Several technical approaches were considered for these three buildings: replacing the NCMs with an NAE, using the 3rd party N2 driver for the JACE, using a FieldServer device. None of these technologies met all the requirements of the university. The selected solution was to replace the existing Johnson Controls NCM350 controllers with Vykon JACEs for the user interface and global control functions. This required rebuilding the GPL logic, scheduling, global variables, etc. inside the Vykon JACE to provide global/supervisory control functions. All control logic was removed from the NCM supervisory controllers.

A Vykon JACE was installed in each building to assist in building the Niagara network. Once integrated, the system would be monitored and controlled from a single seat interface. After hours service could identify the issues as they arise and notify proper facilities personnel. There are several options for achieving this; however, only one product could do this and meet the expectations of all those involved.

An S4 Open: BACnet-N2 Router was paired with each legacy Metasys® supervisory controller. The N2 Router provided the integration services between the legacy Metasys® N2 technology and the Vykon JACE via BACnet/IP. Each legacy N2 device is emulated as a virtual BACnet device under a virtual BACnet network. As such, the Niagara network to implement the single seat and energy improvement applications. In addition, the N2 Router Upstream N2 Interface option enabled the co-existence of the legacy supervisory controllers and Metasys® operator workstation with the Vykon JACEs thereby keeping the critical HVAC pro pass through support operational for programming, troubleshooting, and commissioning the existing Johnson Controls N2 field devices.

There were many legacy products that required a JACE for the BACnet translation and to store 3rd party trends and alarms from a single The overall campus design required that every controller going forward communicate BACnet to the rest managing contractor.