Does Echelon Cost Less Than BACnet?
There are really two issues here. First of all, let’s ignore the long list of things you can do with a BACnet network which simply can’t be done with a LonMark network. Let’s just focus on some application which is achievable by either approach. The first issue is whether a LonMark-based device will be less costly than a BACnet-based device. The second issue is whether a “BACnet over LonTalk LAN” device will be less costly than a “BACnet over MS/TP LAN” or “BACnet over ARCNET LAN” device. There are two possibilities for the first case. Either the application is small enough to fit into a Neuron along with LonMark, or it isn’t. If the application fits in a Neuron along with LonMark, then the Neuron serves the same function that a single chip microprocessor in a “BACnet using MS/TP” device would. From a pricing standpoint, Neurons are not substantially less or more than average microprocessors, falling in the middle of the pricing pack. The alleged low price of Neurons is only available
