Triatek Lighting Panel Support

Note from Steve: This article was contributed by Chuck Lehn who completed this integration on a Trane project. Everything discussed is just as applicable to the S4 Open: BACnet-N2 Router and the S4 Open: OPC-N2 Router. Triatek was acquired by Lumisys which was in turn acquired by Blue RIdge Technologies http://www.brtint.com/. They currently manufacture a line of BACnet compatible lighting control products that we recommend you consider as part of your migration plan to native BACnet.

Here are a few pointers when integrating the Triatek Lighting Panel into the N2 Bridge:

1. Download a copy of LPPK software from the Blue Ridge Technologies website: http://www.brtint.com/downloads.html.
   Note: You need to license the software (license tool found on same webpage). Both the software and licensing are free.
2. Use the LPPK software to document a breaker schedule and switch configuration. Use a USB to EIA-485 converter and wire directly on the N2 bus. The software can communicate to any of the Lighting panels on the N2 network! The N2 Bridge commands will have a higher priority than the switch commands. It is critical to release all BACnet commands in order for the switch to operate. Typically lights are controlled ON during the day based on a BAS schedule and RELEASED at night. This allows late tenants or the cleaning crew to use the switch inputs to turn on the lights.
   1. The Management Console does a BACnet override at priority level 16. If the Management Console was used to test control of points, there will still be an override at priority 16. Since the Management Console can’t view the BACnet priority array or release its level 16 command, a BACnet client must remove this override!
   2. Switch inputs can be configured to have an override time. The override time is the amount of time that group will be commanded ON. A BACnet command has higher priority of the group and if it released the command point, the switch may still have control of the group based on the override timer. The LPPK software will report if the switch override timer is in control of the group.
      This can be confusing, consider the following scenario: It is after hours and the light group is released and the lights turn OFF. The cleaning crew hits a switch to turn the lights ON. The BACnet client (Tracer SC) is used to override the lights ON for a special purpose. When this activity is complete, the BACnet client (Tracer SC) shuts OFF the light group. The light group stays ON because the switch override timer has not expired!

I can’t stress the benefit of using the LPPK to create a breaker schedule enough! 

Contact S4 if you need an example format of a breaker schedule.