RTI KNX-IP Driver

v3.43

KNX Association is a non-profit-oriented organization governed by Belgian Law. Members are manufacturers developing devices for several applications for home and building control based on KNX like lighting control, shutter control, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, energy management, metering, monitoring, alarm/intrusion systems, and lots more. KNX~Association has agreements with more than~75,000 partners~in more than~164 countries worldwide. For further details please visit https://www.knx.org.

RTI KNX-IP driver for RTI processors, will allow control general loads on KNX network like Switching, Dimming, Shutter/Blind/Curtains, Scenes & Trigger inputs. Additionally, this version of driver also supports custom loads by selecting appropriate “Data-Type”. This driver is based on UDP tunneling & supports 2-way communication with KNX network devices.

Driver Features:

Max No. of General Loads – 500.

Max No. of Custom Loads – 500.

2-Way control and feedback of KNX loads.

General Loads:

On, Off & Toggle control for Switching / Dimming loads.

Increment, Decrement, level Set & Slider options for Dimming Loads.

Open, Close, Stop & Slider options for Shutter/Blind Loads.

Scene No. trigger.

Trigger input from KNX network.

Custom Loads:

1 Bit, Boolean control.

2 Bit, Priority based Boolean control.

4 Bit, Increase / Decrease percentage control.

8 Bit, ASCII | Unsigned or Signed | Scene values.

16 Bit, Unsigned or Signed | Float Point values.

24 Bit, Time | Date values.

32 Bit, Unsigned or Signed | Float Point values.

112 Bit, 14 Character ASCII values.

Status & Level feed backs on Variables for both General & Custom loads.

Events for all General loads. (Boolean status objects)

Feedback & Polling:

As you’re aware, whenever Processor restarts, all variables are cleared, which means there are no Status / Value feedbacks on UI objects. Polling is the process of getting current status and value of all loads. Given below are the instructions to effectively get Feedback from KNX loads.

By selecting one of the options in Polling Type, “At Processor Startup” or “At Regular Interval”, that are available under “Feedback poll Settings” in driver properties will force driver to fetch status & values from KNX loads.

“At Processor Startup” will poll only when driver is loaded (on processor startup). Later all feedbacks are update in real-time, as and when reported by KNX network.

The communication protocol between RTI processor & KNX network is UDP (asynchronous), there are chances that a feedback packet maybe lost if the IP network is very busy or due to congestion. In this case selecting “At Regular Interval” option for Polling Type, will enable driver poll at regular intervals to get status & values. Even if a real-time feedback reported by KNX network is lost, the same will be updated during next interval of polling.

When “At Regular Interval” option is selected, an additional setting “Poll Frequency” will appear, in which the interval shall be selected as desired between 1 to 30 Seconds depending on the size & complexity of KNX and IP networks. The default value is 2 Seconds.

Whichever the option “At Processor Startup” or “At Regular Interval” when selected, will also need selecting at-least any one of the options “Poll Switch Status”, “Poll Brightness Value”, “Poll Curtain Position” depending on the type of KNX loads, without which the Polling is not performed.

By default, driver won’t allow sending control commands to KNX network until polling is done once. This is implemented to avoid sending wrong control values to KNX network by feedback dependent functions like Toggle, Dim Up, Dim Down, etc. It will take several seconds if not minutes to complete polling when the No. of KNX loads are high (see note below on time taken to complete polling). Starting version v3.43 of this driver, there’s an option “Send Control Commands without waiting for Initial Polling” is provided to override this implementation & allow sending control commands even while polling is in progress.

In few of the installations, especially in very busy or complex IP or KNX networks it is observed there is a significant delay in receiving real-time feedback from KNX network. This results in random behavior of Toggle, Slider & Guage objects. To overcome these situations, there is an option provided “Use Virtual Feedback”. On sending control command, this option will provide immediate status on aforementioned objects without waiting for actual feedback from KNX network. (Note that the virtual feedback will only work for commands originated from driver.)

Note: “Time Taken to Complete Polling” depends on the following:

Time taken by KNX/IP interface to release previous connection & accept current connection request from driver.

Version v3.43 of driver sends “Disconnect request” before shutting down the processor to inform the KNX/IP interface to release the connection. (will only work when processor reboots during program downloads & not in power down situations)

No. of seconds selected as “Poll Frequency”, which is applicable only when “At Regular Interval” is selected.

Time taken by KNX/IP interface to reply to poll request.

KNX or IP network congestions.

Getting Ready:

Configure KNX Network devices, floors, rooms & group addresses with ETS application.

See 3.1.4 or 3.2.5 for configuring Group-Addresses for each of the load type.

Add this driver to RTI processor. Configure driver in RTI ID/ID Apex with KNX-IP GW IP address, etc.

Select feed-back polling type & other necessary settings to get status feed-back from KNX Network.

Loads & Group-Address configuration:

General Loads:

Enter Total No. of General Loads to use in this project (500 MAX).

Select Load Type for each of the General Loads.

Enter Name for each of the Loads.

Enter KNX Group-Addresses for each of the Group type as follows:

Load Type: Switching

Switch – Control (1 Bit).

Switch – Status (1 Bit).

Load Type: Dimming

Switch – Control (1 Bit).

Switch – Status (1 Bit)

Dimming – Relative (4 Bit).

Brightness Control – Absolute (1 Byte).

Brightness Feedback – Absolute (1 Byte)

Load Type: Shutter/Blind

Move Control (1 Bit)

Stop Control (1 Bit)

Position – Control (1 Byte).

Position – Feedback (1 Byte).

Load Type: Scene

Scene Control

Load Type: Trigger

Trigger Input (I Bit)

Custom Loads:

Enter Total No. of Custom Loads to use in this project (500 MAX).

Select Datapoint Type for each of the Custom Loads.

Enter Name for each of the Loads.

Check Use Feedback to use feedback values for each of Custom Loads.

Enter KNX Group-Addresses for each of the Loads as follows:

Control Group Address.

Feedback Group Address. (Available only if “Use Feedback” is checked)

* NOTE: If incase only 1 group address is created for both ‘Control’ & ‘Feedback’ in ETS, you may enter the same group address for ‘Control’ & ‘Feedback’ in this driver settings.

Functions Usage:

General Load Functions. (Grouped in sets of 10 loads)

Switching: - Select Load & select action (On / Off / Toggle).

Brightness Up/Down: - Select Load & select action (Increase / Decrease in given percentages).

Brightness Set: - Select Load & enter Brightness value (0 to 100). This function can also be used on Sliders (APEX users note: Both control & feed-back parameters for sliders shall be set in “Variables” under Button Properties.)

Shutter/Blind Movement: - Select Load & select action (Open / Close / Stop).

Shutter/Blind Set: - Select Load & enter Position value (0 to 100). This function can also be used on Sliders (APEX users note: Both control & feed-back parameters for sliders shall be set in “Variables” under Button Properties.)

Scene Control - Select Load & enter Scene No. (1 to 64).

Custom Load Functions. (Grouped in sets of 100 loads)

1.x [1 Bit] - Select Load & select value (Off/False/Low/0 | On/True/High/1).

2.x [2 Bit] - Select Load, select Priority & select value (Off/False/Low/0 | On/True/High/1).

3.x [4 Bit] - Select Load, select action (Increase | Decrease) & select value (Break | 1% | 3% | 6% | 12% | 25% | 50% | 100%).

4.x [8 Bit | 1 Byte] - Select Load & enter single ASCII character (A~Z | a~z | 0~9 | Symbols).

5.x | 6.x [8 Bit | 1 Byte] - Select Load & enter value (0~100 | 0~360o | 0~255 | -128~127).

7.x | 8.x [16 Bit | 2 Byte] - Select Load & enter value (0~65535 | -32768~32767).

9.x [16 Bit | 2 Byte] Up/Down - Select Load, Check “Use Float” to use send Float point values, select Control (Increase/Decrease) & enter value to Increase / Decrease. (Note: DON’T enter Negative value. To send Float values, check “Use Float” & enter [actual value x 100]. Eg. to send 1.50 enter 150, If “Use Float” is not selected, the actual value shall be entered.)

9.x [16 Bit | 2 Byte] Set - Select Load, Check “Use Float” to use send Float point values & enter value (-670760~670760). (Note: To send Float values, check “Use Float” & enter [actual value x 100]. Eg. to send 26.45 enter 2645, similarly, to send negative float value -73.54, enter -7354. If “Use Float” is not selected, the actual value shall be entered.)

10.x (Time) [24 Bit | 3 Byte] - Select Load, check ‘System Time’ to send current System Time, other parameters will be ignored by driver. To send custom ‘Time’ select Week-Day (No Day | Monday | . . . . | Sunday) & enter Time in 24 Hr. HH:MM:SS format (00:00:00~23:59:59).

11.x (Date) [24 Bit | 3 Byte] - Select Load, check ‘System Date’ to send current System Date, Date parameter will be ignored by driver. To send custom ‘Date’ enter Date in DD/MM/YYYY format (01/01/1990~31/12/2089).

12.x | 13.x [32 Bit | 4 Byte] - Select Load & enter value (0~99999999 | -999999999~999999999).

14.x [32 Bit | 4 Byte] - Select Load, Check “Use Float” to use send Float point values & enter value (-999999999~999999999). (Note: To send Float values, check “Use Float” & enter [actual value x 100]. Eg. to send 26.45 enter 2645, similarly, to send negative float value -73.54, enter -7354. If “Use Float” is not selected, the actual value shall be entered.)

16.x [112 Bit | 14 Byte] - Select Load & enter 14 ASCII characters (A~Z | a~z | 0~9 | Symbols).

17.x [8 Bit | 1 Byte] - Select Load & enter Scene No. (1~64).

18.x [8 Bit | 1 Byte] - Select Load, select action (Activate | Learn) & enter Scene No. (1~64).

Variables Usage:

General Load Status Variable

Switch Status: - Applicable for both Switching & Dimming loads. (Boolean value True/False).

Brightness Value: - Brightness Level. Can be used on Sliders & also as Variable Text for numeric value display. (Integer Value 0 to 100).

Shutter Status: - Select Load Shutter Status. Available for Open & Close. (Boolean value True/False)

Shutter Position: - Shutter Position Value. Can be used on Sliders & also as Variable Text for numeric value display. (Integer Value 0 to 100).

Custom Load Status Variable

1.x [1 Bit]: - Status = Boolean value True/False

2.x [2 Bit]: - Control = Boolean value (No Priority | Priority) & Value = Boolean value (On/True/High/1 | Off/False/Low/0).

3.x [4 Bit]: - Action = Boolean value (Decrease | Increase) & Value = Integer value (0 = [Break], 1 = [100%], 2 = [50%], 3 = [25%], 4 = [12%], 5 = [6%], 6 = [3%] & 7 = [1%]).

4.x [8 Bit | 1 Byte]: - Char = ASCII character (A~Z | a~z | 0~9 | Symbols).

5.x [8 Bit | 1 Byte]: - Value = Integer value (0~100 | 0~360o | 0~255).

6. x [8 Bit | 1 Byte]: - Value = Integer Signed value (-128 ~ 127).

7.x [16 Bit | 2 Byte]: - Value = Integer value (0~65535).

8.x [16 Bit | 2 Byte]: - Value = Integer Signed value (-32768~32767).

9.001 [16 Bit | 2 Byte]: - Value = Integer Signed, Float value (-27300 ~ 67076000) Note: As this is float value, the actual value = feedback value / 100. (where actual value will be -273.00 ~ 670760.00).

9.x [16 Bit | 2 Byte]: - Value = Integer Signed, Float value (-67076000 ~ 67076000) Note: As this is float value, the actual value = feedback value / 100. (where actual value will be -670760.00 ~ 670760.00).

10.x (Time) [24 Bit | 3 Byte]: Time = Time in 24 Hr. HH:MM:SS format (00:00:00~23:59:59).

11.x (Date) [24 Bit | 3 Byte]: Date = Date in DD/MM/YYYY format (01/01/1990~31/12/2089).

12.x [32 Bit | 4 Byte]: - Value = Integer value (0~999999999).

13.x [32 Bit | 4 Byte]: - Value = Integer Signed value (-999999999~999999999).

14.x [32 Bit | 4 Byte]: - Value = Integer Signed, Float value (-999999900~999999999) Note: As this is float value, the actual value = feedback value / 100. (where actual value will be -9999999.00 ~ 9999999.99).

16.x [112 Bit | 14 Byte]: - Char = 14 ASCII characters (A~Z | a~z | 0~9 | Symbols).

17.x [8 Bit | 1 Byte]: - Scene No. = Integer value (1~64).

18.x [8 Bit | 1 Byte]: - Scene Ctrl. = Boolean value (Activate | Learn) & Scene No. = Integer value (1~64)

Events Usage:

Switching & Dimming Load Events - Events are available for both On & Off separately.

Curtain Load Events - Events are available for both Open & Close separately.

Trigger Input Events - Events are available for both High & Low inputs separately.

Version History:

Version v3.43 - The following changes done:

Cleared ‘TypeError’ bug for Functions “Connection request” & “Disconnection request”.

Added “Use Virtual Feedback” option in ‘Driver Properties’ under ‘Driver Settings’, when selected, will give instant feedback on ‘Toggle’ and ‘Slider’ objects without waiting for actual feedback from KNX circuit.

Added “Send Control Commands without waiting for Initial Polling” option in ‘Driver Properties’ under ‘Feedback poll settings. By default, Driver will not allow sending control commands till initial polling is done. Enable this option to override it.

Now sending current ‘System Time’ or ‘System Date’ is possible with Functions “10.x (Time)” & “11.x (Date)”. Driver sends current System Time / Date when the Function is called. Read item 4.2.6 & 4.2.7 for usage details.

Last changed on 3rd Apr 2023.

Miantic AV Distribution Pvt. Ltd. (India)