Bacnet - AB support ??

In one of our project (bidding stage) specification were of AB PLC and we happily quoted to the client.

Now for the same project customer wants with Bacnet protocol.

Does AB PLC support Bacnet protocol through any encompass partner. I searched Prosoft but i could not find any info about Bacnet in their website.

Is there any gateway awailable between AB protocols to Bacnet.

thanks

Please join the forum and do not remain anonymous.
Why does AB have to support BACnet? a BACnet OPC server is normally used in a SCADA system to interrogate and write to a BACnet DDC system.
Does a BACnet system have to extract data from an AB PLC?
Lots more detail on what function is to be performed.
beerchug

Bacnet

BobB thanks for your message

O.K i will let you know the full story.

The project was all with AB spec. Its for a sewage pump station for a new small size city to be developed(government)

Requirement AB SLC with annunciator + Operator station (PV).

We already gave our quote for the same and we were the lowest. But now we just recieved a revised enquiry from the same end user asking for same I/O points but he has no where mentioned anything about AB PLC but instead the specification called for a "logic controller with Bacnet protocol" and thats all. But all input/output points are the same.
My idea is to use the same AB PLC (which is what i am familiar) and get a gateway for Bacnet and so that i will mention in my quote that ours support bacnet just to remain in the bid. Once our quote is accepted i hope to get more info from end user than just staying away.

From my knowledge i belive our PLC will remain just as a slave in Bacnet and will continue to operate independently - locally.

I think customer just wants to see some parameters like level and flow and thats all. But we realy donot get any info as its government and we go as per the revised enquiry. I actually donot know why at last stage they want bacnet.

frankly till yesterday i never know what was bacnet. But after seeing his enquiry i searched www.bacnet.org and found that its related to building automation. I realy donot know why the customer wanted it.

thanks again

Bacnet

Already registered but i donot know why it did not appear in the above post. I hope this one will.

There's nothing quite as opaque as municipal specifying engineers. Good luck sorting out the hidden agendas yours have.

You might find a suitable "gateway" implementation from Fieldserver company:

http://www.fieldserver.com/index.asp

I do not have personal operating experience with these, but I have heard them referenced by others and they look good on paper.

Bacnet

Ken Roach thanks for your message.
I searched their website but could not find a direct product. I have sent a mail to them and hope to get a feedback.

We already gave our quote for the same and we were the lowest. But now we just recieved a revised enquiry from the same end user asking for same I/O points but he has no where mentioned anything about AB PLC but instead the specification called for a "logic controller with Bacnet protocol" and thats all. But all input/output points are the same.

Click to expand...

To me that indicates they do not want a PLC but a BMS style system with remote I/O etc running with a BACnet communications system. This is a 2 wire system if I remember correctly. IT APPEARS HE NO LONGER WANTS A PLC.
Try BACnet Controllers
I thought people were generally trying to get away from these things. Oh well.
To find out about BACnet try here BACnet information
If you require a BACnet driver for a SCADA system try here BACnet OPC Server
I have used this driver before and the latest version worked quite well with Citect SCADA system and Alerton hardware, once Alerton made their hardware fully compliant with the BACnet standard. DO NOT purchase any hardware device that has not been tested to be compliant without due consideration. I had problems with equipment supplied by others due to non compliance. However, I do not believe they have started testing software for compliance yet.
The Alerton programming software is a graphical interface that really is pretty easy to use.
Check with your client but I believe that this is what he wants.
Good luck
beerchug

Bacnet

Thanks BobB for your information.

I will check whether Alerton is approved vendor with our municipality.
AB SLC is approved.

Here we cannot sell any item or system which is not approved. And getting approval is almost difficult. Even they donot approve latest PLCs from AB. Last time i quoted with Controllogix and our quote was rejected as customer know only SLC. They told us to fill lots of form and still not approved.

I think it could be the job of Johnson controls or other BMS vendor to take this job. If that is the case ,they are already approved and i will not get inspite of being competitive.

Thanks again