Clearing The Air On Open Systems:
BACnet & LonMark
Deja vu all over again?
When writing a control system specification, it's hard to ignore certain features of an offering that are ideally suited to a client's requirements. In
the past, specifying exclusive features of a proprietary system tended to narrow competition and drive up the cost for other bidders. There was
not a level playing field.
For the same reason, the successful bidder had a virtual lock on additions to the system. It was difficult if not impossible to force-fit controller B
into existing system A.
Out of this quandary, which has characterized the controls industry for the past 30 years was born the present thrust toward open systems.
These allow control system components of different design and manufacture to interact. They let you combine desirable "ideally suited"
features from several vendors to achieve the best results for your client. They provide end users the freedom to choose products, systems and
suppliers to meet their ever-changing facility needs. And they restore parity to the bidding process. Or at least that's the goal.
At this embryonic stage in the Age of Openness, we are hearing a disturbing echo from the pat. Some segments of the industry seem to think
that one must take sides on the new standards; that there is room for only one. Should it be BACnet? Or LonMark? Ultimately, the answer must
come from you and your clients.
But do you really have to make that choice? The two standards offer alternate approaches to the common goal of openness. Each gives you a
different kind of flexibility. It is suggested here that they can coexist. Why limit your options (and the number of possible bidders) by excluding
one of them when you can have both?
The following presentation describes an open architecture in which several standards coexist in harmony. Who says you can't have your cake
and eat it too?
