BACnet Application
The WinCC OA BACnet Application is a package that provides different possibilities for configuring/applying BACnet objects and devices from either the BACnet network or an EDE file (Engineering Data Exchange file). These possibilities are:
-
Browsing for devices / objects
-
Creating devices and objects in WinCC OA / device
-
Displaying the devices / objects found
-
Handling and visualizing devices and objects via faceplates
-
Visualizing devices and objects in WinCC OA
-
Communicating with the BACnet device (or another BACnet-conform controller) via services
-
The unique © ETM professional control GmbH 2022 vendor ID in the BACnet community is 314. See also Vendor IDs.
-
The language encodings between the WinCC OA project and the BACnet device must be identical.
The WinCC OA BACnet Application is composed of the following sub-applications:
WinCC OA BACnet Driver
The WinCC OA BACnet driver establishes the connection to one or multiple BACnet devices. The communication with the BACnet device is only then possible, when the BACnet driver has been parameterized and the peripheral address to the BACnet device has been defined. For detailed information on the BACnet driver see chapter BACnet Driver, basics.
WinCC OA BACnet Object Library
The WinCC OA BACnet object library is a company-neutral object library, which allows the parameterization and visualization of objects from the building automation section (e.g. door, fan, lamp, etc.) in a WinCC OA project.
This visualization takes place via symbols and faceplates (see Symbols and Faceplates - General). The symbols and faceplates of the BACnet object library have been developed on the basis of the Standard Object Library (Stdlib) and extended according to its requirements.
From a technical point of view, the BACnet object library is a subproject that can be embedded into a WinCC OA project simply and quickly.
WinCC OA BACnet HMI
The WinCC OA BACnet HMI (Human Machine Interface) is composed of two panels, which allow devices and objects in the BACnet network or in an EDE file to be browsed for, and selected objects to be parameterized directly:
-
BACnet Engineering Explorer - provides the browsing for BACnet devices and objects in the BACnet network or an EDE file. The devices/objects found can be created in WinCC OA with the according parameterization. Additionally, new objects can be created in the device and again deleted from the device in WinCC OA. When creating or deleting objects in devices there are usually device-specific limitations, i.e. some devices allow the creation and deletion of only certain objects, or sometimes they do not allow it in principle.
Two types of engineering are possible:
Online Engineering
The BACnet network is browsed for BACnet devices. If devices exist, these can be created quickly and easily in WinCC OA. Additionally, the devices can be browsed for objects, which can also be created in WinCC OA.
A tabular list of found/created devices or objects allows a direct parameterization of these devices/objects via faceplates. Additionally, with the aid of the Engineering Explorer new, not engineered objects can be created in the device and again deleted from the device.
Offline Engineering
The device information is read in from EDE files and displayed in the table of the Engineering Explorer. Objects that have been imported from an EDE file, but not exist in the device yet, can be created in WinCC OA and possibly deleted again (also here the limitations according the creation and deletion from a device (see above) should be noted). The configuration of devices/objects is also possible via faceplates.
The WinCC OA BACnet Application assumes that the names of the objects are unique. If the same name is used for two objects in one BACnet device, only the object that was found first will be loaded.
-
BACnet Device Explorer - shows the objects of each BACnet device that already exists in WinCC OA and allows the handling and visualization of object properties via faceplates.
