Alerton hosts Open Systems Symposium on unified systems integration in commercial buildings.

On November 14, 2001, Alerton Technologies, Inc. and local Alerton representative ATS Automation, Inc. hosted an Open Systems Symposium at the Hotel Monaco in Seattle. The symposium educated building owners and engineers about the opportunities for system integration in commercial buildings. Keynote speakers were Alerton CEO Tony Fassbind and Dan Moceri, CEO of Convergint Technologies.

The symposium's exhibition floor featured multiple building automation, equipment, and control vendors. Each vendor provided live demonstrations of system interoperability using several integration technologies.

In his address, Fassbind stressed the importance of having standards for open systems so that these widespread technologies can work together for unified system integration. "BACnet, the ASHRAE standard protocol, allows owners and engineers to realize the benefits of standards-based automation systems," he said. "BACnet is the only standard developed specifically for the HVAC industry and the only protocol that works excellently at all system levels." Fassbind then reviewed the four-level system architecture, which encompasses the Management Level, Global Controller Level, Field Controller Level, and Sensor and Actuator Level, discussing the appropriate standards to be applied at each level.

During his address, Moceri highlighted the benefits of system integration and the challenges of implementation. "The high degree of interest reinforces the industry shift to open and integrated systems from traditional and proprietary," he said. Working from a typical building architecture, Moceri demonstrated how different integration technologies and protocols are appropriate for different applications.

During the symposium, live integration between Alerton, Teletrol, ALC, Delta, McQuay, ABB, Phoenix Controls, Lithonia Lighting, and Field Server--who provided the interface to both the EST fire alarm system and LON sensor--illustrated that BACnet is the standard that ties everything together, including LON. "LON works fine at lower levels and for simpler applications, but BACnet is the only standard that provides full features at all levels," Fassbind added.

For more information about open systems, email at info@alerton.com or visit their website at www.alerton.com.

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