Control Network Newsletter
New BACnet Router with BACnet Secure Connect
Our Building Automation customers who utilize BACnet are beginning to ask if we have a roadmap for adding BACnet Secure Connect (BACnet/SC) to our routers. The short answer is "yes", but first let's present a little background.
BACnet is a well-respected ASHRAE international standard that has been in widespread use for about 25 years, with interoperability among over 1000 vendors and installation at millions of sites. During this same period, information Technology (IT) professionals have developed a series of best practices for office and factory IT networks in order to provide information security and infrastructure integrity. Some BACnet aspects deviate from common IT policies and have created concerns when the two systems must interact. With the sharp increase in cloud-based applications, BA and IT professionals have a strong desire to create a harmonized infrastructure where the two networks can coexist and utilize standard internet protocol and security methods for both. To that end, the ASHRAE SSPC 135 IT Working Group (www.bacnet.org/WG/IT) has developed a new standard centered on secure communication using accepted IT practices called BACnet/SC.
Contemporary Controls is currently working on a new high performance BACnet Router which will be capable of routing BACnet/SC to BACnet/IP and MS/TP (along with 8802-3). We have also signed up for the BACnet Secure Connect Interoperability Acceleration Program. Beta software from BACnet International is expected to be released at the end of March 2020, with a final release at the end of June and interoperability testing beginning the end of September. We plan on having our BACnet/SC router in September. Watch our future newsletters, where we will report on our BACnet/SC Router progress.
For more information about our popular family of BACnet routers, visit the BASrouter series page.