Control Network Newsletter
10 Reasons Why You Should Use BAScontrol Products in Your Niagara System
Niagara Workbench™ is an indispensable solution for programming and maintaining a Niagara system however, it is seldom used with field controllers because the controllers do not incorporate Niagara. Contemporary Controls' series of BAScontrollers feature BACnet as a communications protocol and Sedona as a license-free function block programming language and are compatible with the Niagara Workbench N4.
- One-tool solution: Niagara Workbench N4 can be used to program Contemporary Controls' Sedona controllers by adding a free driver to Workbench which allows you to program your supervisors and BAScontrollers using one tool.
- Easy to program: BAScontrol devices use Sedona, a license-free, component-oriented programming language, which is similar to the Niagara Framework®. (Sedona was developed by engineers at Tridium and released to the open-source community.) Like Niagara, Sedona utilizes function block programming where components are assembled onto a wiresheet, configured, and then interconnected to create applications.
- Live programming: Sedona provides live programming just as you find in Niagara. As soon as you drop a component on the wiresheet or make a link connection, it is live. There is no compiling, downloading, etc., required.
- Flexible networks: Contemporary Controls has a range of products that support writing setpoints or monitoring controller operation using BACnet/IP (Ethernet) or BACnet MS/TP.
- Easy configuration: The BAScontrol units' webpages provide a convenient method to fully configure the controller, see the status of the points, and override the points.
- Pre-built applications: Sedona allows you to develop a full custom wiresheet in your controller. We also offer a large number of free pre-built applications that can be used in many cases to fully control your mechanical system; however, you can also tweak these pre-built applications to operate per your specifications.
- Cost effective: Our BAScontrol22 series of controllers provide 22 points of I/O, 8 UI, 4BI, 4AO, and 6 DO, with a full set of options for the UI points. The controllers provide easy integration into Niagara at a much lower price than Niagara-based controllers.
- BACnet server/client functionality: BAScontrol devices can function as a BACnet server to Niagara and support devices/point discovery and easy integration into Niagara through its BACnet driver. Most of our BAScontrol products can also directly read/write BACnet points on other controllers. This can eliminate the need to have Niagara read something on one controller and write it onto another.
- Try before you buy/offline programming: We offer a BASemulator which can be used to experience the operation of our BAScontrollers in a virtual environment. This can also be used to create your wiresheet application on the emulator before you have a physical unit, or if you need to create the logic when you currently don't have access to the site. The wiresheet application can be saved on the PC and uploaded to the actual controller when you have access to it.
- Great tech support: We provide great technical support on all our products.
Learn more by visiting our N4 Sedona Driver page or our BAScontrollers page.