Hello,
As a friend of mine is building a house, I am looking for an inexpensive control panel that communicates via RS485 using the Modbus RTU protocol, or alternatively via Ethernet using the Modbus TCP/IP protocol.
My requirements for this panel are: room temperature measurement, setpoint adjustment, control buttons, and the ability for master control (hygrostats or humidity sensors will be used in the rooms to prevent condensation).
I have currently selected the Hailin HA8820 AFCV2 MD local FCU controllers from Thermokon’s range. The problem is that 5 out of 9 rooms have both underfloor heating/cooling and fan coils. This solution will cost me around 3,200 PLN (an expansion module for Modbus RTU communication + 9 panels – I’m only counting the main equipment here, excluding relays, actuators and cabling), but it has one drawback - the selected local controllers are a standard solution for controlling fan coils, which is why I want to use additional relays to implement control as follows:
- 2nd and 3rd speeds: normal fan coil control
- 1st speed: switches off the fan coil and switches on underfloor heating/cooling
The selected controller is a modular controller with a built-in web server. The idea behind the system is for the central controller to manage the boiler room (gas boiler, heat pump and solar system), the air conditioning in the rooms and a few less significant systems (monitoring the level of sewage in the septic tank to prevent it from overflowing, or watering the garden). The entire system is wired (for obvious reasons, wireless solutions are less reliable); the central controller has a built-in 2-port switch – one port is used to connect via a patch cord to a laptop, from which master control is carried out via the visualisation interface; the second port is used to connect to an Access Point – allowing master control via a tablet, iPhone, etc. over Wi-Fi on the property, plus control via the internet from any computer.
I’ve already been thinking about buying Chinese tablets (you’d add a switch and then communicate with the master unit via TCP/IP) and then add temperature sensors, but the problem is that such a tablet cannot be remotely locked, which is possible with these Hailin controllers – and we know that children will tend to fiddle with it, press buttons and, whilst doing so, unplug the cables from such a tablet. What’s more, this solution works out more expensive, as I’m calculating 9 × 250 PLN for the tablets + 9 × 100 PLN for the temperature sensors + 2 × 475 PLN for the PT1000 input modules (2x4AI, as I have 3AI in reserve) + 2 × 300 for Moxy switches, which comes to a total of 5,250 PLN; what’s more, I don’t trust these Chinese tablets.
To sum up, I’ve concluded that the best option would be for the panel to feature only temperature measurement, the ability to set the temperature, plus a few buttons, whilst a central controller would be used for control – but I’m struggling to find such a solution for under 400 PLN. Perhaps someone has found something like this and is able to share this information. I’m finding it difficult to find anything, because I usually build very large BMS systems, where the budget for each individual component is much higher; therefore, using solutions designed for large-scale installations is simply unnecessary and far too expensive for detached houses.
Thank you in advance for your help.
As a friend of mine is building a house, I am looking for an inexpensive control panel that communicates via RS485 using the Modbus RTU protocol, or alternatively via Ethernet using the Modbus TCP/IP protocol.
My requirements for this panel are: room temperature measurement, setpoint adjustment, control buttons, and the ability for master control (hygrostats or humidity sensors will be used in the rooms to prevent condensation).
I have currently selected the Hailin HA8820 AFCV2 MD local FCU controllers from Thermokon’s range. The problem is that 5 out of 9 rooms have both underfloor heating/cooling and fan coils. This solution will cost me around 3,200 PLN (an expansion module for Modbus RTU communication + 9 panels – I’m only counting the main equipment here, excluding relays, actuators and cabling), but it has one drawback - the selected local controllers are a standard solution for controlling fan coils, which is why I want to use additional relays to implement control as follows:
- 2nd and 3rd speeds: normal fan coil control
- 1st speed: switches off the fan coil and switches on underfloor heating/cooling
The selected controller is a modular controller with a built-in web server. The idea behind the system is for the central controller to manage the boiler room (gas boiler, heat pump and solar system), the air conditioning in the rooms and a few less significant systems (monitoring the level of sewage in the septic tank to prevent it from overflowing, or watering the garden). The entire system is wired (for obvious reasons, wireless solutions are less reliable); the central controller has a built-in 2-port switch – one port is used to connect via a patch cord to a laptop, from which master control is carried out via the visualisation interface; the second port is used to connect to an Access Point – allowing master control via a tablet, iPhone, etc. over Wi-Fi on the property, plus control via the internet from any computer.
I’ve already been thinking about buying Chinese tablets (you’d add a switch and then communicate with the master unit via TCP/IP) and then add temperature sensors, but the problem is that such a tablet cannot be remotely locked, which is possible with these Hailin controllers – and we know that children will tend to fiddle with it, press buttons and, whilst doing so, unplug the cables from such a tablet. What’s more, this solution works out more expensive, as I’m calculating 9 × 250 PLN for the tablets + 9 × 100 PLN for the temperature sensors + 2 × 475 PLN for the PT1000 input modules (2x4AI, as I have 3AI in reserve) + 2 × 300 for Moxy switches, which comes to a total of 5,250 PLN; what’s more, I don’t trust these Chinese tablets.
To sum up, I’ve concluded that the best option would be for the panel to feature only temperature measurement, the ability to set the temperature, plus a few buttons, whilst a central controller would be used for control – but I’m struggling to find such a solution for under 400 PLN. Perhaps someone has found something like this and is able to share this information. I’m finding it difficult to find anything, because I usually build very large BMS systems, where the budget for each individual component is much higher; therefore, using solutions designed for large-scale installations is simply unnecessary and far too expensive for detached houses.
Thank you in advance for your help.
