Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
(OP)
Ok.. So I have had a number of controls contractors (Too many) coming in to my office pitching the idea of open protocol and different open market controllers. My question is.. is there really such thing as an OPEN PROTOCOL controller?
My analogy : Linux Open Source OS, Windows OS .... Millions of people still prefer windows...
What is so special about open protocol that you can NOT do with N2 bus or any other propriety control network?
My analogy : Linux Open Source OS, Windows OS .... Millions of people still prefer windows...
What is so special about open protocol that you can NOT do with N2 bus or any other propriety control network?





RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
Ostensibly, then, an open-protocol would put everyone on an even footing, allowing more competition for peripherals, subsystems, etc.
TTFN
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RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
I do not think the analogy with Windows is correct, because Windows is a standard in the industry and allows many softwares that will run on it.
RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
Yes, but the claim, from the gripers, is that MS has special backdoors for its own products, compared to say, Symphony or Quattro.
TTFN
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RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
While that's a limiting factor, it's not too awful limiting -- a lot of 3rd parties make N2 compliant versions of their products. Not as many as are available with BACnet or LON, but a bunch.
If it's totally proprietary and hard to hack, you're stuck with what you can buy from the proprietary controls manufacturer.
That's it in a nutshell. If the end user is a small office building or mom-n-pop grocery, who cares? They're not going to be expanding or renovating hardly ever, and they don't need lots of specialty sensors or loop controllers. If the end user is a university, hospital, school district, military base, etc..., it's a different story. They may value the ability to apply multiple manufacturers' products to their BAS network.
Good on ya,
Goober Dave
RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
open protocol is not always open protocol. often you are limited in what you can do. sometimes the claims by some manufacters is not all they say. most are very open and the amount of data you can get can be overwhelming.
I know the Tridium system is sold under many different names and allows the interface to many different type of controller manufacturers.
RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
Matthew
RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
Things not to confuse "being Bacnet compatible" does not mean it is bacnet, to get BacNet, you need to spec "Native BacNet".
Keep in mind though, that native bacnet is not widely available (JCI/Atoumated Logic - Allerton - Delta and I believe KMC are the only native bacnet I know), well, there may be others. So, if you like Trane equipment,do you want Tracer Summit with it? ot do you want Trane equipment and JCI controls? (any french fries with that?)
I see the OP point though, once you commit to one control guy, you are not likely to change company anyway, but I'd recommend better warranty laguage.
The one thing I see poorly written is the warranty on controls. what happens if you get a virus? a crash? can you revert to default Cx'd systems, do you get third party (Tridium) warranties, automatic updates at no charge, etc.
RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
RE: Controls: Open or not? do we care!?
What exactly is "native" BACnet other than a marketing term? It does not appear in the BACnet standard at all...
Curious, I am.
Good on ya,
Goober Dave