Questions
Which BAS systems does the K-Link work with?
The full list of supported BAS systems can be found here.
What happens if a site is mixed BACnet/non-BACnet (eg, Andover)?
The Device can collect data from both systems. There is sometimes some work that needs to be done at the BAS to get the system ready. CopperTree has support documentation on how to ready your BAS for data collection. The process depends on the BAS type, often there is no extra work needed.
Where does the Device sit on a network?
For most systems, the Device resides on the local network. The Device talks to controllers, not the front end.
For a segregated network, would we need a Device for each segment?
It really depends on the IT configuration of the site. It may be possible to have one Device in a central location. If the network is RS485, we’d likely need more Devices.
Can the K-Link “traverse level 2”?
Yes, it is essentially a micro-computer. CopperTree has an IT/security package detailing the flow of data and security measures. We strongly advise getting the IT department involved in the project right from the beginning. We can meet with IT to discuss our solution if they have questions or concerns.
How are the Devices secured physically?
They often reside in a locked cabinet or a secure room. We can supply din-mountable Devices if required.
What sort of information is needed to determine if you can use a K-Link?
Type and version number of BAS, whether there is any outbound access available on the BAS network, square footage of the building(s), and building type (eg, hospital, offices, etc).
What is the local storage capacity of the K-Link?
If a K-Link becomes disconnected from the internet, it will continue to collect and retain data in its local storage until full. The chart below details how many days each device type can remain offline before this occurs and data stops getting collected.
Please note, that these values are simply estimates and there are many things that could happen that might affect our ability to retain this much data in the buffer locally.
| Trend Logs | Pi Buffer Days | CL200 Buffer Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 500 | 1150 |
| 5000 | 100 | 230 |
| 10000 | 50 | 115 |
This Chart details theoretical Buffer Day values for both the Pi and CL200 K-Link Devices.
All of our new K-Link Devices have persistent memory, meaning any data stored locally will not be lost if the device loses power. Some older Pi K-Link Devices do not have persistent memory.
How is data collected?
The K-Link looks at real-time data from the controllers, it does not pull from the historian database. However, CopperTree can connect directly to databases, but there is no guarantee that all required points are being stored on the database.
What happens if the BAS is not connected to the internet?
The K-Link has dual NIC cards, so can connect to BAS and other networks with outbound access (modem or otherwise).
Why aren’t more people doing what we do?
The founder of BuildPulse saw value in this method of data collection and was able to develop the technology due to extensive industry knowledge.
How many points can a single Device handle?
Around 20,000 but some legacy systems are significantly lower than that.
Does the sampling rate affect the number of trends we can take or the storage capacity of the Device?
A number of points are limited by the processing power of the Device. Our default is 5-minute samples, but in some legacy systems, this needs to be relaxed to 10-15 minute polling intervals.
What happens if the driver does not exist for our BAS type/version?
CopperTree looks at these on a case-by-case basis. If the BAS has a substantial share in the market, then we can build it out free of charge. Development usually takes around 6 months.
Is the K-Link IPv6 compatible?
Yes, it is! But keep in mind that your BAS is probably not. We’re only aware of one vendor (Alerton) on the market that is truly IPV6 compatible and that hardware release came out during the first quarter of 2019.
Does the device update through a process like a scheduled push or do you have to manually initiate this?
The K-Link ping http://fleetc3.coppertreeanalytics.com/ on a regular basis to send operational health and check for OS updates and code updates. Once the release is pushed to the container manager in Balena, all the K-Link automatically pull down the updates, the same process exists for OS patches and OS upgrades. You can get current versions of the OS, packages, and containers from our APP or API if you want to routinely check. CopperTree will send out release notes prior to all releases.
What is the sample collection frequency for the Edge Device?
The default sample collection rate for the Edge Device is 5 minutes, however, if the point value has not changed by more than 0.5% since the last collection cycle, the data is not sent to Kaizen. Every 3 hours, irrespective of whether the data has changed or not, the Edge Device sends the value to Kaizen.
What are ‘disabled controllers’?
When a K-Link does not receive a response from a controller after three consecutive attempts, the device stops attempting to read data from the controller for the rest of the day. This is done to prevent the unresponsive controller from slowing down reads from other controllers.
