BACnet protocol software BACnet-2-OPC

managementSCADAcommunications

“Fresh from the field” right to the management system Central management and SCADA for industrial automation are increasingly being merged with building automation systems. The field equipment makes more and more use of BACnet as the communications standard for this purpose, whilst Open Platform Communications (OPC) is often used in central management systems. The BACnet-2-OPC software ensures that these systems can use the field operating and consumption data in a simple, quick and economical way. The building automation starts with BACnet: the network protocol is used by manufacturers and trades in more and more of their field equipment. Whether the field sensors and actuators are, for example, detecting temperatures or controlling air-conditioning systems, they mostly communicate using this universal manufacturers’ standard – ISO 16484-5. On the other hand, the building management systems are usually based on Open Platform Communications (OPC) or its latest specification for Unified Architecture (UA). MBS developed its BACnet-2-OPC software package to allow these two environments to communicate smoothly with each other. Therefore, this replaces the established BACnet OPC server with a thoroughly more modern system. State of play using BACnet, OPC UA and Windows In short, BACnet-2-OPC transfers building automation data, sourced from BACnet field equipment, to UA-based applications. Obviously, a link to OPC DA is possible as usual – even in parallel with the OPC-UA link, if necessary. Plus, of course, the software supports the current version of the BACnet standard, as well as the latest OPC specification and all Windows systems.