Schedule Groups: Backward Compatibility

| Introduction

The schedule groups feature enhancement addresses the need to define schedules multiple times for the same behavior over a week. Ensuring backward compatibility with existing schedules across CCUs on sites is crucial as portals and apps support this new enhancement.
The article explores potential scenarios following the release of portals, apps, and backend updates, considering that CCU apps will be updated over 3-4 months. Older CCUs without this enhancement should still run their schedules seamlessly. 

| Impact

Core functionalities associated with the 75F scheduler, and the impact of the new schedule groups enhancement are as follows:

1. Building Occupancy: The schedule group enhancement does not affect building occupancy. When building occupancy is force-trimmed, the action will be executed based on the type of schedules applied to the zones, regardless of the CCU APK version. If only zone schedules are applied, the force trim action will be allowed. Validations will show errors related to days of the week with older CCUs and for schedule groups with new CCUs.

2. Default Named Schedule: Upon the release of the portals, apps, and backend for the schedule groups enhancement, existing sites with their respective default named schedules will be moved to the “7-day” schedule group, regardless of their current application status. All other functionalities related to the default named schedule will remain unchanged.

3. Editing Named Schedule: Upon the release of portals, apps, and backend for schedule groups, the user interface will display four schedule groups: “Everyday", “Weekday + Weekend,” “Weekday + Saturday + Sunday,” and “7-day.” If the CCUs on a site are not updated to the latest APK, a banner message will advise against editing named schedules.

Although portals will allow editing, validations will ensure compliance with building occupancy. The CCU interface will continue to show all seven days, and any selected schedule group will be applied accordingly, but displayed in the 7-day format on CCUs with older versions of the APK.

4. Zone Schedule: The zone schedule will be enhanced to include four schedule groups displayed at the top of the schedule component. Sites with CCUs updated to the latest APK will show these schedule groups, while sites with older CCUs will not. This functionality depends on the version of the CCU APK in use.

Version-based checks in the zone schedule ensure that CCUs not updated to the latest APK will not display schedule groups on the CCU, Portals, and Apps. All other scheduler functionalities shall remain unchanged. New zones created on updated CCUs will default to the “Weekday+Weekend” group, while existing zones on sites updated to the new APK will be placed under the “7 Day” group. User limits, deadband, setback, and building toggle functionalities shall remain the same.

5. Schedulables: Once the schedule group concept is introduced, all days within a group will share the same desired temperatures, start and stop times, user limits, deadband, and unoccupied setback.

6. Master Controller on Installer Options: If the follow building toggle is enabled, all grouped days will inherit the deadband, setback, and user limits from the building master controller. This functionality applies to all zone schedule groups but is irrelevant for named and special schedules.

7. Special Schedules: Building and zone special schedules will remain unchanged.

Note: When overriding the desired temperature via slider or arc from portals, CCU, or apps, if the zone follows a schedule group, the override will update temperatures for all days in that group, not just one day. This is similar to the named schedule, where the override lasts only until the current occupied slot expires. Special schedule operations remain unaffected by occupant overrides and will maintain their desired temperatures.