Operating Instructions

Chapter 1—Introduction
APOGEE Automation Networking
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Siemens Industry, Inc.
Owner's Manual
553-104
Building Technologies
2018-10-01
Automation Level Network
The APOGEE Automation Level Network (ALN) provides field panel-to-field panel and
Insight workstation-to-field panel communication. The ALN types are:
● P2 RS-485 ALN
● Ethernet TCP/IP ALN
● Remote ALN (Auto-dial and AEM)
● BACnet/IP ALN
● BACnet Master-Slave/Token Passing (MS/TP) ALN
Simultaneous ALN Access
More than one operator or field panel can access the network at one time. For
example, as one operator accesses the system, another operator can access the
system at another terminal (or from a remote site using a modem). This ensures that
field panels can send alarm information to the alarm printer even as an operator
accesses other information.
How Information Moves Through the Network
When an operator issues a command over the ALN network through a field panel, that
field panel validates the command, determines where to send it, and then passes the
command to the destination over the network.
Example
In the figure Commanding Over an Automation Level Network , the operator at the
Insight workstation, located in the lower level of the building, issues a command to
control the main air-handling unit (AHU) of the building. This command is sent by the
communication network to the field panel located on the top floor.