Interfacing with Honeywell Comfort Point Controllers

This guide covers integrating a front-end system over existing Honeywell Comfort Point (IPC) controllers and VAV controllers.

Comfort Point Architecture Overview

Honeywell Comfort Point systems use:

Component	Protocol Support	Notes
Comfort Point Open (CPO)	BACnet/IP, LON	Current platform
IPC (Integrated Personal Computer)	BACnet/IP, LON	Legacy supervisory
Spyder Controllers	LON, BACnet MS/TP	Zone/unitary controllers
Excel 10/15	LON	Legacy zone controllers
T7350 Stats	Proprietary to Spyder	Zone sensors

Integration Approaches

Option 1: BACnet/IP Integration (Recommended)

Most modern Comfort Point systems support BACnet/IP natively.

Architecture:

New Front-End <--BACnet/IP--> Comfort Point Server <--> Field Controllers

Steps:

1. Verify BACnet capability - Check CPO software version
2. Configure BACnet server on Comfort Point:
   • Navigate to System Settings > Communications
   • Enable BACnet/IP server
   • Set device instance (unique across site)
   • Configure IP address/port (default 47808)
3. Define exposed points - Select which points to expose via BACnet
4. Discover from new BAS - Add as BACnet/IP device
5. Map points - Create point references in new front-end

Typical BACnet objects available:

• Zone temperatures (AI)
• Setpoints (AV)
• Occupancy status (BI)
• Equipment status (BI)
• Fan/damper commands (AO)
• Mode selection (Multi-state)

Option 2: BACnet MS/TP Direct to Spyders

If bypassing Comfort Point server and connecting directly to Spyder controllers:

Requirements:

• BACnet MS/TP interface on new front-end
• Physical access to MS/TP trunk
• Knowledge of existing device addressing

Considerations:

• Spyders must have BACnet MS/TP enabled (not all do)
• Check firmware version for BACnet support
• MS/TP segment limits apply (64 devices max)
• May need to install MS/TP router if BACnet/IP preferred

Option 3: LON Integration

For legacy Excel 10/15 or LON-based Spyder systems:

Requirements:

• LON interface (LON-IP router or serial interface)
• SNVT definitions for point mapping
• LNS database or network documentation

Tools:

• LonMaker or equivalent commissioning tool
• LON protocol analyzer (optional but helpful)

Option 4: Hybrid Overlay

Keep Comfort Point operational while adding new front-end:

Benefits:

• No disruption to existing operation
• Gradual migration possible
• Native Honeywell functionality preserved

Implementation:

1. New front-end connects via BACnet to Comfort Point
2. Both systems operate in parallel
3. Eventually deprecate Comfort Point UI (optional)

Point Mapping Considerations

Critical Points to Map

Category	Points	Priority
Zone Control	Temperature, setpoint, occupancy	High
Equipment	Status, runtime, alarms	High
Schedules	Occupied/unoccupied mode	Medium
Diagnostics	Communication status, errors	Medium
Energy	kWh, demand (if metered)	As needed

Alarm Handling

• Configure alarms in new front-end vs relying on Comfort Point
• Map critical alarms to BACnet event objects if supported
• Test alarm propagation during commissioning

Schedule Coordination

Decide where schedules will live:

• Option A: Schedules in new front-end, Comfort Point follows
• Option B: Schedules remain in Comfort Point, new front-end monitors
• Option C: Synchronized schedules (more complex)

Maintaining Native Functionality

When overlaying a system, preserve these Comfort Point features:

• Local occupancy override at zone
• Demand limiting (if implemented)
• Optimal start/stop sequences
• Fire/smoke integration interlocks

Best practice: New front-end for monitoring/trending, Comfort Point for control execution.

Common Issues

BACnet Discovery Problems

• Verify IP addressing and subnet masks
• Check firewall rules (port 47808 UDP)
• Confirm BACnet server is enabled
• Use BACnet scanning tool to verify visibility

Point Mapping Mismatches

• Units may differ (°F vs °C)
• Scaling factors may need adjustment
• Status bit interpretation varies

Communication Timeouts

• Comfort Point may limit concurrent BACnet connections
• Increase timeout values in new front-end
• Consider polling rate impact on system performance

Documentation Needed

Gather before starting:

• Comfort Point network diagrams
• IP address assignments
• Controller addressing (LON or BACnet)
• Point lists by controller
• Sequence of operations
• Any existing BACnet configuration