BCU Bacnet Capable?

[jogas]

How can you tell if an existing BCU is Bacnet capable?
TIA,
jogas

[scrooloose]

W and X are BACnet capable. Whether they have been programmed to throw points out is different.

[jogas]

W and X are BACnet capable. Whether they have been programmed to throw points out is different.

By being "programmed", do you mean mapped bacnet points?
And if so, it can be done in the field, right?
jogas

[freddy-b]

I think he means exposing the points to broadcast with a Bacnet Identifier ID #. Probably a check box in a menu.

[jogas]

I think he means exposing the points to broadcast with a Bacnet Identifier ID #. Probably a check box in a menu.

Thanks. I was trying to make sure it wasn't an "enabled only by factory during it's build" situation.
jogas

[freddy-b]

Thanks. I was trying to make sure it wasn't an "enabled only by factory during it's build" situation.
jogas

I was just speculating, I would wait for a Trane guru to confirm it.

[scrooloose]

Its not a checkbox like JCI or other vendors. The points have to be manually made to come across BACnet. So if the job was not originally setup this way then it is very unlikely that someone would take the time to do it.

If you have Tracer Summit on site it can be done, if you do not have it then you need to get someone out there who has Summit and they will have to configure it.

[qtip]

Any point created in the database as an AI,AO,BI or BO is a Bacnet point.

[jogas]

I was under the impression that older BCU's do not have the Bacnet capability. Is this correct? If so, how do you identify them and is there a way to add a card/expansion board to accomplish this?
We have a site with some older BCU's (will get the M/N's Monday) we'd like to bring some (not all) into a JACE. So it's either map them in or replace the BCU.
I'd like to know anyways about the BCU vintage/Bacnet capability determining method for future jobs.
jogas

[controldude]

The whole BCU platform is based on becnet objects the older bmts is bacnet through rs-232 or if you buy a arcnet to ethernet router you can do bacnet/ip
but the router cost is so high you might as well buy a new bmtx. But the bmtw, or bmtx is capable of rs-232 or bacnet/ip solutions.

[kwillmech]

All model Bcu's "speak" Bacnet on all ports: serial, ethernet, arcnet.

Only analog and binary I/O points are visible to Bacnet scanners/software.

Summit speaks Bacnet to the Bcu.

[jslimjeff]

BMTS will not do bacnet.
BMTX and BMTW will do back net. YOU should have enabled TCP/IP with IP validation so Bacnet points will be visible to other devices. Previous posts are correct, AI,AO,BI & BO's will appear as bacnet points. The BCU will also provide Bacnet through the DB9 port up to 256 points.

[mallron]

BMTS will not do bacnet.
BMTX and BMTW will do back net. YOU should have enabled TCP/IP with IP validation so Bacnet points will be visible to other devices. Previous posts are correct, AI,AO,BI & BO's will appear as bacnet points. The BCU will also provide Bacnet through the DB9 port up to 256 points.

I think you're trying to say that the BMTS cannot do BacNet/Ip, which is true. The BMTS can and does do BacNet/Arcnet.

[kwillmech]

BMTS will not do bacnet.
BMTX and BMTW will do back net. YOU should have enabled TCP/IP with IP validation so Bacnet points will be visible to other devices. Previous posts are correct, AI,AO,BI & BO's will appear as bacnet points. The BCU will also provide Bacnet through the DB9 port up to 256 points.

Incorrect Jeff. Your comment suggests we never had Bacnet capability prior to 2000 when the Bmtw was released. The Bmts does and always has supported Bacnet via the serial, arcnet, and ethernet (with version 4.0 rom chip) connections. It does not support Bacnet/IP (annex j) since it does not have IP capabilities.

[jslimjeff]

Correct - I thought he was only intrested in MSTP or IP with the arcnet card you could do bacnet and when ROM 4 was released you could do it throgh standard ethernet. But not IP based.. As the schedule looks MSTP will be available by this summer... I hope.......

[techcontrol]

from an earlier post.

There will be more than 256 points in BCU database. Will I only be able to read a certain object numbers via PTP or - just in general - what mechanism does it use to limit my ability to read more points than this? Thanks a lot for any info

BMTS will not do bacnet.
BMTX and BMTW will do back net. YOU should have enabled TCP/IP with IP validation so Bacnet points will be visible to other devices. Previous posts are correct, AI,AO,BI & BO's will appear as bacnet points. The BCU will also provide Bacnet through the DB9 port up to 256 points.

[kwillmech]

Data flow rate through the rs-232 interface.

"Beyond the BCU memory sizing consideration, it is recommended that the total number of BACnet objects passing through an EIA-232 port be limited to 250 or less."
BAS-PRB002-EN

[Knobber]

How can you tell if an existing BCU is Bacnet capable?
TIA,
jogas

All BCU models are BACnet capable because they are native BACnet. All of the communications from BCU to BCU and the Summit software on a PC workstation are done using BACnet. However, the different BCU models have differing BACnet capabilities. The main one is:

Model BMTS = BACnet over Ethernet,ARCnet, or RS-232. IP addressing can't be used.

Model BMTW = BACnet over Ethernet,ARCnet, or RS-232 and BACnet over IP.

Model BMTX = BACnet over Ethernet or RS-232 and BACnet over IP. No ARCnet communications are available.

As previously mentioned the BACnet points that are available will differ depending on if they were 'programmed' or 'mapped' to be 'exposed'. In other words, some additional programming may be required to get the specific points you need from the various unit-level controllers.

There is no option really to enable/disable BACnet. They have to use it natively for the reason I mentioned. They will act as a BACnet Server without any changes. There is some extra setup that has to be done if you want the Summit system to act as a BACnet Client.

I hope this helps.

Knobber

[interop]

Data flow rate through the rs-232 interface.

"Beyond the BCU memory sizing consideration, it is recommended that the total number of BACnet objects passing through an EIA-232 port be limited to 250 or less."
BAS-PRB002-EN

Do you have this manual - I couldn't locate it?

I also curious how many BACnet point BCU can safely hold?

Also when I do BCU diagnostics report it gives me an information about %% of memory available but nowhere I can find information how much actual memory exist in BCU - do you know where to find it? I have Tracer Summit version 13.

[Reckles]

Could some one please email me this document? Commissioning Tracer Summit
BACnet Projects (BAS-PRB002-EN) Thanks in advance!