Automated Logic WebCTRL Driver

Overview

Automated Logic or ALC, now part of Carrier Corporation, is one of the first building automation manufacturers who embraced BACnet standard and released a full line of BACnet products. They include fully programmable controllers for unitary / zone applications, small, medium and large extendable and non-extendable controllers, as well as front-end software WebCTRL with many advanced features like Environmental Index, Time-Lapse and Fault Detection and Diagnostics.

There is one thing ALC did differently from the rest of BACnet vendors. They chose ARCNET as a fieldbus, instead of more popular and slow MS/TP. Although ALC ARCNET uses RS-485 physical layer, it is not supported by Niagara JACE nor by almost anyone else.

Our ALC driver for Tridium Niagara communicates with ALC controllers indirectly via WebCTRL server – the standard front-end software deployed on virtually every Automated Logic BMS site. It provides access to the data in all connected controllers, ALC and third-party BACnet ones, as well as legacy ALC CMnet communication protocol.

The driver allows to automatically discover devices and points, import points into Niagara station, read point values and write into them. Points retain their names, types and unit facets, which greatly simplifies integration process. Trendlogs could also be periodically imported from WebCTRL into Niagara.

The driver might be deployed in JACE or in Niagara Supervisor, which could reside either locally on site, or on remote premises, or on a cloud.

Key features

• Communicates with Automated Logic WebCTRL software via HTTPS
• Allows to access controllers connected to WebCTRL
• Supports both current ALC lines (ME, SE, ZN) and legacy ones (M, S, U)
• Enables point read and write
• Implements automatic device and point discovery
• Ideal for retrofit applications