Control Network Newsletter
Niagara Summit 2010
April 2010 - Contemporary Controls will exhibit the BAS Remote with Sedona Framework at the 2010 Niagara Summit May 2-4 and Bennet Levine, Research and Development Manager at Contemporary Controls, will be a session speaker at the Summit.
The Niagara Summit provides an ideal venue for automation infrastructure technology professionals to learn about the latest advances in system integration. This will be the first Summit held since the release of the Sedona Framework, a software environment designed to make it easy to build smart, networked, embedded devices which are well suited for implementing control applications. The Sedona language is a component-oriented programming language similar to Java or C#. By utilizing this language, custom components can be developed and assembled into applications. It is Contemporary Controls' intention to incorporate both Sedona components developed by Tridium and custom components developed by Contemporary Controls for use in our products. The result is an effective, open-system approach to developing control devices that can be easily understood and supported by system integrators in developing control applications.
Contemporary Controls became of the Sedona Framework community by partnering with Tridium on their technology. This community consists of device vendors, software developers, system integrators and end users. Contemporary Controls' dual role is that of a device manufacturer and software developer where we produce Sedona-based products to be used by system integrators and end users. In order for system integrators to have confidence in our Sedona implementation, Contemporary Controls participates in the Sedona Framework Certification program.
For those familiar with Niagara Framework®, understanding Sedona Framework is easy. The system integrator's role is to create an application by assembling components on a wire sheet and connecting and configuring these components using a graphical programming tool such as Sedona Workbench. Applications can be developed live on a target device such as the BAS Remote, or offline and then saved and uploaded via an IP connection. The Sedona Virtual Machine (SVM) resident in the device executes the application.
At the Niagara Summit, Contemporary Controls will have an active demonstration of the BAS Remote. Application programs developed on either Tridium's Niagara Workbench or Sedona Workbench will execute on the BAS Remote. Sedona Framework provides a rich set of function blocks that can easily be connected with "wires" to create control schemes. Not only can the BAS Remote's resident I/O be controlled by Sedona Framework but attached Modbus devices as well.
"The BAS Remote is a natural for installing a Sedona Virtual Machine (SVM)," said Mr. Levine. "Sedona is IP-based and so is the BAS Remote."By installing the SVM, the BAS Remote becomes a freely-programmable controller once configured via Niagara Workbench or Sedona Workbench."
Mr. Levine's session talk will focus on how Contemporary Controls enhanced the BAS Remote by adding Sedona to it. The BAS Remote initially had a lot of functionality, including the ability to communicate via BACnet/IP and Modbus TCP using its Ethernet port and Modbus RTU/ASCII via its EIA-485 port. It provided Modbus mapping to BACnet, Modbus routing, 8-32 I/O points, and a full Linux engine with lots of Flash and RAM. However, the BAS Remote had no user control programming ability. Contemporary Controls looked at IEC 1131 and open source BASIC for user programming before deciding to use open source Sedona.
"Sedona brought all the benefits of open source and the ease of user programming and debugging via the Tridium Niagara and Sedona Workbench tools," said Mr. Levine. "That allows our customers to develop their own custom components for our platform."
Mr. Levine's talk is scheduled for Tuesday, May 4 at 11 am. Visit the Contemporary Controls' Sedona page to learn more about the BAS Remote and Sedona Component Kits.