Notes for Upgrading the BACnet AddOn

You can upgrade a BACnet AddOn project from an older version to the new BACnet AddOn version 3.20.

Upgrade Requirements

The upgrade will only work if the stdlib and BACnet AddOns directories in the configuration file are updated to the current version (3.20). You must do this manually in the project. Make sure to complete this step BEFORE starting the project for the first time, but AFTER it has been upgraded to the current version.

BACnet Object Naming

When creating new datapoints for a BACnet object with the new AddOn, you must be careful. The naming convention for datapoints and the configuration of the datapoint element address are different from the old AddOn's conventions. The new naming convention for datapoints in the style of the new AddOn is as follows:

<device Id>_<object type name><instance>

If you need the old behavior for existing projects, you can configure it using the internal datapoint element _BACnetEng.DpNaming.. The default value "0" enables the new behavior. Setting the value to "1" enables the legacy behavior, which uses <Object name>. However, using this legacy behavior is not recommended because the <Object name> might not be unique and could contain special characters. These issues can cause problems when creating datapoints.

Important: The datapoint element _BACnetEng.DpNaming. is only created when you import the datapoint list of the BACnet AddOn for the first time.
CAUTION: Switching to the old behavior should be considered a permanent change for this project and can only be done in the PARA.

JSON Format

In the upgraded project, the JSON format is now used for displaying and modifying BACnet complex properties.