Common Object Attributes

Common Object Attribute Details

Object Name

Indicates the Object Name as exposed to a BACnet network This attribute will be equivalent to the Item Reference without the site identifier. You cannot edit this attribute, but it changes if you edit the Item Reference attribute.

Example: NAE3/N2 Trunk1.AHU4.Supply Temp

Description

Contains a user defined description of the object.

Item Reference

Contains a unique reference name for the object that is the full path name of the object through the All Items navigation tree using the unique identifier you specified when you manually created the object. The Item Reference begins with the site and device identifiers (separated by a colon), followed by the identifiers of any parent objects such as an integration object, field device, or any nested folders, and ends with the identifier of the object itself.

You define the identifier of each object as it is created and the system builds the Item Reference automatically. Once the object is defined, the Item Reference cannot be changed directly. But, the Computer Name attribute of a Site Director or device is the object identifier. If you change the Site Director or device Computer Name attribute, the Item Reference then updates to show the new Computer Name.

If a device has a domain specified in the Domain Name attribute, the name for the domain appears in the Item Reference after the Computer Name:

Computer Name.Domain Name

The following characters are not allowed in references:

@ . , ? * # : ` " " \ / [ ] < > |

Example of Item Reference

Name

Contains a freely definable user-friendly Name for the object that is independent of the Item Reference or the location of the object in the physical network. The Name is used as the label in the All Items navigation tree. The Name is shown in alarm reports, the event and audit viewers, and in summaries. The Name does not need to be unique to the site.

The Name defaults to the object identifier you used during manual object creation, but can be edited later. For integrated BACnet objects, the name defaults to the BACnet Object Name in the remote BACnet device. For integrated N1 network objects, the name defaults to the System.Object Name in the NCM.

Example: ConferenceCenter-Room2-SpaceSetPoint

For devices, both the Computer Name and Name attributes default to the object identifier you used during manual object creation. But, do not confuse the Computer Name attribute with the Name attribute. Changing the NAE Name attribute does not impact the object references or network communication with other devices on the site.

Changing the Computer Name online breaks any existing references between the NAE object and other objects on the site, and may break the existing network connection to other devices on the network. We do not recommend changing the Computer Name online. If you change the Computer Name attribute in the SCT (right-click the NAE in the navigation tree and select Rename), both the Computer Name and Name attributes are changed to the new name you select. The Item Reference then updates to show the new Computer Name.

Object ID

Indicates the instance number of the Object Type used in the BACnet Object ID as exposed to a BACnet network. The object ID must be unique within the host device.

Object Type

Indicates the Object Type as displayed in the Metasys software and as exposed to a BACnet network.

Example: AI (Analog Input)

Status

Displays the highest priority Status for the object.

Examples: (in order of priority - supported states depend on Object Type)

•Out Of Service The Out Of Service attribute value is True.

•Offline Communication with the physical hardware has failed.

•Unreliable Reliability attribute is not reliable.

•Alarm Object or alarm extension has an alarm state

•Normal No abnormal condition for this object detected