Overview
This product is a touch screen interface display thermostat with both a twisted pair wired BACnet, and a 2.4 GHz RF mesh network. It switches standard 24 Volt AC power for heat and cooling control. The network allows the temperature to be both monitored and controlled remotely. It can provide extra information, such as weather reports, or messaging, to each user station.
Using this thermostat an apartment complex can determine the amount of heat/cooling usage at individual units. It can also place limits on energy use for each unit as set from remote locations. Further it can implement programs to control the temperatures efficiently, for example by changing temperatures up or down depending on apartment occupancy.
Functional electronics, and ready firmware for all the facets of this system have been developed. The electronics is the current state of the art using an advanced in-system programmable, mixed-signal System-on-Chip 32 bit ARM processor. The is system designed for 24 volts AC and draws low power, but it can operate over a wide voltage input range from 3.3 to 44 Volts AC or DC.
Detailed Technical Description
As mentioned the system has RS-485 communications used as the electrical layer of the BACnet (Building Automation and Control) MS/TP (Master Slave/Token Passing) protocol and data encapsulation. The network is specifically tailored to building and control industry, supporting objects defined by the standards committee for this exact industry.
- Firmware is in ANSI standard C with assembler where required.
- Programming is written according to structured and variable naming standard guidelines.
- System design is modularized.
Conclusion
The electronics is applicable to many temperature control applications. Central to the design is the industry standard network and data encoding. Using BACnet other devices from other manufactures can share the same network and interact with this sensor device.