Using Excel to Create Points in Niagara

Version: Niagara 4
Type: Programming
Difficulty: Intermediate

Overview

Niagara's Provisioning Service allows bulk point creation using Excel spreadsheets, dramatically speeding up project configuration. Instead of adding points one-by-one, you can configure hundreds of points in Excel and import them in seconds.

What You'll Learn

Export station templates to Excel
Configure points in spreadsheet format
Import and provision points efficiently
Handle common import issues

Prerequisites

Workbench with Provisioning module
Microsoft Excel or compatible spreadsheet
Understanding of point types and properties
Template station or example configuration

Why Use Excel for Points?

Manual Entry	Excel Import
5 min per point	5 sec per point
Typos common	Copy/paste consistency
Tedious for large systems	Efficient bulk operations
No documentation	Spreadsheet serves as record

Export Template to Excel

Step 1: Create Example Points

Configure a few representative points manually:

NumericWritable for analog outputs
BooleanWritable for digital outputs
NumericPoint for inputs

Step 2: Export to Excel

Select parent folder containing points
Right-click > Export > Provisioning Export
Choose Excel format (.xlsx)
Save template file

Excel File Structure

The export creates columns for each slot:

Name	Type	Out.Value	FacetsText	ProxyExt.DeviceId
AHU1_SAT	NumericPoint	55.0	units=°F	101
AHU1_DAT	NumericPoint	62.0	units=°F	101

Key Columns:

Name - Point name (must be unique in parent)
Type - Full Niagara type path
Out.Value - Initial/default value
FacetsText - Units, precision, min/max
ProxyExt.* - Protocol-specific properties

Bulk Configuration in Excel

Efficient Techniques:

Fill Series:
- AHU1_SAT, AHU2_SAT, AHU3_SAT...
- Use Excel's fill handle
Find/Replace:
- Change all "AHU1" to "AHU2"
- Update device addresses in bulk

Formulas:

=CONCATENATE(A2,"_",B2)
=A2+1 (for sequential addresses)

Data Validation:
- Create dropdown lists for common values
- Ensure consistency

Naming Convention Patterns

{Building}_{System}{Number}_{PointType}

Examples:
BLDG1_AHU01_SAT    (Supply Air Temp)
BLDG1_AHU01_DAT    (Discharge Air Temp)
BLDG1_AHU01_SF_CMD (Supply Fan Command)
BLDG1_AHU01_SF_STS (Supply Fan Status)

Import Points to Niagara

Step 1: Prepare Station

Create target folder structure
Ensure driver/network is configured
Back up station before import

Step 2: Import

Select target folder
Right-click > Import > Provisioning Import
Select Excel file
Review import preview
Confirm import

Step 3: Verify

Check point count matches expected
Verify sample points for correct configuration
Test communication with field devices

Handling Different Point Types

Analog Points:

Type: control:NumericWritable
FacetsText: units=°F;precision=1;min=32;max=120

Digital Points:

Type: control:BooleanWritable
FacetsText: trueText=On;falseText=Off

Enumerated Points:

Type: control:EnumWritable
FacetsText: range={Off,Low,Medium,High}

BACnet-Specific Columns

For BACnet points, include:

Column	Example
ProxyExt.DeviceId	101
ProxyExt.ObjectId	analog-input:1
ProxyExt.PropertyId	present-value

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
Import fails	Invalid type path	Verify exact type names
Points not communicating	Wrong device address	Check ProxyExt columns
Missing properties	Column not mapped	Add column headers exactly
Duplicate names	Same name in folder	Ensure unique names

Best Practices

Keep master spreadsheet as project documentation
Use consistent naming across all projects
Validate data before import using Excel filters
Import in batches for very large point counts
Version control spreadsheets with project files

Template Library

Create reusable templates:

Using Excel to Create Points in Niagara