Expanding the Versatility of METASYS®
S4 Open: OPC-N2 Router
The S4 Open: OPC-N2 Router from the S4 Group creates flexibility and cost savings
in Building Automation systems. The OPC-N2 Router from the S4 group is the gateway
to third party product integration into the Metasys® N2 environment,
enables seamless OPC integration with N2 networks, Ethernet compatibility, and introduces
cost saving in virtually every upgrade, maintenance, or replacement on the N2 bus.
Key Benefits
- Ability to bring many N2 buses in a large complex building into one virtual N2 Network©.
The N2 Switch acts as the bus master for each and allows independent adjustment
of polling rates and other parameters for each.
- Standard vendor tools are used to configure N2 devices on each N2 bus.
- Automatically locates and identifies new devices, and their Process Points on the
N2 bus.
- All points on all N2 buses are displayable through the management console.
- N2 interfaces can be extended over Ethernet - TCP/IP connections
- N2 interfaces can be extended over wireless connections
- Filtering and point mapping allow you to expose only a subset of the active points
to upstream supervisory controllers (NCM, N30, FX, or Metasys Extended systems)
through the Virtual N2 Network©.
- The N2 Switch acts as a N2-Open device and attaches to any N2 bus.
Suggested Applications
- Providing the ability to combine multiple legacy N2 buses into a single virtual
V2 bus when upgrading older technology, less powerful Supervisory Controllers to
current generation Metasys systems. This approach drastically improves the economics
of doing an upgrade by minimizing the number of newer, more powerful, Supervisory
Controllers needed and eliminating the need to reprogram or readdress any of the
devices on the legacy N2 field bus.
- Migrating legacy M3 or M5 workstation graphics to the commercial off the shelf Iconics
Genesis32 platform.
- Extending the N2 bus over a customers existing Ethernet building infrastructure
to remote sections of a building or campus combining all of these segments into
one virtual N2 bus. Again, greatly enhancing the economics of an installation and
making a Metasys installation cost competitive. See our
Extreme N2 Networking Tech Notes for a list of currently supported devices.
System Configuration
Delivered as a network appliance on an Industrial PC for high availability and reliability.
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Feature
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Price
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- 1 Downstream N2 Network (standard COM port)
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Included
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- 1 Virtual N2 Network
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Included
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- 1 Upstream OPC DA Interface
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Included
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- IPC hardware
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Included
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Option
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Price
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- Additional Downstream N2 Network (standard COM port)
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TBA
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- Additional Downstream N2 Network (Ethernet extended RS-485)
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TBA
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- Additional Remote Downstream N2 Network (WAN support, optimized timing, caching,
etc)
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TBA
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- Additional Upstream interfaces
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TBA
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- Hardware for the remote Ethernet to RS-485 conversion
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TBA
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System Architecture
All S4 Open products are based on a common core technology platform enabling Lego®-like
"mix-and-match" capability for your building automation systems.
The S4 Group's unique Virtual N2 Network© allows the Building Automation
System Designer to take advantage of all the features and strengths of any model
of the Johnson Controls, Inc. supervisory controller. In normal operation the S4
Open appliance is completely transparent to the supervisory controller. What the
supervisory controller sees on its N2 interface is the switched image of the sum
of the N2 devices on all of the Downstream N2 Networks attached to the S4 Open appliance.
It has no need to know what ports they were connected to, what media or transport
was utilized, or if address translation was performed. As far as it is concerned
our Virtual N2 Network© is a normal, traditional, N2 field bus.
The
S4 Group is a member of the Microsoft Windows Embedded Partners Program. All S4
Open appliances are powered by the Windows Embedded Operating System. Microsoft,
Windows, and the Windows CE are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the United States and/or other countries