ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the upgrade options for legacy building automation system (BAS) systems and BAS design strategies. Today's BAS can receive and process more sophisticated data on equipment operation and status from such sensors as vibration sensors on motors, ultrasonic sensors on steam traps, infrared sensors in equipment rooms, and differential pressure sensors for filters. However, multi-vendor interoperable BAS approach might be justified if the existing BAS requires high annual maintenance costs or has become functionally obsolete. The systems typically have dedicated hardware that connects to the BAS network and software drivers that communicate to the existing BAS controllers. The disadvantage is that users must still use the existing BAS software to edit or add new control programs in the existing BAS field panels. A quicker solution is to use the existing BAS software to obtain the data needed which is then exported to people's own custom programs that are designed to perform the desired requirement.
