[hvactalker]

As an owner's HVAC contact person, I'd like to bring up that we have 2 building projects in the planning stages, out of eventually 5-6 "large" municipal buildings to eventually change out TAC, Andover, and Trane legacy controls to LON bus field controllers and Ethernet connected supervisory controllers.

Two legacy DDC buildings (one JACE each) already have an R2 overlay on top of the legacy systems with a server in between them. The next buildings to get upgrades can start from scratch, by replacing rather than integrating the obsolete legacy controls. These will be our first non-legacy field controller projects.

In our location, we have a Johnson branch (strictly Metasys), TAC (R2), fairly close by, and Honeywell (R2 & AX) and Johnson ABCS(FX-40 NiagaraAX) are about twice as far away from our location.

I'm told that an engineer has been hired for (new chiller/boiler/AHUs/DDC) one of these two projects with the understanding that the DDC system(s) is to be "open" either Bacnet or LON AND have similarities in operation and maintenance to our two existing R2 overlay-legacy controller buildings.

In researching competative bidding for the control replacement portion of the work, I found a Section 15900 spec on a site where the intention of the spec is stated to be a Niagara head end and LON field bus, no proprietary protocols between field controllers. The boilerplate (no control sequence included) is accessed by going to http://www.hvacc.net/ and clicking on the FMCS Spec 15900 button.

Will this spec allow Metasys NAE network area controller to compete as well as Niagara AX or R2? If Metasys (NAE or other network controller) meets the spec, are the NAE head-ends equivilent to Niagara (R2, AX JACE, Johnson FX40 -- and PC supervisor) ?

NAE pdf under Metasys System/ at :
http://cgproducts.johnsoncontrols.com/default.aspx

 

[freddy-b]

With alot of Voodoo magic the NAE will probably meet the spec. But the AX platforms with EC are the by far the best way to go. You will be kicking yourself if you dont go AX over NAE's. and BTW TAC"net" be it Bacnet or lon and open should never be used in the same sentence together unless its describing what your wallet will be doing down the road!
.

Freddy

 

[codewriter]

AX is a big leap further than anything else... IMHO... But everyone knows I think that way, but its for very good reason... (it really is!)

 

[Chris_Worthington]

Gotta second Code on this !!

 

[codewriter]

hvactalker, Is HVACC bidding on your work?

 

[freddy-b]

Where oh Where have all the Blue Boys gone? "Sing it with me now"

I miss them!

Hvactalker, the silence alone should tell ya something!

 

[hvactalker]

Thanks for you thoughts Freddy-B. AX and R2 servers can co-exist peacefully on the same local area network ? -Not like two R2 servers that get in each other's way..?

"Hello darkness my old friend" ... Sounds of Silence, that's another song that comes to mind. AX is that good?

 

[hvactalker]

---hvactalker, Is HVACC bidding on your work?

Codewriter, I'm not sure how to do quotes of a previous post.

I appreciate your opinion on AX. and no, HVACC is only a company kind enough to keep plenty of equipment docs and specs online for people like me to peruse. They're on the other side of the continent from us.

I suppose we can just be more specific in the spec regarding an approved class of system (AX of various OEMs), though that starts to make to a reason to explain why we are specifying a certain system when we are trying to be open. Both AX vendors are quite a distance away, but not too far.

 

[codewriter]

Yes, HVACC is a very kind company indeed...

 

[freddy-b]

Thanks for you thoughts Freddy-B. AX and R2 servers can co-exist peacefully on the same local area network ? -Not like two R2 servers that get in each other's way..?

"Hello darkness my old friend" ... Sounds of Silence, that's another song that comes to mind. AX is that good?

You wont need the R2 server anymore. There are ways to bring the R2 Jaces into the AX webstation.

Ax is very powerful. If you can think it, chances are there is a way to do it.

Believe me if anyone who has truly worked with both AX and JCI-MSEA. and seriously said the JCI stuff is better. That person would need some serious professional medical assistance.

 

[joscon]

You wont need the R2 server anymore. There are ways to bring the R2 Jaces into the AX webstation.

Ax is very powerful. If you can think it, chances are there is a way to do it.

Believe me if anyone who has truly worked with both AX and JCI-MSEA. and seriously said the JCI stuff is better. That person would need some serious professional medical assistance.

Only if you buy an obix drive

 

[joscon]

ooppps