One of the biggest changes in building control systems over the past two decades has been the wider use of open or standard protocols. These protocols are essential to making buildings more intelligent, since they enable building systems and devices from different manufacturers to communicate and work together.
A system that uses open or standard protocols gives facility managers the flexibility to use products from different manufacturers and promises long term cost savings. But it’s not enough to ask for a specific protocol. Whether it’s BACnet, LonWork or Modbus, you have to take the right steps to be sure of getting what you want.
A recent article in Building Operating Management takes a look at the top three standard protocols and discusses best practices to consider when choosing a protocol for a specific application.