Large Multinational Media and Entertainment Company Selects Flexible Building Control System Powered by Echelon System on a Chip

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet of Things pioneer Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON) today announced that the company's new FT 6050 multi-protocol system on a chip is being used in a building automation system being installed at a large, multinational media and entertainment company in Southern California.  The controllers manage the facility's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

The FT 6050 system on a chip (SoC) was designed to address the increasing cost and complexity of smart buildings.  As more and more building services are being adapted for network control, each with their own communications protocols, integrated system management has become increasingly difficult.

Smart Controls LLC of Fairview Heights, IL recognized this problem, and developed a line of multi-protocol controllers built around Echelon's FT 6050 Smart Transceiver. "We rarely see building automation systems today with a single protocol installed," said Smart Controls President David Kniepkamp. "Whether it is the integration of a variable frequency drive, a chiller, or a boiler with a different protocol than what is installed in the rest of the building, hybrid systems are here to stay. With the addition of the BACnet protocol on the FT 6050, we are now able to manufacture a true multi-protocol controller supporting BACnet/IP, BACnet MS/TP, and LON on a single hardware platform. The MP series controllers come standard with all of these communications protocols, with no pricing penalty. With these controllers, system integrators or building owners don't have to worry about supporting multiple manufacturers and programming environments or be forced into a specific protocol."

Large design-build mechanical contractor, Western Allied, agreed. According to Alan Slabodkin, Vice President, "Another major advantage of utilizing Echelon's Free Topology BACnet/IP bus is the elimination of all the switches required for the traditional methodology of installing BACnet/IP. Many manufacturers are attempting to install switches in their controller so the installation can be daisy chained. Every single switch is a potential point of failure to take the network down. With Echelon's Free Topology BACnet/IP bus, even if a controller were to fail, the network remains intact.  Compared to traditional BACnet/IP wiring, Echelon's Free Topology BACnet/IP bus has eliminated node limitations, ring communication wiring, and hundreds if not thousands of potential switch point failures."

The FT 6050 is part of Echelon's IzoT^® platform for embedded control systems based on the Echelon ISO-standard LON® protocol and Free Topology (FT) architecture. The FT 6050 provides a bridge between existing communications used in commercial building control devices and the IP connectivity the Industrial Internet of Things brings. The FT 6050 enables industrial developers to have a choice of communications protocols such as LON, BACnet, or Modbus while also enabling new and emerging IP connectivity requirements. Products built around the FT 6050 can act as either LON or BACnet devices, or both at the same time.

About Echelon Corporation

For 25 years Echelon (NASDAQ:ELON) has pioneered the development of open-standard networking platforms for connecting, monitoring and controlling devices in commercial and industrial applications. With more than 110 million devices installed worldwide, Echelon's proven, scalable solutions host a range of applications enabling customers to reduce energy and operational costs, improve safety and comfort, and create efficiencies through optimizing physical systems. Echelon is focusing today on two IoT (Internet of Things) market areas: Creating smart cities and smart enterprises through connected outdoor lighting systems, and enabling device makers to bring connected products to market faster via a range of IoT-optimized embedded systems. More information about Echelon can be found at www.echelon.com.

About Smart Controls LLC

Smart Controls was birthed out of the Aerospace Industry in 1992.  The innovation, precision manufacturing and reliability demanded in the Aerospace Industry has continued to propel Smart Controls to be a leader in the Open Systems Building Automation Industry and has created a following of repeat customers for decades.

About Western Allied Corporation

Western Allied Corporation has been an industry leader in mechanical contracting (cooling, heating and ventilation) in the Los Angeles basin for generations. Founded in Santa Fe Springs, California, Western Allied has continued to do business from the same address since 1960.

Echelon, the Echelon logo, LON, and IzoT are trademarks of Echelon Corporation that may be registered in the United States and other countries. Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

This press release may contain statements relating to future plans, events or performance. Such statements may involve risks and uncertainties, including the risk that Echelon's offerings by themselves or combined with other applications or offerings do not perform as designed or do not offer the expected benefits and savings and other risks identified in Echelon's SEC filings. Actual results, events and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Echelon undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

CONTACT:
Lucie Mann
Echelon Corp.
lmann@echelon.com

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SOURCE Echelon Corporation