Number of BCPM and POWERTAG to COMX510

[sesa125036_brid]

Hi,

Please let me know how many BCPM 42 ckt meters can be connected to one COMX510?

Also, if we have a powertag Link connected to 20 powertags, how many powertag links can be connect to one COMX510?

Thanks

Gautam Jindal

[Randi_Dolan]

Hi Gautam,

Technically, you can connect up to 64 devices to the Com'X510.  However, there are other things to consider such as how many topics, if any, are being logged from each device, how often logging occurs, how often the logged data is published, etc.  We recommend logging the minimum number of topics as infrequently as possible and exporting the data regularly.  Unfortunately, there is not a concrete answer to this question.

Regards,

Randi

[Romain_Polette]

Hi Randi, 

That means we will not be able to connect a Powertag Link HD (or with limitations).
100 Powertags (acti9 or NSX) can be connected to the PowertagLink HD. If the ComX510 is limited to 64 devices, the sales forces must be careful when they prescipt ComX / Powertag architectures.

Regards.

Romain.

[sesa125036_brid]

hi Randi,

I need a bit more clarity.

BCPM is one device, but since it has 42 single phase circuits and data for each phase is collected separately, from comx 510 perspective, do we consider this as 42 single phase devices or 1 BCPM device? When we integrate with PME, this is considered as half a medium device.

similarly, for powertag, since to one link, we can connect max 20 powertags, so, from COMX510 perspective, do we consider this as one powertag link device or 20 power tag devices? 

And what happens when we have 100 power tags connected to one PowerTag HD (as mentioned by Romain in his post)?

Later on, as you know we will be connecting temp sensors for MV temp monitoring through sologate to COMX510 for comm to PME..in this case, what do we decide? Number of Temp Sensors as the deciding factor or the number of sologate gateways as the factor for COMX510?

Thanks

Gautam Jindal

[Randi_Dolan]

Hi Romain,

You are correct.  If you want to connect all 100 devices from the PowerTag Link HD, you will need more than one Com'X.

Regards,

Randi

[Randi_Dolan · Accepted solution]

Hi Gautam,

The BCPM is one device with 42 circuits.  It only has one Modbus address.  The PowerTags have their own Modbus Address, so the are considered individual devices.  This will be the same with the Temperature and Humidity sensors.  

So, you can have up to 64 Modbus devices with individual addresses connected to the Com'X.  The thing to consider, especially when connecting dense devices like the BCPM is how many topics are being read and stored on each logging interval and, consequently, exported at each publication.

I hope this clarifies the issue.

Regards,

Randi

[Romain_Polette · Accepted solution]

Hello Gautam, 

First of you will need to create a Custom Model for your ZBRN32. To this custom device you will link 60 modbus registers corresponding to the 60 TH110/CL110.

In this case, ZBRN32 is considered as 1 device (custom) with 60 points to log.

I have tested it on my lab on a ComX510 (v5.2.0).

Regards, 

Romain

[sesa125036_brid]

Thanks Romain. This is going to be helpful..

[Coppo · Accepted solution]

I'm also told that the powertag temp sensors will only connect to the FESB gateway, they won't work to the rest of the gateways.

[Romain_Polette]

Hello @Coppo 

Correct.

PowerTag Ambient is only compatible with PowerTag Link C gateway. You cannot connect this temp sensor to a Smartlink SI-B, SI-D or a PowerTag Link.

Only CL110 and TH110 are compatible with this gateways.

Regards.

[Coppo]

must be a marketing decision, but  I would have liked to have the temp sensors working with SI-D (LINK HD ) also  

[Romain_Polette]

Marketing position is the following.

PowerTag Ambient is designed to monitor fridges or refrigerating bank. PowerTag Link C with its connection to FESB is dedicated to small or very small business.

TH110 and CL110 connected to PowerTag Link (fw1.4.5) is more adapted to Large or Industrial buildings.

TH110 and CL110 are not compatible with Smartlink gateway (I made a mistake in my previous comment)

Regards.

[Coppo · Accepted solution]

quoting previous comments

quote "Technically, you can connect up to 64 devices to the Com'X510.  However, there are other things to consider such as how many topics, if any, are being logged from each device, how often logging occurs, how often the logged data is published, etc.  We recommend logging the minimum number of topics as infrequently as possible and exporting the data regularly.  Unfortunately, there is not a concrete answer to this question."

3 x 20 powertag gateways maximum (if using 20 powertags on each gateway)   


I have also had 64 device limit confirmed by global team.
Many installers and sales staff have the wrong understanding of how the powertag product is seen on either a 5500NAC/ SHAC (CBUS modbus gateway) or a comX unit.

Each powertag sensor is seen as 1 device.  The powertag gateway is transparent (unseen as a device but used as a "data conduit").  

This means even if you buy the new powertag gateway "Link HD" that supports 100 powertags, a comX510 will only be able to access 64 powertags through it. 

As for logging alarms etc...with the new Link HD gateway firmware, there are many addtional modbus registers particularly for the NSX powertag, so for each individual powertag you can have approx 30 modbus registers including the ones used for indentifying to the comX things parameters like...top connect, bottom connect, MCB connect, RCBO connect, what rating the connected MCN/RCBO is,  etc...       

If you do install 64 powertags onto a ComX it is effectively adding 64 x power meters with all of that monitoring and status updates, so it could possibly have a performance impact on the ComX unit.

I know from a recent project in AU, with approx 60 powertags on a 5500NAC that it does have a large impact on the 5500NAC CPU performance when it first powers up, then it settles down after goign through the normal polling time period. (note that this project is only retrieving approx 6 - 8 modbus register per powertag sensor though. 

[Romain_Polette]

Hello @Coppo 

I cannot provide any feedback for LSS5500SHAC but you will have a similar behavior with the Com'X.
The more PowerTag (and then Topic ID) you add, the more the CPU of the gateway is solicited.

It can get worst if you connect the Com'X to Facility Expert. FE will poll permanently some registers dedicated for real time alarming (not each 10-15 minutes like WAGES monitoring). So in this case, the Com'X can reach some limits and connect 64 PowerTag can lead to communication losses or other issues (difficult to predict the behavior).

At this time we have no experience about what is the limit number of PowerTag to connect to a Com'X.

Currently, Com'X can poll 17 registers for PowerTag -> but by default only 2 registers are logged. So I think that it is not so stressful for the Com'X if you connect 64 PowerTag.

Regards, 

Romain