BACnet/IP

BACnet (Building Automation and Control Networks) is a communication protocol used in smart buildings. It is defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society of Heating, Venting, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). BACnet is designed specifically for smart buildings and control systems, and can be used for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting control, access control, fire detection systems, and related equipment. Its advantages include reducing the cost of maintenance systems and making installation simpler than general industrial communication protocols. In addition, BACnet also provides five standard protocols commonly used in the industry, which can prevent equipment and system suppliers from monopolizing the market and increase the scalability and compatibility of future systems. BACnet supports multiple communication methods, including serial ports, IP, Ethernet, and ZigBee.

Neuron supports BACnet IP protocol and can communicate with BACnet devices through UDP protocol.

Add Device

Go to Configuration -> South Devices, then click Add Device to add the driver. Configure the following settings in the popup dialog box.

• Name: The name of this device node.
• Plugin: Select the BACnet/IP plugin.

Device Configuration

After clicking Create, you will be redirected to the Device Configuration page, where we will set up the parameters required for Neuron to establish a connection with the northbound application. You can also click the device configuration icon on the southbound device card to enter the Device Configuration interface.

Configure Data Groups and Tags

After the plug-in is added and configured, the next step is to establish communication between your device and Neuron by adding groups and tags to the Southbound driver.

Once device configuration is completed, navigate to the South Devices page. Click on the device card or device row to access the Group List page. Here, you can create a new group by clicking on Create, then specifying the group name and data collection interval.

Upon successfully creating a group, click on its name to proceed to the Tag List page. This page allows you to add device tags for data collection. You’ll need to provide information such as the tag address, attributes, and data type.

For information on general configuration items, see Connect to Southbound Devices. The subsequent section will concentrate on configurations specific to the driver.

Data Types

• float
• bit
• int8
• uint8
• uint16
• bool
• string

Address Format

AREA ADDRESS(.PROPERTY_ID)

support Area

support standard property

If no property is specified, the default property is Present_Value.

support custom property

PROPERTY_ID consists of two parts: a custom flag and the value (integer) of the property, with the overall format being AREA ADDRESS.custom.id.

Support Present Value zeroing operation, currently supporting AO and BO regions. The address format is “(AO|BO)xxx.NULL”, and only write operations are supported. Depending on the type of region, write the zero value of the corresponding type.

Example Addresses