Basics of BACnet

● History of BACnet
● BACnet Architecture
● Routers
● Gateways
● Objects
● Properties
● Services

2015
 Why a Standard Protocol?
● Interoperability
● Competitive system expansion
● End "lock in" fear
● Integrating building services requires
communication standards
● Reduce training cost by using a single
operator interface
● Enable development of new technology
 Why a Standard Protocol?
● Share data among different vendor's
systems for a more sensible and integrated
approach to facilities management
● Access all systems from a common
interface to permit common graphics, event
and alarm enunciation, and data logging
 History of BACnet
● Committee began in ● Design Goals
June, 1987 – Interoperability
● Consensus using – Efficiency
working groups – Flexibility
● ASHRAE/ANSI – Extensibility
standard 135-1995 – Reliability
● ISO 16484-5 in – Stability
2003 – Simplicity
 BACnet Applications
● HVAC Controls
● Lighting Controls
● Security (access control)
● Fire detection/suppression systems
● Smart Elevators
● Fault detection and diagnostic systems
 BACnet Architecture
BACnet Layers OSI

BACnet Application Layer (APDU) Application

BACnet Network Layer (NPDU) Network

ISO 8802-2 MS/TP PTP BVLC BVLC ZigBee Data Link

LonTalk
Ethernet ARCNET EIA-485 EIA-232 UDP/IP4 UDP/IP6 802.15.4 Physical

LAN options with BACnet

Pros? Cons?
 LAN: PTP
● Only choice for modem ● Point to point only
● Special design for point to ● Limited speed (9.6K to
point applications 56Kbps)
● Accommodates modern
modem standards
(V.32bis, V.42)
 LAN: LonTalk
● Variety of media (UTP, ● Non-deterministic
coax, RF, IR, fiber) ● Distance limitations
● Scalable speed (32K to ● Sole source chip
1.25Mbps)
● Special development tools
● Application size limited
● Very few BACnet vendors
using LonTalk
 LAN: ARCNET
Pros Cons
● ANSI Standard ● Sole source chip
● Deterministic response ● Too costly for low end
unitary controllers
● Scalable speed
● Distance limitations for
● Variety of media (UTP,
some media
coax, fiber)
● Very few BACnet vendors
● Very fast (156k-7.5Mbps)
using ARCNET
● No special development
tools
● High performance for
medium cost
 LAN: BACnet MS/TP
● ANSI standard ● Single media (EIA-485)
● Low cost ● Limited speed (9.6K to
115Kbps)
● Can be implemented in a
single chip microcontroller
● Deterministic response
● Long distance (1500 m)
 LAN: Ethernet
Pros Cons
● International standard ● High cost
● Already in most buildings ● Distance limitations
● Variety of media (UTP, ● non-deterministic
fiber, wireless)
● Very fast (10/100/1000 or
more Mbps)
● Easy to interface to PCs
● No special development
tools
● Power included (PoE)
 LAN: BACnet/IP
● International standard ● High cost
● Already in most buildings ● Distance limitations
● Variety of media (UTP, ● Non-deterministic
fiber, wireless) ● Additional software stack
● Very fast (10/100/1000 or required (UDP/IP)
more Mbps)
● Easy to interface to PCs
● No special development
tools
● Power included (PoE)
 LAN: BACnet/IPv6
● International standard ● Uses VMAC for address
● New to BACnet (2015) ● Can use Ethernet, WiFi,
6lowPAN, 6loBAC
● Variety of media (UTP,
fiber, wireless) ● Additional software stack
required (UDP/IPv6)
● Standard meshing and
messaging built on
standard wireless layer
(IEEE 802.15.4)
 LAN: ZigBee
● Low cost, low power ● Limited speeds
wireless ● Limited broadcasting
● Standard meshing and ● Nodes may sleep
messaging built on
standard wireless layer
(IEEE 802.15.4)
 Internetworking
Required whenever two dissimilar LAN
technologies need be coupled
● Performance constraints (bandwidth)
● Cost constraints
● Isolate message traffic
● Remote access
● Utilize existing infrastructure
● Connect multiple isolated applications
Start of
Message BACnet Routers
Ethernet
NPDU APDU

Address Error
and Length Detection
Information Checksum BACnet Router

Data Remains Unchanged

Start of
Message

NPDU APDU
MS/TP

Address Error
and Length Detection
Information Checksum
 BACnet Routers
Network 2

Network 1 Network 3 Network 4

DMAC=04 DMAC=05 DMAC=08
DNET=4 DNET=4 SNET=1
DADR=08 DADR=08 SADR=05
Port 1 Port 2 Port 3 Port 1 Port 2
MAC 04 MAC 04 MAC 07 MAC 05 MAC 07

Device Device Device

MAC 05 Router 1 MAC 08 Router 2 MAC 08

Routing Table Routing Table

Net Send To Net Send To
1 Attached, port 1 1 Net 3, MAC 7
2 Attached, port 2 2 Net 3, MAC 7
3 Attached, port 3 3 Attached, port 1
4 Net 3, MAC 5 4 Attached, port 2
 BACnet Gateway
Ethernet
NPDU APDU

BACnet Gateway

Gateway Configuration tool from Control Solutions, Inc

Modbus RTU

Modbus RTU Packet

 BACnet Objects
● Objects represent physical inputs, outputs,
and software processes.

IF level > 50 THEN

.
.
.
 BACnet Objects
● Objects are evaluated and controlled by
their properties
● Property Name, Value
Object_Name "Lighting Area 1"

Object_Type BINARY_OUTPUT

Present_Value Active

Status_Flags Normal, In-Service

Out_Of_Service False

Inactive_Text "Off"

Active_Text "On"
 BACnet Objects
accumulator binary-output file multi-state-output trend-log

analog-input binary-value group multi-state-value load-control

analog-output calendar life-safety-point notification-class structured-view

analog-value command life-safety-zone program access-door

averaging device loop pulse-converter binary-input

access-credential event-enrollment multi-state-input schedule event-log

access-zone access-rights access-point access-user credential-data-input

characterstring-value bitstring-value trend-log-multiple global-group characterstring-value

date-pattern-value date-value datetime-pattern-value datetime-value integer-value

large-analog-value octetstring-value positive-integer-value time-pattern-value time-value

channel staged-value timer-value lighting-output binary-lighting-output

notification-forwarder alert-enrollment network-port elevator

 BACnet Objects
Required and Optional Properties

Object_Name "Lighting Area 1"

Object_Type BINARY_OUTPUT

Required Present_Value Active

Status_Flags Normal, In-Service

Out_Of_Service False

Inactive_Text "Off"
Optional
Active_Text "On"

Other properties...
 Binary Output Object
Property Identifier Property Datatype Conformance Code
Conformance Codes:
Object_Identifier BACnetObjectIdentifier R
Object_Name CharacterString R R required, readable
Object_Type BACnetObjectType R W required, writable
Present_Value BACnetBinaryPV W
Description CharacterString O O optional
Device_Type CharacterString O
Status_Flags BACnetStatusFlags R
Event_State BACnetEventState R Out_Of_Service
Reliability BACnetReliability O
Out_Of_Service BOOLEAN R decouples the physical
Polarity BACnetPolarity R output from the
Inactive_Text CharacterString O1
Active_Text CharacterString O1 Present_Value.
Change_Of_State_Time BACnetDateTime O2
Change_Of_State_Count Unsigned O2
Time_Of_State_Count_Reset BACnetDateTime O2
Elapsed_Active_Time Unsigned32 O3 Properties required
Time_Of_Active_Time_Reset BACnetDateTime O3
Minimum_Off_Time Unsigned32 O because Present_Value
Minimum_On_Time Unsigned32 O is commandable
Priority_Array BACnetPriorityArray R
Relinquish_Default BACnetBinaryPV R
Time_Delay Unsigned O4
Notification_Class
Feedback_Value
Unsigned
BACnetBinaryPV
O4
O4
Properties required for
Event_Enable BACnetEventTransitionBits O4 intrinsic reporting
Acked_Transitions BACnetEventTransitionBits O4
Notify_Type BACnetNotifyType O4
Event_Time_Stamps BACnetARRAY[3] of BACnetTimeStamp O4
Profile_Name CharacterString O
 Object Identifiers
1st octet 2nd octet 3rd octet 4th octet

Object instances can range from 0

to 4194303, but 4194303 is
reserved for unconfigured
devices.
10 bit Object Type 22 bit Object Instance

analog-input (0),
analog-output (1),
analog-value (2),
binary-input (3),
binary-output (4),
binary-value (5),
calendar (6),
Object types can be any of the
command (7), BACnet standard types, or non-
device (8),
event-enrollment (9),
standard types from 128 to 1023
file (10),
group (11),
loop (12),
multi-state-input (13),
multi-state-output (14),
notification-class (15),
program (16),
schedule (17),
...
 Property Identifiers
accepted-modes (175), configuration-files (154),
acked-transitions (0), controlled-variable-reference (19),
ack-required (1), controlled-variable-units (20),
action (2), controlled-variable-value (21),
action-text (3), count (177), Property identifiers are
active-text (4), count-before-change (178),
active-vt-sessions (5), count-change-time (179), specified for each
active-cov-subscriptions (152), cov-increment (22), standard object.
adjust-value (176), cov-period (180),
alarm-value (6), cov-resubscription-interval (128),
alarm-values (7), database-revision (155), Non-standard property
all (8), date-list (23),
all-writes-successful (9), daylight-savings-status (24), identifiers in the range
apdu-segment-timeout (10), deadband (25), of 512 to 4194303
apdu-timeout (11), derivative-constant (26),
application-software-version (12), derivative-constant-units (27), allows each vendor to
archive (13), description (28), define their own
attempted-samples (124), description-of-halt (29),
auto-slave-discovery (169), device-address-binding (30), properties.
average-value (125), device-type (31),
backup-failure-timeout (153), direct-reading (156),
bias (14), effective-period (32),
buffer-size (126), elapsed-active-time (33),
change-of-state-count (15), error-limit (34),
change-of-state-time (16), event-enable (35),
client-cov-increment (127), event-state (36),
...
 BACnet Services
● Service == Message
● Services allow Devices to do something
● Must implement at least ReadProperty
 BACnet Confirmed Services
● Confirmed == Unicast, Acknowledged
AcknowledgeAlarm AtomicWriteFile WritePropertyMultiple

COV-Notification AddListElement PrivateTransfer

EventNotification RemoveListElement TextMessage

GetAlarmSummary CreateObject ReinitializeDevice

GetEnrollmentSummary DeleteObject VTOpen

SubscribeCOV ReadProperty VTClose

SubscribeCOVProperty ReadPropertyMultiple VTData

LifeSafetyOperation ReadRange Authenticate

AtomicReadFile WriteProperty ReqestKey

ReadPropertyConditional DeviceCommunicationControl
 BACnet Unconfirmed Services
● Unconfirmed == Broadcast (usually)

I-Am TextMessage

I-Have TimeSynchronization

COV-Notification WhoHas

EventNotification WhoIs

PrivateTransfer UTC TimeSynchronization

WriteGroup