- Windows 10;
- Windows 11
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2022
64-bit versions are supported.
Help Center
BACnet Explorer Help Version 10
Getting Started
System Requirement
Program installation, removal and upgrade.
Installation: Run the installation program. Leave all the components checked which are checked by default.
Uninstall: Go to Start | All Programs | Cimetrics BACnet Explorer | Uninstall BACnet Explorer
Upgrade: Run the installer and it will upgrade your version. You can check for a new release or version on our website www.cimetrics.com
Licensing
Within the program go to Help - Go Premium and follow purchasing instructions. When you get the license just place it in the \Cimetrics BACnet Explorer directory. If you purchased a paid version of an Explorer which does not have ads, has save to file and restore from file options and has one year support you will get a software key. The free version does not provide any support. You can use BACnet Explorer forum for filing bugs/suggestions/requests.
LOCKING MECHANISM:
BACnet Explorer needs the Soft license file - this is a small file which is also emailed to you when you purchase the software. Send us the "machine code" listed on the popup screen and we will create the license file and email this to you. This file is loaded into the main Explorer folder (same location as described above). The license will only work on one computer and cannot be moved (it looks to match the "machine code" that was supplied to us).
You can also copy the license file to the working directory via Main menu -> Help -> Open License file.
Configuring BACstac
In order to communicate with BACnet devices that are on a BACnet/IP network, you will need to configure the Cimetrics BACstac protocol to use BACnet/IP. Once you have this configured the BACnet Explorer should be able to communicate with devices on a chosen network.
BACnet/IP BACstac configuration
Configure BACstac to work with the BACnet/IP interface. Within a BACnet Explorer go to Tools - Settings – BACnet Protocol configuration
Add a new BACnet/IP connection – choose your Network Interface Card in the Adapter: Leave port number default at 1. Change the UDP port if needed to match the one on your network. Click ok and restart BACstac.
If your IP address changes during your BACnet Explorer session running you would need to rerun a BACnet Protocol Configurator and restart BACnet Explorer.
Starting and Stopping BACstac
You can select in common settings to stop BACstac protocol after you close Cimetrics BACnet Explorer and start it after you start the BACnet Explorer.
Go to Tools - Common Settings and check the box if you want BACstac Service stopped when you close an Explorer.
Configuring BBMD and FD
You can configure BACstac (which Cimetrics BACnet Explorer uses) to be a BBMD or become a foreign device.
Configure for BBMD: With a BACnet/IP network comprised of two or more IP subnets, a local broadcast may not be able to span multiple subnets — if so, a device called a BBMD must be used. More in this tutorial.
Within a BACnet Explorer go to Tools - Settings – BACnet Protocol configuration.
Navigate on the port you want to edit and click on Edit. Click on BBMD tab. Check BACnet Broadcast Management Device and put the IP address of the BBMDs you would like to maintain in your BBMD table.
You can also enable Foreign Device Table or NAT Global Address.
Configure for FD:
In some cases there may be devices that live on a subnet where it is not economical to install, configure and maintain a BBMD or where there are no other BACnet nodes. Because it is important for these devices to able to communicate with BACnet/IP networks, we need to define a mechanism whereby such devices can associate themselves with a BACnet network.
A "foreign" device is a BACnet device that has an IP subnet address different from those comprising the BACnet/IP network which the device seeks to join. The foreign device may be a full-time node on the foreign subnet or may be a part-time participant, as would be the case if the device accessed the internet via a SLIP or PPP connection. More on that in this tutorial.
Within a BACnet Explorer go to Tools - Settings – BACnet Protocol configuration - Edit - Foreign Device tab
Check the Foreign Device and put the IP of the remote BBMD to which you want your foreign device to get attached.
Using Explorer
Overview
Device discovery doesn't happen automatically when you start the program. Device discovery doesn't happen automatically when you start the program. In order to initiate discovery, go to Explore Everything.
Main Menu
File
Open - Open an existing saved .xml file.
Save As (Premium Version) - Save a treeview file to a specified file name (XML or CSV format). Use this command to save and name the active treeview file. BACnet Explorer displays the Save As dialog box so you can choose a name and a specific format for your document. BACnet Explorer opens files in XML format.
For saving in CSV format you can filter by Network, DeviceID, Device BACnet Address, Device Address as IP, Object Type, Instance Number, Property Id, Property Value.
Save Object List(CSV) - Saves the information in CSV format, either for all the found objects or only for those selected in the dialog.
For saving in CSV format you can filter by Network, DeviceID, ObjectID, Object Name, Description, Present Value, Status Flags.
Exit - Exit Cimetrics BACnet Explorer. Use this command to end your BACnet Explorer session. You can also use the Close dialog box on the application System menu. BACnet Explorer prompts you to save your document if it has any unsaved changes.
Actions
This menu is contextual; its content varies depending on which element is selected in the viewing tree or in the table on the right panel of the program
Explore Everything - performs a refresh of all devices in the selected network.
Re-Read Network - navigate to the network - right click and select this option.
Re-Read Device - navigate to the device - Re-read all device data (objects and properties).
Re-Read Object - navigate to the object - Re-read all object data (all properties).
Re-Read Property - navigate to the property - Re-read property data.
Add network - Add a new network.
Add Device - Add a new device. Use this command to create a new device on a network. You specify the Device ID - make sure it is a unique number on a network. The number in the MAC address box must also be a unique number on the network. The application uses 2 BACnet address formats:
- {net,x'MAC'}, for example {26,x'102030405060'}, {0x1A,x'10 20 30 40 50 60'};
- net:MAC, for example 27:C0-A8-01-03-BA-C0, 0x1B:C0A80103BAC0
Add Object - Navigate to the object in the tree. Create a new object. Use this command to create a new object within a device. You specify an Object type and Object Instance (make sure the Object Instance is a unique number within the device.
Add Property - Navigate to the object in the tree. Add a new property. Use this command to create a new property within an object. You specify the Property ID, property Data type, Structure type and Property Value.
Hide Selected Device – Hide the selected device.
Hide Selected Object – Hide the selected object.
Hide Selected Property – Hide the selected property.
Property Properties – Show all property data.
Write property - Let the user write to a property.
Relinquish - Sends a command to the point to relinquish (give up control).
Simple Device Object -
Device Object On/Off – Start/Stop BACnet Device Object server.
Device Object Settings – Set BACnet Device Object settings.
Export to EDE - Export to Engineering Data Exchange file format.
Selected Device Export – Export selected Device to EDE.
All Devices Export - Export all found Devices to EDE.
Snapshot – With a snapshot premium feature you can capture what you've discovered on a BACnet network and compare with the existing BACnet Network later.
Subscribe to COV notifications - You can use the menu to subscribe to an object/property.
Subscribe Selected Object - To subscribe to a particular object to selected on this object.
Subscribe Property - To subscribe to a particular property to selected on this property.
Found Active COV subscriptions - you can activate earlier COV subscriptions. For this, the checkbox 'Do you want to Activate the found Active COV Subscriptions?' must be selected in the window with active subscriptions.
In this case, if you exit the program without canceling the subscriptions, they will be saved and available for activation during subsequent program launches.
Tools
Settings – here you can configure APDU settings, Who-Is Settings, Common Settings and BACnet Protocol.
Re-send previous Who-Is - You can resend the previous Who-Is request to the network.
Check for duplicate Device IDs – check if there are duplicate BACnet devices on a network.
Object(s) Diagnostics - You can activate the diagnostic process for the selected BACnet object. If a Device is selected, diagnostics can be performed for multiple objects. The selection of objects is done by marking them in the list.
Who Has – Send Who-Has Request.
Search Discovered Devices – If you already performed discovery of your network you can look for your devices here.
Show all results -Allows you to return to the main (first) tab in the tree with the results.
Show I-Have results – Allows you to switch to the results obtained from the Who-Has (I-Have) request. The menu is available when selecting the tab with the results of Who-Is requests.
Toolbar Panel
The Tool bar panel consists of:
1. Refresh All results
2. Refresh Selected Device(is enabled if selected any device)
3. Refresh Selected Object
4. Refresh Selected Property(is enabled if selected any property)
5. Clear All Results
6. To open an existing document Main menu->File->Open
7. Save an opened document to a specified file name (Xml or CSV format) Main menu->File->Save As
8. Filter Panel Show/Hide
9. Filter On/Off, for more information about filtration please see Filtration section…
10. Write Property, use this action for writing to selected property (Only for Enumerated property type)
When you use Write Property for complex properties (DateTime, Object Identifier etc.) you have to use a dialogue box which opens by the special button.
11. Device Object On/Off (Main menu->Actions->Simple Device Object). Start/Stop BACnet Device Object server
12. Device Object Settings. To set BACnet Device Object settings
File Menu
The file menu offers the following commands:
Open - Opens an existing document.
Use this command to open an existing document. BACnet Explorer prompts you to save your current document if it has any unsaved changes. You can instead create new documents with the New command if what you want is not an existing document.
Shortcuts:
Toolbar: 
Save As - Saves an opened document to a specified file name.
Use this command to save and name the active document. BACnet Explorer displays the Save As dialog box so you can name your document.
Shortcuts
Toolbar: 
Filter
Simple Device Object
Exit - Exits BACnet Explorer.
Use this command to end your BACnet Explorer session. BACnet Explorer prompts you to save your document if it has any unsaved changes
Action Menu
The action menu offers the following commands:
Add Network - Creates a new network.
Use this command to create a new network in BACnet Explorer. You specify the network number - make sure it's a unique number on a global internetwork. If you would like BACnet Explorer to automatically discover devices on this network when it starts check the Auto-discover at Open check box.
Add Device - Creates a new device.
Use this command to create a new device on a network. You specify the Device ID - make sure it's a unique number on a network. If you would like BACnet Explorer read this device after it is created check Auto-discover at Open check box. In MAC address box specify MAC address in hexadecimal - make sure it's a unique number on a network. If you would like BACnet Explorer to look for this device on a remote network check Attempt to Find on Remote Networks box.
Add Object - Creates a new object.
Use this command to create a new object within a device. You specify an Object type and Object Instance (make sure an Object Instance is a unique number within a device). If you would like BACnet
Explorer to read this object after it is created check Auto-discover at Open check box.
Use this command to create a new property within an object. You specify the Property ID, property Data type, Structure type and Property Value. If you would like BACnet Explorer to read this property after it is created check Auto-read check box.
Re-Read Property - Allows to re-read the object's property.
Write Property - Allows to write to the object's property.
Use this command to write to the property of an object.
Relinquish - Sends a command to the point to relinquish (give up control).
Property Properties - Shows the property of the property.
Simple Device Object - Turn Device Object in Explorer On or Off.
Export to EDE - Export to Engineering Data Exchange file format..
Help Menu
Help - Online Manual - Offers you an online manual.
About BACnet Explorer - Displays the version number of this application.
Use this command to display the copyright notice and version number of your copy of BACnet Explorer.
Go Premium - Information on how to purchase a paid version. Paid version offers one year support, no ads, saving and restoring file from .xml format, saving to .csv files with extensive filtering options.
Cimetrics BACnet Explorer Forum - Cimetrics BACnet Explorer Forum - link to the forum where you can ask any questions about the Explorer, report bug or make a suggestion for useful features in the upcoming version.
Send Us Feedback - Information Form you can use to send us feedback/suggestions and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
Toolbar
The toolbar is displayed across the top of the application window, below the menu bar. The toolbar provides quick mouse access to many tools used in BACnet Explorer.
Writable Properties
Writable properties types:
- NULL
- Boolean
- Unsigned Integer
- Signed Integer
- Real
- Double
- Character String
- Enumerated
- BACnetObjectIdentifier
- Date
- Time
- DateTime
Writable properties:
Object_Identifier (all objects)
Object_Name (all objects)
Object_Type (all objects)
Present_Value(all objects without Group, Schedule, Credential Data Input, BitString Value, OctetString
Value, Global Group, Channel objects)
Description (all objects)
Device_Type (all objects)
Event_State (all objects)
Reliability (all objects)
Out_Of_Service (all objects)
Units (all objects)
Max_Pres_Value (all objects)
Value_Change_Time (all objects)
Value_Before_Change (all objects)
Value_Set (all objects)
Logging_Object (all objects)
Pulse_Rate (all objects)
High_Limit (all objects)
Low_Limit (all objects)
Limit_Monitoring_Interval (all objects)
Notification_Class (all objects)
Time_Delay (all objects)
Notify_Type (all objects)
Event_Detection_Enable (all objects)
Event_Algorithm_Inhibit (all objects)
Time_Delay_Normal (all objects)
Reliability_Evaluation_Inhibit (all objects)
Profile_Name (all objects)
Update_Interval (all objects)
Min_Pres_Value (all objects)
Resolution (all objects)
COV_Increment (all objects)
Deadband (all objects)
Relinquish_Default(all objects without BitString Value and OctetString Value Objects)
Minimum_Value (all objects)
Minimum_Value_Timestamp (all objects)
Average_Value (all objects)
Variance_Value (all objects)
Maximum_Value (all objects)
Maximum_Value_Timestamp (all objects)
Attempted_Samples (all objects)
Valid_Samples (all objects)
Window_Interval (all objects)
Window_Samples (all objects)
Polarity (all objects)
Inactive_Text (all objects)
Active_Text (all objects)
Change_Of_State_Time (all objects)
Change_Of_State_Count (all objects)
Time_Of_State_Count_Reset (all objects)
Elapsed_Active_Time (all objects)
Time_Of_Active_Time_Reset (all objects)
Alarm_Value (all objects)
Minimum_Off_Time (all objects)
Minimum_On_Time (all objects)
Feedback_Value (all objects)
In_Process (all objects)
All_Writes_Successful (all objects)
System_Status (all objects)
Vendor_Name (all objects)
Vendor_Identifier (all objects)
Model_Name (all objects)
Firmware_Revision (all objects)
Application_Software_Version (all objects)
Location (all objects)
Protocol_Version (all objects)
Protocol_Revision (all objects)
Max_APDU_Length_Accepted (all objects)
Segmentation_Supported (all objects)
Max_Segments_Accepted (all objects)
Local_Time (all objects)
Local_Date (all objects)
UTC_Offset (all objects)
Daylight_Savings_Status (all objects)
APDU_Segment_Timeout (all objects)
APDU_Timeout (all objects)
Number_Of_APDU_Retries (all objects)
Max_Master (all objects)
Max_Info_Frames (all objects)
Database_Revision (all objects)
Backup_Failure_Timeout (all objects)
Backup_Preparation_Time (all objects)
Restore_Preparation_Time (all objects)
Restore_Completion_Time (all objects)
Backup_And_Restore_State (all objects)
Last_Restart_Reason (all objects)
Time_Synchronization_Interval (all objects)
Align_Intervals (all objects)
Interval_Offset (all objects)
Serial_Number (all objects)
Event_Type (all objects)
Fault_Type (all objects)
File_Type (all objects)
File_Size (all objects)
Modification_Date (all objects)
Archive (all objects)
Read_Only (all objects)
File_Access_Method (all objects)
Record_Count (all objects)
Tracking_Value (all objects)
Mode (all objects)
Silenced (all objects)
Operation_Expected (all objects)
Maintenance_Required (all objects)
Setting (all objects)
Direct_Reading (all objects)
Output_Units (all objects)
Controlled_Variable_Value (all objects)
Controlled_Variable_Units (all objects)
Setpoint (all objects)
Proportional_Constant (all objects)
Proportional_Constant_Units (all objects)
Integral_Constant (all objects)
Integral_Constant_Units (all objects)
Derivative_Constant (all objects)
Derivative_Constant_Units (all objects)
Bias (all objects)
Maximum_Output (all objects)
Minimum_Output (all objects)
Priority_For_Writing (all objects)
Error_Limit (all objects)
Deadband (all objects)
Number_Of_States (all objects)
Program_State (all objects)
Program_Change (all objects)
Reason_For_Halt (all objects)
Description_Of_Halt (all objects)
Program_Location (all objects)
Instance_Of (all objects)
Scale_Factor (all objects)
Adjust_Value (all objects)
Count (all objects)
Update_Time (all objects)
Count_Change_Time (all objects)
Count_Before_Change (all objects)
COV_Period (all objects)
Enable (all objects)
Start_Time (all objects)
Stop_Time (all objects)
Log_Interval (all objects)
COV_Resubscription_Interval (all objects)
Stop_When_Full (all objects)
Buffer_Size (all objects)
Total_Record_Count (all objects)
Logging_Type (all objects)
Trigger (all objects)
Notification_Threshold (all objects)
Records_Since_Notification (all objects)
Last_Notify_Record (all objects)
Door_Status (all objects)
Lock_Status (all objects)
Secured_Status (all objects)
Door_Pulse_Time (all objects)
Door_Extended_Pulse_Time (all objects)
Door_Unlock_Delay_Time (all objects)
Door_Open_Too_Long_Time (all objects)
Door_Alarm_State (all objects)
Maintenance_Required (all objects)
State_Description (all objects)
Shed_Duration (all objects)
Duty_Window (all objects)
Full_Duty_Baseline (all objects)
Node_Type (all objects)
Node_Subtype (all objects)
Authentication_Status (all objects)
Active_Authentication_Policy (all objects)
Number_Of_Authentication_Policies (all objects)
Authorization_Mode (all objects)
Verification_Time (all objects)
Lockout (all objects)
Lockout_Relinquish_Time (all objects)
Failed_Attempts (all objects)
Max_Failed_Attempts (all objects)
Failed_Attempts_Time (all objects)
Threat_Level (all objects)
Occupancy_Upper_Limit_Enforced (all objects)
Occupancy_Lower_Limit_Enforced (all objects)
Occupancy_Count_Adjus (all objects)t
Accompaniment_Time (all objects)
Access_Event (all objects)
Access_Event_Tag (all objects)
Muster_Point (all objects)
Transaction_Notification_Class (all objects)
Global_Identifier (all objects)
Occupancy_State (all objects)
Occupancy_Count (all objects)
Occupancy_Count_Enable (all objects)
Adjust_Value (all objects)
Occupancy_Upper_Limit (all objects)
Occupancy_Lower_Limit (all objects)
Last_Credential_Added_Time (all objects)
Last_Credential_Removed_Time (all objects)
Passback_Mode (all objects)
Passback_Timeout (all objects)
User_Type (all objects)
User_Name (all objects)
User_External_Identifier (all objects)
User_Information_Reference (all objects)
Credential_Status (all objects)
Activation_Time (all objects)
Expiry_Time (all objects)
Credential_Disable (all objects)
Days_Remaining (all objects)
Uses_Remaining (all objects)
Absentee_Limit (all objects)
Last_Access_Event (all objects)
Last_Use_Time (all objects)
Trace_Flag (all objects)
Threat_Authority (all objects)
Extended_Time_Enable (all objects)
Is_UTC (all objects)
Base_Device_Security_Policy (all objects)
Security_Time_Window (all objects)
Packet_Reorder_Time (all objects)
Distribution_Key_Revision (all objects)
Security_PDU_Timeout (all objects)
Update_Key_Set_Timeout (all objects)
Do_Not_Hide (all objects)
Requested_Update_Interval (all objects)
COVU_Period (all objects)
Local_Forwarding_Only (all objects)
Last_Priority (all objects)
Write_Status (all objects)
Allow_Group_Delay_Inhibit (all objects)
Channel_Number (all objects)
In_Progress (all objects)
Blink_Warn_Enable (all objects)
Egress_Time (all objects)
Egress_Active (all objects)
Default_Fade_Time (all objects)
Default_Ramp_Rate (all objects)
Default_Step_Increment (all objects)
Transition (all objects)
Power (all objects)
Instantaneous_Power (all objects)
Min_Actual_Value (all objects)
Max_Actual_Value (all objects)
Lighting_Command_Default_Priority (all objects)
Search Discovered Devices
To activate Search Discovered Devices (Find devices in already discovered results).
To show result in the separate table (for selected Search Discovered Devices)
Return from Search Discovered Devices results to full results.
You can search for duplicated devices Tools - Search for Duplicated devices
Who-Has request
Sometimes you need to see which devices have certain objects - certain IDs or object names. You can use the Who-Has service which is used for Object discovery.
To activate Who-Has (I-Have with found results).
To Resend Who-Has
You can use ‘Show all results’ and ‘Show I-Have results’ main menu items switching between All found results and I-Have found results.
Simple Device Object
BACnet server
The Simple Device Object is a BACnet server Device type. When this server is started it sends a BACnet I-Am packet to the attached network.
The Device Object On/Off function is equivalent to the Main menu->Actions->Simple Device Object. To Start or Stop the BACnet Device Object server, use the Device Object On/Off.
Device Object Settings. To specify BACnet Explorer Device Instance Number, use the following function-
Exporting to Engineering Data Exchange (.EDE format)
In a multi-vendor system engineering data need to be exchanged between the interacting parties. From the BACnet point of view it is not really required to have data point lists, because data of object properties from any device can be discovered online using the appropriate BACnet services. But depending on the BACnet functionality supported by server device or client device, it may be necessary to provide this information as an offline data-point list. This may also be required, if the client needs to be set-up before the server device is operational on the network.
The Engineering Data Exchange (EDE) template shall help to exchange engineering data, such as data point types, data point addresses and special data point presentation information in a standardized form.
When integrating multi-vendor systems using the BACnet protocol, the actual protocol is described in the BACnet Standard. The extent of implementation is described in the PICS (Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement) of a BACnet device.
BACnet objects contain various object properties that can help in setting-up the engineering data which may be required for the configuration of a Supervisory Station or an Automation Station. However, many of these object properties are not mandatory on either the client side or on the server side.
Also, many clients (Supervisory Stations or Automation Stations) require ‘offline engineering’ of their databases.
The Engineering Data Exchange template shall provide a common means to describe the objects of a data point server in the form of a Microsoft ® Excel spreadsheet. The latest description of .EDE format you can find here.
Cimetrics BACnet Explorer allows you to save your BACnet data to an .EDE format. Here is how:
Once you discover devices on the network(s) you can save them to the .EDE file.
1. - To save one device only just right-click on device and choose Export to EDE. You can also navigate to this device and go to Action - Export to EDE - Selected Device Export.
- To save all the devices on a network right click on the network and select Export to EDE all the devices on this network or via Action menu;
- To save all the devices go to Action - Export to EDE - All Device Export or right click on a network.
2. When you click export then the dialog window opens where you specify the name of the project, the version number, the author and the export file options.
3. Now you can see all the devices you chose to export. Note, that you can only export devices which have all their objects and properties discovered. The devices with un-read objects and properties will be grayed out and the dialog box will prompt you if you want Explorer to read these devices or if you only want to export already read devices.
Note! If during the reading process the device is not responding or missing the Explorer will notify you about it.
4.If you choose to discover all the devices the Explorer will go an reading these devices and then will show you the list of the devices again.
After you click on Export, the Object filter dialog box will pop up. All the required objects are checked by default. You can also use a filtering feature to filer the objects.
5. Click ok and after the export the Explorer will say that Creating of EDE file was successful.
Working with captured files and sites
Scenarios of working with BACnet Explorer:
Capturing a New Site
The first and foremost purpose of BACnet Explorer is to capture the information for an existing site. Successively double-clicking on nodes or repeatedly pressing the right arrow key will perform dynamic discovery on a connected site. When you have discovered all the portions of a site of interest, the Save As command makes it easy to write all the information to hard disk for persistent use later. Each new site in BACnet Explorer starts out with the name "Untitled." The first time you Save As function, choose a name for the hard disk file which corresponds with the site or portion of the site that is meaningful to you.
Comparing a Site with its previously saved state
Comparing a site with its previously saved information is facilitated by BACnet Explorer. The first time you Save you choose a name which is meaningful to you for referring to the site. In future visits when you want to compare the information, you can load the site file that has already been stored but be sure that you invoke Save As immediately so that you are working with a file whose name represents the new information now, as contrasted with the previous information. Use a file difference utility to display and highlight the differences between the prior and current files. You can iteratively use discovery or re-read and Save As to update the current file in various ways and repeat the difference display.
Commissioning a new Site that resembles a previously saved one
When you arrive at a new site, but one which resembles another that you have previously stored, you need not start from scratch. Load the site file that has already been stored but be sure that you invoke Save As immediately so that you are working with a file whose name represents the information now at the new site, as contrasted with the name for the file from the prior site which still holds the information captured then. Note that BACnet Explorer does not dynamically update the display with information as it exists at the new site, and will only update the display to match the reality for those nodes on which you invoke the re-read, auto-read or re-discovery. This saves you time obviating the need for communication with portions of the network about which you do not care. But for those portions about which you do care, be sure to invoke re-read to insure you are looking at current information.
Viewing BACnet calendar objects
If there
are any Calendar objects found in a device use the ‘Show Calendar’ tools. You
can view the calendar via:
- Right-click
on the Calendar object in the tree and choose Show Calendar;
![View Calendar from the Object Tree]()
- From the Tools menu choose Show Calendar
![Viewing Calendar from the Tools menu]()
- Right-click
on the Device which has calendar object(s);
![View Calendar from the Device]()
- Right-click
on the Calendar property in the right panel.
![View Calendar from the property]()
The main window will open.
You can browse the calendar by date, month or year
All events
of a calendar are shown in the left table.
For different types of events different designations and colors are used:
Date and DatePattern 
and 
DateRange
- 
and 
WeekNDay -
and 
You can see calendar in two different ways:
- "Show auto-populated calendar’ mode(default).
![]()
- "One
by One’ mode.
![]()
You can see events in any selected month right away.
If you don't see events in the selected month or would like to see events in the future or in the past use Next and Prev buttons.
If selected Calendar events do not occur this month then the Explorer will let you know by showing ‘This event doesn’t occur this month. Use “Next” or “Prev” buttons to check other months’ message. You can use Next or Prev buttons to search for previous or future events.
You can see in details each event in the calendar. 
If two or
more calendar events refer for the same day (duplicated calendar events) then the Explorer will notify you about this conflict.
Viewing BACnet Schedule objects
If your device has any Schedule objects you can view them with our Schedule Viewer tool. To open a viewer navigate to the Schedule object and right-click on it. Select "View Schedule".
You can also access the Schedule Viewer thru the Tools menu. Tools - Show Schedule
You can also righ click on the device and choose the Schedule object you would like to view.
When you select to view a Schedule object the main Schedule window will open
You can browse the schedule by date, month or year
You can see schedule in two different ways:
One by One mode
Or show
auto-populated schedule’ mode (default)
Toolbar panel description:
Refresh the Schedule object:
Find and Show an actual event:
Show
data for selected event:
You can see an additional information in this window:
If Exception_Schedule contains CalendarReference structure
then you can lock for it in the Calendar object You can see all the events for a particular date 
You can also select different time in the calendar in the main schedule window
If your Schedule object has invalid data the Schedule Viewer will mark it with a red symbol
Writing to arrays
Examples for writing to arrays:
BACnetARRAY[N] of CharacterString:
{Low , High , Overload }
BACnetARRAY[N] of BACnetObjectIdentifier:
{(lift, 1), (lift, 2)}
BACnetARRAY[N] of Unsigned (of Unsigned32, of Unsigned8):
{1, 2, 3}
BACnetARRAY[N] of REAL:
{0.1, 20.15, -0.1234}
You can write to arrays of Double, Byte, Unsigned16, Int16, Int32, Int64
View Only Mode
If BACstac started successfully after launching BACnet Explorer, then the Explorer will start in a full mode. If BACstac is missing or it wasn't initiated or properly configured, then the program will start in View Only mode so you can load the previously saved BACnet Site file for viewing. You will see notification in the window title.
You will also see the following messages:
If BACstac resumes its' service while BACnet Explorer is running (BACstac will be restarted) then the Explorer will start working in a full mode and will have a similar message on the panel:
Icons descriptions
When you perform operations with devices, objects and properties you will see different status icons. Here is the description of what they mean:
Tree:
Table in the right info panel:
Taking snapshot for later comparison
With a snapshot premium feature you can capture what you've discovered on a BACnet network and compare with the existing BACnet Network later.
Create a as many snapshots as you like. You can save any comparison results in .XML or .CSV file.
To create a snapshot go to the menu Action - Snapshot - Create Snapshot. You can also right click on a node and select Create Snapshot.
Snapshot will be created. Then at any time when you want to see what have changed since you have created a snapshot you can go to Action - Snapshot - Compare Snapshot or right click on the node and choose Compare Snapshot.
Explorer will ask what re-reading mode you would want to use and if you want to exclude Date and Time and/or Present Value parameters since those usually change very often.
Re-read Snapshot's Devices only - if you choose this option the Explorer will only compare what you have in a snapshot. It will not look for new devices on a network.
Re-read Snapshot's Devices within specified range - if you choose this option the Explorer will only compare devices from your snapshot which are within specified range.
Re-Read devices within specified range - if you choose this option the Explorer will compare devices within specified range and find any new devices within this specified range.
Re-Read snapshot devices and new devices - if you choose this option the Explorer will compare all the devices in a snapshot and look for the new devices on a global network.
You can always Abort comparison at any time by selecting Abort Comparison button.
When comparison is done you will get a message:
NOTE: Explorer will only compare what was already been discovered before you took snapshot.
If a node was changed then you will see the indicator saying that the network/device/object/property was changed.
You can save snapshot as an .xml file for using in the future:
You can also save to .csv file to see the differences between snapshot and values and new values. Right click anywhere in the snapshot tab and choose Save snapshot as XML (CSV)
Select what properties to save.
Choose what devices you want to save in the file. In the new .csv file there will be a new column - New Property Value.
You can always revert to snapshot after you have done comparison or delete a snapshot.
To see the results in the table right click on the changed node and choose Comparison Results - you will see the results from the snapshot and from the latest comparison.
COV Subscription
COV reporting is a useful alternative to repeatedly polling an Object for some monitored value. COV reporting allows it to send out notices when a change occurs. COV notifications are generated by the application program monitoring Objects directly related to control operations: specifically, the various Input, Output and Value Objects, as well as the Loop Object.
BACnet Explorer allows to subscribe to COV notifications. To subscribe to all available for subscriptions objects of the device right click on the device and choose "Subscribe All Objects of Selected Device"
To subscribe to a particular object or property right click on this object/property. You can also use the menu to subscribe to an object/property.
You will be able to choose subscription settings:
Choose if you want Confirmed or Unconfirmed COV Notification.
ConfirmedCOVNotification - Tells subscribing devices of the COV that occurred in a property.
UnconfirmedCOVNotification - Tells subscribing devices that a change has occurred to one or more properties of a particular object
If the subscription expires you can choose to automatically renew it or not.
Choose subscription lifetime. Click ok and all the subscriptions will be in the pop out subscription table.
COV Subscription table has two tabs - Subscribed Objects and Subscribed Properties. Check "Do you want to save COV subscription table" if you want these COV subscriptions available when you restart the Explorer for future use.
You can right click on the table and unsubscribe any property or object. You can select multiple objects/properties to unsubscribe.
You can also right click on any subscribe object/property and see the subscription properties.
Activated Saved COV Subscriptions
If you saved COV subscriptions then when you restart the Explorer you can activate saved COV subscriptions.
After you choose "Activate Saved COV Subscriptions" the following table will open up:
Select what you want to activate and choose "Subscribe to COV notifications". Right click on any object/property and choose if you want to select all, only objects, only properties or items from a particular device.
Transfer files
BACnet provides a comprehensive set of messages for conveying information between devices including file transfer. You can transfer files to or from a File Object in a BACnet Device using Cimetrics BACnet Explorer. Please note you can only transfer files which have Stream File-access-method.
In order to Upload or Download files right click on the File object and choose Download File or Upload File.
You can also do this from the action menu - File Transfer - Download File or Upload File.
Choose the folder where you want the file to be saved. Or if you are uploading file choose the folder where the file for upload is located. After successful download and upload you will get a message that download/upload is successful.
Capturing Packets with BACnet Explorer
You can capture packets with BACnet Explorer and use them for troubleshooting or record keeping. To enable the capture go to Action menu - Capture Packets - Start/Stop Capture Packets.
If you are capturing BACnet/IP traffic you can use filters to filter traffic by Protocols, Ethernet Address, IP address or UDP port
Click on Start Capture and choose where to save captured file
If Explorer captures packets you can see the indicator at the top of the Explorer
After you stop the capture or close an Explorer you can open the captured file with BAS-O-matic or Wireshark.
Info Panel
Tree View Panel
This panel can use for presentation results as Tree:
You can use “Search” fields for searching network, devices or objects in the tree:
You can look for duplicated device IDs.
You can also search for duplicated devices:
Tree view panel has a context pop-up menu, which depends on type of the selected items:
For selected network-
For selected device
Right Info panel
The items displayed on this panel are connected with the items selected in the left panel(in the Tree or in the Table).
For Example: If you select a Device in the left panel you can see its' objects in the right panel.
The right panel has a context pop-up menu which depends on the types of the displayed items:
For table with devices:
For table with objects:
If you Double click on the Table with properties then you will be shown a field containing property values
(for big property values):
The right panel may show the state of the items and operations. For more details and explanations use the indicator in the Status Bar panel:
If the property is checked then when you click on it a BACnet Explorer will automatically re-read this property. If the value of the property has changed after re-read then it will be shown in Italic.
If you perform Write Property on any property of an object then all the properties of this object will be reread (if the re-read values has changed then they will be shown in italic).
When you perform Relinquish Default then Priority Array will be re-read. Here is an example:
For more information about states of items in the tree and tables please see of ANNEX A – STATES of ITEMS
Left Table panel
In this panel you can see results as a table:
There are following tools are available in the panel:
You can use the “Object Filter” list box for filtering objects in the tree:
Filtering and Sorting
Filtering and sorting the right-side table
To activate a Filtration function the user has to execute two consecutive steps:
- To open the panel for filtration rules: ToolBar -> Filter -> Filter Panel Show/Hide
To activate/cancel a filtration: ToolBar -> Filter -> Filter On/Off
To close " Filter Panel Show/Hide " panel you can use the button or click on any line in the tables or in a tree.
For a choice of operations AND or OR you can click in the field with an operation badge
->click ->
To use brackets in a filter rule, use the button 
Fields with a choice of filtering are directly above the corresponding fields in the lower table.
Filtering devices, objects or properties
Devices
After opening of the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel, it is necessary to set filtering rules. Three fields are used for this purpose:
1. Instance Number (Inst.N)
2. Device Name
3. Vendor Name
The user must set values in one or more of three fields. Fields can be joined or excluded in a filtering rule. The value of a field is excluded by double-clicking in the field, (The name of the excluded field is displayed in the Strikeout font).
Values of fields can be integrated into the rule by means of the operations AND and OR. The rule also may contain quotes:
After an operation using the rule it is possible to simply close the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel. (In this case, for re-activation of the filter it will be necessary to use the "Filter On/Off " function), using the 
button.
After use of the rule it is possible to activate the filter immediately, by selecting the 
button.
To cancel the filter, use the " Filter On/Off " function.
Objects
After opening the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel it is necessary to set filtering rules. Three fields are
used for this purpose:
1. Object Type (Obj.Type), selects the Object type to be used
2. Object identifier (Obj.Id)
3. Object Name (Obj.Name)
The user must set values in one or more of three fields. Fields can be joined or excluded in a filtering rule.
The value of a field is excluded by double-clicking in the field, (The name of the excluded field is displayed
in the Strikeout font).
Values of fields can be included in the rule by means of the AND and OR operators. The rule also may contain quotes
After use of the rule it is possible to simply close the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel (in this case to reactivate the filter it will be necessary to use the "Filter On/Off " function), using the “X” button.
After use of the rule it is possible to activate the filter immediately, using the button. The filter can be canceled with the " Filter On/Off " function.
Properties
After opening the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel it is necessary to set filtering rules. One field is used for
this purpose – Property Name.
The field used for “Property Name” values is the “Checked List Box” type.
Fields can be joined or excluded in the filtration rule. For inverting the value of a field it is necessary to click Enter in the field (the field with the inversion is displayed in Strikeout font).
After creating the rule, it is possible to simply close the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel using the button (in this case to reactivate the filter it will be necessary to use the "Filter On/Off " function).
To activate the filter immediately, use the button.
For cancellation of the filter use the "Filter On/Off " function.
Sorting
Sorting table rows according to table header column
Click the mouse button on the heading of the desired column.
General Information
How to purchase
- Download the free version of Explorer on our site www.cimetrics.com
- Open it and go to Help – Go Premium
- It will show you a string code. Please copy a string code and email it to purchase@cimetrics.com. We will generate a license for you and email it to you.
- Put this license in Cimetrics\Cimetrics BACnet Explorer folder (usually located in Program Files).
License agreement
Please read the following terms and conditions carefully before using this software. Your use of this software indicates your acceptance of this license agreement. If you do not agree with the terms of this license, you must remove this software from your computer and stop using this product.
Links to resources about BACnet
Here are some other resources where you can learn more about BACnet
ASHRAE BACnet Standard 135-2016 - This is a link directly to the ASHRAE web site where you can purchase the BACnet standard in hard-copy , CD-ROM, or download.
BACnet.org - The official ASHRAE BACnet web site.
BACnet International - A group of manufacturers who promote the use of BACnet.
BACnet Testing Lab - The organization that tests BACnet devices for conformance to the standard..
BACnet Interest Groups - List of organizations that facilitates the use of BACnet and holds regular BACnet training conferences all over the world.
BACnet User Group in New England - The purpose of the BACnet User Group is to bring together the local BACnet user community on a quarterly basis to share tips and techniques, pains and joys, regarding the use of the BACnet products and technologies. The user group features BACnet experts from Cimetrics, Siemens and Schneider Electric.
BACnet - European Interest Group - The European group which promotes the use of BACnet and holds regular training conferences in Europe.
BACnet FAQ - A good frequently asked questions page on the www.bacnet.org web site.
Contact Us - Support
Our full contact information is:
Cimetrics Inc.
Tel: +1 (617) 350-7550
Fax: +1 (617) 350-7552
Email: info@cimetrics.com
For support, if you have a paid version, please contact:
We would prefer email, but if you need to speak to someone immediately call:
+1-617-350-7550
Provide your feedback and publish your requests for the new features on our forum - http://bacnetexplorer.boards.net/
BACnet Explorer Help Version 4
Getting Started
System Requirement
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2003, WindowsServer 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012/R2, Windows Server 2012R2, Windows 10; 32- and 64-bit versions are supported.
Program Installation, Removal and Upgrade
Installation: Run the installation program. Leave all the components checked which are checked by default.
Uninstall: Go to Start | All Programs | Cimetrics BACnet Explorer | Uninstall BACnet Explorer
Upgrade: To upgrade to a newer version please uninstall the existing version of Explorer. If you are updating an existing version to a new release just run the installer. E.g. Explorer V.4. will have a release V4.1, V4.2. You can check for a new release or version on our website www.cimetrics.com
Licensing
Within the program go to Help - Buy License and follow purchasing instructions. When you get the license just place it in the \Cimetrics\Cimetrics BACnet Explorer directory. If you purchased a paid version of an Explorer which does not have ads and has one year support you will get a software key. In order for the application to r in a licensed mode, you will need to have a software license placed in BACnet Explorer folder or you will see ads. The free version does not provide any support. You can use BACnet Explorer forum for filing bugs/suggestions/requests.
LOCKING MECHANISM:
BACnet Explorer needs the Soft license file - this is a small file which is also emailed to you when you purchase the software. Send us the "machine code" listed on the popup screen and we will create the license file and email this to you. This file is loaded into the main Explorer folder (same location as described above). The license will only work on one computer and cannot be moved (it looks to match the "machine code" that was supplied to us).
Configuring BACstac
In order to communicate with BACnet devices that are on a BACnet/IP network, you will need to configure the Cimetrics BACstac protocol to use BACnet/IP. Once you have this configured the BACnet Explorer should be able to communicate with devices on a chosen network.
BACnet/IP BACstac configuration
Configure BACstac to work with the BACnet/IP interface. Within a BACnet Explorer go to Tools - Settings – BACnet Protocol configuration
Add a new BACnet/IP connection – choose your Network Interface Card in the Adapter: Leave port number default at 1. Change the UDP port if needed to match the one on your network. Click ok and restart BACstac.
If your IP address changes during your BACnet Explorer session running you would need to rerun a BACnet Protocol Configurator and restart BACnet Explorer.
Configuring BBMD and FD
You can configure BACstac (which Cimetrics BACnet Explorer uses) to be a BBMD or become a foreign device.
Configure for BBMD: With a BACnet/IP network comprised of two or more IP subnets, a local broadcast may not be able to span multiple subnets — if so, a device called a BBMD must be used. More in this tutorial.
Within a BACnet Explorer go to Tools - Settings – BACnet Protocol configuration.
Navigate on the port you want to edit and click on Edit. Click on BBMD tab. Check BACnet Broadcast Management Device and put the IP address of the BBMDs you would like to maintain in your BBMD table.
You can also enable Foreign Device Table or NAT Global Address.
Configure for FD:
In some cases there may be devices that live on a subnet where it is not economical to install, configure and maintain a BBMD or where there are no other BACnet nodes. Because it is important for these devices to able to communicate with BACnet/IP networks, we need to define a mechanism whereby such devices can associate themselves with a BACnet network.
A "foreign" device is a BACnet device that has an IP subnet address different from those comprising the BACnet/IP network which the device seeks to join. The foreign device may be a full-time node on the foreign subnet or may be a part-time participant, as would be the case if the device accessed the internet via a SLIP or PPP connection. More on that in this tutorial.
Within a BACnet Explorer go to Tools - Settings – BACnet Protocol configuration - Edit - Foreign Device tab
Check the Foreign Device and put the IP of the remote BBMD to which you want your foreign device to get attached.
Using Explorer
Overview
Device discovery happens automatically when you start the program. Successively clicking on tree nodes or on left table nodes will perform dynamic discovery on a connected site.
Main Menu
File
Open - Open an existing treeview file. Use this command to open an existing treeview file.
Save As - Save a treeview file to a specified file name (XML or CSV format). Use this command to save and name the active treeview file. BACnet Explorer displays the Save As dialog box so you can choose a name and a specific format for your document. BACnet Explorer saves and opens files in XML format.
Exit - Exit Cimetrics BACnet Explorer. Use this command to end your BACnet Explorer session. You can also use the Close dialog box on the application System menu. BACnet Explorer prompts you to save your document if it has any unsaved changes.
Actions
Add network - Add a new network.
Add Device - Add a new device. Use this command to create a new device on a network. You specify the Device ID - make sure it is a unique number on a network. The number in the MAC address box must also be a unique number on the network. The application uses 2 BACnet address formats:
- {net,x'MAC'}, for example {26,x'102030405060'}, {0x1A,x'10 20 30 40 50 60'};
- net:MAC, for example 27:C0-A8-01-03-BA-C0, 0x1B:C0A80103BAC0
Add Object - Create a new object. Use this command to create a new object within a device. You specify an Object type and Object Instance (make sure the Object Instance is a unique number within the device.
Add Property - Add a new property. Use this command to create a new property within an object. You specify the Property ID, property Data type, Structure type and Property Value.
Hide Selected Device – Hide the selected device.
Hide Selected Object – Hide the selected object.
Hide Selected Property – Hide the selected property.
Re-read device – Re-read all device data (objects and properties).
Re-read property – Re-read property data.
Property Properties – Show all property data.
Write property - Let the user write to a property.
Relinquish - Sends a command to the point to relinquish (give up control).
Device Object On/Off – Start/Stop BACnet Device Object server.
Device Object Settings – Set BACnet Device Object settings.
Tools
APDU settings – Set and save to a file the configuration APDU Properties settings.
Find device settings – Set and save to a file the configuration's discovered device settings.
Common settings – Show the basic information about the BACnet Explorer host PC and Set default Priority for writable properties.
BACnet Protocol Configuration – Start of the BACnet Protocol Configuration process.
Toolbar Panel
The Tool bar panel consists of:
1. Refresh All results
2. Refresh Selected Device(is enabled if selected any device)
3. Refresh Selected Object
4. Refresh Selected Property(is enabled if selected any property)
5. Clear All Results
6. To open an existing document Main menu->File->Open
7. Save an opened document to a specified file name (Xml or CSV format) Main menu->File->Save As
8. Filter Panel Show/Hide
9. Filter On/Off, for more information about filtration please see Filtration section…
10. Write Property, use this action for writing to selected property (Only for Enumerated property type)
When you use Write Property for complex properties (DateTime, Object Identifier etc.) you have to use a dialogue box which opens by the special button.
11. Device Object On/Off (Main menu->Actions->Simple Device Object). Start/Stop BACnet Device Object server
12. Device Object Settings. To set BACnet Device Object settings
File Menu
The file menu offers the following commands:
Open - Opens an existing document.
Use this command to open an existing document. BACnet Explorer prompts you to save your current document if it has any unsaved changes. You can instead create new documents with the New command if what you want is not an existing document.
Shortcuts:
Toolbar:
Save As - Saves an opened document to a specified file name.
Use this command to save and name the active document. BACnet Explorer displays the Save As dialog box so you can name your document.
Shortcuts
Toolbar:
Exit - Exits BACnet Explorer.
Use this command to end your BACnet Explorer session. BACnet Explorer prompts you to save your document if it has any unsaved
Action Menu
The action menu offers the following commands:
Add Network - Creates a new network.
Use this command to create a new network in BACnet Explorer. You specify the network number - make sure it's a unique number on a global internetwork. If you would like BACnet Explorer to automatically discover devices on this network when it starts check the Auto-discover at Open check box.
Add Device - Creates a new device.
Use this command to create a new device on a network. You specify the Device ID - make sure it's a unique number on a network. If you would like BACnet Explorer read this device after it is created check Auto-discover at Open check box. In MAC address box specify MAC address in hexadecimal - make sure it's a unique number on a network. If you would like BACnet Explorer to look for this device on a remote network check Attempt to Find on Remote Networks box.
Add Object - Creates a new object.
Use this command to create a new object within a device. You specify an Object type and Object Instance (make sure an Object Instance is a unique number within a device). If you would like BACnet
Explorer to read this object after it is created check Auto-discover at Open check box.
Use this command to create a new property within an object. You specify the Property ID, property Data type, Structure type and Property Value. If you would like BACnet Explorer to read this property after it is created check Auto-read check box.
Re-Read Property - Allows to re-read the object's property.
Write Property - Allows to write to the object's property.
Use this command to write to the property of an object.
Relinquish - Sends a command to the point to relinquish (give up control).
Property Properties - Shows the property of the property.
Hide/Unhide - Allows the user to hide/unhide device/object/property from the view.
Help Menu
Help - Offers you an index to topics on which you can get help
Use this command to display the opening screen of Help. From the opening screen, you can jump to step-by-step instructions for using BACnet Explorer and various types of reference information.
About BACnet Explorer - Displays the version number of this application.
Use this command to display the copyright notice and version number of your copy of BACnet Explorer.
Help Index - Offers you an index to topics on which you can get help.
Buy License - Information on how to purchase a paid version without ads.'Cimetrics BACnet Explorer
Forum'
Cimetrics BACnet Explorer Forum - link to the forum where you can ask any questions about the
Explorer, report bug or make a suggestion for useful features in the upcoming version.
Send Us Feedback - Information Form you can use to send us feedback/suggestions and we will get
back to you as soon as possible!
Toolbar
The toolbar is displayed across the top of the application window, below the menu bar. The toolbar provides quick mouse access to many tools used in BACnet Explorer.
Writable Properties
Writable properties types:
- NULL
- Boolean
- Unsigned Integer
- Signed Integer
- Real
- Double
- Character String
- Enumerated
- BACnetObjectIdentifier
- Date
- Time
- DateTime
Writable properties:
Object_Identifier (all objects)
Object_Name (all objects)
Object_Type (all objects)
Present_Value(all objects without Group, Schedule, Credential Data Input, BitString Value, OctetString
Value, Global Group, Channel objects)
Description (all objects)
Device_Type (all objects)
Event_State (all objects)
Reliability (all objects)
Out_Of_Service (all objects)
Units (all objects)
Max_Pres_Value (all objects)
Value_Change_Time (all objects)
Value_Before_Change (all objects)
Value_Set (all objects)
Logging_Object (all objects)
Pulse_Rate (all objects)
High_Limit (all objects)
Low_Limit (all objects)
Limit_Monitoring_Interval (all objects)
Notification_Class (all objects)
Time_Delay (all objects)
Notify_Type (all objects)
Event_Detection_Enable (all objects)
Event_Algorithm_Inhibit (all objects)
Time_Delay_Normal (all objects)
Reliability_Evaluation_Inhibit (all objects)
Profile_Name (all objects)
Update_Interval (all objects)
Min_Pres_Value (all objects)
Resolution (all objects)
COV_Increment (all objects)
Deadband (all objects)
Relinquish_Default(all objects without BitString Value and OctetString Value Objects)
Minimum_Value (all objects)
Minimum_Value_Timestamp (all objects)
Average_Value (all objects)
Variance_Value (all objects)
Maximum_Value (all objects)
Maximum_Value_Timestamp (all objects)
Attempted_Samples (all objects)
Valid_Samples (all objects)
Window_Interval (all objects)
Window_Samples (all objects)
Polarity (all objects)
Inactive_Text (all objects)
Active_Text (all objects)
Change_Of_State_Time (all objects)
Change_Of_State_Count (all objects)
Time_Of_State_Count_Reset (all objects)
Elapsed_Active_Time (all objects)
Time_Of_Active_Time_Reset (all objects)
Alarm_Value (all objects)
Minimum_Off_Time (all objects)
Minimum_On_Time (all objects)
Feedback_Value (all objects)
In_Process (all objects)
All_Writes_Successful (all objects)
System_Status (all objects)
Vendor_Name (all objects)
Vendor_Identifier (all objects)
Model_Name (all objects)
Firmware_Revision (all objects)
Application_Software_Version (all objects)
Location (all objects)
Protocol_Version (all objects)
Protocol_Revision (all objects)
Max_APDU_Length_Accepted (all objects)
Segmentation_Supported (all objects)
Max_Segments_Accepted (all objects)
Local_Time (all objects)
Local_Date (all objects)
UTC_Offset (all objects)
Daylight_Savings_Status (all objects)
APDU_Segment_Timeout (all objects)
APDU_Timeout (all objects)
Number_Of_APDU_Retries (all objects)
Max_Master (all objects)
Max_Info_Frames (all objects)
Database_Revision (all objects)
Backup_Failure_Timeout (all objects)
Backup_Preparation_Time (all objects)
Restore_Preparation_Time (all objects)
Restore_Completion_Time (all objects)
Backup_And_Restore_State (all objects)
Last_Restart_Reason (all objects)
Time_Synchronization_Interval (all objects)
Align_Intervals (all objects)
Interval_Offset (all objects)
Serial_Number (all objects)
Event_Type (all objects)
Fault_Type (all objects)
File_Type (all objects)
File_Size (all objects)
Modification_Date (all objects)
Archive (all objects)
Read_Only (all objects)
File_Access_Method (all objects)
Record_Count (all objects)
Tracking_Value (all objects)
Mode (all objects)
Silenced (all objects)
Operation_Expected (all objects)
Maintenance_Required (all objects)
Setting (all objects)
Direct_Reading (all objects)
Output_Units (all objects)
Controlled_Variable_Value (all objects)
Controlled_Variable_Units (all objects)
Setpoint (all objects)
Proportional_Constant (all objects)
Proportional_Constant_Units (all objects)
Integral_Constant (all objects)
Integral_Constant_Units (all objects)
Derivative_Constant (all objects)
Derivative_Constant_Units (all objects)
Bias (all objects)
Maximum_Output (all objects)
Minimum_Output (all objects)
Priority_For_Writing (all objects)
Error_Limit (all objects)
Deadband (all objects)
Number_Of_States (all objects)
Program_State (all objects)
Program_Change (all objects)
Reason_For_Halt (all objects)
Description_Of_Halt (all objects)
Program_Location (all objects)
Instance_Of (all objects)
Scale_Factor (all objects)
Adjust_Value (all objects)
Count (all objects)
Update_Time (all objects)
Count_Change_Time (all objects)
Count_Before_Change (all objects)
COV_Period (all objects)
Enable (all objects)
Start_Time (all objects)
Stop_Time (all objects)
Log_Interval (all objects)
COV_Resubscription_Interval (all objects)
Stop_When_Full (all objects)
Buffer_Size (all objects)
Total_Record_Count (all objects)
Logging_Type (all objects)
Trigger (all objects)
Notification_Threshold (all objects)
Records_Since_Notification (all objects)
Last_Notify_Record (all objects)
Door_Status (all objects)
Lock_Status (all objects)
Secured_Status (all objects)
Door_Pulse_Time (all objects)
Door_Extended_Pulse_Time (all objects)
Door_Unlock_Delay_Time (all objects)
Door_Open_Too_Long_Time (all objects)
Door_Alarm_State (all objects)
Maintenance_Required (all objects)
State_Description (all objects)
Shed_Duration (all objects)
Duty_Window (all objects)
Full_Duty_Baseline (all objects)
Node_Type (all objects)
Node_Subtype (all objects)
Authentication_Status (all objects)
Active_Authentication_Policy (all objects)
Number_Of_Authentication_Policies (all objects)
Authorization_Mode (all objects)
Verification_Time (all objects)
Lockout (all objects)
Lockout_Relinquish_Time (all objects)
Failed_Attempts (all objects)
Max_Failed_Attempts (all objects)
Failed_Attempts_Time (all objects)
Threat_Level (all objects)
Occupancy_Upper_Limit_Enforced (all objects)
Occupancy_Lower_Limit_Enforced (all objects)
Occupancy_Count_Adjus (all objects)t
Accompaniment_Time (all objects)
Access_Event (all objects)
Access_Event_Tag (all objects)
Muster_Point (all objects)
Transaction_Notification_Class (all objects)
Global_Identifier (all objects)
Occupancy_State (all objects)
Occupancy_Count (all objects)
Occupancy_Count_Enable (all objects)
Adjust_Value (all objects)
Occupancy_Upper_Limit (all objects)
Occupancy_Lower_Limit (all objects)
Last_Credential_Added_Time (all objects)
Last_Credential_Removed_Time (all objects)
Passback_Mode (all objects)
Passback_Timeout (all objects)
User_Type (all objects)
User_Name (all objects)
User_External_Identifier (all objects)
User_Information_Reference (all objects)
Credential_Status (all objects)
Activation_Time (all objects)
Expiry_Time (all objects)
Credential_Disable (all objects)
Days_Remaining (all objects)
Uses_Remaining (all objects)
Absentee_Limit (all objects)
Last_Access_Event (all objects)
Last_Use_Time (all objects)
Trace_Flag (all objects)
Threat_Authority (all objects)
Extended_Time_Enable (all objects)
Is_UTC (all objects)
Base_Device_Security_Policy (all objects)
Security_Time_Window (all objects)
Packet_Reorder_Time (all objects)
Distribution_Key_Revision (all objects)
Security_PDU_Timeout (all objects)
Update_Key_Set_Timeout (all objects)
Do_Not_Hide (all objects)
Requested_Update_Interval (all objects)
COVU_Period (all objects)
Local_Forwarding_Only (all objects)
Last_Priority (all objects)
Write_Status (all objects)
Allow_Group_Delay_Inhibit (all objects)
Channel_Number (all objects)
In_Progress (all objects)
Blink_Warn_Enable (all objects)
Egress_Time (all objects)
Egress_Active (all objects)
Default_Fade_Time (all objects)
Default_Ramp_Rate (all objects)
Default_Step_Increment (all objects)
Transition (all objects)
Power (all objects)
Instantaneous_Power (all objects)
Min_Actual_Value (all objects)
Max_Actual_Value (all objects)
Lighting_Command_Default_Priority (all objects)
Search Discovered Devices
To activate Search Discovered Devices(Search Discovered Devices for found results).
To show result in the separate table(for selected Search Discovered Devices)
Return from Search Discovered Devices results to full results.
You can search for duplicated devices Tools - Search for Duplicated devices
Who-Has Request
Sometimes you need to see which devices have certain objects - certain IDs or object names. You can use the Who-Has service which is used for Object discovery.
To activate Who-Has(I-Have with found results).
To Resend Who-Has
You can use ‘Show all results’ and ‘Show I-Have results’ main menu items switching between All found results and I-Have found results.
Simple Device Object
BACnet server
The Simple Device Object is a BACnet server Device type. When this server is started it sends a BACnet I-Am packet to the attached network.
The Device Object On/Off function is equivalent to the Main menu->Actions->Simple Device Object. To Start or Stop the BACnet Device Object server, use the following functions -
Device Object Settings. To set BACnet Device Object settings, use the following functions-
Working with Captured Files and Sites
Scenarios of working with BACnet Explorer:
Capturing a New Site
The first and foremost purpose of BACnet Explorer is to capture the information for an existing site. Successively double-clicking on nodes or repeatedly pressing the right arrow key will perform dynamic discovery on a connected site. When you have discovered all the portions of a site of interest, the Save As command makes it easy to write all the information to hard disk for persistent use later. Each new site in BACnet Explorer starts out with the name "Untitled." The first time you Save As function, choose a name for the hard disk file which corresponds with the site or portion of the site that is meaningful to you.
Comparing a Site with its previously saved state
Comparing a site with its previously saved information is facilitated by BACnet Explorer. The first time you Save you choose a name which is meaningful to you for referring to the site. In future visits when you want to compare the information, you can load the site file that has already been stored, but be sure
that you invoke Save As immediately so that you are working with a file whose name represents the new
information now, as contrasted with the previous information. Use a file difference utility to display and highlight the differences between the prior and current files. You can iteratively use discovery or re-read and Save As to update the current file in various ways and repeat the difference display.
Commissioning a new Site that resembles a previously saved one
When you arrive at a new site, but one which resembles another that you have previously stored, you need not start from scratch. Load the site file that has already been stored, but be sure that you invoke Save As immediately so that you are working with a file whose name represents the information now at the new site, as contrasted with the name for the file from the prior site which still holds the information captured then. Note that BACnet Explorer does not dynamically update the display with information as it exists at the new site, and will only update the display to match the reality for those nodes on which you invoke the re-read, auto-read or re-discovery. This saves you time obviating the need for communication with portions of the network about which you do not care. But for those portions about which you do care, be sure to invoke re-read to insure you are looking at current information.
Viewing BACnet Calendar object
If there
are any Calendar objects found in a device use the ‘Show Calendar’ tools. You
can view the calendar via:
- Right-click
on the Calendar object in the tree;
![View Calendar from the Object Tree]()
- From the Tools menu
![Viewing Calendar from the Tools menu]()
- Right-click
on the Device which has calendar object(s);
![View Calendar from the Device]()
- Right-click
on the Calendar property in the right panel.
![View Calendar from the property]()
The main window will open.
You can browse the calendar by date, month or year
All events
of a calendar are shown in the left table.
For different types of events different designations and colors are used:
Date and DatePattern and
DateRange
- and
WeekNDay - and
You can see calendar in two different ways:
- "Show auto-populated calendar’ mode(default).
![]()
- "One
by One’ mode.
![]()
You can see events in any selected month right away.
If you don't see events in the selected month or would like to see events in the future or in the past use Next and Prev buttons.
If selected Calendar events do not occur this month then the Explorer will let you know by showing ‘This event doesn’t occur this month. Use “Next” or “Prev” buttons to check other months’ message. You can use Next or Prev buttons to search for previous or future events.
You can see in details each event in the calendar.
If two or
more calendar events refer for the same day (duplicated calendar events) then the Explorer will notify you about this conflict.
Viewer Only Mode
If BACstac started successfully after launching BACnet Explorer then the Explorer will start in a full mode. If BACstac is missing or it wasn't initiated then the program will start in Viewer Only mode so you can load the previously saved BACnet Site file for viewing. You will see notification in the window title:
You will also see the following messages:
If BACstac resumes its' service while BACnet Explorer is running (BACstac will be restarted) then the Explorer will start working in a full mode and will have a similar message on the panel:
Icon Descriptions
When you perform operations with devices, objects and properties you will see different status icons. Here is the description of what they mean:
Tree:
Table in the right info panel:
Info Panel
Tree View Panel
This panel can use for presentation results as Tree
You can use “Search” fields for searching network, devices or objects in the tree
You can look for duplicated device IDs.
You can also search for duplicated devices
Tree view panel has a context pop-up menu, which depends on type of the selected items:
For selected network-
For selected device
Right Info Panel
The items displayed on this panel are connected with the items selected in the left panel(in the Tree or in the Table).
For Example: If selected Device the right panel consists from objects for this device.
The right panel has a context pop-up menu which depends on the types of the displayed items:
For table with devices-
For table with objects
If you Double click on the Table with properties then you will be shown a field containing property values
(for big property values)-
The right panel may contain various images which describe the found characteristics for items (rows) of the table or operation to perform over items from the table. For more details and explanations use the indicator in the Status Bar panel.
If the property is checked then when you click on it BACnet Explorer will automatically re-read this property. If the value of the property has changed after re-read then it will show you in Italic.
If you perform Write Property on any property in an object then all the properties of this object will be reread (if the re-read values has changed then they will be shown in italic).
When you perform Relinquish Default then Priority Array will be re-read. Here is an example:
For more information about states of items in the tree and tables please see of ANNEX A – STATES of ITEMS
Left Table Panel
This panel can use for presentation results as Table-
There are following tools are available on the panel -
You can use the “Object Filter” list box for filtering objects in the tree
Filtering and Sorting
Filtering and sorting the right-side table
To activate a Filtration function the user has to execute two consecutive steps:
- To open the panel for filtration rules: ToolBar -> Filter -> Filter Panel Show/Hide
To activate/cancel a filtration: ToolBar -> Filter -> Filter On/Off
To close " Filter Panel Show/Hide " panel you can use the button or click on any line in the tables or in a tree.
For a choice of operations AND or OR you can click in the field with an operation badge
->click ->
To use brackets in a filter rule, use the button
Fields with a choice of filtering are directly above the corresponding fields in the lower table.
Filtering devices, objects or properties
Devices
After opening of the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel, it is necessary to set filtering rules. Three fields are used for this purpose:
1. Instance Number (Inst.N)
2. Device Name
3. Vendor Name
The user has to set values in one or more of three fields. Fields can be joined or excluded in a filtering rule. The value of a field is excluded by double-clicking in the field, (The name of the excluded field is displayed in the Strikeout font).
Values of fields can be integrated into the rule by means of the operations And and Or. The rule also may contain quotes
After an operation using the rule it is possible to simply close the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel. (In this case, for re-activation of the filter it will be necessary to use the "Filter On/Off " function), using the button.
After use of the rule it is possible to activate the filter immediately, by selecting the button.
To cancel the filter, use the " Filter On/Off " function.
Objects
After opening the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel it is necessary to set filtering rules. Three fields are
used for this purpose -
1. Object Type(Obj.Type), selects the Object type to be used
2. Object identifier(Obj.Id)
3. Object Name(Obj.Name)
The user has to set values in one or more of three fields. Fields can be joined or excluded in a filtering rule.
The value of a field is excluded by double-clicking in the field, (The name of the excluded field is displayed
in the Strikeout font).
Values of fields can be included in the rule by means of the And and Or operators. The rule also may contain quotes
After use of the rule it is possible to simply close the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel (in this case to reactivate the filter it will be necessary to use the "Filter On/Off " function), using the “X” button.
After use of the rule it is possible to activate the filter immediately, using the button. The filter can be canceled with the " Filter On/Off " function.
Properties
After opening the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel it is necessary to set filtering rules. One field is used for
this purpose – Property Name.
The field used for “Property Name” values is the “Checked List Box” type.
Fields can be joined or excluded in the filtration rule. For inverting the value of a field it is necessary to click Enter in the field (the field with the inversion is displayed in Strikeout font).
After creating the rule it is possible to simply close the “Filter Panel Show/Hide” panel using the button (in this case to reactivate the filter it will be necessary to use the "Filter On/Off " function).
To activate the filter immediately, use the button.
For cancellation of the filter use the "Filter On/Off " function.
Sorting
Sorting table rows according to table header column
Click the mouse button on the heading of the desired column.
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