7. Components¶
The Components page lists all the configurable multi-instance components available on your SolarNode. Multi-instance means you can configure any number of a given component, each with their own settings.
For example imagine you want to collect data from a power meter, solar inverter, and weather station, all of which use the Modbus protocol. To do that you would configure three instances of the Modbus Device component, one for each device.
Use the Manage button for any listed compoennt to add or remove instances of that component.
An instance count badge appears next to any component with at least one instance configured.
7.1 Manage Component¶
The component management page is shown when you click the Manage button for a multi-instance component. Each component instance's settings are independent, allowing you to integrate with multiple copies of a device or service.
For example if you connected a Modbus power meter and a Modbus solar inverter to a node, you would create two Modbus Device component instances, and configure them with settings appropriate for each device.
7.2 Add new instance¶
Add new component instances by clicking the Add new X button in the top-right, where X is the name of the component you are managing. You will be given the opportunity to assign a unique identifier to the new component instance:
When you add more than one component instance, the identifiers appear as clickable buttons that allow you to switch between the setting forms for each component.
7.3 Saving changes¶
Each setting will include a button that will show you a brief description of that setting.
After making any change, an Active value label will appear, showing the currently active value for that setting.
After making changes to any component instance's settings, click the Save All Changes button in the top-left to commit those changes.
Save All Changes works across all component instances
You can safely switch between and make changes on multiple component instance settings before clicking the Save All Changes button: your changes across all instances will be saved.
7.4 Remove or reset instances¶
At the bottom of each component instance are buttons that let you delete or reset that component intance.
The Delete button will remove that component instance from appearing, however the settings associated with that instance are preserved. If you re-add an instance with the same identifier then the previous settings will be restored. You can think of the Delete button as disabling the component, giving you the option to "undo" the deletion if you like.
The Restore button will reset the component to its factory defaults, removing any settings you have customized on that instance. The instance remains visible and you can re-configure the settings as needed.
7.5 Remove all instances¶
The Remove all button in the top-right of the page allows you to remove all component instances, including any customized settings on those instances.
Warning
The Remove all action will delete all your customized settings for all the component instances you are managing. When finished it will be as if you never configured this component before.
You will be asked to confirm removing all instances:
