Choose the right LonWorks gateway: Managed network or not?

A traditional LonWorks network is a managed network. This means all of the LonWorks devices are bound to each other by a LonWorks network management tool. The original such tool was Echelon's LonMaker, but additional companies later created their own network management tools.

How do you know if your LonWorks network is managed? If the various LonWorks devices are actively functioning as a system, then it is a safe bet that the network was commissioned by a network management tool such as LonMaker.

Control Solutions' original LonWorks gateways were designed to let you interface Modbus or BACnet devices to the managed LonWorks network. The gateway would exchange data with the BACnet or Modbus device, and present that data as if it were a native LonWorks device on the managed LonWorks network. These gateways need to be bound using the same network management tool as what commissioned the rest of the network.

On the other hand, sometimes you simply have a device sitting there all by itself with a LonWorks communication port that isn't connected to anything yet, and what you really want to do is interface that stand-alone LonWorks device to your BACnet or Modbus network. Control Solutions also has gateways to work this way. They have very similar model numbers, but the -NB suffix on the end sets them apart.

For example, if you want to connect a Modbus RTU device to a managed LonWorks network, then you would use model BB2-2010. If you want to connect an unmanaged LonWorks device to a Modbus RTU network, then you would use model BB2-2010-NB. The "NB" stands for "Non-Bound". Everything is bound in a managed network. If interfacing LonWorks devices without network management binding, then we call it Non-Bound.

If you are uncertain about which gateway you need, please open a support ticket and Control Solutions will be happy to help you select the right gateway. Converting one type of gateway to another is not straight forward, so it is best to choose the right gateway in the first place.


The following -NB gateways are for LonWorks devices NOT on a managed network

Connect LonWorks Device to Modbus RTU RS-485

BB2-2010-NB Modbus RTU RS-485 to LonWorks Gateway

Babel Buster

BB2-2010-NB

• Connect LonWorks Devices to Modbus RTU RS-485 Network
• Non-bound Polling of LonWorks Devices
• Modbus RTU Master & Slave
• Up to 300 Network Variables
• Up to 400 Modbus Registers

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Connect LonWorks Device to Modbus RTU RS-232

BB2-2011-NB Modbus RTU RS-232 to LonWorks Gateway

Babel Buster

BB2-2011-NB

• Connect LonWorks Devices to Modbus RTU RS-232 Network
• Non-bound Polling of LonWorks Devices
• Modbus RTU Master & Slave
• Up to 300 Network Variables
• Up to 400 Modbus Registers

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Connect LonWorks Device to Modbus TCP

BB2-6020-NB Modbus TCP to LonWorks Gateway

Babel Buster

BB2-6020-NB

• Connect LonWorks Devices to Modbus TCP Network
• Non-bound Polling of LonWorks Devices
• Modbus TCP Client & Server
• Up to 300 Network Variables
• Up to 400 Modbus Registers

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Connect LonWorks Device to BACnet MS/TP

BB2-3020-NB BACnet MS/TP to LonWorks Gateway

Babel Buster

BB2-3020-NB

• Connect LonWorks Devices to BACnet MS/TP Network
• Non-Bound Polling of LonWorks Devices
• BACnet MS/TP Client or Server
• Up to 300 Network Variables
• Up to 300 BACnet Objects

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Connect LonWorks Device to BACnet IP

BB2-7020-NB BACnet IP to LonWork Gateway

Babel Buster

BB2-7020-NB

• Connect LonWorks Devices to BACnet IP Network
• Non-Bound Polling of LonWorks Devices
• BACnet IP Client or Server
• Up to 300 Network Variables
• Up to 300 BACnet Objects

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The following gateways are for LonWorks devices that ARE on a managed network

Connect Modbus RTU RS-485 Device to LonWorks

BB2-2010 LonWorks to Modbus RTU RS-485 Gatewau

Babel Buster

BB2-2010

• Connect Modbus RTU RS-485 Devices to LonWorks Network
• Standard Managed LonWorks Node
• Modbus RTU Master & Slave
• 120 Network Variable Inputs
• 120 Network Variable Outputs
• Up to 400 Modbus Registers

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Connect Modbus RTU RS-232 Device to LonWorks

BB2-2011 LonWorks to Modbus RTU RS-232 Gateway

Babel Buster

BB2-2011

• Connect Modbus RTU RS-232 Devices to LonWorks Network
• Standard Managed LonWorks Node
• Modbus RTU Master & Slave
• 120 Network Variable Inputs
• 120 Network Variable Outputs
• Up to 400 Modbus Registers

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Connect Modbus TCP Device to LonWorks

BB2-6020 LonWorks to Modbus TCP Gateway

Babel Buster

BB2-6020

• Connect Modbus TCP Devices to LonWorks Network
• Standard Managed LonWorks Node
• Modbus TCP Client & Server
• 120 Network Variable Inputs
• 120 Network Variable Outputs
• Up to 400 Modbus Registers

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Connect BACnet MS/TP Device to LonWorks

BB2-3020 LonWorks to BACnet MS/TP Gateway

Babel Buster

BB2-3020

• Connect BACnet MS/TP Devices to LonWorks Network
• Standard LonWorks Node
• BACnet MS/TP Client or Server
• 120 Network Variable Inputs
• 120 Network Variable Outputs
• Up to 300 BACnet Objects

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Connect BACnet IP Device to LonWorks

BB2-7020 LonWorks to BACnet IP Gateway

Babel Buster

BB2-7020

• Connect BACnet IP Devices to LonWorks Network
• Standard LonWorks Node
• BACnet IP Client or Server
• 120 Network Variable Inputs
• 120 Network Variable Outputs
• Up to 300 BACnet Objects

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Retail Price: $1,159.00

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