Central unit configuration
Part 3 — Reference.
[☰] → CU configuration
22.1 What this dialog does
Everything here configures the central unit itself — its network, its clock, and how it talks to the outside world. This is separate from your project: it is the CU's own settings.
Four tabs: CU setting, Cloud setting, Third part setting, MQTT setting.
The dialog shows two columns:
Project setting
What your project says the CU should be configured as
Actual setting
What the CU is actually configured as right now
When they differ, iDM3 asks you to choose — "Please select the correct setting". Read both carefully before deciding: picking the wrong one can take a CU off the network.
Save to CU writes the configuration to the central unit. When the CU's own configuration is pulled into your project you will see "CU configuration was saved to project."
22.2 CU setting
Network
IP address
The CU's address — this is what you connect to
Mask
Subnet mask
Gateway
Default gateway
IP address2 / Mask2 / Gateway2
A second interface or address
DNS1 / DNS2
Name servers
Changing the IP address changes how you reach the CU. Write the new address down before you apply it. If you lose contact, recovery means physical access to the unit.
Time
NTP server
Time server the CU synchronises with
Time zone
The CU's time zone
CU time
The CU's current clock
IDM time
Your PC's clock, for comparison
Get the time right. Every time program, heating schedule, and the astronomical module's sunrise and sunset calculation depends on it. A CU with the wrong time zone runs the whole building an hour out.
Errors
Error code:
The CU's current error code
Title: / Body: / ExtendedInfo: / Code:
Details of the error
Reset error
Clears it
Clear an error only after you have read it and understood the cause. See Chapter 30.
22.3 Cloud setting
Mode:
Cloud connection mode
User name:
Cloud account
Password:
Cloud password
Connects the installation to the iNELS cloud service, which is what phone apps and remote access use.
Cloud credentials are credentials. They are stored in the project. Treat
.elpfiles containing them accordingly.
22.4 Third part setting
The plain-text protocol that lets other systems talk to the CU.
Port
TCP port to listen on
Mode
Protocol mode
Separator
Character separating fields
Numeral system
How numbers are represented
Event enable
Whether the CU sends events as they happen, or only answers queries
Only devices marked Add to iNELS 3 export are visible over this protocol — see Chapter 24.
Turn on Event enable if the other system should react to changes; leave it off if it only polls. Polling a busy installation is much heavier than receiving events.
22.5 MQTT setting
Mode:
MQTT mode
User name:
Broker username
Password:
Broker password
Version:
MQTT protocol version
MQTT lets the installation publish to a message broker — the usual route into home-automation platforms.
MQTT is one of the significant additions since the Rev19 manual, which does not cover it at all. Supported units and firmware requirements are listed in Advance/Documentation/BUS unit to MQTT.txt, and summarised in Chapter 24.
MQTT requires recent CU firmware — from
02.97.02for CU3-07M, CU3-08M and CU3-09M. Check Chapter 25 before configuring it.
22.6 Before you change anything
Write the current settings down
Especially the IP address
Check Project setting against Actual setting
Know which one you are keeping
Confirm the time zone and NTP server
Everything time-based depends on them
Confirm firmware first for cloud and MQTT
Both need recent CU firmware
Test the connection after saving
Use Ping test in Settings