BACnet Server Workspace

The BACnet Server workspace consists of several sections available from the BACnet Server tab. The sections that display are determined by your selection in System Browser.

BACnet Server Connection Configuration

Selecting BACnet Server in System Browser allows you to add a network connection to the management platform and configure the connection properties.

 

BACnet Server Settings

Field

Description

Port ID

A unique ID.

Network number

A unique number.

Protocol

The protocol selected, either IPv4 or Virtual, when you add a new network type.

Add

Adds a new network type to the table.

Remove

Removes a network type from the table.

Connection Properties

Field

Description

Port ID

The Port ID for the currently selected row in the BACnet Server Settings table. This field is editable with a value of 1 – 254..

Network number

The Network number for the currently selected row in the BACnet Server Settings table. This field is editable with a value of 1 – 65534.

Enabled

Enables this port in the BBS configuration (the BT BACnet Stack). If there are multiple ports, you can enable or disable this port.

Adapter

The hardware adapter used by this server. Visible only for IPv4 connections.

IP address

The IP address used by the adapter. Visible only for IPv4 connections.

UDP Port

The UDP port used by the adapter. Visible only for IPv4 connections.

 

BACnet Server Devices

Selecting BACnet Server in System Browser allows you to view virtual device status and name.

 

BACnet Server Devices

Field

Description

Device Status

Status of the virtual device. Possible values are Unknown, Stopped, Running, and Configuration Error.

For configuration errors, see the Troubleshooting section.

Device Name

Name of the virtual device.

 

BACnet Server Device Settings

Selecting a virtual device in System Browser allows you to edit the device settings.

 

BACnet Server Device Settings

Field

Description

Device name

A unique name on the BACnet network.

Device instance

A unique number on the BACnet network. Acceptable values are
0 – 4194303.

Device description

Displays the description of your choice.

Device enabled on startup

When selected, the device starts automatically when the project starts.
When cleared, the device does not start up automatically and will not appear on the BACnet network.

Device use subscriptions

When selected, BACnet Server creates COV subscriptions for all mappings in the list.

Device is read only

When selected, the points in the device will not be commandable and alarms cannot be acknowledged.
When cleared, the points in the device will be commandable and alarms can be acknowledged.

 

Notification Classes

A notification class is a list of devices (recipients) that receive alarms and alarm acknowledgments when an object enters an alarm condition.

 

Notification Classes

Item

Description

Notification Class Entries Table

Add: Adds an entry in the Notification Class Entries table.

Remove: Removes a selected entry in the Notification Class Entries table.

Instance No.: The number entered in the Instance No. field.

Priorities: The priorities selected in the Priority fields.

# of Recipients: The number of devices registered to receive alarms and alarm acknowledgements.

Notification Properties Section

Instance No.: The instance number distinguishes an object from other objects of the same type within a device.

Priority: Allows selection of the following alarm states:
- To Off Normal: Valid range is 0 through 255.
- To Fault: Valid range is 0 through 255.
- To Normal: Valid range is 0 through 255.

 

Recipients

A recipient is a device that receives alarms and alarm acknowledgments when an object enters an alarm condition.

 

Recipients

Item

Description

Notification Class

Displays a list of Notification Classes from the Notification Class Entries table.

Recipients Table

Add: Adds a recipient selected to the Notification Class selected from drop-down list to the table.

Remove: Removes a selected recipient based on one of the following choices:

  • Remove this recipient from this NC
  • Remove this recipient from all NCs in this virtual device
  • Remove this recipient from all NCs in all virtual devices

Copy: Copies a selected recipient based on one of the following choices:

  • Copy to all NCs in this virtual device
  • Copy to all NCs in all virtual devices
    NOTE: There are scenarios in which the copied recipient will overwrite an existing recipient in another notification class. This applies to each of the recipient types—Device Instance, Address, and Broadcast. For example, you copy Device Instance 552 (which has To Fault selected) to another notification class with a recipient that also has Device Instance 552 in it (with To Off Normal, To Fault, and To Normal transitions selected). The result is that the copied recipient overwrites the existing recipient data. In other words, the To Off Normal and To Normal transitions will no longer be selected, and you will need to manually select those transitions if you still want them.

Process ID: The number entered in the Process ID field.

Recipient Type: The device receiving alarms and alarm acknowledgements.

Transitions: Lists the alarm states To-Offnormal, To-Fault, and To-Normal.

Recipient Properties

Device Instance: A number that uniquely identifies a device on a BACnet network.

Address:
- MAC Address (Hex): Must use an even number of 2 to 12 alphanumeric characters, including 0 through 9, and A through F as either upper- or lower-case letters. For example, a5030756BAC0 is a valid BACnet/IP address using the hexadecimal form.
- Network No.: A unique number that identifies one network (where devices reside) from another network on the BACnet Internetwork.

Broadcast:
- Local: Send alarm information to all devices on the local network.
- Remote Network No.: Send alarm information to all devices on a specified (single) remote network. You must enter the remote network number.
- Global: Send alarm information to all devices on all networks within the BACnet internetwork.

Recipient Process

Process ID: Consult the vendor to obtain the Process ID for the devices you are integrating. This field is required.

The Process ID, along with either the Device Instance number or the MAC address and network number, is needed to send alarms to BACnet devices.

Transitions

To Offnormal: Checked by default. Lists this alarm state as true in the Recipients table.

To Fault: Checked by default. Lists this alarm state as true in the Recipients table.

To Normal: Checked by default. Lists this alarm state as true in the Recipients table.

 

Trend Logs

BACnet Server collects new trends every 5 minutes (the minimum), which accounts for the lag between reading trends from the HDB and then displaying them in BACnet trend log objects.

A client of the BACnet Server can ask for trend data in one of three ways: by sequence number, by position, or by time. Trend functionality is subsystem independent.

You can drag and drop offline or online trend log objects from System Browser to the Trend Logs section and then configure them. You cannot drag and drop objects from Trend View Definitions folder. See the following image.

NOTE: Before you configure the Trend log in BACnet Server, make sure there is trend data in the HDB for the object you want to export. BACnet Server needs this information to find the point that the trend log is mapped to. This applies to all offline trend definitions.

 

Trend Logs

Field

Description

Enable

When selected, allows communication with the database.
When cleared, prevents communication with the database.

Name

Displays the System Browser name of the trend object. You can edit this field.

Instance

A unique number automatically assigned to a trend log. You can edit this field.

Description

Displays the System Browser description of the trend object. You can edit this field.

Notification Class

Allows you to assign a notification class to receive the buffer (threshold reached) full alarm notifications.

Full Alarm

When selected, notifications are sent when the threshold is reached.
When cleared, notifications are not sent when the threshold is reached, and the Threshold field is disabled.

Threshold

The threshold is based on the buffer size.
Min = 10% of buffer size
Max = any value less than buffer size
Example: A trend has a buffer size of 1000. The Min is 100; the Max is 999.

Buffer Size

By default, an entry in this field automatically sets the threshold number to 80% of the buffer value unless the Full Alarm field is cleared. However, you can modify the Threshold number according to stated parameters if the Full Alarm field is selected.
Min = 10
Max = 10,000
Example: You enter 5000 in the Buffer Size field; the Threshold field automatically changes to 4000.

Update Rate (min)

The interval used to collect and record values for the object.

Min = 5 minutes
Max = 1440 minutes (1 day)

Object Property Reference

The object and property associated with (mapped to) the trend.

Path

Displays the location of the object in the building control system.

Remove

Removes the selected objects from the device.

 

Device Point Mapping

Selecting a virtual device in System Browser allows you to add and remove points, and modify several other fields. Instances can be dragged from System Browser, and the default property will be the default property of the object model.

 

Device Point Mapping

Field

Description

Enable

When selected, the object appears with its associated device on the BACnet network. When unselected, the object does not appear on the BACnet network.

Name

Displays the name of your choice.

Instance

Displays the device instance number. Acceptable values, which must be unique on the BACnet network, are 0 – 4194303.

Type

Displays the BACnet object type.

0 Base

Displays a checked box if a Desigo CC multistate object is mapped to a BACnet object, and the property selected for the mapping is assigned a text group with zero as the base value. BACnet is not able to read zeros, so it increments each value in the text group associated with the property by one.

For example, the present value property of a supply fan object assigned to a text group with the integer values 0, 1, & 2 are indexed to 1, 2, & 3 and displayed this way on the BACnet network.

Alarmable

When selected, a BACnet object in the virtual device is alarmable with all the required properties of any other alarmable object. When unselected, a BACnet object in the virtual device is not alarmable.

Description

Displays default text, which is editable.

Notification Class

The recipients to send alarms to.

Property

Displays a list of properties available for mapping to each object type.

Path

Displays the location of the object in the building control system.

Discipline

Displays the discipline assigned to the object.

Remove

Removes the selected objects from the device.

 

BACnet Server Toolbar

Icon

Description

Saves changes to the configuration or device.

Starts devices.

Stops devices.

Restarts devices.

Deletes selected device.