Group Address Linking Process

Overview

ETS now supports enhanced linking functionality between Group Addresses (GAs) and Group Objects (GOs).
With this update, users can:

• Link multiple Group Addresses to a single Group Object.
• Multi Linking Using ALT + V.
• Clipboard Format for Text-Based Linking.
• Link using the Sidebar Groups Container.

This document explains each technique in detail, including behavior, rules, and limitations.

1. Multiple Group Addresses to a Single Group Object

You can link several group addresses to a single group object.

Example:

Group Object 1 → 0/0/1, 0/0/2, 0/0/3

How to use:

1. Select the desired Group Object in device under project.
2. Drag and drop or paste multiple Group Addresses onto the selected Group Object.

2. Multi Linking Using ALT + V

Purpose:
Allows you to paste multiple Group Addresses sequentially across multiple Group Objects.

Example:

How to use:

1. Select multiple Group Addresses → Right-click → Copy or Copy them (Ctrl + C).
2. Select multiple Group Objects.
3. Press ALT + V to paste sequentially.
4. ETS links the Group Addresses one by one in order.

Behavior in Edge Cases:

• If more Group Addresses than Group Objects are selected → only corresponding pairs are linked.

• If there’s a bit width mismatch → the specific pair is skipped, and a warning appears:

  “Not all Groups could be linked, check the results.”

• If linking exceeds device limits → skipped similarly, with the same warning.

Drag & Drop:

• The same sequential behavior applies if ALT is pressed during a drag and drop operation.

3. Clipboard Format for Text-Based Linking

ETS supports linking using text clipboard content, provided it follows a specific format.

Clipboard format (eBNF):

<Clipboard> = <GroupAddress>, {<Separator>, <GroupAddress>}
<GroupAddress> = (?decimal_uint16? - 0) | <TwoLevelGA> | <ThreeLevelGA>
<TwoLevelGA> = (?maingroup?, "/", ?subgroup?) - "0/0"
<ThreeLevelGA> = (?maingroup?, "/", ?middlegroup?, "/", ?subgroup?) - "0/0/0"
<Separator> = "," | ";" | <Whitespace>, {<Whitespace>}
<Whitespace> = ?space? | ?tab? | ?EOL?

Important Notes:

• The pasted text must be fully parsable and all referenced Group Addresses must exist in the current project.
• If parsing fails or any Group Address is missing, ETS ignores the paste silently and reverts to using its internal object clipboard.
• Mixed Group Address notation styles are allowed (e.g., both 1/2/3 and decimal 123).

Clipboard behavior:

• When Group Addresses are copied, ETS also updates the Windows clipboard.
• Copying from the detail view keeps the CSV table in the system clipboard.

4. Linking via Sidebar Groups Container

In addition to copy-paste or drag-and-drop, ETS allows linking Group Addresses to Group Objects using the Sidebar Groups Container.

How to use:

1. Open the Sidebar Groups Container.
2. Drag the desired Group Address onto the target Group Object in the device view or vice versa.
3. ETS will link them accordingly.

For detailed steps, refer to the KNX support article:
🔗 Sidebar Groups Container – KNX Support

Summary of Supported Linking Techniques