Devices and methods for network integration of an hvac device

Abstract

A system on a chip for enabling communication between a building management system (BMS) device and a BMS network. The system on a chip includes a device interface, a network interface, and a processing circuit. The device interface is configured to connect the system on a chip to the BMS device via a serial communication link. The network interface configured to connect the system on a chip to the BMS network. The processing circuit is configured to identify and update an attribute of an equipment object associated with the BMS device that corresponds to a command received from the BMS network via the network interface and transmit a message to the BMS device via the device interface using the updated attribute of the equipment object.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system on a chip for enabling communication between a building management system (BMS) device and a BMS network, the system on a chip comprising:
 a device interface configured to connect the system on a chip to the BMS device via a serial communication link;   a network interface configured to connect the system on a chip to the BMS network; and   a processing circuit configured to:
 identify and update an attribute of an equipment object associated with the BMS device that corresponds to a command received from the BMS network via the network interface; and 
 transmit a message to the BMS device via the device interface using the updated attribute of the equipment object. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system on a chip of  claim 1 , wherein the device interface is configured to:
 determine a baud rate associated with the BMS device based on data received from the BMS device; and   transmit the message to the BMS device in accordance with the baud rate.   
     
     
         3 . The system on a chip of  claim 1 , wherein the command received from the BMS network comprises a change in a value associated with a network object of the BMS network, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to update the attribute of the equipment object based on the change in the value. 
     
     
         4 . The system on a chip of  claim 1 , wherein the BMS network comprises a Building Automation and Control network (BACnet). 
     
     
         5 . The system on a chip of  claim 1 , further comprising a memory, wherein the processing circuit is configured to store the equipment object in the memory of the system on a chip. 
     
     
         6 . The system on a chip of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to automatically generate the equipment object and configure the attribute of the equipment object using input provided by a user via a configuration wizard. 
     
     
         7 . The system on a chip of  claim 1 , wherein the network interface comprises a wired connection to a bus and the processing circuit is configured to receive the command from the BMS network via the wired connection to the bus. 
     
     
         8 . The system on a chip of  claim 1 , wherein the BMS device comprises a host controller configured to communicate using serial communications via the serial communications link and the processing circuit is configured to translate between the serial communications and BMS network communications to enable the BMS device to communicate via the BMS network. 
     
     
         9 . A communication circuit for enabling communication between a building management system (BMS) device and a BMS network, the communications circuit comprising:
 a device interface configured to connect the communication circuit to the BMS device via a serial communication link, wherein the communication circuit receives raw data from the BMS device and transmits commands to the BMS device via the device interface;   a network interface configured to connect the communication circuit to the BMS network, wherein the communication circuit provides data associated with the BMS device to the BMS network and receives commands for the BMS device from the BMS network via the network interface; and   a processing circuit configured to:
 generate an equipment object for the BMS device, the equipment object comprising configurable attributes associated with the BMS device; 
 generate a mapping that associates the attributes of the equipment object with network objects for the BMS network; 
 populate the attributes of the equipment object with the raw data received from the BMS device via the device interface in accordance with the mapping; and 
 update the attributes of the equipment object based on the commands received from the BMS network via the network interface in accordance with the mapping. 
   
     
     
         10 . The communication circuit of  claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to automatically generate the equipment object and configure the attributes of the equipment object using input provided by a user via a configuration wizard. 
     
     
         11 . The communication circuit of  claim 9 , wherein the device interface is configured to:
 determine a baud rate associated with the BMS device based on data received from the BMS device; and   transmit the message to the BMS device in accordance with the baud rate.   
     
     
         12 . The communication circuit of  claim 9 , wherein the serial communication link comprises a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) interface. 
     
     
         13 . The communication circuit of  claim 9 , wherein the BMS network comprises a Building Automation and Control network (BACnet). 
     
     
         14 . The communication circuit of  claim 9 , wherein the communication circuit comprises a system on a chip. 
     
     
         15 . A method of enabling communication between a building management system (BMS) device and a BMS network, the method comprising:
 providing a communication circuit with the BMS device, the communication circuit comprising a system on a chip;   receiving a data value associated with the BMS device at the communication circuit via a serial communication link between the communication circuit and the BMS device;   writing the data value to an attribute of an equipment object stored in the memory of the communication circuit;   mapping the attribute of the equipment object to a network object for the external network; and   transmitting the network object to the BMS network via the communication circuit.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising determining a baud rate associated with the BMS device using the communication circuit based on data received from the BMS device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein transmitting the network object to the BMS network comprises providing the network object on a bus via a wired connection between the communication circuit and the bus. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the serial communication link comprises a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) interface. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising automatically generating, by the communication circuit, the equipment object and configuring, by the communication circuit, the attribute of the equipment object using input provided by a user via a configuration wizard. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the BMS network comprises a Building Automation and Control network (BACnet).