Our T3 controllers are used by many Niagara integrators throughout the world. Thanks to the Bacnet protocol things go very smoothly. I am not a Niagara expert so excuse my terminology and simplistic explanations here.
Here are a few screen shots from a recent session with a client doing some troubleshooting with the schedules. Niagara WorkBench discovered the schedules and calendars on the T3 controller which are available for use in the Niagara application.
We set up various schedules on the T3 controller with anywhere from zero events on up to five events in one day and Niagara was able to interpret these correctly.
And more complex schedules with events spanning more than one day, Niagara and our T3 controller remain in sync.
Here’s a snapshot of the Bacnet calendars which are also available in Niagara.
Here’s some screenshots showing the input and output points of the T3 controller, as seen through the Niagara Workbench. These can be used in the programs, alarms, trend logs and graphics of Niagara.
Just received a T3-LB that I’m using to replace deprecated controllers on a Make-Up Air unit. Our site uses Niagara AX and Honeywell JACE gateways. What steps are needed to connect the T3 over MSTP to the JACE?
Power up the T3 with 24VAC and connect the Ethernet cable to the lan, we’ll connect over Ethernet to get started and can switch over to RS485 once the communications parameters are set up.
Scan for devices by clicking on the magnifying glas icon at Tab1. Devices should show up in the tree at Tab2. T3000 will pick up all the bacnet devices on your lan but you wont see details on the third party devices, just on the Temco devices can you see inputs, outputs, and other details. Pay attention to the communication health down on the lower status line at Tab3, its useful for debugging.
Navigate to the advanced settings dialog at Tab4 where you can configure the Panel ID at Tab5, this is a unique ID used on the LAN. Also you will set a unique address for the MAC ID which is used on the RS485 subnetwork. And finally set the Bacnet Instance.
Tip: For anyone who is not sure what all these IDs are for just set them all to the same thing, start at ‘1’ for panel1 and work your way up for each additional controller.
At Tab6 we can set up the IP address of the controller, normally you would pick a fixed IP as shown at Tab7. You will be using Bacnet MSTP on the subnets so select Bacnet protocol and the baud rate at Tab9.
Now you can tie the controller in with the Jace over RS485. If all goes well it will show up in your Niagara environment and you can manage it from there. You’ll use T3000 to configure the IO ranges, engineering units, names and user programming if any. Once all is set up you don’t need the T3000 application any longer, you can manage all the IO and other bacnet objects from Niagara.
One useful tool for debugging Bacnet MSTP is the ‘Yabe’ bacnet tool, its available under T3000 → Tools → Bacnet tool. This utility lets you see all the bacnet objects on the T3 device. Keep in mind that as you configure items using T3000 like the range of the inputs from analog to binary on-off range for example, you may need to scan the device again to reflect the changes.
Still having difficulties connecting to the T3-LB over BACnet. I’ve even tried connecting to it using a Contemporary Controls BACnet/IP to MS/TP adapter, which I usually use to verify a functioning BACnet connection. No token is passing between the router and the T3 controller. I feel like there is something I’m missing on the COM port setup in the T3000 software.
Your best bet to get stared with the configuring is the T3000 application and connect over IP to get started. Navigate to the dialogs I showed and set the RS485 subnet protocol to Bacnet and set the baud rate. Set the MAC id as shown. That should be it.
To test the Bacnet MSTP packets are flowing you can also connect using T3000 with a USB/485 converter, this is a simpler test than introducing the Contemporary IP to MSTP adapter which has its own host of settings that all need to align. For now keep the test simple with just one T3 device and your PC. Use the T3000 software to scan by clicking on the magnifying glass icon again and the T3 device should show up. Then use the T3000 → tools → Bacnet tool to bring up Yabe. If you can connect with that you know that the T3 device is sending and receiving bacnet packets.
Once you have that going you can introduce more devices like the Contemporary MSTP adapter and more of the Niagara environment.
