Integration & Interface of BMS System with Other Services

The system shall be capable of integration with other building services level by simple hardware (electrical) methods or by the use of a computer-based communications protocol.

Where a communications protocol is used, integration controllers shall provide this facility and shall be capable of integrating with systems such as fire, security, lifts, lights, etc. The integrity of the individual systems shall be maintained and the failure of one system will not adversely effect the operation of the others.

The integration controller shall provide a means of a consistent user interface for presentation of third-party information at each of the BMS terminals. Cross-referencing points of third-party systems shall be required such that the points created may have similar attributes as the points in main system and used in the same way as other BMS points to create intelligent control strategies.

Thus it shall be possible for the integration controller points to be used by the system as a whole for control and monitoring purposes as well as for the annunciation of alarms, logging, display, maintenance etc.

The integration controller shall have a self-analysis feature with in-built diagnostics and shall transmit any malfunction messages to the designated BMS terminal.

As a minimum each integration controller shall provide a port for connection to the LAN. Implementation of an integration controller shall be carried out in software and hardware.

Hardware  that  is  dedicated  to  this  function  is  preferred  and  shall  be  capable  of  being connected directly to the main BMS LAN. Integration may equally be incorporated direct into a controller if required.

Alternatively the use of a PC which is running integration controller software shall be used. This shall utilise standard developers tools for mapping of parameters from systems providing OPC (OLE for process control) and DDE/NetDDE.

Open System Architecture

A fundamental requirement is that an open system architecture shall be provided. The system offered shall be flexible and incorporate multiple proprietary systems / protocols such as Bacnet, Lontalk, LonWorks®, LonMark®, Modbus, EIB etc. with full inter-operability.

Interoperability is defined that controllers from proprietary system “A” can be connected to the system architecture where there may be controllers from proprietary system “B”. Values from either system can be equally logged, alarmed, displayed on schematics, audit trailed for changes and interact to provide the most economical building control strategy. The open system shall be the middle-ware to achieve this integration.

The system shall be able to utilise different protocols and architectures to maximise the media infrastructure.

The system offered shall ensure that different vendors shall be able to equally tender competitively, add and amend or change the system for future new sections.

OPC

As an option, an interface shall be available which supports OPC (OLE for process control) for presenting values from other OPC compliant systems on the BMS schematic interface.

ODBC COMPLIANT DATABASE

As an option, an ODBC-compliant database shall be provided. It shall be possible to extract logging data records form this for open access for use by database packages such as Access, Oracle etc.

It shall be possible to use SQL to extract data from the ODBC-compliant database. Alarms, logged data and audit trail shall be available with this option

LONWORKS®

The BMS system shall have the ability to integrate with other systems that conform to LonWorks® networks and LonMark® equipment.

The integration shall be achieved by the use of an integration controller connected at either the backbone network or a controller network.

The connection to the LON devices shall utilise FTT-10A Network Transceivers complying with the requirements of EIA 790.3 Free Topology twisted pair channel specification (78Kbps) supporting star, home run, multi-drop and loop wiring technologies.

The integration shall provide 2 way communications between the connected systems and it shall be possible to access network variables for display at the BMS terminal.

EIB

The BMS system shall have the ability to integrate with other systems that conform to EIB. EIB is a system for Home & Building Automation based on a decentralised, peer-to-peer, OSI-compliant network operating system. It uses a serial transmission protocol.

The integration shall be achieved by the use of an integration controller connected at either the backbone network or a controller network.

The connection shall be  over either twisted pair (9,600 bps). The engineering shall be performed using ETS –EIB Tool Software.

The integration shall provide 2 way communications between the connected systems and it

shall be possible to interface not less than 500 points per integration controller for display at the BMS terminal.

BACNET

The BMS system shall have the ability to integrate with other Building Control and Automation systems that conform to ASHRAE’s BACnet communications standard “ANSI/ASHRAE 135-1995”

The integration shall be achieved by the use of an integration controller connected at either the backbone network or a controller network. The connection shall be over either Ethernet conforming to ISO standard IEEE 802.3

The integration shall provide 2 way communications between the connected systems and it shall be possible to transfer not less than 800 points for display at the BMS terminal. A minimum of “ANSI/ASHRAE 135-1995” BACnet conformance class 3 shall be included.