ShortStack® FX Developer's Kit

• Includes compact (<4 KB) ANSI C source code API that ports easily to any microcontroller, and a reference design for a simple driver, typically developed in one to two weeks
• Includes Series 5000 and Series 31x0 Smart Transceiver and Neuron firmware images for building a variety of control networking applications using the ISO/IEC 14908-1 Control Network Protocol
• Uses simple SCI or SPI serial interface to communicate with your microcontroller
• Speeds development using the LonTalk® Interface Developer that translates a high-level interface specification into initialization data tables, C header files, and device interface files 
• Supports applications with up to 254 network variables for robust LonWorks® open standard control networking applications for new or existing products
• Integrated Interoperable Self-Installation (ISI) protocol library lets you develop devices that don’t require installation tools

Your primary development tool when using ShortStack is your preferred development tool for your host microcontroller.  The ShortStack Developer’s Kit includes the following utilities to simplify application development with your host development tool.

LonTalk Interface Developer
The LonTalk Interface Developer is a utility that translates a high-level interface specification into device interface data and device interface files that make it easy for you to create your ShortStack application, and it creates a skeleton application framework that provides much of the code required by your application to interface with the ShortStack Micro Server. You start the process by creating an interface specification using a subset of the Neuron C programming language.

NodeBuilder® Resource Editor
The NodeBuilder Resource Editor is a utility that lets you view standard resource definitions and view, create, and modify custom resource definitions. Resources include network variables types, configuration property types, enumeration types, string definitions, and functional profiles.

For a complete specifications and ordering information, refer to the ShortStack FX datasheet (PDF).

Operating system: Microsoft® Windows® 7 (32-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit), or Windows XP

Minimum hardware:

• Intel Pentium® III 800MHz processor or AMD Athlon 750MHz processor
• 2GB RAM for Windows 7 or Windows Vista, 128MB RAM for Windows XP
• 1024 x 768 or higher-display
• Mouse or other Windows compatible pointing device
• 80MB free hard-disk space

ShortStack FX Developer's Kit datasheet (PDF)

ISI Programmer’s Guide (PDF)

ISI Protocol Specification (PDF)

Neuron C Programmer’s Guide (PDF)

Neuron C Reference Guide (PDF)

Neuron Tools Errors Guide (PDF)

ShortStack FX ARM7 Example Port User’s Guide (PDF)

ShortStack FX User’s Guide (PDF)

NodeBuilder FX Development Tool
You can use the NodeBuilder FX Development Tool to create LonWorks devices that incorporate an Echelon Series 5000 or Series 3100 Neuron processor or Smart Transceiver, and that do not include a separate host processor. The NodeBuilder tool creates application images that run natively on the Series 5000 or Series 3100 processor. You can also use the NodeBuilder tool’s Code Wizard to accelerate development of Neuron C interface specifications used as input to the LonTalk Interface Developer.

FTXL Developer’s Kit
You can use either the ShortStack Developer’s Kit or the FTXL Developer’s Kit to add a LonWorks interface to a host processor. The FTXL solution implements an enhanced ISO/IEC 14908-1 protocol stack on the host and supports field programmable gate array (FPGA) host processors from Altera. The ShortStack solution supports a basic ISO/IEC 14908-1 protocol stack and supports any host processor with sufficient resources. The ShortStack solution supports a maximum of 254 network variables; the FTXL solution supports a maximum of 4,096 network variables. In addition, the FTXL host API can be extended to support dynamic network variables.

Microprocessor Interface Program
You can use either the ShortStack Developer’s Kit or the Microprocessor Interface Program (MIP) to add a LonWorks interface to any host processor.

The MIP solution handles ISO/IEC 14908-1 layers 2 through 5 on a Series 5000 or Series 3100 Smart Transceiver or Neuron processor, and includes source code for a host API that implements ISO/IEC 14908-1 layer 6 and provides a layer 7 interface on the host.

The ShortStack solution handles ISO/IEC 14908-1 layers 2 through 6 on a Series 5000 or Series 3100 Smart Transceiver or Neuron processor, and includes source code for a host API that implements an ISO/IEC 14908-1 layer 7 interface on the host. As a result, the ShortStack host API is smaller and much easier to port to different processors than the MIP host API and requires significantly less code and RAM space on the host.

ShortStack is limited to a maximum of 254 network variables and does not support dynamic network variables, whereas the MIP supports up to 4,095 network variables and can be extended to support dynamic network variables. The MIP does not include any tools such as the LonTalk Interface Developer, adding significantly more complexity to MIP application development, whereas ShortStack includes the LonTalk Interface Developer that significantly reduces the effort required to create a host application using ShortStack.

i.LON® 600 router, SmartServer, PCLTA-20, PCLTA-21, PCC-10, U10, and U20 Network Interfaces
The i.LON® 600 router and SmartServer remote network interfaces (RNIs), as well as the PCLTA, PCC, U10, and U20 network interfaces all incorporate firmware that provides an ISO/IEC 14908-1 layer 5 interface similar to the MIP. The i.LON 600 router and SmartServer RNIs provide read-only layer 2 options for supporting protocol analyzers. The PCLTA, PCC, U10, and U20 network interfaces provide layer 2 options for support protocol analyzers and host protocol implementations such as the ISO/IEC 14908-1 protocol stack implemented by the OpenLNS Server and the LNS Server. You can use either an OpenLNS Server, LNS Server or an OpenLDV Network Driver to implement host applications on Windows with any of these interfaces. The OpenLNS Server and LNS Server provide a significantly easier to use interface than OpenLDV.

Learn about our training center courses, including these and others:

• Introduction to the LonWorks Platform
• LonWorks Network Design
• Using the LonMaker Integration Tool
• LonWorks Device Development

Register for free online eTraining, including these courses and others:

• Introduction to the LonWorks Platform
• Device Developers Introduction to LonWorks
• LonWorks Device Development
• Introduction to Neuron C Programming
• Series 5000 Processor Development
• Smart Transceivers and Neuron® Processors
• ISI Interoperable Self-installation Protocol
• Interfacing LonWorks Devices to TCP/IP Networks

ShortStack FX Developer’s Kit
The ShortStack FX Developer's Kit, Release 4.0, enables you to quickly and inexpensively add networking to any product that contains a microprocessor or microcontroller.  The ShortStack solution is easy to use due to a simple host API, a simple driver, a simple hardware interface, a small host memory footprint, and comprehensive tool support.

ShortStack FX ARM7 Example Port
Example source code for three ShortStack FX example applications, the ShortStack FX host API, and a ShortStack FX serial driver ported to an ARM7 processor.

Series 5000 Tools Update Patch 1
If you are using the Echelon series 5000 chips in production devices, and plan to use the device NME file for programming external EEPROM chips, you should apply this update to your development tools.   

Additional Service Packs and Updates for Prior Releases
See the complete Development Tools download listing.