North Building Technologies

Integrator is a powerful multi-protocol controller that provides a configurable link between Ethernet networks, Zip data acquisition networks and multiple third party systems.

Integrator has North's powerful ObServer software built in. ObServer gives engineers the ability to write cause and effect strategy, provide data logging, calendar and timer functions, BACnet compatibility and a single user interface for multiple systems all in one reliable single box solution.

Interface Technology

Integrator offers outstanding connectivity via its two Ethernet and four RS232 device ports. Utilising North's interface technology, Integrator is able to collect data directly from hundreds of third party products, such as:

• Package air conditioning from Sanyo, Hitachi and Daikin;
• Package chillers from Trane, McQuay, Carrier and York;
• Variable speed drives from ABB and Danfoss;
• Almost all addressable fire panels including Gent, Kentec, Advanced, Morley and Notifier;
• Many security systems including Galaxy, PAC international and Pelco;
• Most adopted standard open protocols such as BACnet, LonWorks, Modbus, M-Bus;
• And third party HVAC controllers including Carel, Trend, Siemens, Cylon and Honeywell.

Naturally, Integrator will connect directly to the North distributed Zip I/O network; and as an XOM compatible device will connect to ObSys, Integrator, Commander and Compass products to create a scalable building control network.

All available ObServer interfaces are supplied pre-installed on Integrator, for a complete guide please check out our latest interface list.

ObServer Core Features

Integrator is built around ObServer, the core component of the ObSys 2.0 software suite, in an embedded controller package. Key features built-in include:

Strategy - Object Verse

ObServer has a fully featured cause and effect processor (OBVProcess), capable of handling large complex strategies including HVAC control and intelligent integration.

Each strategy is written using Object Verse (ObVerse) in a graphical, drag and drop editor. ObVerse can directly reference values from any attached system. Your strategy could reference a value from a chiller, VRV unit or door access controller. This allows the engineer to create fully interoperable control from a central point. For example, it is possible to gather the occupancy status of a room from the intruder system and use this to control the lights and fan coil units by directly referencing remote points in ObServer strategy.

ObVerse has a broad range of standard modules including PID loop, optimum start stop and boolean mathematics functions. The graphical editor has a built in help system for each module, many of which have sample code to assist.

XOM and IP connectivity

All North products support the eXtensible Object Model (XOM) protocol, and as such are all fully interoperable. An Integrator can share data with Compass networks, Zip modules, Commanders, computers or servers running ObSys, or other Integrators using a variety of physical media.

XOM caters for simple values, such as numbers, flags, integers and times; medium-component objects, such as time-profiles, historic trends and remote procedure calling; and complex objects like file-systems, devices, controllers, processors, buildings, sites, etc. - a truly powerful model.

As new technologies evolve, XOM extends to include them. XOM already encompasses standards such as BACnet, Lon, XML and proprietary protocols allowing engineers to use these systems in a more powerful integrated building control system.

WebView

Web enable your buildings using WebView. WebView is the graphical user interface provided as part of ObServer that gives engineers a simple drag and drop WYSIWYG editor to generate data-rich web content.

Web pages can include data logs, alarm event handling, animated mimic pages, advanced calendar functions and setpoint value adjustment.

The web content generated by WebView does not rely on ActiveX or Java applets that may conflict with your company security policy or maybe unsupported by your browser. Many competing systems use Java based applications that display a streaming virtual desktop, which can dramatically increase download times and have a negative effect on usability.

WebView manages to offer the same rich feature set, yet automatically generates valid HTML content conforming to World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards. This not only provides broadly accessible content for users with disabilities, but also makes the content available to the broadest range of web clients. From desktop based Internet Explorer/Firefox/Opera/Safari to the embedded browsers found in PDA's, mobile phones and speech-based browsers.

User Data

User data is a 960 point database that allows data from connected devices to be logged, transferred to other connected systems, viewed on a Zip display module, be checked against pre-defined alarm limits and/or shared as BACnet/IP values. The 960 point limit only applies to the above functions and has no limitation on data for web pages, alarm handling or strategy processing. Equally alarms generated by third party systems are not limited by this 960 point database. It is simply an extra layer of functionality.

Safe and Sound

Secure access is provided with full integration to your existing LDAP server (using Active Directory), providing a single sign-on for users across the organisation. WebView also supports North's XOM security server, providing a single point of authentication (and management) for all XOM compatible components.

From a user's group membership in either Active Directory or the North XOM security server, the engineer can limit access to pages based on the users need. For example, the security guard may only have access to the intruder system, fire alarms and door access, while a building services engineer would only be able to see the heating, ventilation and energy monitoring systems.

Engineer Remotely

Integrator can be fully configured and backed up remotely using ObSys 2.0. Engineers can even upload the integrators configuration and download the settings to their own PC or laptop, creating a full emulation of the Integrator on their own machine - invaluable for testing and off line engineering!

WebView Editor (the WebView engineering tool) allows the engineer to manage files on the WebView server and to create new pages, assign points and graphics in a very simple to use environment. The engineer can create re-usable objects such a fan coil graphic, for example, to avoid costly and time consuming repetition.

The editor also comes with an extensive library of graphics ready for you to use including: fire heads; valves and pumps; security objects such as PIR's and flashing borders; AHU schematics; and all of the usual HVAC objects. Of course pages can be engineered remotely over the internet.

Alarm Handling

The alarm event handling capabilities of ObServer include modules for alarm translation, prioritization, distribution & routing, e-mail notification, and the monitoring of values. Additional modules may also be enabled for SNMP trap notification, SMS/paging devices, etc.

Alarm Translator gives engineers the ability to translate alarm event text. Some third party systems send alarms in a less than user friendly way. It's good knowing that 'Controller 3, input 2', has a high alarm, but only if you know what 'Controller 3, input 2' actually are.
For example, alarm translator could be configured to translate: 'Controller 3 Analogue input 2' to 'Ground floor reception temperature', and therefore make the alarm far more useful to a much wider audience.

Equally the alarm translator function may be used to translate alarms between spoken languages for international alarm handling centres.

Alarm Prioritizer allows the alarm event priority to be modified. The priority function compares the system, device, and condition fields of each alarm event. If a match is found, the priority of the alarm is updated to the engineer defined value. If no match is found, the priority is left unchanged.

Alarm Route allows engineers to direct alarm events to the most appropriate destination. Destinations can include the alarm e-mailer, alarm stores, another Integrator or ObSys PC, etc.

When an alarm arrives in the alarm router it can be tested against several parameters before forwarding:

• Is the destination route enabled? - this can be controlled by a calendar function, so that certain destinations such as an on call engineer can be enabled or disabled based on a calendar profile
• The priority of the alarm - you can set all high priority alarms to be sent to a duty engineer by email for example.
• Text contained in the alarm - you can set the alarm router to search for text within an alarm message, for example, all alarms containing the word "Security" are sent to the gate house.

You can of course set up catch-all alarm stores, archives and audit trails plus many other other alarm handling features.

Alarm E-mail is an alarm destination that connects to a SMTP server. It allows an alarm event to e-mailed to several recipients at once, with options to include attachments relevant to the alarm message. Alarms can be sent in rich HTML format or in plain text.

Alarm Store can hold up to 4000 alarm events. There are four alarm stores provided as part of ObServer. An alarm router can be used to filter different alarms into different stores, so you might have one store for HVAC alarms, another for fire alarms, one for security alarms and one for energy or power alarms. If required, additional alarm stores can be added using the expansion modules in ObServer.

Powerful Calendar and timer program

Calendars and timers are controlled via a simple to use web interface, you can control up to twenty timers. The calendar function allows for easy setting of exception days, many years in advance.

Each timer has up to five on-off time periods. The on-off signal can be transmitted to any device on the network, including third party devices attached to remote ObSys 2.0s, Compass Points or Commanders.

Licensing and Expansion

Integrator is supplied, as standard, with all the core features described above along with a huge library of interface and expansion modules that can be 'plugged-in' on-demand to ObServer.
A module could be used to enable a LonTalk or Modbus device, maybe a link to a third-party proprietary protocol, or perhaps provide some additional alarm handling or data logging features.

Licence units are used to enable these expansion modules, and Integrator is supplied with 1000 available units (additional units may be also purchased and enabled over the phone). Each third-party interface module typically requires 250 units; although some interface modules, such as links to Compass, Zip and Commander systems use no licence units.

Licence units are used to enable the entire module, none of our interfaces limit the number of data points available based on licence units.

Availability

Integrator is available now from North Building Technologies and already has a solid track record with installations across Europe.

Visit the North e-Library for more information and technical documentation on Integrator.

---

---

---