Honeywell C-Bus communication protocol

Supported device types and versions
Communication line configuration
Communication station configuration
I/O tag configuration
Installing of driver KMFB02CB
Literature
Changes and modifications
Document revisions

Supported device types and versions

This protocol supports the communication with Honeywell devices based on the communication bus C-Bus.

It supports Honeywell devices, series EXCEL (XL20, XL50, 500,....). Communication has also been tested against LION Controller CLLIONLC01.

Communication line configuration

Following physical communication interfaces can be used:

ISA card KMFB02 (Incos a.s. Zilina) with firmware by Ipesoft s.r.o. (stored in EPROM). The communication is performed using baud rates 4800 Bd, 9600 Bd or 19200 Bd. The card requires the driver KMFB02CB.SYS installed in Windows NT/2000.
Parameters:

Communication line category: Honeywell C-Bus.
Line parameters (C-Bus tab).
Device ID – is C-Bus Id which is assigned to KMFB02 card. It must be unused number in the range of 1 to 30, reserved for KMFB02 in C-Bus network.
Baud rate – is a baud rate of C-Bus. Supported baud rates: 4800, 9600 and 19200 Bd.

Communication computer KPX02 with firmware by Ipesoft s.r.o.
D2000 KOM process on a computer equipped with an RS-485 interface (tested on a Techbase NPE X500 M3 industrial computer based on Raspberry PI)
D2000 KOM process communicating via Moxa N-Port with an RS-485 interface (this combination may not meet protocol timing requirements)
Parameters:

Communication line category:: Serial (communication via serial port), SerialOverUDP Device Redundant (communication via serial server in UDP mode)

Communication line protocol parameters

Configuration line dialog box - tab Protocol parameters.
They influences some of the optional protocol parameters. The following line parameters can be set:

Table 1

Key word	Full name	Description	Unit	Default value
DID	Device ID	This parameter is not used for the Honeywell C-Bus line. For other line types it has a similar meaning as the "Device ID" parameter on the Honeywell C-Bus line: it is the C-Bus Id assigned to the D2000 KOM process. It must be an unused number between 1 and 30 reserved for the D2000 KOM process on the C-Bus network.	1-30	30
BR	Baud Rate	This parameter is not used for the Honeywell C-Bus line. For other line types it has a similar meaning as the "Baud Rate" parameter on the Honeywell C-Bus line: it is the C-Bus baud rate, supported baud rates are 4800, 9600 and 19200 Bd. Note: for Line Mode = Direct and a Serial line, the parameter must match the communication speed configured on the line.	baud	9600
LM	Line Mode	Mode of communication with C-Bus: ISA card - uses ISA card KMFB02 (obsolete) KPX02 - use of KPX02 communication computer Direct - direct communication via RS-485 serial interface	ISA card KPX02 Direct	Direct
KL	KOM Latency	The parameter allows "tuning" of time parameters. A positive value decreases the wait before sending a message, a negative value increases the wait. Reducing the wait can compensate for the slowness of the communication computer.	0.1 ms	0
DI	Debug Input	Debugging messages for input data. Parameter is a bit mask, meaning of individual bits is as follows: 1.bit - debugging of received data - priority task handling RS-485 interface (for Line Mode = Direct) 2.bit - debugging of received packets with correct CRC - priority task handling RS-485 interface (for Line Mode = Direct) 3.bit - debugging of received packets with correct CRC - line service task 4.bit - debugging of received values - line service task 5.bit - debugging of analysed packets - line service task	-	0
DI	Debug Output	Debugging messages for output data. Parameter is a bit mask, meaning of individual bits is as follows: 1.bit - debugging of sent data - priority task serving RS-485 interface (for Line Mode = Direct) 2.bit - debugging of special packets - priority task serving RS-485 interface (for Line Mode = Direct) 3.bit - debugging of sent data - line service task 4.bit - debugging of composed requests - line service task 5.bit - debugging of reading the list of points - line service task	-	0

Communication station configuration

Communication protocol: Honeywell Excel C-Bus
Station address is C-Bus Id of device in the range of 1 to 30.
You can execute an automatic synchronization of real time of EXCEL stations according to time of workstation. You must enable the synchronization and set "Synchronization period" of real time on tab "Time parameters" in configuration dialog box for station. The recommended period is 3 to 12 hours. First synchronization is done when starting D2000 KOM process.

Station protocol parameters

They influence a behavior of access to communication medium. You can define the following parameters:

Table 1

Key word	Full name	Meaning	Unit	Default value
WREXP	Write Request Expiration Timeout	Parameter defines a lifetime of request for writing a new value to I/O tag. If this entry can not be done (e.g. because the communication with station does not work), the request is cancelled after elapsing this time. An error message is written into the line trace file.	sec	60
IPT	Init Point Response Timeout	Timeout until which the device must respond after sending the request for initialization of communication with I/O tag into the device. After elapsing this time, error message is written into the line trace file.	sec	6
WPT	Write Point Response Timeout	Timeout until which the device must respond after sending the request for writing the new value of I/O tag into the device. After elapsing this time, error message is written into the line trace file.	sec	4
PRP	Parameter Read Periode	Read period of parameters from EXCEL devices. The changes in parameters (e.g. through EXCEL keyboard) are not transmitted automatically but they are read according to this period.	sec	600

String with protocol parameters is written according to this rule:

Key_word=value;Key_word=value; ...

Example:

IPT=10;WREXP=90;

If a key word with valid value has not been found in the initial string, default value is used according to Table 1.

I/O tag configuration

I/O tags: Ai, Ao, Di, Do, Co, TxtI, TxtO

I/O tag address is name of I/O object that is defined in EXCEL device. It is a string of max. length 18 characters. The address can contain also the attributes.
Reading and writing of values of EXCEL devices is done by I/O tags with the addresses:

$.Px-y

where x is a file number (0 to 127) and y is a parameter number (1 to 255) within a file. Example: $.P0-1 or $.P2-3

The reading/writing into time channels is done by I/O tags with these addresses:

Address	I/O tag	Meaning
$.TPRFSH	Dout	By writing the value FALSE into this I/O tag, the reading of all information about time programs is started. The reading is finished when I/O tag acquires TRUE.
$.TPLx	TxtI	I/O tag acquires the name of time program with index x (the index of first time program is 1). If this time program does not exist, I/O tag has an invalid value.
$.TPWSx-y	TxtI	Name of weekly schedule for time program with index x and day y (y in the range of 1 to 7 for Monday to Sunday).
$.TPDSx-y	TxtI	Name of daily schedule with index y for time program with index x. If daily schedule with this index does not exist, I/O tag has an invalid value.
$.TPPLx-y	TxtI	Name of permitted object for control with index y in time program with index x. If object with this index does not exist, I/O tag has an invalid value.
$.TPADSPx-y-z	TxtI	Name of object in an action with index z, daily schedule with index y, time program with index x. If this action does not exist, I/O tag has an invalid value.
$.TPADSTx-y-z	TxtI	Execution time of action with index z, daily schedule with index y, time program with index x. If this action does not exist, I/O tag has an invalid value.
$.TPADSVx-y-z	TxtI	Value assigned to object in the action with index z, daily schedule with index y, time program with index x. If this action does not exist, I/O tag has an invalid value.
$.TPWWSx-y	Co	Record of new daily schedule in weekly schedule. Day with index y (y in the range of 1 to 7 for Monday to Sunday), time program with index x. Recorded value is the index of dail schedule which was obtained by reading with the help of address $.TPDS.
$.TPWDSx-y	TxtO	Writing/cancellation of daily schedule with index y in time program x. The values: "DEL" - cancels daily program "NEW;Name" - creates new daily program with name "Name", value of index y is ignored
$.TPADSWx-y-z	TxtO	Writing/change/cancellation of action with index z in daily schedule with index y, time program with index x. The values: "DEL" - cancels the action. "NEW;HH:MM;ObjIndex;Value" - creates the action with time HH:MM, ObjIndex is the controlled object - i.e. index from a list which is obtained by $.TPPL address, and value Value. Index of action z is ignored. "SET;HH:MM;Value" - changes the existing action over to the new time HH:MM or Value.

Note to the reading and controlling the time programs:

To obtain the complex information about time programs by the static measurements is virtually impossible because of their large quantity. Therefore there is enabled a dynamic change of address to read and write the time programs by Tell command SETPTADDR in all I/O tags. In combination of the active pictures, you can implement a full displaying and controlling the time programs. We created a sample template of D2000 configuration database.

I/O tags that have not any image in EXCEL device:

Address	I/O tag	Meaning
$.ALARM	TxtI	Text variable that contains the last received alarm from device (parent of I/O tag – station).
$.LIST	TxtI	Text variable that contains the list of objects received from device (parent of I/O tag – station).

I/O tags with Manual/Auto status:

You can obtain or modify the status M/A when you configure I/O tags Di, Dout with address which contains the attribute - string ".MAN". True means that the object is in Manual status, False - the object is in Auto status. The both I/O tags must be defined so that this object could work properly. E.g. I/O tag with address "Tepl_v_Miestnosti_01" and another one with address "Tepl_v_Miestnosti_01.MAN". The change of I/O tag with ".MAN" attribute means the change Manual/Auto status of object in the device.

Change of Manual/Auto status by A flag of object value:

Manual/Auto status can be gotten or modified also by the setting of A flag in object value. The object with ".MAN" attribute is not necessary. If A flag is set, the object is in Auto status. If it is not set, the object is in Manual status.

Installing of driver KMFB02CB

Windows NT 4.0 operating system

When installing the driver of KMFB02 card, follow these steps:

Copy KMFB02CB.SYS file into the directory \WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS on the disc with Windows NT operating system.
Import the "registers" from KMFB02CB.REG file by the system utility regedit. Click on Start button, Run..., write regedit and press ENTER. In the menu of regedit utility click on Registry and Import registry file...". Select KMFB02CB.REG file.
Restart your computer.

Windows 2000 operation system

For installation of driver you need these files:
kmfb02cb.inf - installation file
kmfb02cb.sys - own driver

Installation procedure:

Log on to MS Windows 2000 as Administrator with the administrator rights.
Click on START button -> Settings and Control panel.
Start Add/Remove Hardware wizard.
Click on Next button until Win2000 finishes searching the hardware.
Choose Add a new device and click on Next.
Choose No, I want to select the hardware from a list and click on Next.
Choose Other devices and click on Next.
Click on button Have a disk.
Find kmfb02cb.inf file after clicking on Browse...
Confirm the restart of computer.

Note: KMFB-02 card uses the INT 5 interruption, therefore it must be released if it is reserved (it is used only for the parallel port LPT2 or network LAN card) this interruption is not usually used).

Literature

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Changes and modifications

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Document revisions

Ver. 1.0 – July 24, 2000 – Creation of document
Ver. 1.1 - April 24, 2001 - Reading/writing of parameters and writing of real time
Ver. 1.2 - July 13, 2001 - Time programs
Ver. 1.3 - January 31, 2020 - Support for different lines than Honeywell C-Bus and support for different modes of communication than ISA card.

Related pages:

Communication protocols

Strom stránky

Honeywell C-Bus