Sure, we're still running it today.... it's hosted on an AMD Pentium class machine running Windows NT4 Embedded, and a Java based enviroment called Tridium. The problems we run into now are with everything around the sytem... the configuration software only works with Microsoft's Java VM, so that means XP with no service packs installed. The system runs a network called LONWorks. The controller boards in the air handlers and roof top units were designed by the company, who has since discontinued them, so spares of those are very hard to come by. Our main unit is the JACE NP, we also have two JACE-5 devices, controlling one wing of the building and the irrigation system. http://198.65.3.172/moreniagara.htm The system has some nice displays: https://www.dropbox.com/s/okmztauso1f1nez/BAS_Main.JPG?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/8fy6u8o4a8m10be/BAS_ZoneB_AHU.JPG?dl=0 -J On Wed, Sep 28, 2016 at 1:51 PM, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
On 09/28/2016 01:46 PM, Jason Perkins via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
My boss used to work for a building automation company. Their original product was based around the C64. They had them installed in buildings for years and years... the program was on a cartridge so with no moving parts there was little to go wrong. It took a lot of convincing to get their customers to update to something newer in the early 2000s.
It's certainly understanding that they'd take some convincing. Why would they want to change? Don't fix it if it ain't broke. The industrial landscape is littered with stories about how a fully-functioning, simple, easily-maintainable system is replaced by something "new" which is supposed to be "better" (but they can rarely tell you how), is inevitably PC-based, and turns out to be an utter pile of crap.
Care to place some bets on the longevity of the "newer" system as compared to the system it replaced?
-Dave
-- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA
-- Jason Perkins 313 355 0085