Pi bacnet Interface

BACnet Query Tool

The BACnet Query Tool allows a user to test the connections to the BACnet Devices on the network, retrieve lists of BACnet Device Objects and their properties and create BACnet PI Tags.

At the bottom of the screen, the Status bar will display the results of any query.

Who IS Device Query

The Who IS Device Query will send a broadcast to the local network (or specific IP Addresses) which will cause any listening BACnet devices to respond.

There are two options for the WhoIS Device Query:

Full Network Query

Select this option to send a broadcast to the local network which will cause any listening BACnet devices to respond. To use this option, the Query Tool must be running on the same subnet as the devices.

IP Address Query

Select this option to send a series of broadcasts to a restricted list of IP Addresses (one at a time) which will cause any listening BACnet devices at those addresses to respond. To use this option, the Query Tool does not need to be running on the same subnet as the devices.

IP Addresses

To add IP addresses, click the Add button under the IP Addresses group. A pop up for the IP Address Entry will appear. Enter the desired IP Address and click the Submit button.

To clear the IP Address list, click the Clear button below the list.

Query and Results

If doing an IP Address Query, first select the desired IP Addresses in the IP Address List.

To perform the WhoIS Query, click the Query button. This query should only take a few seconds to complete.

The results will be displayed in a grid that lists basic properties (IP Address, Device ID, etc.) for each BACnet Device found. Note that BACnet routers that do not also serve as devices will not contain any properties except for Device ID.

To clear the Device list, click the Clear button below the grid. Note that this will also clear the Object Explorer.

Object Explorer

To retrieve BACnet Objects and Properties, first perform a Who IS Query. The Object Explorer will contain a list of devices that can be selected and queried.

The Object Explorer has two resizable panes. The left pane contains a explore style hierarchy of BACnet Devices, BACnet Object Types, BACnet Objects and BACnet Object Properties. The right pane consists of two tabs. The Query View tab will list details of whatever is selected in the left pane. The PI Tag Creation tab allows for creation of PI Tags based on the BACnet Object Properties. Most items in the left pane are not queried until selected for the first time. After that, the item t may or may not have expansion options depending on what the item represents.

Query View

Devices

You can select a BACnet Device one of two ways. Expand the BACnet Network item in the Object Explorer and click on the desired BACnet Device. Alternatively, you can select the BACnet Network item in the Object Explorer and then double click on the desired BACnet Device in the Query View tab.

Either method will result in the BACnet Device being selected in the Object Explorer and all of the BACnet Object Types for that BACnet Device being listed in the right pane. If this the first time the BACnet Device has been selected, it will perform a query to retrieve all BACnet Objects for that BACnet Device.

You may also right click on a BACnet Device to get an additional list of options.

View Report

This option will generate a report of the selected BACnet Device and all of its Objects.

Find Object ID

This option will allow the user to search for a specific BACnet Object for the selected BACnet Device.

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The Object Type and Object ID are both required search criteria. If the desired BACnet Object is found, it will be selected in the Object Explorer.

Refresh

This option will re-query the BACnet Device for its Objects. If any pending PI Tags exist for the BACnet Device, the user will be prompted before continuing as the refresh will also remove all pending PI Tags for the selected BACnet Device from the PI Tag Creation tab.

Re-Query for Missing Objects

For BACnet Devices that do not support segmentation, this option will allow the user to re-query the BACnet Object List for any missing BACnet Objects (will show up under the Unknown Object Type group). This is quicker (and more reliable) than doing a full refresh on BACnet Devices that do not support segmentation.

Query Unqueried Objects

This option will allow the user to query any BACnet Objects for the selected BACnet Device that have not been queried yet.

Routers

BACnet Routers will be displayed in the Object Explorer with a different icon.

BACnet Routers that also act as BACnet Devices will function identically to normal BACnet Devices in the Object Explorer.

Router Sub Devices

BACnet Router Sub Devices will be listed under their respective BACnet Router in the Object Explorer.

BACnet Router Sub Devices will function identically to normal BACnet Devices in the Object Explorer.

Object Types

You can select a BACnet Object Type one of two ways. Expand a BACnet Device in the Object Explorer and click on the desired BAcnet Object Type. Alternatively, you can select a BACnet Device in the Object Explorer and then double click on the desired BACnet Object Type in the Query View tab.

Either method will result in the BACnet Object Type being selected in the Object Explorer and all of the BACnet Object Instances for that BACnet Object Type being listed in the Query View tab.

You may also right click on a BACnet Object Type to get an additional list of options.

View Report

This option will generate a report the selected BACnet Object Type and all of its Objects.

Find Object ID

This option will allow the user to search for a specific BACnet Object for the selected BACnet Object Type.

The Object ID is a required search criterion. The Object Type is fixed in this case. If the desired BACnet Object is found, it will be selected in the Object Explorer.

Re-Query for Missing Objects

For BACnet Devices that do not support segmentation, this option will allow the user to re-query the BACnet Object List for any missing BACnet Objects (will show up under the Unknown Object Type group). This option is only available when right clicking on the Unknown Object Type group (if it exists).

Query Unqueried Objects

This option will allow the user to query any BACnet Objects for the selected BACnet Object Type that has not been queried yet.

Objects

You can select a BACnet Object one of two ways. Expand a BACnet Object Type in the Object Explorer and click on the desired BAcnet Object. Alternatively, you can select a BACnet Object Type in the Object Explorer and then double click on the desired BACnet Object in the Query View tab.

Either method will result in the BACnet Object being selected in the Object Explorer and all of the BACnet Object Properties (and values) for that BACnet Object being listed in the Query View tab. If this the first time the BACnet Object has been selected, it will perform a query to retrieve all BACnet Properties for that BACnet Object.

Also, note that for BACnet Devices that do not support ReadPropertyMultiple, a slower alternative method for querying the BACnet Objects will be used and thus a smaller subset of properties will be retrieved. This is automatically done without user intervention. For BACnet devices that do not support ReadProperty - ALL, the default property query will return “missing Present_Value” for all properties. In this case, user should select the right-click menu item “Query Single Properties”, which only retrieve a smaller subset of properties.

The smaller subset of properties included with each BACnet Object (except for Object Type DEVICE) are:

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  Instance Number
  
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  OBJECT_NAME
  
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  DESCRIPTION
  
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  OBJECT_IDENTIFIER
  
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  OBJECT_TYPE
  
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  PRESENT_VALUE
  
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  MIN_PRESENT_VALUE (if applicable)
  
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  MAX_PRESENT_VALUE (if applicable)
  
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  COV_INCREMENT (if applicable)
  
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  UNITS (if applicable)
  

When using the alternative query methods, the following properties will be included with the BACnet DEVICE Object.

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  Instance Number
  
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  OBJECT_IDENTIFIER
  
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  OBJECT_NAME
  
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  OBJECT_TYPE
  
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  SYSTEM_STATUS
  
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  VENDOR_IDENTIFIER
  
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  VENDOR_NAME
  
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  MODEL_NAME
  
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  FIRMWARE_REVISION
  
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  APPLICATION_SOFTWARE_VERSION
  
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  DESCRIPTION
  
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  PROTOCOL_VERSION
  
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  PROTOCOL_REVISION
  
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  PROTOCOL_SERVICES_SUPPORTED
  
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  PROTOCOL_OBJECT_TYPES_SUPPORTED
  
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  MAX_APDU_LENGTH_ACCEPTED
  
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  SEGMENTATION_SUPPORTED
  
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  APDU_TIMEOUT
  
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  NUMBER_OF_APDU_RETRIES
  
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  DATABASE_REVISION
  
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  LOCAL_DATE
  
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  LOCAL_TIME
  

You may also right click on a BACnet Object to get an additional list of options.

View Report

This option will generate a report the selected BACnet Object.

Refresh

This option will re-query the BACnet Object and its Properties. Any Pending PI Tags for the selected BACnet Object will be kept and re-synced with the Object Explorer.

Re-Query Properties In Error

This option will re-query any BACnet properties that are in error (query failed) for the selected BACnet Object.

Properties

You can select a BACnet Property one of two ways. Expand a BACnet Object in the Object Explorer and click on the desired BAcnet Property. Alternatively, you can select a BACnet Object in the Object Explorer and then double click on the desired BACnet Property in the Query View tab.

Either method will result in the BACnet Property being selected in the Object Explorer. Depending on the BACnet Property, the Query View tab will either display the selected Property and value or it might display a list of values (for some BACnet Properties that are lists). Note the BACnet Property for a BACnet Object is refreshed every time a BACnet Property is selected.

You may also right click on a BACnet Property in either the Object Explorer or the Query View tab to get an additional list of options.

COV Test

If the selected BACnet Device supports COV Subscriptions, this option will allow the user to test a COV Subscription for the selected BACnet Property.

Refresh

This option will re-query the BACnet Property for its current value.

Additionally, double clicking on selected BACnet Property in the Query View will force a refresh of the Property value.

PI Tag Creation

Tag Selection

PI Tags for BACnet Objects are based off of selected BACnet properties. Select (using the checkboxes next the items in the Object Explorer) the BACnet Properties for the PI Tags to be based off of. Note that not all items in the Object Explore are available for PI Tag creation. When an object is selected, only the PRESENT_VALUE property will be auto selected. All other properties must be manually selected. Un-checking a property will remove the associated pending PI Tag from the PI Tag grid.

The PI Tag Creation tab has a grid that has contains all pending BACnet Tags. Here you may select which tags you would like to build. The PI Tag Name will be displayed along with the BACnet Device, BACnet Object Type, BACnet Object and BACnet Property that the PI Tag will represent.

Right click on the grid for options that apply to all (or highlighted) rows.

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  Clear Highlighted Entries – Removes all highlighted rows from the grid.
  
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  Clear All Entries – Removes all rows from the grid.
  
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  Check Highlighted Entries – Sets the build flag to TRUE for all highlighted rows.
  
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  Uncheck Highlighted Entries – Sets the build flag to FALSE for all highlighted rows.
  
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  Check All – Sets the build flag to TRUE for all rows.
  
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  Uncheck All – Sets the build flag to FALSE for all rows.
  
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  Resize Columns – Resize all columns in the grid to fit the data.
  
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  Choose BACnet Columns – Allows the user to show/hide the various BACnet columns.
  

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  Properties – After selecting one or more pending PI Tags, clicking Properties will pop up a form where you can edit PI Tag Attributes. There are tree tabs for attribute entry.
  

The pending PI Tag(s) that are you are editing will be in the Tag Name list. Selecting a tag will load its PI Attributes. Most (but not all) fields can be modified. If you have chosen to edit more than one PI Tag, the selected PI Tag will serve as a template and any changes made (to editable fields) will be applied to all PI Tags in the Tag Name list.

The following values can be edited on the General Tab.

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  Tag Name – This field is only editable if you only selected a single PI Tag to modify.
  
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  Point Source – Enter the desired point source.
  
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  Interface Instance – Enter the desired value for location 1 (Interface ID).
  
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  Scan Class Number – Enter the desired value for location 4 (Scan Class).
  

The following values can be edited on the Advanced Tab.

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  Descriptor – This field is only editable if you are only selected a single PI Tag to modify.
  
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  Engineering Units – Enter the desired engineering units. This value is automatically filled in from the BACnet Property UNITS, if it exists.
  
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  Zero – Enter the desired value for zero. This value is automatically filled in from the BACnet Property MIN_PRES_VALUE, if it exists. Otherwise, it will default to 0. This field is not used (and is read-only) for Digital and String tags.
  
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  Span – Enter the desired value for span. This value is automatically filled in by subtracting the value for the BACnet Property MIN_PRES_VALUE from the value for BACnet Property MAX_PRES_VALUE, if both values exist. Otherwise, it will default to 100. This field is not used (and is read-only) for Digital and String tags.
  
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  Typical Value – Enter the desired value for typical value. This value is automatically filled in by taking one half of the calculated value for span, if the appropriate BACnet Properties exist. Otherwise, it will default to 50 (or zero for Digital and String tags.
  
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  Point Type – Select the desired Point Type from the following types:
  

Digital

Int16

Int32

Float16

Float32

Float64

String

Default PI point types for BACnet objects with “PRESENT_VALUE” property:

BACnet Object Type	PI Point Type
ACCUMULATOR	Int32
COMMAND	Int32
LIFE_SAFETY_POINT	Int32
LIFE_SAFETY_ZONE	Int32
MULTI_STATE_INPUT	Int32
MULTI_STATE_OUTPUT	Int32
MULTI_STATE_VALUE	Int32
BINARY_INPUT	Digital
BINARY_OUTPUT	Digital
BINARY_VALUE	Digital
CALENDAR	Digital
Other object types	Float32

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  Digital Set – For tags with a Point Type of Digital, select the desired Digital Set. The Digital Set list will be populated on demand from the currently selected PI Server (dropdown below PI Tag grid). In the event that the Digital Set List cannot be retrieved from the currently selected PI Server, the user will be able to manually type the Digital set in.
  
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  Exception Deviation – Enter the desired value for exception deviation. This value is automatically filled in from the BACnet Property COV_INCREMENT, if it exists. Otherwise, it will default to the COV Increment value from the PI Tags Settings screen or some default value, depending on the Point Type and whether the Tag is selected for COV or Scan. This field is not used (and is read-only) for Digital and String tags.
  
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  Compression Deviation – Enter the desired value for compression deviation. This value is automatically filled by multiplying the value for exception deviation by two, or from the BACnet Property COV_INCREMENT, if it exists. This field is not used (and is read-only) for Digital and String tags.
  
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  Compression – Select desired value for the compression option (ON/OFF). The default value is ON.
  
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  Archiving– Select desired value for the archiving option (ON/OFF). The default value is ON.
  
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  Shutdown – Select desired value for shutdown option (ON/OFF). The default value is ON.
  
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  Scan Flag – Select desired value for scan flag option (ON/OFF). The default value is ON.
  
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  Step – Select desired value for the step option (ON/OFF). The default value is ON.
  

The following values can be edited on the COV Tab.

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  Tag Scan Type – Choose between Scan Based and COV Based. This will default to the value chosen on the PI Tag Settings Screen unless the BACnet Device does not support COV. In that case, the value will default to Scan Based and this field will be read only.
  
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  COV Increment Specification – Choose whether to explicitly specify the COV Increment in the Instrument Tag or to use the value in the ExcDev PI Attribute. This will default to value chosen on the PI Tag Settings Screen.
  
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  COV Increment – Specify the amount a value must change before a COV Update Notification is generated by the BACnet Device. A value of zero indicates all changes should generate updates. The COV Increment is not used for non numeric BACnet Properties. This value will default to the value of the COV_INCREMENT BACnet Property, if it exists. Otherwise, it will default to value entered on the PI Tag Settings Screen
  

Tag Build

To build the BACnet PI Tags, you must choose one of two creation methods. After selecting the method, click the Create Tags button to create either the PI Tags or the CSV File.

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  Create tags on PI Server – Create all tags selected for build on the selected PI Server. The PI Server list and connections can be modified by clicking on the SDK Connections link on the PI menu.
  

For digital tags, digital state sets are also created on the PI server. The digital state sets are defined as follows:

BACnet Object Type	Digital State Set Name		Digital States
BINARY_INPUT, BINARY_OUTPUT, BINARY_VALUE	Depending on user option in PI Tag Settings		Are “Inactive_Text” and “Active_Text” properties blank?
			No	Yes
	Concatenate digital state values (default)	Use device ID and object name	Values of “Inactive_Text”/ “Active_Text”	“False”/ ”True”
CALENDAR	“BACnet_Binary”		“False”/”True”

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  Write tags to CSV File Check the Open File After Creation checkbox to have the CSV file open up in Microsoft Excel after it is created. The Save File Dialog will appear after you click the Create Tags button
  
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