On September 22, Echelon Corp. (NASDAQ: ELON) announced the availability of their new converged controller for building automation and other IoT applications. The company, which happens to be one of the leading control networking companies for IIOT, Industrial Internet of Things, has developed a converged controller that will combine building automation, IoT apps and lighting into one. The SmartServer 2.2 will prove to be a universal gateway and control for several protocols, including BACnet, Modbus, and LON. The platform will give consumers the ability to add a wider variety of devices to their system, while allowing everything to be controlled and managed from a single user interface.
The system is compatible with power line communication meshing. In return, this improves outdoor lighting networks by increasing the capacity of the controller. The consumer will benefit from cost savings, since fewer segment controllers will be required. Having the freedom to combine lighting, IoT devices, and building applications over greater distances, while enhancing the performance and scale of the company’s connected network. An array of applications can be configured from the new system, including the following.
- Combining building automation and parking lot lighting for more convenient installation and management
- Establish sound masking to enhance productivity
- Improve safety by interfacing between multiple emergency systems rapidly
As the company’s press release points out, consumers can combine all building call boxed and intercoms into the infrastructure to enhance communication and safety for all. Should an emergency occur, the system would be able to immediately unlock all doors and make all employees aware of the situation, while also altering emergency personnel. The combination will ensure employees are able to exit the building promptly, while speeding up the response time of first responders. The SmartServer 2.2, which is currently available, has been built on open standard thus allowing users to easily add IoT applications to the system.
