The NETx BMS Core Server provides both BACnet client and server capabilities.
- BACnet client: integrates BACnet devices and objects in the Core Server
- BACnet server: acts as a BACnet device and provide any data point as BACnet object
Communication protocol is BACnet/IP. Non-BACnet/IP devices that use other BACnet media (e.g. BACnet MS/TP, BACnet over LonWork, ...) can be integrated through respective BACnet/IP routers.
Discovery
Unlike other technologies, there is no vendor-independent management tool for configuring and maintaining BACnet devices – each vendor provides his own tool for engineering their devices. However, BACnet provides device management services that can be used to discover BACnet devices and their objects online.
BACnet discovery requires a UDP/IP multicast connection to the BACnet network. If the BACnet device to be discovered is not on the local net and UDP multicast is filtered by inbetween network components (which is typically the case) then a BACnet/IP broadcast management device (BBMD) is required for discovery.