| Overview
| BACapp Overview
| Key Features
- Effortless Integration: BACapp is a robust bridge, enabling CCU to communicate effectively with BACnet devices. BACapp ensures that data exchange between CCU and BACnet devices occurs smoothly and without any hiccups.
- Silent Operation: Unlike traditional apps, BACapp operates silently, with no user interface or intrusive notifications. It remains inconspicuous in the background, diligently performing its designated tasks without disrupting the user experience.
- User-Initiated Initialization: To get started with BACapp, the user can access a configurable section within CCU, where they can input the necessary field configuration details for establishing the connection with BACnet devices.
- Stability and Reliability: BACapp has been engineered to uphold the highest standards of stability and reliability. It continually monitors the connection between CCU and BACnet devices, ensuring a robust and uninterrupted data flow.
- Optimized Performance: With a focus on efficiency, BACapp is optimized to minimize resource consumption while maximizing performance. It operates efficiently in the background, preserving battery life and device responsiveness.
- Security Measures: BACapp prioritizes data security and employs industry-standard encryption protocols to safeguard the communication between CCU and BACnet devices.
| Prerequisites
- Update the CCU to version 2.10.2 or above.
- Permit the app to access various aspects, like any other app on the pop-ups for the app to work seamlessly.
Note: Only the above-mentioned versions could support a BACapp to favor the server support for BACnet BMS.
It is in this version the object instances and tagging for the haystack points are hardcoded, that can be used by a BACnet BMS.
| Installation
Remote Installation
The BACapp is part of the CCU bundle, and the bundle include the latest version of the BACapp in use, along with the home and remote apps.
To remotely install the latest version of the BACapp.
- Access the system widget screen from the site overview page.
- Select update BACapp from the list under the remote command drop-down as below.
- Use the command with the latest version details of the BACapp, and execute the command.
You can also trigger the remote installation for BACapp from the tuner section of the internal portal as below.
Note: From the tuners section you can remotely install the BACapp for multiple CCUs at a time.
| Configuration
To configure CCU as a BACnet client, and define the settings for the BACapp
-
Click Settings, then navigate to Communication.
- Navigate to the BACnet IP Configuration section to locate the configuration options.
- Use the table below to set the required configuration.
| Field | Description | Entry |
| IP device Object name | This field auto-populates with the building or site name under which the CCU is registered. |
NA |
| Zone to Virtual Device Mapping |
This toggle allows you to switch between a flattened hierarchy and a hierarchy based on the building's zone structure.
Note: To enable or disable the toggle, stop the BACnet initialization and reinitialize it for the changes to take effect.
|
Enable/ Disable |
| Description | This can be used by users to provide additional information about the site or the installed controls. |
Any string |
| Location | This can be used by users to provide location details of the server or device. |
Any string |
| Device Password |
This can be used by users to set a password for the device.
Note: This is useful for servers configured as BBMDs or Foreign Devices.
|
Alphanumeric combination |
| IP Address | Populate with the CCU's IP address | NA |
| Local Network Number | Filed property to provide a local network number within a predefined range | 1 to 65535 |
| Virtual Network Number |
Filed property to provide a virtual network number within a predefined range Note: The virtual network number should always be a different one from the local network number. |
1 to 65535 |
| Port |
Field property to provide the port number, within a predefined range Note: The default is set to 47808 |
47808 to 47823 |
| IP device Instance Number | This is by Default the CM pairing address, but you can also use this to provide a desired number within a predefined range. | 0 to 4194302 |
| APDU Timeout |
You can use this to provide an appropriate APDU Timeout. Note: It is crucial to ensure that communication between devices is reliable and timely. (If the timeout is too short, it may result in frequent communication failures and retries, leading to performance issues. On the other hand, if the timeout is too long, it may cause unnecessary delays in the system's response time.) Note: The default is set to 6000 |
6000 to 65535 |
| Number of APDU Retries | You can use this to provide an appropriate APDU retry number, that indicates the number of retries data units are permitted. | 0 to 255 |
| APDU Segment Timeout |
You can use this to provide an appropriate APDU segment timeout, that indicates the amount of time in milliseconds between the retransmission of an APDU segment. Note: The default is set to 5000 |
5000 to 65535 |
| Offset Value (%) | BACnet mandates low limit and high limit for alerts in an analog type point. Since Haystack doesn’t contain tags to define the low limits and high limits, an offset percentage tag is used to set the values for low limits and high limits which are derived from the corresponding minimum value and maximum value. |
1 to 99% |
| Initialization
After the user has provided the necessary configuration details,
- After completing the BACnet IP configuration, click INITIALIZE BACNET.
- A new Configure As dropdown will appear. Select the desired configuration and refer to the table below for details.
| Configure As | |
| Field | Description |
| BBMD | BBMD acts as a bridge that connects BACnet devices across different networks. |
| Foreign Device | A Foreign Device is like a remote participant that connects to the BACnet network through a BBMD. |
| Normal | Normal mode is standard operation within a single network. |
| Mode | Purpose | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| BBMD | Bridges multiple BACnet IP networks | Multi-subnet systems |
| Foreign Device | Connects to BACnet network via BBMD | Remote/subnet-separated device |
| Normal | Standard BACnet communication | Same subnet communication |
- A pop-up message appears at the bottom confirming that the configuration was updated successfully.
- User can view the BACnet Application Status in CCU BacApp.
| Device Pairing Workflow
Once the MSTP network interface is initialized, devices can be paired similarly to wireless zones.
Select Device Type
- Navigate to the Zone Pairing section to Select Device Type.
-
Select Custom Equipment.
- Select BACnet Equipment from the available options.
Select Device Model
- To create a model, refer to the reference article BACnet based External Models Creation.
- Select and search for the appropriate MSTP-enabled model.
- Example: training_RTU_P
Select Communication Type
- Although the CCU does not inherently recognize it as a 75F device, the UI displays both MSTP and IP Configuration options.
-
Select IP Configuration.
- Manual: The user manually enters all required BACnet communication parameters.
- Auto: The CCU automatically discovers and configures network parameters.
Manual Configuration
Manual Configuration allows you to assign a static IP address and other network settings to a BACnet/IP device instead of obtaining them automatically.
- When Manual is selected, the following fields must be configured:
| Configuration | Definition |
Range / Format |
Device ID |
A unique numeric identifier assigned to each BACnet device within the network. |
1 to 4194302 |
PORT |
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) port used for BACnet/IP communication. |
47808 to 47823 |
Device Network |
The BACnet network number assigned to the remote device’s network. |
1 to 65535 |
Destination IP |
The IP address of the BACnet device that the CCU will connect to. |
e.g., 192.168.1.50
|
MAC Address |
BACnet MAC address used by the protocol. |
Typically derived from:
|
-
After configuring the device, click Save. The device is paired with the CCU and is ready for communication.
- Select Auto.
- All detected IP devices appear in the list.
- Example: TRAINING_RTUB, the CCU automatically discovers and configures network parameters.
- Once the device is selected and saved, it is fully paired with the CCU.
| Data Visibility and Control
After pairing:
A dynamic Zones Page is created for the IP device.
- Select the System Status Icon to view real-time BACnet IP data updates in the ZONES section.
The page updates in real time as data changes on the MS/TP network.
Typical real-time parameters include:
Occupancy (Open/Close or 1/0)
Temperatures
Setpoints
Modes
Equipment status
Users can perform the following actions:
- View live sensor readings
- Write values, such as heating and cooling setpoints
- Observe immediate feedback on the user interface
| Object Instance Tagging
Favoring the above possibility, once a profile is paired, after a CCU is initialized as a BACnet server, the points created would come with a BACnet tag, to ease the detection, and points inclusion for surveying and broadcasting data by the BACnet-based BMS.
| Visualizing in BACnet Explorer
Note: Any BACnet explorer can be used to visualize the objects. In this case, we have used the YABE (Yet Another BACnet Explorer) which is a graphical program to explore and visualize BACnet devices.
- Access the BACnet explorer.
-
Click the Add device
icon to add CCU to the explorer.
The BACnet communication channel window displays.
- Use the drop-down to select the system IP address as the local endpoint.
- Click the Start button to initiate the communication.
The network access request window displays requesting for the access.
- Click allow access the proceed.
The CCU is added to the explorer with the CM pairing address, IP address, and port as the extension of its name.
- Click on the device to visualize the actual details of the device as per the 75F standard nomenclature, with the building name, CCU name, and pairing address.
You can also visualize the objects/ points that come with the device with their generic names.
Note: The object ID of the BACnet objects is usually the pairing address of the device, followed by the BACnet ID of the object instantiated.
- Click all the points or use the down arrow button from the keyboard to access all the points.
The points display their actual names, with the building name, and point name as shown above.
| Hierarchy Based on the Zones Structure in the Building
To switch the hierarchy of the devices displayed in the explorer,
- Close the explorer.
- Disable BACnet.
- Enable the toggle for the Zone to Virtual Device Mapping.
- Intialize the BACnet again.
- Wait for the BACapp to open in the foreground.
- Wait for the BACapp started message.
- Open the BACnet Explorer again.
- Repeat the steps to add the device again.
The devices are added as separate virtual devices in the Explorer.
- Click on the devices to visualize the actual details of the devices as per the 75F standard nomenclature, with the CCU name, pairing address for the CCU, and the zone names for the edge devices.
- Click a particular device to visualize the objects/ points corresponding to it.
- Click all the points or use the down arrow button from the keyboard to access all the points.
The points display their actual names, with the building name, and point name.
Note: The devices and objects displaying the generic names prior to the click, is a known issue with the YABE. With other BACnet explorers, this might not be the case.
The actual names of the devices and points will be displayed from the time the device is added.
| Object Details
- Click on an object to visualize the object details.
- Scroll to the end of the object list for a device to locate the Mutli state value type objects, as below.
- Click on a multi-state value object to visualize the name & details of the object.
| Setting New Value to the MSV object
You can visualize the existing value for an MSV object as below.
- Click the state text drop-down to visualize the value applicable to the object.
- Type the required value in the present value section of the object details as below, and press Enter to confirm the change.
Example: To set the fan operating mode to Auto
| Portal Reading
To check the readings of each point in the portal:
- Log in to Facilisight and select the site from the dropdown.
- Navigate to Facilisight Assist and select Floor Planner.
- Select the BACnet Zone and drag and drop it onto the floor plan.
- Click Publish.
- A pop-up message will appear at the bottom of the screen indicating "Success."
- Navigate to Site Dashboards, click the Site Dashboard icon, and select Site Overview.
- Click the BACnet Zone and scroll to Zone Settings.
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