MBS GmbH mediates between BACnet over LonTalk and BACnet/IP
/New router for building automation supports alarms with Voice over IP
Krefeld, November 27, 2019 - Krefeld-based MBS GmbH has added a new Universal BACnet Router (UBR) to its product range. The UBR-LON connects BACnet over LonTalk with BACnet/IP and is already in high demand on the market. "We have responded to corresponding customer requests," reports Nils-Gunnar Fritz, Managing Director of MBS GmbH. "Our new router is a product of our comprehensive know-how in the field of bus protocols and proven components for building automation."
Communication gap closed
The UBR-LON closes a communication gap in building automation resulting from the switch from landline telephony to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). According to the Federal Network Agency, there were 25.5 million VoIP connections in Germany at the end of 2018, and the trend is rising. However, controllers that use the BACnet over LonTalk communication protocol and send alarm statuses via telephone are not suitable for IP telephony. As a result, alarms no longer work as soon as the existing telephone line is switched to VoIP. The new UBR-LON router mediates between these two worlds. It converts the data that is transported with BACnet over LonTalk into IP-capable information.
The advantages of decentralized automation with the LON standard (Local Operating Network), which enables interdisciplinary networking and control thanks to its flexible structure, can thus be combined with modern IP telephony. Property operators who use appropriate controllers also have a certain degree of investment protection, as they can continue to use these control components even when switching to VoIP.
Variable routing in three directions
Routing can be set up variably with the new UBR. It has three interfaces for BACnet/IP, BACnet MS/TP and BACnet over LonTalk. This means that data packets can be routed not only from BACnet over LonTalk to BACnet/IP and to BACnet MS/TP, but also from BACnet/IP to BACnet MS/TP. In addition, the data can be flexibly routed back and forth between all three bus protocols. "This gives property operators a cost-effective way of connecting their building technology based on BACnet over LonTalk to modern IP technology," summarizes Fritz.
