Operating Instructions

System 600 APOGEE Database Dynamos for Intellution's 32-Bit FIX Owner's Manual
1-2 Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.
• The System 600 APOGEE is a distributed control system. Therefore, the overall
control algorithms should be distributed. Calculations, monitoring, and control
applications should be performed at the field panels, as much as possible, since the
necessary data is most readily available. For example, when monitoring the status of
a chiller, it may be beneficial to define virtual points and change their values via the
resident Powers Process Control Language (PPCL) application only when the
undesired condition occurs. This is done instead of reporting all the current chiller
sensor values on the network. The FIX database could then include the virtual points
since they are not updated as often as the diagnostic points associated with them.
System Components
System 600 APOGEE Database Dynamos (loadable blocks) are similar to PLC “register”
block types (e.g., AR, DR) in the sense that field updates to or from the System 600
APOGEE network points are communicated immediately, rather than waiting for Scan, Alarm,
and Control (SAC) to scan the blocks. In addition, System 600 APOGEE blocks are primary
blocks that can serve to schedule “chains” of block operations.
Communication between the blocks and System 600 APOGEE equipment takes place
through three additional layers of software components (MsgManager service, AsyncSvc
service and LocalNet driver) and a DigiBoard serial card.
DigiBoard Serial Card
The DigiBoard is a multi-port serial communications adapter. It provides dedicated hardware
assistance for low level System 600 APOGEE network functions, thereby processing
demands on the operator workstation.
LocalNet Device
The LocalNet Device is the lowest layer of the software components. LocalNet is a Windows
NT device driver, providing the communications engine for driving the DigiBoard serial card.
AsyncSvc Service
The AsyncSvc Service software sits above the LocalNet Device software and provides a
unified method for sharing System 600 APOGEE messaging resources. The AsyncSvc acts
as a clearing-house, allowing multiple clients to receive information from it without creating
excessive System 600 APOGEE network traffic.