TOP Server BACnet OPC Driver

BACnet Key Features Include

• Maximum Number of Channels & Devices: 
  • Channels - 128
  • Devices per Channel - 254
  • NOTE: Practical channel/device limits will vary depending on your available system resources and communications architecture
• Supports Automatic Device Discovery
• Support for Accumulator, Analog Input, Analog Output, Analog Value, Averaging, Binary Input, Binary Output, Binary Value, Calendar, Command, Device, Event Enrollment, File, Group, Life Safety Point, Life Safety Zone, Loop, Multi-State Input, Multi-State Output, Multi-State Value, Notification Class, Program, Schedule and Trend Log objects
• Supports Command Priority
• Supports Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU)
• Automatic Tag Database generation for plug and play ease of use
  

Standard BACnet Features Include

• Supports the following Standard Objects, including most of the required properties: Accumulator, Analog Input, Analog Output, Analog Value, Averaging, Binary Input, Binary Output, Binary Value, Calendar, Command, Device, Event Enrollment, File, Group, Life Safety Point, Life Safety Zone, Loop, Multi-State Input, Multi-State Output, Multi-State Value, Notification Class, Program, Schedule, and Trend Log
• Supports Confirmed and Unconfirmed Event Notifications for both intrinsic and algorithmic notifications for several Event States, including Change of Value, Change of State, Out of Range, Unsigned Range, and Command Failure
• TOP Server Built-In Features:
  • Multi-threaded architecture for high scalability
  • Runtime changes via wizard-based configuration interface with intuitive Properties Editor
  • Secure User Management
  • Built-in Device/Network Redundancy
  • Auto-Demotion (Slow Polling)
  • Extensive communication and server diagnostics (OPC / Communications / Event Log)
  • For all TOP Server built-in features, click here.

BACnet Advanced Features Include

• BACnet Gateways supported for non-Ethernet BACnet device access
• Extended character set support (ISO 10646/UCS-2 and ISO 8859-1/Latin1)
• Supports Simple Array Properties
• Supports Command Priority, which prioritizes write requests
• Supports Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU), which affects message segmentation
• Supports routing COV notifications from a device on a different BACnet network where NPDUs do not contain the source address
• Supports communication with BACnet MS/TP Serial devices through BACnet/IP Broadcast Management Device (BBMD) routing
• Support for channel level device discovery on a BACnet network
• Support for multiple device discovery scope including sending Who-Is/I-Am to a specified IP Address including for devices that mandate/require the "I-Am" message
• Support for mass adding devices from device discovery operations
• Devices added from discovery automatically inherit the discovered device name
• TOP Server can register as a foreign device on the BACnet network if required due to user network architecture
• Includes Automatic Tag Generation through device interrogation
• Configurable tag import group options default to most commonly required groups of tags
• User configurable items per request to optimize communications by reducing the total number of requests required to the device (Up to 64 items per request)
• Support for IBM/Microsoft DBCS character set

Supported Devices Include (Don't See Your Device Listed? Contact Us)

• Devices supporting the BACnet/IP (Annex J) Protocol, are visible on an Ethernet network, and support the objects, properties, and services supported by this driver 

Note: You should consult the Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS), available from your hardware vendor.

The official BACnet specification, "ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135-2001 BACnet A Data Communication Protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks", describes all aspects of the BACnet protocol. It is recommended that users of this driver be familiar with the standard BACnet objects and properties discussed in Clause 12 of the specification. In addition, you should be familiar with the particulars of BACNet/IP outlined in Annex J of the specification. The specification document, as well as many other useful resources, is available through the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE) or the official BACnet website: www.BACNet.org.

Supported Protocols / Networks

• Protocols:
  • BACnet/IP (Annex J)
• Networks:
  • UDP Ethernet
• BACnet Gateways supported for non-Ethernet BACnet device access

Available Languages

• English
• German
• Japanese
• Simplified Chinese

Click to Learn More

TOP Server How-To Videos and Application Notes

To insure you get the most from your investment in TOP Server^®, we provide a variety of application notes/guides and how-to videos, since we know that sometimes it helps to see someone showing you how to do things.

• TOP Server How-To Videos / Tutorials
  • BACNet Quick Start
• TOP Server How-To Application Notes
• TOP Server Quick Start Guide
• TOP Server Troubleshooting Guide

Driver Help Files / Release Notes

Use the below links to access TOP Server release history and driver help documentation.

• Click for Current/Past Release Notes
• BACnet Help File
• BACnet FAQs in our knowledgebase

Access use cases, how-tos and more

Real-world use cases, step-by-step how-to's and video tutorials - our blog contains useful resources and information to help you get connected.

TOP Server Specific Blog Posts

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Additional Useful Resources

Access additional TOP Server related information below not covered in other sections:

• TOP Server Operating System Support Information
• Software Toolbox Knowledge Base
• BACnet Committee Website