KNX to BACnet/IP Gateway: Intesis IN701KNX and ETS6 Configuration
Integrating KNX with a building management system that speaks BACnet/IP requires a dedicated protocol gateway. The Intesis IN701KNX translates KNX group address telegrams into BACnet objects — giving the BMS read and write access to every KNX device without modifying the KNX installation or ETS6 project.
When BACnet/IP integration is needed
Commercial buildings managed by enterprise BMS platforms — Siemens Desigo CC, Schneider EcoStruxure, Honeywell Niagara Framework, or Johnson Controls Metasys — use BACnet/IP as their primary integration protocol. KNX handles room automation, lighting, and blinds at the device level, but the BMS must expose a unified view of the building for centralised monitoring, alarming, trending, and fault management.
Without a gateway, the BMS operator cannot see KNX room temperatures, occupancy states, lighting levels, or window positions. Alarms generated by KNX devices cannot reach the BMS alarm manager. Historical trending for energy reporting and fault analysis is not possible. The IN701KNX solves this by acting as a BACnet/IP server: it exposes each mapped KNX group address as a standard BACnet object that any BACnet/IP client can read, write, and subscribe to.
BMS platforms requiring BACnet/IP
- Siemens Desigo CC (point-based licensing)
- Schneider EcoStruxure Building Operation
- Honeywell Niagara Framework (Tridium)
- Johnson Controls Metasys
- Trend IQ Vision and BEMS platforms
What the BMS gains from KNX via BACnet
- Centralised alarm management for KNX devices
- Historical trending of room temperatures, energy
- Setpoint override from BMS graphics
- Occupancy-driven AHU and lighting control
- BMS fault detection across KNX field devices
IN701KNX hardware
The Intesis IN701KNX is a DIN-rail gateway occupying 4 module widths on a 35mm rail. It provides a KNX TP bus connector (screw terminal), an RJ45 Ethernet port for BACnet/IP and configuration, a USB-B configuration port for IntesisBox MAPS software, and a 24VDC auxiliary power input terminal. The device does not draw power from the KNX bus — dedicated 24VDC supply is mandatory.
IN701KNX hardware specifications
Model comparison: IN701KNX — 1,000 bidirectional signals IN701KNX300000 — 3,000 bidirectional signals Physical: DIN-rail: 4 modules (72mm width) Power supply: 24VDC ±10%, 150mA (not from KNX bus) KNX TP: screw terminal, 30mA bus power draw Ethernet: RJ45, 10/100 Mbit/s USB: Type-B, configuration only BACnet role: BACnet/IP server (not client) Responds to BACnet WhoIs broadcasts Handles COV (Change of Value) subscriptions Supports BACnet Read/Write Property services BACnet/IP port: 47808 (0xBAC0) default
BACnet/IP server role — important distinction
The IN701KNX is a BACnet/IP server, not a client. The BMS acts as the BACnet/IP client and initiates all communication — reads, writes, and COV subscriptions. The gateway does not poll the BMS. This means the gateway must be reachable by IP from the BMS workstation, and the BACnet device instance number must be unique across the entire BACnet network to avoid conflicts.
IntesisBox MAPS software
IntesisBox MAPS is the free Windows configuration tool for all Intesis gateways. Download it from the Intesis website and install on a Windows PC. Connect to the IN701KNX via USB or Ethernet. Create a new project and configure three key parameters before building the signal table.
MAPS project setup — three required parameters
1. BACnet device instance Must be unique across the entire BACnet network Example: 10001 (check with BMS engineer for conflicts) Range: 0 – 4,194,302 2. KNX individual address Assign in ETS6 before MAPS configuration Example: 1.1.250 (area 1, line 1, device 250) The address must be programmed into the gateway via ETS6 download before MAPS sends KNX telegrams 3. BACnet/IP port Default: 47808 (0xBAC0 in hex) Change only if another BACnet device on the LAN uses the same port — rare in practice
ETS6 prerequisite: the IN701KNX must have a KNX individual address programmed before it can communicate on the KNX bus. Download the Intesis ETS6 product database from the ETS Online Catalog, add the device to the ETS6 project, assign address 1.1.250 (or as planned), and download. Only after ETS6 download is complete can MAPS configuration proceed — MAPS relies on the individual address to send and receive KNX telegrams.
Signal table configuration
The MAPS signal table is the core of the gateway configuration. Each row defines one translation between a BACnet object and a KNX group address. The table determines which KNX values the BMS can read, which it can write, and at what rate changes are forwarded. Plan the signal table in a spreadsheet before opening MAPS — it is far easier to review and share with the BMS engineer in spreadsheet form.
| Column | Options / format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BACnet object type | AV / BV / MSV | Analog Value, Binary Value, Multi-State Value |
| BACnet instance number | Integer, e.g. 001 | Unique per object type within this device |
| Present value data type | REAL / BOOL / UINT | Must match the BACnet object type |
| KNX group address | x/y/z format, e.g. 1/0/1 | From ETS6 group address table |
| KNX DPT | e.g. DPT 9.001, DPT 1.001 | Must match the ETS6 DPT for this GA |
| Direction | B→K / K→B / Bidirectional | B=BACnet client writes; K=KNX device sends |
| Polling interval | 1s – 3600s or COV | For read-only status; use COV for event-driven |
BACnet to KNX DPT mapping
Selecting the correct BACnet object type for each KNX DPT prevents scaling errors and type mismatches. The IN701KNX applies DPT-based scaling automatically when the DPT is set correctly in MAPS — a DPT 5.001 percentage value (0–100%) maps to an Analog Value present value of 0.0–100.0 without manual scaling factors.
| KNX DPT | Description | BACnet object type | Value range |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPT 1.001 | Switch (0=off, 1=on) | BV (Binary Value) | inactive / active |
| DPT 1.008 | Up/Down | BV (Binary Value) | inactive / active |
| DPT 5.001 | Percentage (0–100%) | AV (Analog Value) | 0.0 – 100.0 |
| DPT 5.005 | Decimal value (0–255) | AV (Analog Value) | 0.0 – 255.0 |
| DPT 9.001 | Temperature (°C) | AV (Analog Value) | -273.0 – 670760.96 |
| DPT 9.004 | Power (kW) | AV (Analog Value) | -671088.64 – 670760.96 |
| DPT 12.001 | 4-byte counter (kWh) | AV (Analog Value) | 0 – 4294967295 |
| DPT 17.001 | Scene number (0–63) | MSV (Multi-State Value) | 1 – 64 |
Practical AHU integration example
A typical commercial project integrates a Siemens Synco 700 RLU220 BACnet/IP AHU controller with a KNX room automation system via the IN701KNX gateway. The BMS requires KNX occupancy to drive AHU setpoint changes, and the BMS needs to display AHU supply air temperature on KNX-connected room displays.
AHU integration signal table example
Signal BACnet Object KNX GA DPT Direction Description 001 AV 001 (REAL) 4/0/1 DPT 9.001 K→B→K Room setpoint (°C) 002 BV 002 (BOOL) 4/0/5 DPT 1.001 K→B Occupancy status 003 AV 003 (REAL) 4/0/10 DPT 9.001 B→K AHU supply air temp 004 AV 004 (REAL) 4/0/15 DPT 5.001 B→K AHU fan speed % 005 BV 005 (BOOL) 4/0/20 DPT 1.001 B→K AHU run/stop status Integration flow: KNX PIR detector → GA 4/0/5 (DPT 1.001) → IN701KNX → BACnet BV 002 Desigo CC reads BV 002 → triggers AHU occupancy mode via RLU220 RLU220 supply air temp → IN701KNX BACnet AV 003 → KNX GA 4/0/10 Gira X1 room display reads GA 4/0/10 → shows supply air temperature
Synco 700 RLU220 notes
The RLU220 is a native BACnet/IP controller — it communicates directly with Desigo CC without a gateway. The IN701KNX sits alongside it on the BACnet/IP network, providing KNX signal access to the same Desigo CC system.
Setpoint direction: bidirectional
Room setpoint (signal 001) is bidirectional: KNX room controller sends updates to BACnet when the occupant adjusts the thermostat; Desigo CC can override the setpoint by writing to AV 001, which the gateway forwards to KNX GA 4/0/1.
Siemens Desigo CC integration
With the IN701KNX powered, ETS6-programmed, and the MAPS signal table uploaded, integration into Desigo CC follows the standard BACnet/IP driver workflow. Desigo CC discovers the gateway using a BACnet WhoIs broadcast or manual IP entry.
Desigo CC integration steps
1. Desigo CC Management Station → System → Networks → BACnet driver → Add Network: BACnet/IP, BBMD address if needed 2. Discover or manually add IN701KNX: → Add Device: IP = 192.168.1.250, Instance = 10001 → Desigo CC queries device for object list 3. Auto-import object list: → All configured AV, BV, MSV objects appear → Check names match MAPS signal descriptions 4. Bind to Desigo CC functions: → Alarms: bind BV objects to Alarm Management → Trends: bind AV objects to Trend Log objects → Graphics: drag AV/BV to floorplan graphics Point-based licensing note: Each BACnet object imported into Desigo CC consumes one point licence. Confirm total count with Siemens before ordering the licence package.
COV subscriptions in Desigo CC: Desigo CC subscribes to BACnet COV (Change of Value) for all imported objects by default. The IN701KNX handles COV subscriptions from multiple clients simultaneously — useful when Desigo CC and a secondary client (e.g., an energy monitoring system) both subscribe to the same AV objects. COV lifetime is typically 300 seconds; Desigo CC renews subscriptions automatically before expiry.
Commissioning and validation
Systematic commissioning verifies that the signal table is correct in both directions before the BMS engineer connects Desigo CC. Use the MAPS diagnostic view and Yabe BACnet Explorer (free open-source tool) for validation.
Commissioning validation sequence
KNX → BACnet direction test: 1. Open ETS6 Group Monitor 2. Send write telegram to GA 4/0/1 (value: 21.5°C) 3. Open MAPS Diagnostic tab 4. Confirm Signal 001 shows updated value 21.5 5. Open Yabe BACnet Explorer → Read AV 001 Present Value 6. Confirm Yabe reads 21.5 ✓ BACnet → KNX direction test: 1. In Yabe: Write AV 001 Present Value = 22.0 2. MAPS Diagnostic confirms write received 3. ETS6 Group Monitor shows telegram on GA 4/0/1 4. Value = 22.0°C ✓ Diagnostic LED status (IN701KNX front panel): PWR (green solid) — 24VDC power OK KNX (green blink) — KNX bus active, telegrams exchanged ETH (green blink) — Ethernet link active ERR (red blink) — configuration error or signal fault
Common commissioning faults
- KNX individual address not downloaded via ETS6 before MAPS
- BACnet device instance conflicts with another device on LAN
- DPT mismatch between MAPS and ETS6 group address
- Incorrect direction: setpoint set K→B only, preventing BMS writes
Yabe BACnet Explorer
Free open-source BACnet/IP browser for Windows. Discovers all BACnet devices on the LAN, reads and writes object properties, and logs COV notifications. Essential for pre-BMS commissioning — allows full signal table validation before Desigo CC connection.
Need a KNX to BACnet gateway configured and commissioned?
We design KNX panels with Intesis IN701KNX gateways pre-configured — signal tables verified, ETS6 individual addresses programmed, and BACnet object lists provided to your BMS engineer before site delivery.
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