Engineering

Bulletin
Tracer Summit
BACnet/IP Network Installations

Building A Building B

Firewall

Internet

BAS-PRB004-EN


Introduction

Starting with version 11, Tracer Microsoft Certified Network

Summit can be set up using a System Engineer (MCSE) training
dedicated ARCNET or Ethernet There are many networking
network, or a shared network that training programs that may be
uses the Internet Protocol (IP). available in your region and on the
Using a shared IP network has Internet.
many benefits for an owner: Look for programs that offer MCSE
Access to remote buildings on the certification. The MCSE program is
network highly recognized as one of the top
Use of existing computer networking programs available
networks and workstations today. Taking sections of this
program will help you to become
Installing Tracer Summit on a
expert in this technology.
shared network, however, is more
complicated than installation on a Training at St. Paul
dedicated network. Assistance is available in St. Paul
To set up Tracer Summit on the from Technical Support, as well as
owners network, we require close from the ICS Institute.
cooperation with, and reliance on Look for the current class schedule
the owners Information Services for more details.
(IS) or Information Technology (IT)
staff. Cimetrics
This engineering bulletin describes Cimetrics is the company that
general networking concepts, as provides the BACnet IP router.
well as how we can best cooperate They also offer consulting services
with the owners staff. Specific on networks and onsite
procedures for software setup are troubleshooting.
also provided.
Additional resources
These resources can provide
additional information or answers
to your specific questions about
Internet communications and
networking.
LAN manager in your office
Many of the tasks, such as setting
up the transmission control
protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP)
settings on a PC, are the same
tasks that your local area network
(LAN) manager does every day. Use
their expertise as a resource to
better understand many of the
concepts discussed here.

American Standard 2000 BAS-PRB004-EN



Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Additional resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Basics of IP networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What is IP? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
LAN and WAN IP networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Dedicated versus shared networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Intranet versus Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Using BACnet with IP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
IP implementation issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Server implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Internal security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Security and remote access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Internet access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
New construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Network traffic and capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Working with IS staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
What we need from IS staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Installation procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Setting up a BCU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Setting up your laptop on an IP network . . . . . . . . .16
Setting up single or multiple sites on an IP network 17
Connecting a BCU to an IP network through a router 18
Troubleshooting IP and BACnet communications . .18
Networking terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

BAS-PRB004-EN 3

Basics of IP networks
What is IP?
The Internet Protocol (IP) is a
standardized set of rules that allow
data to move from one computer to
another. Using IP, a message can be
sent between two computers in an
office on a local-area network
(LAN) as well as between systems
that are across the world.
Today, almost all networks support
the IP protocol, often in addition to
other protocols. You may hear this
referred to as TCP/IP (transmission
control protocol/Internet protocol).
While Tracer Summit does not use
the TCP portion of the protocol, it is
compatible with TCP/IP networks.
LAN and WAN IP networks
LANs work well in office
environments, for example, but
have distance limitations. By
adding connectivity between LANs,
these limitations are overcome.
By using connectivity components
like bridges and routers and by
utilizing a communication service
provider, such as a telephone
utility, a LAN can be expanded
from a limited environment to an
environment that can support data
communications over a state, a
country, or even the globe. When a
network does this, it is called a
wide area network (WAN).
The combination of LANs and
WANs are typically referred to as
an intranet.
WAN links, such as wide-area
telephone connections, are too
expensive and complex for most
companies to purchase, implement,
and maintain. Therefore, access to
these links is usually leased from
communication service providers.
4 BAS-PRB004-EN
Communication between LANs
involves one of the following
transmission technologies:
Analog lines
Dial-up public switched
telephone network (PSTN)
Dedicated
Digital lines
Integrated services digital
network (ISDN)
Digital data services (DDS)
T1
T3
T4
Switched 56K
Digital switched lines (DSL)
Packet switching (virtual circuits,
switched and permanent)
Fiber distributed-data interface
(FDDI)
Synchronous optical network
(SONET)
Switched multi-megabit data
service (SMDS)
Note: Tracer Summit operates on
any intranet that supports IP,
irrespective of the transmission
technology used.
Figure 1 on page 5 shows an
intranet.


Figure 1: Example of an intranet

Building A Building B

Wide Area Network

Legend
(For example, T-1, 56 K, DSL,
Personal Computer ATM, FDDI, or microwave)
Ethernet hub or switch
Network router
IP backbone
Ethernet

BAS-PRB004-EN 5

Dedicated versus shared
networks
Traditionally, Tracer Summit
systems have been installed on
dedicated networks. These
networks could use either
ARCNET or Ethernet. Dedicated
networks are easily implemented
within a building. They are easy to
engineer and are installed on a
schedule that is set by Trane.
Shared network installations, on
the other hand, take advantage of
the existing network infrastructure
that is installed and maintained by
the owner. The owner can access
any of their networked facilities
from a single PC. A shared network
also allows each PC to have a single
network interface card that
provides access not only to the
Tracer Summit system, but also to
the rest of the network.
Within many facilities, a network
connection is set up for each
workspace within a building. The
local connections of this network
are almost always Ethernet.
The owners network may also exist
between buildings. A single IP
network may connect all of the
buildings in an owners enterprise.
For example, in a school district,
such a network might be used for
the students access to the Internet,
shared applications, and email,
regardless of their location in the
district.
6 BAS-PRB004-EN
Intranet versus Internet
The typical Tracer Summit
installation is not on the Internet,
but on an owners intranet.
What is the difference between the
Internet and an intranet? The
primary difference is a matter of
security and access.
The Internet is an open, public
network that is available to anyone
with access to an Internet Service
Provider (ISP). America Online is
probably the best-known example
of an ISP.
An intranet, on the other hand, is a
closed, private implementation of
IP technology. The same technology
is used, but access is limited to
authorized users, usually within a
group or within a corporate
enterprise.
Typically, intranet users also have
access to the Internet. This access
normally goes through a security
filter called a firewall.
The firewall can be set up to limit
access to the owners network from
outside the network and the data
that users can request from the
Internet.
Figure 2 on page 7 shows the
function of a firewall.
For example, email is typically
allowed to come from the Internet
to the intranet, and the intranet
users are able to surf the web,
opening web sites on the Internet
from their PC workstations.


Figure 2: Example of how a firewall protects an intranet

Building A Building B

Firewall

Legend
Personal Computer
Ethernet hub or switch
Internet
Network router
IP backbone
Ethernet

Using BACnet with IP This approach worked well, but it

Tracer Summit communication was expensive to implement and
relies on the BACnet protocol. The difficult to troubleshoot.
original design of BACnet was for Figure 3 on page 8 shows how a
use on dedicated networks only. tunneling router connects
An annex to the original standard dedicated networks.
introduced the concept of a BACnet
tunneling router that could move
data between dedicated networks
using a shared network. This
concept is similar to that of a
modem: Data is moved from one
dedicated network to another using
the shared network. The tunneling
routers work like modems.

BAS-PRB004-EN 7

Figure 3: Example of a tunnelling router connecting dedicated networks
In January, 1999, the ASHRAE
committee that maintains the
BACnet Standard passed an
addendum that allowed BACnet
communication over an IP network.
This is implemented in version 11
of Tracer Summit.
In Tracer Summit, communications
between BACnet devices use a form
of IP called user datagram protocol
(UDP). UDP is used because
methods already exist within
BACnet for verifying data integrity
and retrying communications if
necessary. Any TCP/IP network can
also support UDP/IP.
8 BAS-PRB004-EN
How BACnet works with IP
One challenge in implementing
BACnet on an IP network was the
issue of how to deal with BACnet
broadcast communications. Most IP
networks prohibit broadcasting
data across the network. BACnet
relies on broadcasts for low-level
configuration.
To solve this, the BACnet Standard
calls for one BACnet device in each
subnet to be a BACnet broadcast
management device (BBMD). This
device (typically a BCU) can relay
broadcasts using alternative
communications methods. You set
up the BBMDs during installation,
using the Tracer Summit IP
Validation utility.

IP implementation issues
How we install Tracer Summit on a
shared IP network involves some
new issues, compared to
installation on a dedicated
network. You should be aware of
these issues, and deal with them
early in the planning and
installation processes.
Terminology
One issue in working with IS
professionals may be unfamiliar
terminology. Just as we understand
and use the technical terms of our
industry, the IS world has its own,
equally technical vocabulary. Some
terminology will also be specific to
the owners network environment.
Please take the time to review
Networking terminology on
page 19. Also, spend time
understanding the key tasks that
are required to install an IP site.
Keep in mind that the success of
the installation relies on your
industry expertise, as well as the
technical expertise of the owners
IS staff.
Compatibility
The IS staff expects suppliers that
connect equipment to their network
to meet all standards that they are
presently supporting.
The BACnet protocol used by
Tracer Summit is designed to meet
these standards. BACnet follows
the open standard interconnection
(OSI) model for communications
and is fully compliant with the
UDP/IP communications supported
on most networks.
BAS-PRB004-EN
Server implementation
IS staff may ask about installing
Tracer Summit software on their
network file server. Tracer Summit
is not designed to be run from a
server. However, certain files, such
as graphic images, graphic
definitions, and reports, can all be
stored on a server.
Tracer Summit PC Workstation
software still needs to be installed
on each PC that will be running the
program.
Future Tracer Summit planned
development includes browser
capabilities.
Internal security
By definition, shared networks do
not offer the same security as a
dedicated network. Shared
networks that are accessed by
multiple users, such as on a college
campus, are prone to internal
security problems.
While Tracer Summit is highly
protected by BACnet protocol, it is
not immune to a hacker who is
determined to override a piece of
equipment.
For the highest level of security, a
dedicated network should be used.
9

Security and remote access
The owners IS staff will be
concerned about the integrity of
their network. They have been
charged with the protection of all
data contained on the network.
As a result, security considerations
become an issue when we discuss
how to gain remote access to a site.
Placing a modem in a BCU is our
best option. Having a modem in the
BCU makes it easy to get remote
access to a site and also makes it
possible to have alarms dialed out
to remote workstations or pagers.
However, IS staff may not be
comfortable with a modem located
in a panel on their network.
You can assure the IS staff that
there is very little risk of
compromising the network with a
BCU modem. The BCU is only able
to relay BACnet messages and can
only connect to the Tracer Summit
PC Workstation or other BACnet
devices.
If a BCU modem is not acceptable
to the IS staff, there are several
alternatives for remote
communications.
Most networks already have a
method for secure remote access. If
the owner can dial into the network
for email or other functions, then IS
staff can set up access to the Tracer
Summit system as well.
Another alternative is to limit
access to the BCU modem. Phone
lines can be programmed to restrict
the system to dial out only. It may
also be possible to restrict incoming
phone calls as well.
10
Internet access
The Tracer Summit system is not
typically accessible from the
Internet because of security
concerns.
Internet access would require that
the network firewall be opened to
allow UDP/IP communications to
pass through. Most IS managers
will not allow this to occur.
Tracer Summit would also require
network traffic to pass with the
actual IP addresses shown. Most
networks hide intranet IP
addresses from the Internet using
network address translation (NAT)
protocol.
For Tracer Summit to work from
the Internet, the firewall must be
opened for UDP communications
and the network must not use NAT
for any communications to Tracer
Summit. This is not usually
acceptable to IS staff.
To avoid these security problems,
we recommend that Tracer Summit
be installed only on an intranet.
BAS-PRB004-EN

New construction
A shared network installation is
best in existing buildings because
the network is already in place. In
new construction, however, most
networks are completed late in the
construction process, often shortly
before the building is occupied.
You can request that portions of the
network be started up early for the
Tracer Summit implementation.
However, you will need to carefully
coordinate your schedule and what
you require with the IS staff.
BAS-PRB004-EN
Network traffic and capacity
Typically a BAS system, such as
Tracer Summit, uses very little
network capacity. Most BAS data
transmissions are very small.
In fact, NIST-sponsored research
on a system with 1200 controllers,
found that over 90% of the data
packets were 60 bytes long. This is
the minimum size allowed for an
Ethernet communications packet.
A reprint of this article is available
as TECH-R-182, 450 Golden Gate
ProjectBACnets First Large-
Scale Test (ASHRAE, July, 1998).
However, busy networks can affect
the performance of a Tracer
Summit system. If network
bandwidth is limited, the
performance of Tracer Summit can
be slow or unpredictable.
On a dedicated network, installing
Tracer Summit on the network is
Tranes responsibility. We can work
with our electrician to install cable
as needed and the network can be
commissioned on our schedule.
11

Working with IS staff
When you work with a shared
network, close cooperation with the
owners IS staff is needed.
Since the network is shared, the
owner is responsible for installing
all network wiring, for example.
They need to assign our network
addresses and also program their
network devices for proper
communication.
Without the cooperation of the
owners IS staff, you cannot install
Tracer Summit on a shared
network.
12
Communication
The IS staff is concerned with the
impact that Tracer Summit may
have on their network.
Your goal in communicating with
the IS staff is to explain what we
require, and to answer questions as
they arise. Any question that you
cannot answer must be noted,
followed up, and the answer
communicated to the IS staff.
Good written communications are
critical to the success of the
installation.
Figure 4 on page 13 is an example
of a memo that answers many IS
staff questions. Information can be
completed by the IS staff and then
emailed or faxed back to you.
This memo is available in the BAS
area of TraneNet.
BAS-PRB004-EN


Figure 4: Sample Planning Memo

To: Owners IS Staff

From: Local Trane Office

Date: June 7, 2000

Subject: Tracer Summit System Installation

For installation of the Tracer Summ it system , we need network jacks
(10BaseT) in the Mechanical room s in the Northeast corner of the first
through fourth floors of your facility. W e also need the following
As part of the upcoming facility renovation project, Trane has been inform ation for each Mechanical room :
selected to provide the new facility-wide Building Automation System. This
Location IP Subnet Gateway
system will control heating, air conditioning, and ventilation in the facility to Address Mask
provide increased comfort and decreased utility costs. The Trane system
selected is called Tracer Summit. Floor 1

The Tracer Summit system consists of a series of embedded controllers, Floor 2

called Building Control Units (BCUs), and PC Workstations. The BCUs
control the equipment in the facility, and the PC Workstations are used for Floor 3
system configuration and operation. As part of the construction Floor 4
specifications, Trane is required to use the TCP/IP network for
communications.

Tracer Summit communications use the BACnet protocol (ASHRAE/ANSI
135-95), and IP communications follow annex J-1999 of this standard.
The critical networking requirements are:
IP communications using UDP at port 47808 or other user-designated
port.
Each BCU must have a permanently assigned IP address, subnet
mask, and gateway address.
PC Workstations can have a permanently assigned IP address or use
DHCP.
UDP port: __________
W e will also be installing the Tracer Summ it W indows 95/98/2000/NT 4.0-
compatible software on the PC workstation located on the Facility
Managers desk. This PC will need to be set up for IP comm unications by
your staff, using either a perm anently assigned IP address or DHCP.
W hen you have the above information, please send it to me at EMAIL
ADDRESS, or fax this page to m e at FAX NUMBER. If you have any
questions or concerns, please call m e at (800) 555-1212.
I am looking forward to working with you on this project.

If you choose to allow access from the Internet, the firewall must allow
UDP at the designated port and expose the IP addresses of the BCUs
(i.e. NAT not enabled on these devices). Thanks again,

Dialup communications supported either via IP Dialup (PPP) to your

intranet (provided by others), or directly to any BCU using Tracer
Summit workstation software.

This allows for easy operation on your corporate intranet. Any point of Project Manager
access to the intranet can be used to connect to the Tracer Summit
system.

BAS-PRB004-EN 13

What we need from IS staff
The information discussed below
should be provided by IS staff to
configure the BCUs and PCs on the
network. It may also be practical to
ask IS staff to provide installation
and setup assistance.
IP addresses
Typically, you will want the IS staff
to set up the TCP/IP settings for
PCs, while we will set up the
parameters in the BCUs.
PC workstations can either have a
permanently assigned address or
can have a dynamically assigned
address using dynamic host
configuration protocol (DHCP).
Each BCU on the network needs a
unique, permanently assigned IP
address. This address must be
entered into the BCU for
communication to occur. See
Setting up a BCU on page 15.
TCP/IP binding to the network
adapter
Be sure that you specifically ask
the IS staff to bind the TCP/IP
protocol to the network adapter
that is used to communicate to the
network. They may need to install
these adapters and/or protocols on
the computer.
Subnet masks
Each BCU also needs a
permanently assigned subnet
mask. This will be provided by the
owners IS staff.
Gateways
Gateways (routers) are used to
move data between subnets. The IS
staff will need to provide an IP
address for the default gateway on
each BCU.
14
UDP ports
Each gateway (router) in the
system needs to be set up with a
unique UDP port number for the
Tracer Summit site. While this can
be any valid UDP port, we prefer
that the value of BAC0 (in
hexadecimal) or 47,808 in decimal
be used.
Cables, jacks
The IS staff typically provides all
cables and jacks on a shared
network.
We need to communicate clearly
where jacks are required and when
they need to be installed and
commissioned.
Assistance with troubleshooting
We count on the IS staff to help in
troubleshooting the system. They
have sophisticated network
analysis tools to detect and fix
network problems.
In addition, Tracer Summit PC
Workstation software includes an
IP Validation utility that you can
use to verify IP and BACnet
communications. See
Troubleshooting IP and BACnet
communications on page 18.
BAS-PRB004-EN

Installation procedures
Setting up a BCU
Since IP support is built into the
BCU, you need to program the BCU
to communicate using BACnet/IP
instead of BACnet/Ethernet.
BACnet/IP communication for
Tracer Summit is properly set up
when:
The BCU has an Ethernet card.
The BCU BACnet parameters are
appropriately set up.
The BCU has an IP address,
subnet mask, and gateway.
The BCU is using a UDP port
higher than 0.
These parameters are entered into
the BCU using the IP Validation
utility:
Device IDs for BCUs and PC
Workstations
Each BCU on a site must have a
unique address, even if it is on a
separate BACnet network.
BCU addresses are set from 1
through 255 using the DIP
switches on the board. Addresses
above 255 are set in the IP
Validation utility.
BBMD support
For BACnet to work properly on
an IP network, each subnet must
have one BCU (or other BACnet
device) designated as a BBMD.
See How BACnet works with IP
on page 8.
A BCU can be designated as a
BBMD in the IP validation
utility. This utility can be used to
analyze the site and determine
the location of subnets and
automatically designate BCUs as
BBMDs, as needed.
BAS-PRB004-EN
Note: Select the IP Utility Online
Documentation file under
Advanced for your reference. For
installation procedures, refer to
Chapter 6, Network Wiring, in the
Tracer Summit Hardware and
Software Installation guide,
BMTW-SVN01A-EN.
Using the IP Validation utility
This utility is found on all standard
installations of Tracer Summit.
1 From the Windows Start menu,
select Programs.
2 From the Programs menu,
select Tracer Summit, and then
select Advanced.
3 From Advanced, select IP
Validation.
4 Locate the BCU mini-monitor
port.
5 Plug the UPCM Edit cable and
adapter between the BCU mini-
monitor port and the serial port
on your laptop.
Note: The Trane part number for
the 9-pin serial adapter is 3591
4262. The Trane part number for
the 25-pin serial adapter is 3591
4263.
6 Select Download.
15


Setting up your laptop on an Alternatives to setting up your

IP network laptop for use on an owners
Connecting your laptop directly to network are:
a shared network requires that Use a serial connection to a BCU.
your PC be configured as part of This can be done with a serial
the owners network. card or modem. Making a serial
1 Obtain permission from IS staff connection does not require any
to have your laptop on the TCP/IP setup on your laptop.
network. Use the owners PC to complete
all editing on the shared
2 Obtain TCP/IP setup
network.
information for the laptop
(either a permanent address or
a dynamically generated one).
Keep in mind that your network
configuration settings depend
on where you connect to the
network. For example,
connecting near the main
workstation may place you on
one subnet, while connecting in
another building may require
different configuration settings.
Once again, close cooperation
with the IS staff is essential.
Note: Be sure to record your initial
TCP/IP settings before you make
changes so that you can return to
your original settings after leaving
the owners installation.
Or, you may want to install a
software application that manages
multiple TCP/IP settings on
laptops that connect to multiple
networks. Contact BAS Technical
Support or your local network
administrator for details.

16 BAS-PRB004-EN

Setting up single or multiple
sites on an IP network
When designing a Tracer Summit
system on an IP network, you need
to determine whether to set up all
buildings as a single site or to set
up each building, or group of
buildings, as separate sites.
Typically, a single building or
cluster of buildings will be set up as
a single site. A system of distant
buildings, such as a national
customer or a school district, will
typically have a separate site for
each building.
See Table 1 for some factors to
consider when determining how to
structure the Tracer Summit
system.
Table 1: Tracer Summit functions and site design considerations
Function Single site
Data sharing All data is available to
between BCUs all BCUs.
Object names Names can only be
used once.
Data base One large database
BCU modem Only one is required
for access, alarms, and
paging.
BAS-PRB004-EN
To set up multiple Tracer Summit
sites on an IP network:
Device IDs must be unique
within a site. However, they can
be reused on the IP network.
Each BBMD on a site must have
a copy of the Broadcast
Distribution Table (BDT) for the
site. The site BDT lists only those
BBMDs on that site.
In the rare case of having more
than one site on an IP subnet,
each site must use a unique UDP
port.
Multiple sites
Only data from the site is available.
Names must be unique within a site but can be
reused on other sites. For example, each site
could have an object named Outdoor Air
Temperature.
Smaller database that can be reused as a
template for other sites.
Each site requires a BCU to have a modem if
remote access is desired.
17

Connecting a BCU to an IP
network through a router
If you have existing BCUs (model
BMTS made before version 11) and
want to connect them to a shared
network, a BACnet IP router is
required.
The model BMTS BCU processor
and memory are insufficient to
operate on a shared network. The
BACnet/IP router allows IP
network data to be shared with a
dedicated network.
These routers are from Cimetrics,
and can be purchased through the
BAS buying group. The router can
be ordered with either an ARCNET
or Ethernet network interface card
to connect to the dedicated BACnet
network. The shared network side
of the router will have an Ethernet
network interface card. Refer to
Cimetrics documentation for
installation details.
To set up the router:
The panel needs to be provided
with 120 VAC power and can be
wall-mounted or on a shelf.
The router needs to assigned an
IP address, subnet mask, BBMD
functionality, gateway, UDP port,
etc.
Configure the router using any
VT100-capable terminal
emulation program.
Note: The BACnet IP router can
also function as a BBMD (with or
without foreign device support). If
BBMD functionality is enabled, its
Broadcast Distribution Table
(BDT) must be programmed using
the BDT editor.
18
Troubleshooting IP and
BACnet communications
The IP Validation utility is
included in all standard Tracer
Summit installations.
To access the utility and online
documentation, from the Windows
Start menu select Programs, then
select Tracer Summit and open the
Advanced folder.
Online documentation is in the IP
Utility Online Documentation file
in the Advanced folder.
Use the utility to:
Analyze the BACnet network for
subnet locations.
Properly assign BBMD
functionality on each subnet.
Validate all the IP setup
information in each BCU.
Validate BACnet network
number assignments.
Download the IP and BACnet
parameters to each BCU.
Download the BDT to all BBMDs.
Print labels with IP setup
information for placement in the
BCU enclosures.
Use tools such as Ping and
Traceroute to verify network
connections.
Verify BACnet communications
by broadcasting a Who-Is
command.
BAS-PRB004-EN


Networking terminology

Table 2: BACnet/IP terminology

BBMD BACnet Broadcast Management Device. A BBMD is a BACnet device

on a network. The BBMD is responsible for directed broadcasts. Each
IP subnet that is part of a BACnet/IP network with two or more
subnets has one, and only one BBMD. Each BBMD has a Broadcast
Distribution Table (BDT) that is the same in every BBMD in a site. A
BBMD can relay broadcasts through IP gateways by direct
messaging.

BDT Broadcast Distribution Table. Each BBMD in a site has the same BDT.
A BBMD can relay broadcasts through routers by direct messaging.

Bridge A bridge is used to isolate two or more networks at the physical layer.
A bridge is a device that translates one the of media to another
within the same physical network. See also: repeater and router.

Client A client is a user of a network. The PC on your desk is a good

example of a client.

DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. This is a protocol from TCP/IP

that automatically assigns temporary IP addresses to hosts
immediately upon connection to the network.

DNS Domain name system. The distributed name and address mechanism
used on the Internet. DNS is a method used to convert Internet
names to their corresponding Internet numbers.

DNS naming The domain name system allows humans to speak human language
(in alphabetic alias names) and computers to speak computer
language (in numeric IP addresses). It does this by working like a
telephone operator, converting the alias into an IP address and
dialing the number for the user.

DNS server A computer that converts names, such as hammer.is.arg3.com or

nic.is.arg3.com, to their corresponding Internet numbers, like
192.153.186.66 or 192.136.118.11. It lets users Telnet or FTP to the
name instead of the number.

Ethernet A networking standard defined by IEEE 802.3. For more details about
Ethernet, see BAS-EB-70.

Gateway The original Internet term for a router or, more accurately, an IP
router. A gateway is a device that is capable of translating from one
set of communication rules to another. See also: router.

Hub A device that connects to several other devices, usually in a star

topology. The hub physically connects devices in a physical LAN. The
hub repeats signals on one port to all ports. It transfers bits and has
no knowledge of network structures other than the signals required
to send data.

Internet The Internet is made up of many computer networks. The Internet

uses the Internet protocol (IP) to move data among computer
networks.

Intranet An intranet is a private network that uses the same technology found
on the Internet.

BAS-PRB004-EN 19


Table 2: BACnet/IP terminology (continued)

IP Internet protocol. The Internet protocol is the second layer of a four-

layer protocol and the network layer for the TCP/IP protocol suite.
This layer is responsible for router-to-router communications. It is a
connectionless, best-effort, packet-switching protocol that offers a
common layer over dissimilar networks. See also: TCP/IP.

IP address The, currently, 32-bit address defined by IP. The IP address is the
unique numerical code that is used by each device on a network. It is
usually represented in dotted decimal notation (i.e. 159.112.138.173).
Each of the four values can be from 0 through 255.
Private IP addresses are managed and assigned by the owners IS
staff or their internet service provider (ISP). Public IP addresses are
managed and assigned by the ISP.

LAN Local area network. A data network intended to serve an area of only
a few square kilometers (or less). Because the network is known to
include only a small area, optimizations can be made in the network
signal protocols that permit higher data rates. See also: Ethernet,
token ring, WAN.

Ping Packet InterNet Groper. A program used to test reachability of

destinations by sending them an echo request and waiting for a
reply.

Port Physically, an access point to a computer, multiplexer device, or

network. Logically, a pointer to a TCP/IP or UDP/IP application.
(BACnet is a UDP/IP application.)

Repeater An electronic device used to regenerate, at full strength, signals that

have become too weak. It is used with digital signals and ignores
illegal voltages, such as noise.

Router A device that forwards traffic between networks or subnets. It

operates at the OSI Network Layer (layer 3) or the IP layer (Inter-
network layer) in TCP/IP. The router must read entire packets
containing datagrams to be routed. The router looks at network
addresses to make the routing decision. Routers integrate physical
networks. See also: bridge, gateway.

Server A computing device on a network that shares its resources with the
other computers on the network. This device can be anything from
an expensive PC to a mainframe computer. There are many different
types of servers; for example, a file server stores application
programs or data files, while a print server enables computers on a
network to print from shared printers. Typically, servers are located
in a secure, protected environment with special power and HVAC
protection.

Subnet mask A bit mask used to identify which bits in an address (usually an IP
address) are network-significant, subnet-significant, and host-
significant portions of the complete address. This mask is also known
as the address mask because the subnet portion of the address can
be determined by comparing the binary version of the mask to an IP
address in that subnet. The mask will hold the same number of bits
as the protocol address it references. An example of an address or
subnet mask is 225.225.224.0.

20 BAS-PRB004-EN


Table 2: BACnet/IP terminology (continued)

Switch The switch is a physical layer device. Like the bridge, it isolates
network segments, but a switch forwards packets much more quickly
than a bridge. The special design of the switch lets it forward packets
to the proper output port after reading only the destination address.
The switch is also known as a multi-port bridge.

TCP Transmission Control Protocol. An Internet standard transport

protocol in the Internet protocols suite for reliable, connection-
oriented, and full-duplex streams. TCP is used when you make a
connection to your Internet service provider (ISP).

TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. A set of protocols,

developed by the Department of Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA), to link dissimilar computers across many
different types of networks. TCP/IP is the protocol used by the
Internet.
Without TCP/IP, everyone would need to use the same network, using
the same protocols on the same computers. TCP/IP allows people to
keep their own networks and still be able to have worldwide data
communications. TCP/IP is a stack-protocol suite, like Open System
Interconnection (OSI), but it has four layers instead of seven.

Token ring A network access method and topology in which a token is passed
from station to station in sequential order. Stations wishing to send
data must wait for the token before transmitting data. In a token ring,
the next logical station is also the next physical station on the ring.

UDP User Datagram Protocol. An Internet standard transport protocol that

exchanges datagrams without acknowledgments or guaranteed
delivery. UDP is the fast alternative to TCP.
We use UDP in Tracer Summit because our sessions are typically
very brief and because the BACnet protocol already has mechanisms
to resend data if needed and to verify data integrity.

WAN Wide area network. A network that serves a large geographic area.
See also: LAN.

BAS-PRB004-EN 21


22 BAS-PRB004-EN


BAS-PRB004-EN 23


Literature Order Number BAS-PRB004-EN

File Number PL-ES-BAS-000-PRB004-02-00
Supersedes New
The Trane Company
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