the kitControl Palette and drag a Minimum component
onto the wire sheet. Name the component MinimumTemperature and set its
Facets property to °C
2.5.8 Link the Out slots of the three temperatures to the inputs of the minimum
component as shown in the wire sheet diagram above
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If the Slots on the MinimumTemperature for InC and
InD are not available, right click on the
MinimumTemperature Component and use Pin Slots
to expose the two slots on the wire sheet.
2.5.9 Observe that the minimum component output should be the lowest value of the
three temperatures
2.5.10 Expand the HVAC folder of the kitControl Palette and drag a Tstat component onto
the wire sheet. There is no requirement to rename this component
2.5.11 Pin Slot the CV, SP and Diff slots to expose them on the Wire Sheet
2.5.12 Double-click the Tstat component to view the property sheet
2.5.13 Make the following changes to this component (you will need to click the down
arrows at the end of the line to view the input box and then untick the null
checkbox):
Set the SP property to 16
Set the Diff property to 2
Set the Action property to reverse
Click Save and return to the Wire Sheet
2.5.14 Link the MinimumTemperature Out slot to the Cv slot of the Tstat
2.5.15 We will now add a BooleanWritable component to display the out status of the
Tstat. Right click on the wire sheet select New->BooleanWritable to add this
component, this demonstrates another method of adding certain components.
Name this component FabricProtection, connect the Out slot of the Tstat to the
In16 of the FabricProtection component
2.5.16 Double-click the FabricProtection component to view the property sheet, modify
the Facets to Active for trueText and Not Active for falseText
2.5.17 Save the station by Right clicking the Station in the Nav tree and selecting Save
Station
Spaces do not show “%20” when used in facets.
You have now completed this lab task your first application.
Please pause to reflect on what you have learned before moving on to the next section when
the rest of the group is ready. If you have any questions please ask the tutor.
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