Introduction to BACnet

Presented by Jianqing Zhang

Overview
BACnet: Building Automation and Control
Networks
Supported by SPC of ASHRAE since 1987
Standard Project Committee (SPC) 135P
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating
and Air-Conditioning Engineers

Position:
American national standard
European pre-standard
ISO global standard

Benefits of BACnet

Single point of control

Competitive system expansion
Eliminate fear of being locked in
Possibility of integrating all BAC functions
Low cost
Interoperability

Data sharing
Alarm and event management
Trending
Scheduling
Remote device and network management

BACnet Application
Scope
Scalable from small to large installations
Mainly for large installation
Different buildings using equipments from different
manufactures

Equipments
HVAC control (Heating, Ventilation and AirConditioning, i.e. Climate Control)
Fire detection and alarm
Lighting control
Security
Smart elevators
Utility company interface

BACnet Protocol
Set of Hardware + Software of Rules
Apply to

Electrical Signaling
Addressing
Network Access (Master/Slave, Peer-to-Peer)
Error Checking
Flow Control
Message Sequencing, Segmentation, Check pointing
Presentation Format (Compression, Encryption)
Message Format

Objects
Definition
Collection of information related to a particular
function that can be uniquely identified and
accessed over a network in a standardized
way.

Objects represent
Physical inputs
Physical outputs
Software processes

Objects example
Each object is characterized by a set of
properties that describe its behavior or govern
its operation
Object_Name

SPACE TEMP

Object_Type

ANALOG INPUT

Present_Value
Status_Flags

72.3
Out-of-Service

High_Limit

78.0

Low_Limit

68.0

Objects Summary
23 standard object types
Binary Input/Output/Value
Analog Input/Output/Value
Multi-state Input/Output/Value
Loop
File/Program/
Device

BACnet Device
A collection of objects that represents the
functions actually present in a given real
device
Device
Loop
Schedule
Group
BI/BO
AI/AO/AV

Communication
Client-Server model
Application Services
Alarm and Event Services
File Access Services
Object Access Services
Read/Write the properties of an object
Manage objects

Remote Device Management Services

Virtual Terminal Services

LAN Options
Network Tech.

Introduction

Ethernet

Speed
10-100M bps

ARCNET

Attached Resource Computer

NETwork

2.5 Mbps

LonTalk

Part of LonWorks

2.5 Mbps

Master-Slave
/Token-Passing

1 Mbps or less

Point-to-Point

115.2 kbps

BACnet/IP

Transporting BACnet
messages between IP devices
A framework embracing other
new networking technologies

Native BACnet
BACnet LAN: Ethernet, ARCNET, LonTalk, MS/TP, LonTalk or BACnet/IP
BACnet Field
Panels

BACnet
Workstation

Sensors and Actuators

Native BACnet devices provide BACnet

communications directly, device to device

Interconnect Multiple LANs

BACnet LAN: Ethernet
BACnet Field
Panels

BACnet
Workstation

Sensors and
Actuators

Ethernet to
ARCNET
Router

BACnet LAN: ARCNET

BACnet LAN: MS/PT

BACnet Field
Panels

BACnet Field
Panels

Sensors and Actuators

Sensors and Actuators

Ethernet to
MS/PT
Router

Re-package BACnet messages and re-transmit them unchanged

Gateways
BACnet LAN: Ethernet, ARCNET, LonTalk, MS/TP, LonTalk
BACnet Field
Panels

BACnet
Workstation

Sensors and Actuators

Vendor B Proprietary LAN

Non-BACnet
Field Panels

Sensors and Actuators

BACnet to
Vendor B
Gateway

Working over IP internet

IP Message Tunneling
BACnet devices don't know, or need to know,
anything at all about IP

BACnet/IP
BACnet device is actually a full-fledged IP
node, complete with its own IP address and IP
protocol stack

IP Message Tunneling
Annex H
Router

A
BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

Net 1
3

Interne
t

Annex H
Router

Net 2

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device
B

BACnet/IP
BACnet + Intrinsic IP
BACnet devices access the IP infrastructure as if it
were just a different kind of LAN or virtual data link
A devices IP address serves the same purpose as a
devices MAC or physical LAN

BACnet Virtual Link Layer (BVLL)

Deals with specific idiosyncrasies of IP networks,
such as broadcast
Encompass virtually any kind of new network
technology or other micro protocol
ATM, SONE, ISDN, etc.
Data encryption, data compression
Enhanced security and efficiency measures

BACnet/IP-Unicast
BBMD

A
BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet Broadcast Mngt. Device

Net 1

Interne
t

Net 2

BBMD

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device
B

BACnet/IP-Broadcast
A
BACnet
Device
1

BACnet
Device

BBMD

BACnet Broadcast Mngt. Device

BACnet
Device
Net 1

Interne
t

Net 2
4

BBMD

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet/IP-Foreign Device
BBMD

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet Broadcast Mngt. Device

Foreign devices can register

with certain BBMDs to receive
forward broadcast message

Net 1

Interne
t
Foreign Devices
Net 2

BBMD

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

BACnet
Device

Application Example:
BACnet-Compliant Lighting
A Lighting Applications Group, Jan. 2001
Different vendors provides different
products
Gateway, Controller, Software

Example: Synergy Lighting Control

System

Competitor: LonTalk
Open protocol offered by Echelon
Part of LonWorks

A LAN specification
Different control communication
Different aligned manufactures
Rapid increase in BACnet installations
a promising indicator of market penetration?

Summary
BACnet

BAC Model and Message + Network Layer + LANs

Objects: Representing information
Services: Making requests and interoperating
LANs: Transport system

Features

No fixed architecture
Object model is easily extended
Doesnt depend on current technology
Broad participation in its development
Many vendors are committed to it
Global interest

Supporting Vendor
Totally nearly 70 by
2/4/06
Controller: BACnetcapable sensors and
actuators
Gateway
Router
Workstation
Web server

Tools: Protocol analyzer