Windows^TM Client Software for BACnet^TM Systems

If you're a developer trying to build multi-vendor BACnet^TM client applications, chances are you are struggling to make your apps work properly and inter-operate across vendors. If you've looked at the BACnet standard, you know that even simple communications functions can present some daunting problems, and you probably don't have the time to become that much of a BACnet expert. You need fast and reliable tools to help you get right into communicating with BACnet devices and focus on solving your application problems. You need volume licensing that's flexible, and pricing that won't blow your budget. You need BACdoor^TM OEM Client.

BACdoor^TM OEM Client (BACDOC^TM) is the industry's first easy-to-use BACnet Client Software for Windows^TM developers. BACDOC runs under Windows 98/Me/NT4/2000 and XP, and provides a robust set of client features tailored to the needs of application designers with OEM distribution in mind.

BACDOC is implemented as a full 32 bit DLL. The DLL works with both Ethernet 8802-3 and ARCNET local area network types using NDIS-compliant drivers, and supports BACnet/IP. You can even use MS/TP through any standard serial COM port with an external EIA232-485 converter, or PTP through any standard serial COM port.

The DLL can be configured to operate in a "windowed status" mode that provides a dynamic view of the DLL communications and configuration through its own window and system tray icon. Alternately you can configure BACDOC to operate in a "windowless mode" for use within a Windows service.

After initialization, the DLL maintains several separate Windows threads which continuously process requests from client application programs, and receive and handle responses from BACnet peer devices. Only one application program process can use the DLL at a time. The DLL uses an asynchronous method for initiating a request, and the caller must periodically poll for the completion of the request. This approach leaves the control of polling frequency in the hands of the application designer, and makes it simple to interface with the DLL from "C", Visual Basic and other popular Windows development languages.

BACDOC will automatically locate and identify peer BACnet devices for you, even on multiple network segments. You can also configure the peer list statically in a file for faster startup, when you need to communicate with MS/TP slaves, or when using BACnet/IP without BACnet Broadcast Management Devices. The DLL has a flexible policy for peer management allowing both dynamic peer discovery and static peer configuration.

The basic operations of Reading and Writing properties of BACnet objects support all BACnet standard objects and properties with primitive data types. Proprietary objects and properties which return primitive data type values are also supported. A special "RAW DATA MODE" is also provided for handling special and proprietary data types.

The DLL asynchronously receives confirmed and unconfirmed Event Notifications and maintains its own "alarm and event list" which may be examined independently by the application program whenever needed. Individual notifications requiring acknowledgment may also be acknowledged by the application program.

The DLL provides asynchronous file transfer support, which allows calling programs to request the uploading or downloading of files or portions of files from and to peer BACnet devices completely under the DLL's control.

Ancillary functions for DeviceCommunicationControl and ReinitializeDevice are also provided.

The DLL provides explicit functions for managing each of these popular BACnet tasks:

• Segmentation for transmitted and received messages with configurable sizing
• ReadProperty and WriteProperty
• ReadPropertyMultiple and WritePropertyMultiple
• Dynamic Device Binding including Who-Is initiation and I-Am execution
  Both Automatic and explicit Who-Is (with ranging) are supported
  Fully asynchronous management of peer device list
  Application program access to peer list
• Dynamic Object Binding through explicit Who-Has initiation and fully asynchronous I-Have reception
• Asynchronous reception of Confirmed and UnconfirmedEventNotifications
  Independent control over explicit AcknowledgeAlarm initiation
• GetAlarmSummary and GetEventInformation initiation
• AtomicReadFile and AtomicWriteFile initiation
• DeviceCommunicationControl initiation
• ReinitializeDevice initiation
• UTCTimeSynchronization and local TimeSynchronization initiation
• UnconfirmedPrivateTransfer initiation and execution

Specifications
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98, Me, NT4, 2000 or XP
Network Interface: any NDIS-compliant Ethernet NIC, SMC COM20020-based ARCNET,
standard serial COM port and EIA232-485 converter
LANs: Ethernet, ARCNET, MS/TP, PTP, BACnet/IP

Licensing
Multi Site Binary Executable, licensed in blocks of 25, 50, 100, 200 etc.