How can a central monitoring system (CMS) be integrated with the SLCS?
- The SLCS has the CC1000 Modbus gateway device that serves as a
communications converter between the D-Bus and the Modbus to enable a
CMS to be integrated with the SLCS. The CC1000 serves as a slave to
the CMS which can report the real time status of the relays as well
as control them.
- The CC1000 is equipped with both RS232 and RS485 as its
communications interface with the CMS. When RS485 is the interface
selected, each CC1000 will have its own device which enables multiple
CC1000 devices to be placed on the same RS485 bus to build a large
scale multiple SLCS networks controlled from a single CMS. Of course
when RS232 is selected, then the link between the CC1000 and the CMS
can only be one to one.
How does one determine the quality of a gateway?
The gateway serves as a bridge and converts between two different
types of communication systems, as a CMS by itself is unable to
directly command, nor can it determine the status of any device on
the D-Bus, which is what the CC1000 is for. A good gateway should
have a short response time between the sending of a command and
getting a response.
Is it possible to synchronize the status information for both the
local switches and CMS?
Yes it is possible as the CC1000 constantly monitors the D-Bus
activity for any changes and records it for the CMS to read from, the
maximum latency for the change to occur to the CMS getting the
information is 2 seconds, this time is not inclusive of the
processing delay by the software on the CMS.
How should the CMS respond when the power is interrupted and
subsequently restored?
The CC1000 will take at least 3 seconds to reestablish its
connections with the various devices on the D-Bus and update its
data, within this 3 second period, the CC1000 will not respond to any
commands or requests for data. The CMS should thus wait at least this
much time before starting it polling of the CC1000.
Can the CC1000 communicate through TCP/IP?
An Ethernet to RS485 converter can be connected to the RS485
interface of the CC1000, this would then enable a CMS on the Internet
or local network to connect to the D-Bus network.
How does one determine the communication activity of the CC1000?
The CC1000 has activity indicator LEDs for both the CC1000 to D-Bus
as well as the CC1000 to CMS interfaces. These LED indicators will
flash continuously when there is activity in their respective
connections.
What are the differences between the CC1000 and the CC500?
The CC500 is an economical small scale version of the CC1000, it
is typically used for homes and small offices or used in conjunction
with the color touch panel. Their differences are:
- Capacity - A D-Bus network can have up to 64 LTUs. The CC1000 can
service all 64 LTUs, while the CC500 can only service up to 16 LTUs.
Although up to four CC500 can be connected to the same D-Bus, with
each serving a different segment of LTUs (1 to 16, or 17 to 32, or 33
to 48, or 49 to 64)
- Power Supply - The CC1000 uses AC 110 or 220V, while the CC500
requires DC 24V
- Communications Interface - The CC1000 is equipped with both RS485
and RS232, while the CC500 is available in two separate models with
either RS485 or RS232 interfaces, but not both.
How to connect the CC1000 to different types of CMS?
- When the CMS is based on a BAS such as a Honeywell/Siemens system, such a system typically has an optional Modbus gateway component which can be interfaced with the CC1000.
- For an industrial software such as Intouch, iFix, Citech, etc.
They can be configured for the type of protocol to use, simply select
Modbus/RTU for it to be able to communicate with the CC1000.
- 3. When using an embedded PC with custom designed software, simply
directly write the necessary Modbus protocols and registers into the
program.
What is the protocol and data format used by the CC1000/CC500 for communicating with the CMS?
The protocol is Modbus/RTU, the data format is 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. The baud rate is 9600. The hardware interface on the CMS side can be either RS232 or RS485.
