You can set up new channels for the currently connected gateway server, which are then available for establishing further connection from the server, a connection to a controller for example. The options that you have in this regard depend on the particular choice of the number of device drivers installed on your computer.
Press the New button in the 'Online' 'Communication Parameters' dialog⮫ “'Online' 'Communication parameters'”. The dialog 'Communication Parameters: New Channel' comes up.
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The input field Name automatically contains the name used for the last inputted channel. If no channel has yet been defined, the current gateway name will be offered, followed by an underline character , e.g. 'localhost_'. You can edit the channel name at this point. The channel name is purely informative, it does not have to be a unique name but it is recommended to use one.
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The device drivers available on the gateway computer are listed in the table under Device. In the Name column, select by mouse click one of the available drivers; the corresponding comment, if any, appears in the Info column.
If you close the 'New Channel' dialog with OK, the newly defined channel appears in the 'Communication Parameters' dialog as a new entry in Channels at the lowest position under the minus sign. So far, it is only stored locally in the project. At this point you can edit the Value column. Now confirm the entered parameters with OK, thus leaving the 'Communication Parameters' dialog.
In order for the newly entered gateway channel and its parameters to also be known to the gateway server xy, and thus also to make it available to other computers that access this gateway xy, you must log into the runtime system. If you then re-open the 'Online' 'Communication parameters' dialog, the new channel appears in the „channel tree“, not only in its previous position but also indented under the address or name of the gateway server xy. This indicates that it is known to the network. You can now open the Communication Parameter dialog on a computer other than the local one, select gateway xy and use its new channel.
If a communication error occurs when logging in, it is possible that the interface cannot be opened (e.g. COM1 for a serial connection) possibly because it is being used by another device. It is also possible that the controller is not running.
The parameters for a channel already known by the gateway server can no longer be edited in the configuration dialog. The parameter fields appear grey. You can, however, delete the connection as long as it is not active.
The deletion of a channel is not reversible. It occurs at the moment that you press on the button [Remove]!