Cimetrics B3060 BBMD – BACnet Broadcast Management Device

The BACnet protocol utilizes broadcast messages for certain functions, such as the discovery of BACnet devices. Also, BACnet networks and routes are discovered using broadcasts.

Internet (or TCP/IP) Routers join IP networks together so messages from one network can be sent to another. If your BACnet devices are interconnected via IP routers then BACnet/IP broadcast messages will normally be blocked by the IP router.

To solve this problem BACnet defined a device called a “BBMD” (BACnet/IP Broadcast Management Device). Cimetrics developed a stand-alone high-performance B3060 device which serves just this one purpose.

The Cimetrics B3060 BBMD directly forwards a BACnet broadcast message initiated by a BACnet/IP device on its subnet to other BBMDs in accordance with its configuration. Upon arrival at a destination subnet, the message is then broadcast on that subnet by a peer BBMD. The B3060 also works with devices from other vendors. Any BACnet device on another subnet can register with the B3060 as a Foreign Device, if that configuration option is enabled. A registered Foreign Device becomes a member of the BACnet/IP network and will receive forwarded broadcast messages from the B3060 when they are available and can request that messages be broadcast by the B3060 on its behalf.

The B3060 does not perform BACnet routing, and it is not designed for use with network address translation (NAT).
The B3060 is optimized for high bandwidth usage due to its 32-bit embedded Linux-based OS and our BACstac/32TM protocol stack. This BACnet software is extremely robust and is the leading third party BACnet software used in thousands of devices from prominent BAS industry manufacturers.

FEATURES

The BBMD uses two Ethernet ports—one for the connection to a BACnet/IP network and one dedicated port for configuration. It is easily configured via web pages. The router is housed in a metal case and is powered by a 12 VDC external power supply.

You can save the BBMD’s configuration in an offline file and reload it later as needed. The status page provides valuable tools for troubleshooting—you can see network traffic statistics, communication and interface statuses. The product can also be configured to capture received BACnet/IP packets.