SEATTLE, WA — An Open Systems Symposium was held on Nov. 14 at the Hotel Monaco in Seattle. Alerton technologies, Inc. and local Alerton representative ATS Automation, Inc., presented the event, which aimed to educate building owners and engineers on the opportunities for system integration in commercial buildings.

Keynote speakers for the symposium included, Tony Fassbind, Alerton ceo, and Dan Moceri, ceo of Convergent Technologies.

In his address, Fassbind stressed the importance of having standards for open systems so that widespread technologies can work together for unified systems integration.

“BACnet, the ASHRAE standard protocol, allows owners and engineers to realize the benefits of standards-based automation systems,” Fassbind said. “BACnet is the only standard developed specifically for the hvac industry and the only protocol that works excellently at all system levels.”

The symposium also featured an exhibition floor that showcased multiple building automation, equipment, and control vendors. Each vendor provided live demonstrations of system interoperability using several integration technologies.

A live integration took place between Alerton, Teletrol, ALC, Delta, McQuay, ABB, Phoenix Controls, Lithonia Lighting, and Field Server — who provided the interface to both the EST fire alarm system and the LON sensor — illustrated that BACnet is the standard that ties everything together, including LON.

“LON works fine at lower levels and for simpler applications, but BACnet is the only standard that provides full features at all levels,” said Fassbind.

Publication date: 12/24/2001