Integrate VHP

Basic architecture

The NETx Server provides an interface which can be used to integrate information from the hotel management system VHP. Using this interface, information about the check-in/check-out procedure, the hotel guests and the hotel room states can be retrieved. In addition, it is also possible to send dedicated information from the NETx Server to the VHP system. This interface for the NETx Server is certified by VHP. 

The following figure shows how the integration has to be done.

The communication between the VHP and the NETx Server is based on TCP/IP. In detail, the VHP side acts as a TCP server and the NETx Server acts a TCP client. The protocol itself is based on a communication standard called FIAS.

Integration steps

To start, open the BMS Studio. First, configure the IP address and port number that you have enter within the web service URL.This can be done by selecting "Driver Configuration" within the menu "Modules" -> "VHP". If this information is not known, please ask the VHP integrator.

Then, the used hotel rooms have to be defined. This is done within the "Room definitions" within the menu "Modules" -> "VHP". Each definition line corresponds to one room. The first column defines the room name. The room name must be unique and must identically be the name that is used within the VHP system. If you do not know them, please ask the VHP integrator for the room list.

The next two columns "Building Name" and "Floor Name" are used to define an optional structure within the item tree. "Description" is used to provide additional information which is stored within the item property "Description".

After having defined all rooms, the NETx Server has to be restarted. Afterwards, the configured devices are shown within the item tree. You will find the items under the sub tree "NETx\XIO\VHP". 

The retrieved information from VHP is stored as Server Items. Here all available Server Items that are available for each room are listed (including their access rights):

• BuildingNumber
  • String, read only
  • Specified within Room Definitions within NETx Server
• LevelNumber
  • String, read only
  • Specified within Room Definitions within NETx Server
• RoomNumber
  • String, read only
  • Specified within Room Definitions within NETx Server. Must be identically with the room number used within VHP
• Description
  • String, read only
  • Specified within Room Definitions within NETx Server
• GuestsCount
  • UINT8, read only
  • Amount of guest that are checked in for this room
• GuestName
  • String, read only
  • Guest name that is received from VHP
• GuestLanguage
  • String, read only
  • Language code that is received from VHP. E.g. de, en, es, ...
• GuestVIP
  • UINT8, read only
  • VIP status that is received from VHP
• RoomChecked
  • Boolean, read only
  • True if at least 1 guest is check in this room – False if room is free
• ClassOfService (read only)
  • UINT8, read only
  • Received from VHP. 0 (Barred/hotel internal only), 1 (local), 2 (national), 3 (no restrictions)
• DoNotDisturb 
  • Boolean, read only
  • True if DND is received from VHP– False otherwise
• RoomStatus
  • UINT8, read and writable
  • See table below
• ClearText
  • String, read and writable
• GuestArrivalDate
  • DateTime, read only
  • Arrival data and time of guest. Normally this is equal to the checkin data and time. Please keep in mind that VHP is not providing an arrival date before the checkin signal
• GuestDepartureDate
  • DateTime, read only
  • Scheduled depature data and time of guest.
• PrinterPort
  • UINT8, read only
• MessageCount
  • UINT8, read only
  • Amount of messages that are available for this room
• NextMessage
  • Boolean, write only
  • If set to true, the next message that is queued within the server is shown within the server item "MessageText"
• MessageText
  • String, read only
  • Last message that was received from VHP
• GetMessage 
  • Boolean, write only
  • If set to true, all available messages are fetched from VHP and stored within the server. Using the item "NextMessage", these messages can be shown within the item "MessageText"
• SendMessage 
  • String, read and writable
  • Used to send a message to VHP for this room
• MessageLightStatus
  • Boolean, write only

Note that this list of data points is fixed by VHP– not by the server.

The room status is a very important information which can also be changed from the server side. VHP specifies the following predefined values:

These are the predefined room states that are available within VHP. However, it is possible to specify additional room states for additional functionality. For example, further states for "Do not disturb" or "Make up room" can be defined. Using this additional room states, it is possible  to send additional information from the BMS to the VHP system. A typical use case is to add a KNX switch for DND that sends a user-defined room status (e.g. 7 "DND) to the VHP system. These additional room states have to configured within VHP by the VHP integrator.

Adding control functionality

After having configured the VHP interface, the provided data points can be linked to other data points within the server. You can use V-Links, Server Tasks, LUA script or XLogic commands for providing this functionality.

A typical use case would be the mapping of the RoomCheck item from VHP to a data point like the set point or the mode of the room's climate control. For implementing this use case, a predefined XLogic command called "HotelCheckInCheckOut" is already included within the server. Open the XCommand Event Definitions (BMS Studio --> Extensions) and add a new definition line. Give the logic a name (e.g. Room101), select "ON_VALUE_CHANGE" as type and select the XLogic "Hotel.CheckInCheckOut". Within the configuration dialog, select the input item (e.g. NETx\XIO\VHP\PartA\Floor1\101\RoomChecked) and as output the data point that shall be controlled by the checkin/checkout signal (e.g. KNX group address of the set point of the room). The following screenshot shows an example:

Repeat these steps for a hotel rooms. After having finished all definitions, restart the server.

Article applies to the following products:

• NETx BMS Platform
• NETx Multi Protocol Server