BMS reConnect #14: Applying the T1L Standard in BMS
Turn legacy networks into high-speed networks with this emerging technology.
DISCLAIMER
All opinions in this newsletter are my own.
BMS NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS
That building automation systems are converging with IT networks is nothing new. This article (c/o AutomatedBuildings.com), which provides a nice overview of the topic, was written in 2002. IP technology in BMS is tried and true, and in my estimation—an opinion steeped in East Coast Bias—IP-level controllers are taking market share from legacy BMS network communication technologies at a rapid pace. Five years ago, IP-level field controllers were in less than 5% of new construction specs (my guesstimate). In the NYC market in 2022, I feel like IP controllers are in at least 33% of specs, and that number is growing by the day.
The reasons for merging the BMS system into the IT infrastructure are many. First and foremost is speed: legacy BMS networks, which typically utilize a twisted pair wiring infrastructure, are deployed at 9600/19200/38400/76800 bits per second; I spend a lot of time talking about modern BMS controllers that operate at 1 gigabit per second…literally over 1000x faster. For context, that dreadful movie Titanic1, clocking in at 3h14m, would take 10 days, 53 mins and 31 seconds to download at 76.8 Kbps. The same movie would take 1 min and 8 seconds to download at 1 Gbps. Quite the difference.
This dramatic enhancement in BMS network speeds confers distinct advantages. More speed yields more data throughput, and in an age where Data is King, this is of primary importance. A high speed network allows for data analytics, fault detection and diagnostics, digital twins, Cloud applications, and a slew of other emerging technologies that can be applied to building systems. In short, high speed networks enable software services, the capabilities of which I believe we are just scratching the surface of.
Okay, great: if you are building new, then go with a high speed network utilizing IP-BMS controllers. But what if you are not building new? Ninety-five percent of commercial buildings in the US are over 10 years old. These buildings almost surely do not have a modern, high-speed, IP-compatible building automation system in place. Replacing the entire infrastructure—new controllers, new switches, upgraded fiber, new Cat 5e/Cat 6 bus, etc—is almost always cost-prohibitive. What to do?
That is where the emerging technology that is the T1L standard comes into play. Also called 10BASE-T1L or more formally IEEE 802.3cg-2019, the standard provides “a new Ethernet physical layer standard” that will allow compatible devices to utilize the existing twisted pair infrastructure while juicing the network communication speeds from 9.6/19.2/38.4/76.8 Kbps to 10 Mbps. Per analog.com:
10BASE-T1L solves the challenges that, to-date, have limited the use of Ethernet to the field in process automation. These challenges include power, bandwidth, cabling, distance, data islands, and intrinsically safe Zone 0 (hazardous areas) applications. By solving these challenges for both brownfield upgrades and new greenfield installations, 10BASE-T1L will enable new insights that were previously unavailable, such as combining process variables, secondary parameters, asset health feedback, and seamlessly communicating them to the control layer and to the cloud. These new insights will awaken new possibilities for data analysis, operational insights, and productivity improvements through a converged Ethernet network from the field to the cloud.
Folks, this is a really, REALLY big deal. Imagine being able to modernize a slow, legacy controls system into a modern, high speed system without having to undergo the prohibitive capex expense of a full-scale infrastructure upgrade? That’s what we are talking about here: pushing Ethernet speeds through the existing BACnet or Lon trunk.
T1L technologies will allow operational and sustainability goals to be more cost effectively met, bringing solutions that were once beyond investment thresholds within reach. This is a game changer.
Keep your eyes open over the next 6-12 months as products with this tech start to hit the market. I’m excited for it.
ASHRAE & IAQ
The ASHRAE Journal Newsletter is something you should be subscribed to. Last week’s addition links to half a dozen current resources related to indoor air quality (IAQ), including an article in the June 2022 ASHRAE Journal titled “Revisiting the 1000 ppm CO2 Limit” by Robert Stumm, PE.
Long story short? It’s complicated.
SUSTAINABILITY
With the trend of ESG emerging in the corporate world, it is interesting to see the new software/services popping up to address the need (corporate mandates?) for improved carbon accountability.
I’ve also heard a fair amount of blowback recently accusing some major global financial players of using ESG as a way of “greenwashing” their funds, to the point of being accused of fraudulent advertising.
It will be fascinating to see where all of this goes over the next 5 or so years.
PROPTECH
I am involved in building control technologies that go into the real estate space…so I guess I am technically “in proptech”? I’m not sure…might need an official ruling on this.
These people are definitely in the proptech space. Pretty cool to see all of the different technologies serving the real estate space:
DRUMS
I’ve had the chance to hang out with a few drummers over the past couple of weeks. Everybody seems to agree: Danny Carey from Tool (my favorite band) is The Man.
I love these reaction videos. Enjoy!
I had never seen Titanic until about two weeks ago. My father and I had a pact dating back to its release during my high school days when everybody was falling all over themselves about how great the film was; we irrationally swore to one another that we would never watch it. I kept my side of this pact for 25 years. My darling wife had pressed me multiple times about watching it, but I stood firm. I could never betray my father in this way! This bothered her enough to the point that she confronted him about it. He had no recollection of The Pact. I had no choice but to cave, and she and I recently watched it. I found the historical representation of the ship and the events to be interesting, but the plotline/love story were as stated above: dreadful. Sorry, Dad. Or maybe you should be saying sorry to me?
Nice article Grant. I agree. I've been talking about 10BASE-T1L for a while now (this video is from Jan 2020 -https://youtu.be/Z9Y5AquaPh0).
What got me really excited at Cisco Live recently was seeing Honeywell's new BMS unitary controller that uses 10BASE-T1L instead of BACNET-MS/TP. You can see a couple of pictures here - https://photos.app.goo.gl/xKA3trnxLjfat9jR6.