BACnet driver field level networks FLN

Ignition
1

Hi all.

I am working on a BMS project with a lot of devices. I am new to BACnet. I have a few field panels behind which are field level networks with more devices. We are using Siemens equipment. I have added the field panels to ignition and, by using the BACnet driver, I can read data from the local IO of the field panel. However, I cannot see the FLN level devices. Please can someone suggest how to read data from the FLN?

Thanks
Best regards

John

2

They won’t just “show up” underneath the panel devices you added, you have to add a remote device instance for every one you’re interested in.

If the panel device acts as a BBMD you may need to specify that in your local device configuration before you can communicate with the FLN devices.

1 Like
3

Thanks Kevin. We have Siemens PXC panels. The panels are sending FLN data to a Desigo CC instance on the network but I’m struggling to get it into ignition. If I set up new remote points (in ignition) with the BACnet IDs for the FLN devices, they do not respond/initialize. I’ve also tried a third party BACnet explorer which was unable to locate the devices.

I will look into the configuration of the panels later today. Any other ideas?

Thanks again.

4

Access to the FLN devices is going to be entirely dependent on the panel device either acting as a BBMD or relaying whoIs broadcasts to the FLN devices and then broadcasting their iAm responses back onto the network.

That a 3rd party BACnet explorer can’t see them either doesn’t bode well.

I don’t have much more advice to offer, I’m a bit of a BACnet n00b despite having worked on this driver.

5

OK. I will see if I can find these settings in the panel config. I wondered if Desigo was communicating with the FLN devices via a proprietary protocol (not BACnet). Snip from the PXC compact manual:

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image1147Ă—248 33.1 KB

I appreciate the help and I will report back with any findings.

6

@eichler-eng, were you able to work this out? I am in the same situation currently, and from what I have gathered, it may be a BACnet Routing setting in the PXC Controllers, which can only be accessed via the Siemens ABT or SET software. Before I further my quest, I figured I would ask.

Thanks!

7

Apologies for the very slow reply! Unfortunately, my client did not want to progress the project any further, so I never got to the bottom of the issue. Best of luck.