Integrating Master Clock System Alarms with BACnet Automation System at Government Hospital in Medical City, Muscat
Client:
- A prestigious Government hospital
Location:
Medical City, Muscat, Oman
Industry:
Healthcare and Law Enforcement
Objective:
To seamlessly integrate the Master Clock System alarms, manufactured by Mobatime Switzerland, with the existing BACnet-based building automation system at the Public Hospital in Medical City, Muscat.
Challenge
A Government run hospital in Medical City, a critical infrastructure facility in Muscat, comprises various buildings and departments managed by the Government. The facility relies on a precise Master Clock System to synchronize time across all its operations. The existing building automation system was based on BACnet, an open protocol for building automation and control networks. However, the Master Clock System used SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) for alarm notifications, which was not directly compatible with BACnet.
The challenge was to develop a solution that could translate SNMP trap notifications from the Master Clock System into BACnet-compatible data, enabling the facility’s automation system to monitor and respond to clock system alarms in real time.
Development of the Protocol Gateway:
Our team developed a specialized protocol gateway designed to listen for SNMP traps that contained either integral or string-type varbinds. The gateway was engineered with the following capabilities:
- Data Extraction: The gateway could extract data from SNMP traps based on user-defined settings. This allowed customization according to the specific types of varbinds and alarms that needed to be monitored.
- BACnet Integration: Extracted data was mapped to BACnet Character String Value (CSV) objects, allowing it to be seamlessly integrated into the existing BACnet automation system.
- Binary Data Processing: For strings containing binary data (0’s and 1’s), the gateway could interpret these as binary values and publish them as BACnet binary values. This feature was particularly useful for alarm states that could be represented in a binary format.
Integration with the Master Clock System:
The Master Clock System manufactured by Mobatime Switzerland was configured to send SNMP traps whenever an alarm condition occurred. Our gateway captured these traps, processed the data, and published the relevant information as BACnet objects. This integration enabled the building automation system to monitor, log, and respond to time synchronization issues or failures within the Master Clock System.
Implementation
Step 1: Requirements Analysis
We began by conducting a detailed analysis of the Master Clock System’s SNMP capabilities and the specific alarms that needed to be integrated with the BACnet system.
Step 2: Gateway Configuration
Based on the requirements, our team configured the protocol gateway to listen for specific SNMP traps from the Master Clock System. We also set up the necessary mappings to ensure that the data was correctly translated into BACnet CSV objects or binary values.
Step 3: Testing and Validation
The gateway was thoroughly tested in a controlled environment to validate its ability to process SNMP traps and publish the data on BACnet. We conducted multiple scenarios to ensure reliability and accuracy.
Step 4: Deployment
After successful testing, the gateway was deployed at Medical City, Muscat. Our team worked closely with the site integrators’ technical staff to integrate the gateway into the existing building automation system.
Step 5: Training and Handover
We provided training sessions to the facility’s technical team, ensuring they were equipped to manage and monitor the integrated system. Documentation was also provided for future reference.
Results
The integration of the Master Clock System alarms with the BACnet automation system was successfully completed, resulting in several key benefits:
- Real-Time Monitoring: The facility’s automation system could now monitor the status of the Master Clock System in real-time, enabling immediate response to any synchronization issues or alarms.
- Improved Efficiency: The integration reduced the need for manual monitoring of the clock system, freeing up resources for other critical tasks.
- Seamless Operation: The protocol gateway operated transparently, ensuring that the integration did not disrupt the existing automation system or require extensive changes to the infrastructure.
- Scalability: The solution was designed to be scalable, allowing additional SNMP-based devices or alarms to be integrated into the BACnet system in the future.
Conclusion
This project highlights the effectiveness of using a custom protocol gateway to bridge the gap between SNMP and BACnet, two widely used protocols in building automation and IT systems. The successful integration at Medical City, Muscat, not only enhanced the operational efficiency of the facility but also demonstrated the adaptability and robustness of our solutions in complex environments.