Internet technologies and their applications in BASs - Intelligent Buildings and Building Automation - page 110

Control
(BAS)

Voice (Telephone,
door phone, …)

Video (Digital CCTV,
Videoconferencing, …)

PCs, Office
automation, …

Internet/Intranet

Figure 6.12 Convergence networks and total integration based on IP technologies.

However, due to the popular use of IP and Internet technologies and there-
fore the increasing capacity of data communication networks, all networks
are beginning to converge. Total integration of BAS and IB systems was a
dream not more than two decades ago, something that would provide great
potential functions, services and capabilities. It is now the reality and com-
mon practice.
New technologies now make it not just possible but convenient to route
voice and video phone calls over an enterprise's data network, as well as
over the Internet. Voice can be transferred by VoIP (Voice on IP) technology
on the Internet or intranet. As a kind of control network, BAS networks are
adopting the IP network and thus can be merged conveniently into Internet/
intranet, usually an enterprise network. The video systems (CCTV) and audio
system (door phone system and public address system) can also be integrated
into the IP networks of BAS and therefore merged easily into the enterprise
network. The enterprise network usually performs as the data network for
office automation systems, and provides e-mail and Internet access, telephone
network (VoIP), videoconferencing network, video on demand network and
digital TV network on the same network. In such a way the total integration
of building management systems can be carried out and the total integration
of intelligent building systems (i.e. building automation, communication
automation and office automation) is achieved easily on the basis of IP tech-
nologies and an enterprise network. Figure 6.12 provides an illustration on
the convergence networks and the total integration of IB systems.

References
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard. (2007) BACnet ® - a data communication protocol for
building automation and control networks , Atlanta, Georgia: American Society
of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
CISCO. (2008) Internetworking Technology Handbook . Available at: www.cisco.
com/en/US/docs/ internetworking/technology/handbook/ito_doc.html
Cyberspace Center of HUST. (2008) Introduction to Intranet Technologies and
Products . Available at: www.cyber.ust.hk/handbook3/hb3main.html