Aaon Wattmaster

[justmike7]

I have heard that Aaon is moving away from the wattmaster control line. Has anyone else heard this?

Also, has anyone actually integrated to Aaon's stuff? How do they handle BACnet and LON?

Any general information on them would be helpful. We are trying to get a handle on how we would integrate them into a BMS...

Thanks in advance!

[Chris_Worthington]

The information you get out of them and the "control" abilities are lousy, rip them out and install some freely programmables

[justmike7]

This is essentially what I have been told.

I have also heard that they are moving to a new controls line. I have heard it is Tridium but this seems like an odd choice to me. Anyone know if this is true?

[emighty]

AAON is offering both WattMaster and Tridium RTU controls options.

See the model number controls options starting on page 13 and 14 of the RN installation manual.
http://www.aaon.com/Documents/Instal...IOM_090619.pdf

Feature 22: CONTROL VENDORS
Digit 44:
0 = None
A = WattMaster Orion Controls System
B = Tridium/Niagara JACE Controls System
C = WattMaster Orion Controls System with Specials
D = Tridium/Niagara JACE Controls System with Specials

or the controls info page on the AAON website
http://www.aaon.com/literature.aspx?id=13

[justmike7]

Thank you very much!

[CincyHVAC]

This is essentially what I have been told.

I have also heard that they are moving to a new controls line. I have heard it is Tridium but this seems like an odd choice to me. Anyone know if this is true?

I have an installation with 3 Aaon RTU's (95 ton, 105 ton, and 190 ton)

Building controls are Tridium.

Still a POS and a PITA.

[paulir]

AAON is offering both WattMaster and Tridium RTU controls options.

See the model number controls options starting on page 13 and 14 of the RN installation manual.
http://www.aaon.com/Documents/Instal...IOM_090619.pdf

Feature 22: CONTROL VENDORS
Digit 44:
0 = None
A = WattMaster Orion Controls System
B = Tridium/Niagara JACE Controls System
C = WattMaster Orion Controls System with Specials
D = Tridium/Niagara JACE Controls System with Specials

or the controls info page on the AAON website
http://www.aaon.com/literature.aspx?id=13

Lynxspring is their Niagara OEM

[justmike7]

I have an installation with 3 Aaon RTU's (95 ton, 105 ton, and 190 ton)

Building controls are Tridium.

Still a POS and a PITA.

This concerns us a bit. Can you tell me why it is such a PITA? We are looking at how easy it is to land on a BACnet MS/TP network. Do we need software to get it on the BMS? How can we change the DID for example?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks guys!

[lwarren]

I have done quit a few Wattmaster integrations into Tridium via Bacnet and Lon. I have never had a problem with the Bacnet PT Links that talk over mstp. The only problem I have had with the Lon PT Link was when we had them installed in the control section of some 125 ton splits. They were getting interference from the VFD's. We relocated them and they work fine now.

As Chris stated you are limited with control capabilities but for monitoring and changing setpoints they are ok. The good thing about Aaon is that you can order the units with no controls and put your own controllers in them. All of the terminal connections are already there.

This is what I hate most about the Wattmaster PT Links, exspecially the Lon. Used to, you could get a Bacnet PT link that would talk to up to 8 units, and the Lon would do up to 4 units. Now the Bacnet only does up to 4 units and get this, the Lon only does one. So if you have more than one unit you defineately dont want to go with the Lon PT link.

[paulir]

This concerns us a bit. Can you tell me why it is such a PITA? We are looking at how easy it is to land on a BACnet MS/TP network. Do we need software to get it on the BMS? How can we change the DID for example?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks guys!

I recently consulted for a site with 4 65+ton AAONs, they had the WattMaster with Orion PTLink (thinking from memory), I was disappointed in the control system, it was what I consider a basic system. The VFDs (2) powering four supply fans, were not linked into the system, they just used air flow or Current Switch, cannot recall which, to stop unit. The unit came without backdraft dampers, which are an option (my opinion, they should be standard), so if one VFD went off-line, the system would lose 2 supply fans, yet all compressors would still run. I saw the evap coil lower section totally iced over, with 2 inched of ice covering two of the four compressors, NICE!. NOW this could be fault of AAON, or Wattmaster, it takes both properly implemented to work.

The main in initial problem experienced was the Fieldserver (Orion PTLink) was serving up points to an Allerton BacNet MSTP to gateway, and what we were experiencing was if you shut off 1 - RTU via disconnect, the other three other RTUs would go off-line (on the network) for 5-10 minutes, when you powered up the RTU via disconnect, all four RTUs would go off-line for 20 minutes. Called Orion, they had no clue. All network wiring was proper, and terminated properly.

In fairness to all, never identified communications issue, don't know if it was Orion, or Allerton, I am going to try it with my Jace/BacNet MSTP to see if problem still occurs. BUT the one above post saying "rip it out", I tend to agree!
order it control-less if that is an option.

[justmike7]

So the two options would be the PT link (FS gateway) or the Lynxspring (JACE) solution if we want to go BACnet?

Are they easy to configure and get up and on the BMS? We also want to define our own DIDs for the unit. Is this reasonably doable?

Thanks again

[CincyHVAC]

This concerns us a bit. Can you tell me why it is such a PITA? We are looking at how easy it is to land on a BACnet MS/TP network. Do we need software to get it on the BMS? How can we change the DID for example?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks guys!

We have had several issues with the LON card losing communications with the Tridium network. I'm not exactly certain whether this was a programming issue from the onset, or what.

We ended up replacing the LON cards in all three Aaon RTU's and re-loading the programming. No problems since.

[paulir]

So the two options would be the PT link (FS gateway) or the Lynxspring (JACE) solution if we want to go BACnet?

Are they easy to configure and get up and on the BMS? We also want to define our own DIDs for the unit. Is this reasonably doable?

Thanks again

AAON has a service tool for setting up system, easy to use. (thats related to Tridium version)

You could also opt to do your own, or hire a TC company to provide you the parts & smarts. HINT HINT

[justmike7]

AAON has a service tool for setting up system, easy to use. (thats related to Tridium version)

You could also opt to do your own, or hire a TC company to provide you the parts & smarts. HINT HINT

Okay lol this makes sense. This is not an out of the box product that will get the units landed on the network. Someone will have to configure them to talk on the BACnet network. That was really the question.

[lwarren]

Not sure what system you are trying to bring them into, but bringing them into Tridium with Lon or Bacnet takes about 2 minutes.

[Cagey57]

We have done 2 AAON WattMaster units one on an existing N2 and one on LON, both with the Orion PT-Links.

The N2 ended up with Legacy JC UNT's when the warranty expired (ripped out the WattMaster completely).

The LON is working resonably well via the PT-Link connected to an AX.

Over all the supplier and the Start-up Tech will either be your best friend or your worst nightmare.

IMO the Niagara AX has to be better than the Watt Master no matter which OEM it is. Even with intense Tech Support from AAON we kept getting answers about what it Couldn't do rather that what it Could Do.

I simply brace myself when ever we have to integrate to an AAON unit any more.

[lwarren]

I personally have not seen one from the factory yet with AX. Does anyone know if it is setup like an appliance. If you could not get in with Worbench and have complete access to the logic it would not be any better than Wattmaster.

[justmike7]

Not sure what system you are trying to bring them into, but bringing them into Tridium with Lon or Bacnet takes about 2 minutes.

We are not trying to bring them in yet. We are trying to determine what is the best way to do this when we get the units...

Also you answer seems to be at odds with every other response. Why is this so easy for you? What are you doing?

I should be more concise with my question:

I want to get the equipment, land it on an MSTP network, auto discover, change the DID and MSTP network number in the units, and then map the BACnet objects. Can I do this without an AAON tech?

Thanks

[lwarren]

Well you have not answered me as to what system you are using so I will assume Tridium AX. If you go with the Orion Bacnet PT Link then you will daisy chain the Orion side on upto (4) units. Set the dip switches on the VCM boards in the units to address them on the Orion side. Then you just connect the mstp trunk to a Jace and add your bacnet network and do a discover. It will suck it right in and yes you can change the device Id and network number for the gateway.

I have never needed an Aaon tech to get these setup on the system. However it is nice to have the hand held service tool to make sure they are configured correctly for the specific type of unit.

[justmike7]

Thank you.

That helps a lot....