1.1How Veltnova fits together
The gateway, the Configurator, the apps and the cloud relay, and how a project moves between them.
A Veltnova installation has four parts. Knowing which part does what makes every other page in this wiki easier to follow.
| Part | What it is | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway | The box on site that talks to your devices (KNX, Modbus, Zigbee, SIP intercom, cameras) and runs the logic. | Veltnova gateway appliance (Linux) on the building's network |
| Configurator | The design tool. You build the project here: pages, objects, devices, users. | Windows PC |
| Apps | The dashboards your customer uses, drawn from the project you deployed. | Windows, Android, iOS |
| Cloud relay | Lets the apps work away from the building and relays the intercom and cameras. | Veltnova cloud |
#The project is the single source of truth
Everything the customer sees is defined in one project file (.shp) that you create in the Configurator:
- the panels and pages of the dashboard and the objects on them (switches, dimmers, shutters, climate, cameras, intercom, energy panels and so on),
- the devices and buses behind those objects (KNX group addresses, Modbus RTU devices, Zigbee devices),
- the app users, including each user's intercom extension,
- the gateway settings, such as its address, location and time zone.
When you press Deploy, the Configurator uploads this project to the gateway. The gateway applies it, and the apps download the same project and draw it. Change the project, deploy again, and every app updates.
#How the apps reach the gateway
The apps have three connection modes (see Connecting the apps):
- Local: the app talks directly to the gateway over the building's network.
- Cloud: the app signs in through the Veltnova cloud, which relays to the gateway. This is what makes the system work away from home.
- Auto: tries the local gateway first and falls back to Cloud. This is the right choice for a phone that moves in and out of the building.
The local connection uses plain HTTP on port 3127 of the gateway. For access from outside the building, the cloud relay handles the traffic, so you do not need to expose the gateway itself to the internet.
#What lives on the gateway
You rarely need to log in to the gateway, but it helps to know what is there:
- the gateway runtime, which serves the project to the apps and runs the logic,
- the KNX bridge for the KNX bus,
- the SIP server (Kamailio) that connects door stations and apps for the intercom,
- the gateway console, a web page for status, cloud registration, client approval and logs. See Gateway console and logs.
#Where to go next
- Quick guide: create a project, build a page and deploy it.
- Deploying to a gateway: get it onto the hardware.
- Then configure the buses you have on site: KNX, Modbus, and the door intercom.