(Optional) Setting up the BACnet Router

BACnet Router and Server Configuration is available with SmartServer 2.5 and higher.
LON is supported for SmartServer Pi 4.3 and higher, with the exception of LON PL.

You can use the SmartServer BACnet Router to interact with BACnet FT devices using a BACnet workstation and other BACnet client applications on one of the Ethernet channels.  BACnet FT devices communicate on a free topology (FT) twisted pair channel using the BACnet/IP protocol with a LON/IP transport.  BACnet FT devices typically also have a LON FT interface.  If your BACnet FT devices also have a LON FT interface, the procedure that you use to configure the BACnet Router depends on the LON management mode you are using.  The two LON management modes are LON device management mode (DMM) and LON independent management mode (IMM).  For LON DMM, your LON network is managed by the SmartServer.  For LON IMM, your LON network is management by another tool such as the IzoT Commissioning Tool (CT). 

This section provides the procedures for using the BACnet Router with LON DMM and LON IMM and consists of the following:

Using the BACnet Router with LON Device Management Mode (DMM)

You can use the SmartServer BACnet Router to interface a BACnet workstation or other BACnet client application with BACnet FT devices managed using LON DMM.  When using LON DMM, you can use either or both of the SmartServer Ethernet interfaces, but you can only use the BACnet Router with one FT interface.

To configure BACnet Routing for LON DMM, follow these steps:

  1. Enable BACnet as described in Enabling BACnet in Add a BACnet Interface.

  2. Add a port and network number for one or both of your Ethernet interfaces, and one of your LON interfaces, if not specified.

  3. Log into the SmartServer Configuration page as described in Accessing the SmartServer IoT Configuration PageThe Network tab appears as the default SmartServer Configuration page. Once the network settings are configured for the SmartServer system, then the System tab will appear as the default.


    SmartServer IoT Network tab



    SmartServer IoT System tab


    For SmartServer Pi, open the SmartServer Configuration page as described in Accessing the SmartServer Pi Configuration Page. The Configuration page view that appears depends on your cache data. As needed, click the SmartServer IoT tab (left-side). The System tab (top) will appear as the default as shown below.


    SmartServer Pi System tab

  4. Click the LON tab.

    SmartServer IoT and SmartServer Pi LON Configuration pages are shown below. The examples that follow are shown using SmartServer IoT.


    SmartServer IoT LON tab


    SmartServer Pi LON tab

  5. If you have multiple SmartServers in your system, click the LON tab on each SmartServer.

  6. Set the LON domain for each SmartServer to a unique domain ID as described in (Optional) Add a LON Interface.


    SmartServer IoT LON tab

  7. Click Update

  8. Clear the Override Standard (10.<domain>.<subnet>.<node>) option in the LON/IP Class A Network area of the LON Configuration page.


    SmartServer IoT LON tab

  9. Click Update

  10. Reboot you SmartServer as described in Rebooting Your SmartServer IoT or Rebooting SmartServer Pi.

  11. Define your BACnet FT device type as described in Defining Device Types.

  12. Create your BACnet FT device as described in Discovering, Defining, or Importing Devices.

  13. Provision your BACnet FT device as described in Provisioning, Deprovisioning, and Replacing Devices.

  14. The BACnet Router and your BACnet FT device will now be visible to BACnet/IP workstations or browsers. For example, a BACnet router and a BACnet FT device will appear as follows in the BACnet browser:


Using the BACnet Router with LON Independent Management Mode (IMM)

You can use the SmartServer BACnet Router to interface a BACnet workstation or other BACnet client application with BACnet FT devices managed using IzoT CT and LON IMM.  To configure BACnet Routing for SmartServer IMM, follow these steps:

  1. Start the SmartServer CMS as described in Open the SmartServer IoT CMS.

  2. Switch to LON Independent Management Mode (IMM) as described in (Optional) Switch From LON Management.

  3. Log into the SmartServer Configuration page as described in Accessing the SmartServer IoT Configuration PageThe Network tab appears as the default SmartServer Configuration page. Once the network settings are configured for the SmartServer system, then the System tab will appear as the default.


    SmartServer IoT Network tab



    SmartServer IoT System tab


    For SmartServer Pi, open the SmartServer Configuration page as described in Accessing the SmartServer Pi Configuration Page. The Configuration page view that appears depends on your cache data. As needed, click the SmartServer IoT tab (left-side). The System tab (top) will appear as the default as shown below.


    SmartServer Pi System tab

  4. Click the LON tab.


    SmartServer IoT LON tab

  5. Set the Enable box for lon0 in the RNI Configuration area of the LON Configuration page. If you have multiple network interfaces, you can also use an internal IP-70 RNI. For SmartServer 4.3, disregard the vlon0 interface.


    SmartServer IoT LON tab

  6. Click Update


    SmartServer IoT LON tab

  7. Make a note of the port specified for the RNI (typically 1628).

  8. Enable BACnet as described in Enabling BACnet in Add a BACnet Interface.

  9. Add a port and network number for one or both of your Ethernet interfaces, and one of your LON interfaces, if not specified.

  10. Clear the Override Standard (10.<domain>.<subnet>.<node>) option in the LON/IP Class A Network area of the LON Configuration page.


    SmartServer IoT LON tab

  11. Click Update

  12. Reboot you SmartServer as described in Rebooting Your SmartServer IoT.

  13. Set up a router from your external FT channel to your SmartServer's internal IP-70 channel. To create the router, follow the steps below. You can skip any step(s) you have already completed:
    1. Create an RNI entry in LonWorks Interfaces control panel applet on your computer using the SmartServer IPv4 address and the port you noted from the LON Configuration page.

    2. Create an IzoT CT drawing using the RNI as the network interface.

    3. Once the drawing is created, it will have the RNI connected to the FT channel.

    4. Create a new IP-70 channel.

    5. Create a router between the FT channel and the IP-70 channel.

    6. Commission the router using the Service/Connect button for the specific U60 router on the System configuration page.

    7. Create the required BACnet FT device, attached to the FT channel, creating a new device template as you proceed.

    8. Commission the device, loading the application as required.

The BACnet Router and the BACnet FT device will now be visible to BACnet/IP workstations and other BACnet client applications as well as to the LON infrastructure.