Introduction

This page describes the way from the delivered controller to a project that the controller loads again by itself after a restart.

1. Bringing the controller into the network

DHCP: The controller is delivered with the network setting DHCP by default. If a DHCP server is available in the network, the controller automatically receives an IP address from your network. The Studio can then find the controller in the network automatically.
Static IP address: In addition the controller has a virtual static IP address 172.31.1.100. Using this IP address the controller can always be reached in the network, even if no DHCP server is available. In this case give the PC an IP address from the same network as well, for example 172.31.1.200/24. The virtual address is only meant for configuration and not for continuous operation.

In this example it is assumed that the controller is set to a fixed IP address.

Enter the IP address of the controller in the browser, or 172.31.1.100 if no DHCP server is available. A query for user and password follows, the default settings are "admin" and "z-server". See also description of the web interface.

Under "Network settings" the settings can be adapted to the local network. The changes take effect after a restart of the controller.

Note: As soon as the Studio is connected to the controller, the same settings can also be changed there in the menu Control / Network settings – the web interface is therefore not needed for day-to-day operation.

Important: If the controller is set to DHCP and no DHCP server is available, a static IP address must always be set as well. Otherwise there will be interruptions when connecting via 172.31.1.100, because the DHCP client is restarted cyclically as long as no IP has been assigned via DHCP.

2. Connection from the Studio

Now start the Studio on your PC and create a new project. To establish a connection to the controller, a connection must be created in the project. To do this, click the symbol "Connections" in the toolbar – the same dialog is also available in the menu Project settings / Connections. Create a new connection there with "+":

The wizard for setting up a connection is displayed. It leads to the goal in three steps:

Besides the network search the wizard offers two further ways:

IP address: The address of the controller is entered by hand. This is the way to go if the network search finds nothing or if the controller is located in a different network.
VPN: The connection runs via the uni-PRO VPN server and also works when you are away. Email and password of the VPN account are entered, see VPN.

The wizard is the same in Studio and APP. A detailed description of all connection types can be found under APP – Setting up a connection, the management of the connections under Project settings – Connections.

The connection that has been set up is displayed in the dialog. In this way several connections can be set up, for example one for the local network and one for remote access. The connection selected in the dialog is always the one being used.

Tip: If the controller is not found automatically, this can have the following causes:

The PC running the Studio and the controller are not in the same network (check IP address and network mask). In any case the web interface of the controller must be accessible via the browser.
A firewall or a virus scanner on the PC blocks the answers of the controller to the network search. If Windows asks at the first start whether the Studio may access the network, access must be allowed.
Programs such as virtual Box install their own network adapters under Windows, then it can happen that the controller is not found.
If a VPN is running on the PC, for example to connect to the internet, the controller may not be found.
With certain network configurations such as LAN + WLAN there may also be problems. For the initial setup it is recommended to operate controller and PC in the same network (wired) and to switch off WLAN.
If certain router configurations do not let broadcast messages pass, the controller will not be found either.

It is always possible to give the controller a static IP address and to enter it manually via "IP address". Alternatively the connection can be set up via VPN – this works independently of the network search.

3. Editing the project

After the connection to the controller has been set up, you can start working on the project. See also

4. Transferring the project to the controller

The project reaches the controller in two ways – once for trying it out and once permanently:

By switching between editing and operating mode (F5) the changes are transferred into the working memory of the controller and run there immediately. If you restart the controller, it loads the boot project saved last. If you have made a mistake, it is enough to restart the controller in order to continue working with a functioning state.

If you are sure that all changes work, the project must be saved permanently on the controller. To do this press "Create boot project" (F12) in the toolbar, also to be found in the Control menu. The following dialog is then displayed:

Dialog Save project permanently on the controller

Click Start to save the current project permanently on the controller. The controller is stopped briefly during this and afterwards continues to run with the new project.

Before the new boot project is transferred, the controller creates a backup of the previous project together with the persistent values. A state that went wrong can therefore be brought back via the menu Control / "Restore backup...", see Restore backup.