Id #
The Id field shows the internal number of the channel under which it is stored internally. When creating a new element, the field is empty. The number is for display purposes only and is automatically defined by the system.
Interface #
Here you can see which interface the channel belongs to and which type the interface has. This information is for viewing purposes only.
Name #
The name of the channel. The name is displayed in selection lists and may also be visible to the user (e.g. if the channel is displayed in a chart or a notification originates from the channel or refers to it).
Comment #
The comment field is for free use by the integrator/system administrator. It is used exclusively to document the configuration. Information can be entered here, e.g. the purpose of the channel, comments on the connected hardware, room/floor and other special features. The content of this field is irrelevant for X2.
Option: Persistent #
If you set this checkbox, X2 saves the current value of the channel persistently (after a restart, the channel then has the last set value again. If the checkbox is off, the channel has no value after a restart until it is either written to or a value is read from the interface.
Option: Chart #
Check this box to record the value of the channel. Channels whose value is recorded can be displayed in charts as graphs. This is suitable for measured values (temperature, humidity, etc.). The average value is calculated over a period of 5 minutes and saved every 5 minutes. The system automatically recognizes when the channel is used for a chart and records data even if you do not set the checkbox. You must set the checkbox yourself if you want the data to be recorded in charts regardless of the use of the channel.
Writing/Reading #
Defines the access mode for the channel, read, write or both. Depending on the interface, this field may not be changeable.
Cyclical writing #
Here you can specify that the last written value of the channel is output again to the connected hardware at specified intervals. The setting can only be changed for certain interfaces.
Unit #
Defines the value unit and thus also the data type of the channel. If the autoconfig checkbox is set, some interfaces can override the unit or lock the setting.
Device type #
Device type of the channel (empty for user-defined channels/devices)
Device ID / Slave ID #
ModBus slave ID whose register is addressed (1 … 247). You set the slave ID on the Modbus device.
Register no. #
Register that is addressed. Valid register numbers are in the range 0 to 65535. The register number must be preceded by a type number indicating the register type (0, 1, 3 or 4). The device documentation usually explains whether counting starts from 0 or 1 (in the latter case, you must subtract 1 from the register address). Depending on the manufacturer, the type number may or may not be specified as part of the register address. This can lead to ambiguities, e.g. “40000” can mean both type 4, register 0 and no type, register 40000 (therefore check the documentation carefully).
| Register type | First digit | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Coil | 0 | 00001 (Coil number 1) |
| Discrete Input | 1 | 10004 (Discrete Input 4) |
| Input register | 3 | 30005 (Input register 5) |
| Holding Register | 4 | 40083 (Holding Register 83) |
Register addresses can also be specified in hexadecimal format by writing an ‘x’ after the type number and then 1 to 4 hexadecimal digits (0-9, A-F).
| Register type | First digit | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Coil | 0 | 0x8000 (coil number 32768) |
| Discrete Input | 1 | 1xFFFF (Discrete Input 65535) |
| Input register | 3 | 3x000A (Input Register 10) |
| Holding Register | 4 | 4×0020 (Holding Register 32) |
Size / Quantity #
Registers of types 3 and 4 are always 16 bits in size; if this is not sufficient, the device uses several consecutive registers together to display a value. The number of registers can be found in the device documentation. Registers of types 0 and 1 are always single bits.
Data type #
Here you define how the register must be interpreted in order to obtain a meaningful value. The data types are usually explained in the device documentation. If the device defines very unusual data types for which X2 does not contain a suitable data type, you can define the register as “Signed” or “Unsigned” and convert it with a formula if necessary. For coil/discrete input registers, select the data type “Bit” or “Boolean”.
If it is a device provided by X2 and a known register, “Device-Defined” is shown here. This setting is only permitted if a device type is specified and the register number is defined in the device.
Read interval #
How often this register should be read (updated). Depending on the configuration, the register may be read more frequently than specified. The reason for this is that consecutive registers may be combined by the system into a block that is always read together.
