BACnet Veins of Building Automation

Building Automation Training Institute

The simple mathematical word integration makes things easier to understand that we can add several domains in one system.  But picture becomes blurring when we see this to implement to our daily building requirements together. In building automation main domain for working is Climate control (temperature and humidity), safety, public addressing, and security.

Individually we have many systems to perform these tasks but these systems shrinks when intelligent and efficient buildings are in talk. BACnet is a communication protocol for building automation and control network. The BACnet protocol provides mechanisms for computerized building automation devices to exchange information, regardless of the particular building service they perform. Proper communication between building automation devices is critical for maximizing building energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and other aspects of "green" buildings.

 In green buildings generally concept come from its individual domains (HVAC, FireDetection Alarm and Suppression, CCTV and Public addressing systems) and its efficient use.

·         Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system has work to maintain our ambient temperature at desired value, with certain level of humidity and freshness or air. It includes automatic control of HVAC system i.e. temperature of different   part of Air Conditioning unit and automatic Ventilation. It includes both the exchange of air to the outside as well as circulation of air within the building. It is one of the most important factors for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in buildings.

·         Fire is most destructive disaster for life and resources. That is why we use fire detection alarm and suppression system to make our building safer. Detection of fire, Alarm and Suppression should be Automatic so controlling is required.

·         Access Control Authorizes people to operate or access to given area or process, so that this secures our place from unauthorized entry. Access control system can be programmed as per requirement .Access control system can be used in parking area, attendance management, intrusion detection, and to operate automatic doors.

·         CCTV is now a days most common thing for surveillance and its data is useful for many ways .But most of the people are not aware of its wide application. CCTV can be used as face recognition, traffic controller, counter, and high speed detection.

Above domains are key to automatic building but until we do not integrate these systems it would not be efficient and cost effective. For communicating on same platform we use BACnet it integrate these domain and makes things easier.

In building automation many companies have stepped in and there is wide scope for engineers.

Honeywell, Johnson and controls,Schneider, carriermidea ,Bajaj Electricals and many more are looking into this systems .Many projects in India is going on by Johnson and Control, Honeywell  and Bajaj As well.

The Connected Smart Bottle Is Calling

Thinfilm and Diageo plc partner on a prototype that uses printed sensor tags and near field communication to deliver personalized messages from a bottle on the store shelf to consumers’ smartphones.

A guy walks into a liquor store, heads to the whiskey aisle and stops for a second to contemplate which of the many brands on the shelf he will buy. Suddenly, his smartphone pings him with a message: “Johnnie Walker Blue Label has layers of big flavor and a deep richness that has a smoky smooth finish.”

He nods, puts his phone back in his pocket, and grabs a Blue Label bottle. At home, as he uncaps the beverage, his smartphone alerts him of another new message. “Start by serving the Blue Label neat in a tumbler, nosing the whiskey carefully.”

He slowly pours his first glass, as instructed, and then reads the next message on his phone. “Take a sip of iced water before your first sip of whiskey to make sure the palate is cooled and refreshed.” Ah, good advice, he thinks as he heads to the kitchen.

These mysterious messages may seem a bit eerie as they pop up at just the right moment, giving the impression that this guy is under surveillance. But, he’s not being watched, he’s being sensed—by a smart bottle.

These mysterious messages may seem a bit eerie as they pop up at just the right moment, giving the impression that this guy is under surveillance. But, he’s not being watched, he’s being sensed—by a smart bottle.

Welcome to the world of omni-channel marketing where manufacturers can engage directly with a consumer regardless of where they are (online or in the physical store) or what communication method they are using (printed catalog, website, mobile app, or social media). In this scenario, Diageo plc, a global beverage provider with a large collection of alcohol brands-- including Crown Royal, Captain Morgan, Ketel One, and Johnnie Walker-- is taking multi-channel marketing to the next level with the addition of the Blue Label smart bottle.

Together with Thin Film Electronics ASA, a supplier of printed electronics and smart systems, the company is testing the connected “smart bottle” designed to enhance the customer experience through real-time interaction. Thinfilm’s new OpenSense technology includes near field communication (NFC) which enables smartphones and tablets to communicate with other close-range devices containing a NFC tag.

The OpenSense tag covers the seal of the bottle’s cap and carries digital information that can be accessed by NFC smartphones. OpenSense is designed with dynamic detection of a product’s “sealed” and “open” states that supports a variety of real-time marketing, product authentication, and security applications. The manufacturer, for example, can push targeted messages, such as promotional offers, cocktail recipes, and exclusive content, to the consumer at just the right time.

Thinfilm’s printed electronics, which support memory, sensing, and logic, is a low-cost and highly scalable alternative to traditional silicon systems. (Technology Watch: Printed Electronics.) Couple the technology with NFC and the ability to sense different product states, and there are new opportunities for food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industries to track product location, temperature, movement, moisture, and more. It can even help control inventory and identify if a product has been tampered with.

Unlike conventional static QR codes that are often difficult to read, easy to copy, and do not support sensor integration, OpenSense tags can ensure product authenticity as they are permanently encoded at the point of manufacture and cannot be copied or electrically modified, Thinfilm officials say.

In addition, while RFID tags are the common way to track perishable products during distribution, they are attached to a shipping crate. Smart labels with printed electronics can be attached to individual items. This opens the door to help manufacturers easily—and affordably—adopt wireless sensing capabilities throughout the supply chain as well as build out an Internet of Things (IoT) network that includes smart bottles.

“The Internet of Things is huge for us,” says Jennifer Ernst, Thinfilm’s Chief Strategy Officer. In the Blue Label set up a simple sensor tells the NFC device if the seal is broken. “But we are also beginning to introduce temperature sensors for use as industrial process monitors.”

The affordability of printed electronics in high volume quantities is what will drive adoption in the future. “For a few dimes you can add intelligence to products,” Ernst says.

The high-quality consumer experience, however, is what will enable manufacturers to innovate outside of the plant floor.

Diageo will unveil its smart bottle prototype this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. “Our collaboration with Thinfilm allows us to explore all the amazing new possibilities enabled by smart bottles for consumers, retailers, and our own business,” says Helen Michels, Diageo’s Global Innovation Director. “Mobile technology is changing the way we live, and as a consumer brands company, we want to embrace its power to deliver amazing new consumer experiences in the future.”



Source:- http://www.automationworld.com/connected-smart-bottle-calling