Integrating Building Systems With

BACnet
Prepared by Bill Swan
Engineering Fellow, Alerton/Honeywell Chair, ASHRAE / SSPC 135

Whats a BACnet?

Whats a BACnet?

Whats a BACnet?

BACnet is:

A data communications protocol Explicitly for building automation Technology-independent Maintained by a standards committee An ASHRAE, ANSI and ISO standard Embraced worldwide Extensively tested

A Brief History of BACnet

A Brief History of BACnet

A Brief History of BACnet

Controls were once mainly pneumatic

Single-chip controllers appeared in the 1970s

A Brief History of BACnet

ca 1980, distributed DDC systems appeared

Early selling point: Savings - EMCS: scheduling and optimum start - Reduced labor costs

$$$

A Brief History of BACnet

These systems used proprietary protocols: Different building systems didnt integrate Building owners were locked in

rols Cont

A Brief History of BACnet

Solution: a standard protocol 1987: ASHRAE SPC 135 (BACnet) formed Committee goals:
- Integrate all building systems - Non-hierarchical (peer to peer) communications - Scale from small systems to large - Hardware independence - Object-based representation of building elements

A Brief History of BACnet

BACnet committee operates under ASHRAE rules

Producers, users and others equally voting Consensus-building body Work subject to public review and comment No commercialism No fees to participate Participation open to all

A Brief History of BACnet

Eight years later:

June, 1995:

BACnet approved by ASHRAE

December, 1995: BACnet adopted by ANSI

A Brief Look at BACnet

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet Protocol Components

Devices Objects Properties Services Networks

BACnet Device Uses BACnet for communication.

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet objects represent BAS elements Analog Input object type - Properties
Object_Name Object_Type Present_Value Units High_Limit Low_Limit Room 3 Temp ANALOG INPUT 72.0 Degrees F 78.0 68.0

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet objects represent BAS elements I/O:

Analog Input Analog Output Analog Value Binary Input Binary Output Binary Value Multi-state Input Multi-state Output Multi-state Value

Accumulator

Pulse Converter

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet objects represent BAS elements I/O: Alarms:

Event Enrollment Notification Class

Life Safety Point Life Safety Zone

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet objects represent BAS elements I/O: Alarms: Scheduling:

Calendar Schedule

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet objects represent BAS elements I/O: Alarms: Scheduling: Trending:

Trend Log Notification Class

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet objects represent BAS elements I/O:

Averaging

Alarms: Scheduling: Trending: Other:

Command Device File Group Loop Program

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet services represent BAS elements (Users dont need much knowledge of these)

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet services represent BAS elements Accessing objects and sharing data:
ReadProperty WritePropertyMultiple UnconfirmedCOVNotification

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet services represent BAS elements Accessing objects and sharing data: Alarms:
ConfirmedEventNotification AcknowledgeAlarm GetAlarmSummary

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet services represent BAS elements Accessing objects and sharing data: Alarms: File access:
AtomicReadFile AtomicWriteFile

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet services represent BAS elements Accessing objects and sharing data: Alarms: File access: Remote device management:
ReinitializeDevice UTCTimeSynchronization

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet services represent BAS elements Accessing objects and sharing data: Alarms: File access: Remote device management: Other:

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet networks supported: Ethernet BACnet/IP MS/TP (master-slave / token passing RS-485) PTP (serial communications, dial-up) ARCNET LonTalk (in foreign frames)

A Brief Look at BACnet

Native BACnet:
BACnet LAN - Ethernet, BACnet/IP, MS/TP, ARCNET or LonTalk BACnet Workstation
or A Vend

BACnet Field Panels

or A Vend or B Vend or C Vend

Sensors and Actuators

Native BACnet devices provide BACnet communications directly, device to device

A Brief Look at BACnet

BACnet Routers join networks:

BACnet LAN - Ethernet BACnet Router Ethernet to ARCNET
dor A Ven

Net 1

BACnet Workstation BACnet Field Panel

BACnet Router Ethernet to MS/TP BACnet LAN - MS/TP

BACnet LAN - ARCNET

Net 2

Net 3

B dor Ven

dor B Ven

BACnet Field Panels

dor C Ven

dor C Ven

BACnet in Action

Testing BACnet

Testing BACnet
Co-Chair, BMA / BTL-WG BACnet Testing Labs

Testing BACnet

But is it really BACnet? Original testing:

Ad-hoc testing at NIST NIST plugfests

Needed: a testing standard

1997, development started 2003, ASHRAE 135.1

Testing BACnet

BACnet Profiles added to Standard in 2001

B-SS B-SA B-ASC B-AAC B-BC B-OWS Smart Sensor Smart Actuator Application Specific Controller Advanced Application Controller Building Controller Operator Workstation

Testing BACnet

Needed: a testing lab

1/2000, BMA and BTL-WG formed 1/2002, first testing starts 4/2005, testing for all controllers in place for first 5 profiles

The work continues:

Workstation client devices B-OWS Further automating testing

Testing BACnet

The Process:
describe device ~10 pages

Testing BACnet

The Process:
describe objects

Testing BACnet

The Process:
functions checklist ~14 pages

Testing BACnet

The Process:
test plan ~184 pages!

Testing BACnet

The Process:
test standard 458 pages

Testing BACnet

Why is all this comprehensive procedure important?

Plays well with others.

Testing BACnet

Interoperability Testing Workshops

Twice Yearly: Spring: Europe Fall: North America Oct. 2004 Plugfest: Over 75 people 22 companies

BACnet Internationally

BACnet Internationally
Secretary, ISO / TC 205 / WG3 Building Control System Design

BACnet Internationally

BACnet is ISO Standard 16484-5 BACnet is embraced around the world

BACnet Internationally

BACnet: embraced around the world BACnet Interest Groups:

BIG-NA BIG-ME BIG-EU (BIG-SE) BIG-AA (BIG-RU)

BACnet committee regional liaisons:

Europe Japan Sweden Russia

BACnet Vendor IDs issued:

North America 95 Australia 4 Asia 32 UK 4

(4/15/2005) Europe 23 South Africa 2

BACnet Internationally

BACnet Internationally

BACnet: deployed around the world

BACnet Internationally

A Complete List of International Standard Protocols for Building Automation

ISO 16484-5 (BACnet) The ONLY International Standard for Building Automation Systems

BACnet Building Integration

BACnet Building Integration

Chair, ASHRAE / SSPC 135

Integrating with BACnet

Integration today:

BACnet now is now available in: HVAC controls Lighting Energy metering Access control Variable speed drives But theres more to come

Integrating with BACnet

BACnet Committee Working Groups: XML Working Group:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <CSML xmlns:xsi="[Link] xsi:noNamespaceSchemaL <FILE-INFO> <TITLE>BACnet Protocol Implementation Conformanc <DESCRIPTION>Example EPICS taken from Appendi <NOTES>This is a sample EPICS file in XML format. It contains at least one of every ki for creating an EPICS file for a par

Integrating building and enterprise

BACnet/WS Web Services

Some working documents:

Control System Modeling Language BACnet Schema Definition Language BACnet Content Encoded in XML

Integrating with BACnet

BACnet Committee Working Groups: Network Security Working Group: Securing BACnet networks
Needed for security applications

Some working documents:

Internet Security Protocols for BACnet Network Access Control Object

Integrating with BACnet

BACnet Committee Working Groups: Utility Integration Working Group: Integrate energy utilities and buildings
Demand limiting and real-time pricing

Some working documents:

Demand Limiting / Load Rolling Model C12 Meter Object Utility/Facility Integration Using BACnet Web Services

Integrating with BACnet

BACnet Committee Working Groups: Lighting Applications Working Group: Adding support for advanced lighting control Some working documents:
Lighting Applications Background Issues Lighting Output Object Lighting Scene and Presets Calculated Dates and Times

Integrating with BACnet

BACnet Committee Working Groups: Life Safety and Security Working Group: Initially fire safety Currently access control, security and CCTV Some working documents:
Access Control Extensions Access Zone Object Type Content-Based Surveillance Video Source Object Type

Integrating with BACnet

BACnet Committee Working Groups: Internet Protocol Working Group:

Incorporating Internet Protocol technologies

Some working documents:

IPv6 Issues in BACnet BACnet HTTP

Integrating with BACnet

BACnet is an evolving standard Increasing integration of conventional building systems: More energy savings Cost reductions Enhanced life safety factors Integration of non-conventional/non-building systems: Piggy-back on available capabilities Example: refrigeration (alarms)

For More Information

For More Information

For More Information

BACnet Website: [Link] Articles on BACnet: [Link] BACNET-L e-mail list: [Link] BACnet Manufacturers Association: [Link] BMA Product Catalog (tested and untested devices): [Link] BTL Tested Device Listings: [Link]

For More Information

Bill Swan Chair, ASHRAE / SSPC 135 [Link]@[Link]