ARTICLES: PROTOCOLS BACKGROUND AND COMPARISON
Protocols
Siobhan Noffke 04 Febuary 2021
Building Automation System and Controls professionals will undoubtably know about multiple protocols used to allow devices to communicate. Two of the more popular protocols in commercial BAS and controls are BACnet and LON. Have you ever wondered what the specific differences, pros and cons of each are? We have done some research and compiled a list of informative articles and posts that might help you find some more information on this. The articles cover data structure, pros and cons, myths and cybersecurity with regard to different protocols.
Background
Before we jump into comparing protocols, we have included an article for those who would like to know more about common communication protocols.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BUILDING AUTOMATION PROTOCOLS
Phil Zito, August 18th, 2020
If you are looking to gain further understanding of building automation protocols, this is a great place to start. This article is not a so much a comparison of protocols, but we have included it as a good source of information on BACnet, LON and Modbus. It starts with general overviews of each protocol and then gives greater detail.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BUILDING AUTOMATION PROTOCOLS
BACnetTM is a trademark of ASHRAE.
|
|
|
BACnet and ASHRAE are registered trademarks of ASHRAE. LonWorks is a registered trademark of Echelon Corporation. JACE and Niagara Framework® are trademarks of Tridium Inc. Modbus is a registered trademark of Schneider Electric USA, Inc. All other product names mentioned that are known to be trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks are the property of their respective owners.
Comparison of Common Communication Protocols
These articles cover and compare data structure, pros and cons, myths and cybersecurity with regard to different protocols.
BACNET VS LON – A NETWORK DATA COMPARISON
Rick Stehmeyer, July 27th, 2016
This article goes into detail about, and compares the differences in the data structure of BACnet and LonWorks . If you are looking for more comparative detail on reliability, max number of devices, speed, scalability, ease of programming/integration then go down to the comment section where this is described in detail.
BACNET VS LON – A NETWORK DATA COMPARISON
Weighing the most popular building network protocols against each other
Optigo, July 26th, 2019
This article compares BACnet, LonWorks, Modbus and KNX. It compares device types, markets, pros and cons. The article concludes that no one protocol it ‘better’, but protocols should be chosen on a case by case basis depending on specific needs.
Weighing the most popular building network protocols against each other
The Difference Between BACnet, Modbus and LonWorks
Meghan Kelley, June 4th, 2020
This short article discusses the pros, cons and key features of BACnet, Modbus and LonWorks and specifies which standards they meet. It includes the primary use of each protocol and who it was developed by.
The Difference Between BACnet, Modbus and LonWorks
Myths of LonWorks™ and BACnet™
Gerry G. Hull, President, Automated Logic Corporation
This is a document, written by the president of AutomatedLogic, which disputes 5 myths of BACnet and LonWorks
Myth #1: It’s a duel to the death - only one will be left standing. Myth #2: It’s a lovefest - they are working together in perfect harmony. Myth #3: One is expensive, the other is affordable. Myth #4: One is complicated, the other is simple. Myth #5: Specifying either one is a nightmare.
Myths of LonWorks™ and BACnet™
Cybersecurity Solutions for Modern Building Automation Systems
Kavita Manral, September 16th, 2019
This article discusses cyber security issues and highlights the importance of protection against cyber security threats as well as discussing some of the common BACnet and LonWorks solutions to prevent and protect against cyber security threats.
Cybersecurity Solutions for Modern Building Automation Systems
There are many aspects to consider when comparing protocols and deciding which to use for a particular system. And the debate about which is "better" for specific applications will undoubtably go on for a long time. Wondering what our opinion is? Well you will see a lot of mention of BACnet on our website, and not many other protocols, however that is not because we think its "better". Our legacy and flagship products all use BACnet protocol to communicate. We do think that open protocols are better than proprietary protocols, which is why we have a gateway for communication between Siemens P2 protocol and BACnet.
