The bCX1-CR is among the first group of BACnet products to receive a listing as a BACnet building controller, or B-BC, from the BTL, says TAC. The B-BC device profile is the most comprehensive profile that the laboratory tests. The BTL requires that a B-BC device comply with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) BACnet standard in all five interoperable areas: data sharing, alarm and event management, scheduling, trending, and device and network management.

"As the building automation industry continues to move toward open standards and systems, it is critical that solutions are built on technologies that can immediately integrate and grow within an organization," said Jon Williamson, TAC's product manager and chairman of the BACnet Manufacturers Association (BMA) marketing committee. "A BTL listing assures the end-user that a product will interoperate with other BTL-listed BACnet products since the lab tests compliance with the ASHRAE BACnet standard. Therefore, building owners can select a BACnet solution from TAC with confidence."

The BACnet standard is developed and maintained by ASHRAE and has been adopted as both an ANSI and ISO standard.

The Continuum bCX1 controller/router series is available in three models, two of which support the BACnet protocol. They provide support for features such as BACnet trend logs, calendars and schedules, an embedded Web server, and DC power for UPS systems. The controllers are also designed to allow users to add inputs and outputs, and have the capability of allowing users to migrate existing programs into the new controller series.

The bCX1 controller/router BTL B-BC listing can be seen on the BTL Product Listings page of the BACnet Manufacturers Association Web site at www.bacnetassociation.org.

Publication date: 10/03/2005