ASK THE EXPERT - SMART CONNECTED BUILDINGS

[ciscomoderator]

Welcome to the Cisco Networking Professionals Ask the Expert conversation.   This is an opportunity to learn about Smart Connected Buildings newest product, the Cisco Network Building Mediator Manager that connects, monitors, aggregates, and manages a distributed network of Mediators. It is a significant component of Cisco's Smart Connected Buildings initiative to transform the way buildings are built, operated, and experienced. Brooke Raffetto is a Product Manager for Cisco’s Smart Connected Buildings solutions, specifically the Cisco Network Building Mediator and Cisco Network Building Mediator Manager. Raffetto has an extensive background in building automation systems and systems integration. Previously she led the marketing and operations department of Richards-Zeta, which was acquired by Cisco in 2009. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Remember to use the rating system to let Brooke know if you have received an adequate response.

Brooke might not be able to answer each question due to the volume expected during this event. Our moderators will post many of the  unanswered questions in other discussion forums shortly after the  event. This event lasts through November 5, 2010. Visit this forum often to view responses to your questions and the questions of other community members.

[j.miller_32]

    What type of devices can a Mediator connect to?  Thanks.

[braffett]

The Cisco Network Building Mediator collects data from the building, IT, energy supply, and energy demand systems, which use various protocols and are otherwise unable to communicate. It then normalizes the data into a common data representation. This enables the Mediator to perform any-to-any protocol translation and also to provide information to the end user in a uniform presentation.

The Mediator is a system composed of both hardware and software that is collectively used to gather and manipulate data from numerous sources. These sources are typically intelligent machines or sensors, found in virtually any facility, which are otherwise unable to intercommunicate. The Mediator allows communication to occur between these devices, facilitates additional processing, and provides a uniform presentation of this information to users (i.e. web-browsers) and third party applications.

The Mediator communicates with existing building systems and devices via a physical and protocol layer, using a variety of industry standard physical connections and building-system protocols. The Mediator has the following physical connections, 2 ethernet ports, 2 usb ports, 4 RS-485 ports, 2 RS-232 ports and additional discrete inputs/outputs (varies by model). The Mediator also has on-board support for numerous building system protocols, such as BACnet & Modbus, which facilitate the integration of disparate building systems.

For example, a typical medium box retail store may have a number of devices which the Mediator would connect to such as lighting, smart meters, mechanical equipment (roof-top units) and water/gas meters. The Mediator would connect to all of these devices using various physical connections and protocols.

This network-based framework creates a common, standards-based, open platform that then allows enterprise applications, cloud services and building/IT systems to communicate. The Mediator is protocol-agnostic and extends the network to serve as an effective foundation for sustainability management.

For more information on the Mediator, please visit our website: www.cisco.com/go/buildings

[steve_vanburen]

   Does the Mediator support Energywise?

[braffett]

EnergyWise relies on the intelligence of the network to communicate messages that measure and control energy demand across the enterprise for IP and non-IP enabled devices. The Cisco Network Building Mediator offers an intelligent middleware to connect non-IP enabled building systems to the EnergyWise framework for demand management.

Together, the Mediator & Energywise support a company-wide view of energy by measuring, reporting and reducing energy consumption across the entire corporate infrastructure.  This will help customers achieve their goals of cost savings and reduced carbon consumption.

[j.miller_32]

1.      I have a network with NBM2400’s and NBM4800’s. Can the Mediator Manager support an architecture with both Mediator models?

[braffett]

The Mediator Manager can support up to 100,000 points and a network of both Mediator models; NBM2400-K9 and NBM4800-K9.

A point is a generic term used to describe a single item of information in a building control system. Examples of points include the temperature of a room, duct pressure of an air handling unit (AHU), and chiller water flow rate.

The number of Mediators downstream from the Mediator Manager is dependent on the number of points within the Mediators.

For example, a Mediator Manager can support a network of 400 NBM2400-K9 (250 points per Mediator for a total of 100,000 points on the Mediator Manager). The Mediator Manager can support 200 NBM2400’s with 500 points.

[steve_vanburen]

Brooke,

I have one more question.

I have building with a KNX lighting syste, Trane Roof-top units and a Square D meter. What mediator do I need?

1.   

Th   Thanks

[braffett]

Hi Steve,

The Mediator model you will need is dependent on the number of total points in your system. If the total number of points is less than 1,000, you can use the Cisco Network Building Mediator 2400 (NBM2400-K9). This is the base hardware software platform. This base platform includes 250 points and support for many open protocols such as Modbus, BACnet & SNMP. If you need additional points, you will need to purchase additional licenses.

For the system integration and protocol support, you will need to ensure the Mediator has the proper licensing enabled to support the unique project requirements. The KNX Lighting system requires the Konnex (KNX) lighting protocol. The Trane Roof-top units require Trane Com4 protocol. The Sqaure D Meter requires Modbus protocol.

See below sample BOM

Q. 1 NBM2400-K9 - Base hardware/software platform, includes 250 points and includes Modbus protocol for Square D Meter

Q. 3 NBM2400-PL - An additional 250 points (optional)

Q. 1 NBM2400-INT - Intermediate protocol license which includes KNX Lighting & Trane Com4

Q 1 NBM2400-MGMT - Global Management for integration with the Mediator Manager for global schedules, alarms, and enterprise navigation

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Brooke