Johnson Controls NIE29 Series Installation Instructions Manual

NIE29 Installation Instructions

MS-NIE29xx-x

(barcode for factory use only)

Part No. 24-10143-594, Rev. H

Software Release 9.0

Issued August 2017

Refer to the QuickLIT website for the most up-to-date version of this document.

Application

Important: NIEx9s are compatible with Metasys® system Release 7.0 and later. You may apply the dual trunk

integration feature to NIEx9s purchased prior to the current release by using the NIEx9 Driver Manager
tool. For information on how to apply the latest package and license files that support dual trunks, refer
to the NIEx9 Driver Manager Application Note (LIT-12011919).

The Metasys Network Integration Engine (NIE) controller is a web-enabled, Ethernet-based, supervisory device that
serves two roles. Its first role is to integrate the Metasys Building Management System to other standard building

management communication technologies. Integrations include the following network protocols: BACnet®, LONWORKS®,
N2 Bus, Modbus®, Meter-Bus (M-Bus, European Standard EN 1434-3), KNX, and other third-party proprietary

protocols. In this capacity, the NIE29 monitors and supervises a wide variety of HVAC, lighting, security, fire, electrical
and thermal measuring and access control equipment.

Its second role is to provide the I/O point connectivity and digital control capabilities of a Metasys Field Equipment
Controller (FEC). In this capacity, the NIE29 Series controller provides a cost-effective solution designed for central
plant applications and large built-up air handlers.

For the Modbus and M-Bus protocols, one NIE29 can support two integrations: two Modbus, two M-Bus, or one of
each, significantly expanding the engine's flexibility. See Table 11 for a list of all supported dual trunk applications.

Important: The NIE29 is shipped with a license and driver for the communication protocol that was ordered. If you

re-image the engine, the license and driver are deleted and the engine is not able to communicate with
the required protocol. If you need to re-image the engine, use the NIEx9 Driver Manager first to preserve
the protocol driver and license file before you re-image. For details, refer to the NIEx9 Driver Manager

Application Note (LIT-12011919).

Figure 1 shows the physical features and dimensions of the MS-NIE2966-0 model. See NIE29 Model Ordering
Information Table for NIE29 Series model information and features.

Installation

Follow these guidelines when installing an NIE:

• Transport the NIE in the original container to minimize vibration and shock damage to the NIE.

• Verify that all the parts shipped with the NIE.

• Do not drop the NIE or subject it to physical shock.

Parts Included

• one NIE with removable terminal plugs

• one data protection battery (installed and connected when the NIE is shipped)

• one installation instructions sheet

Materials and Special Tools Needed

• three fasteners appropriate for the mounting surface (M4 screws [#8] screws)

• one 20 cm (8 in.) or longer piece of 35 mm DIN rail and appropriate hardware for mounting the DIN rail

1NIE29 Installation Instructions

Figure 1: NIE29 Physical Features, Dimensions, and Required Mounting Space Around Engine

Mounting

Location Considerations

Follow these guidelines when mounting an NIE:

• Ensure that the mounting surface can support the NIE and any user-supplied panel or enclosure.

• Mount the NIE in a horizontal, upright orientation.

• Mount the NIE on an even surface in wall mount applications whenever possible. If you must mount the NIE on
an uneven surface, be careful not to crack the mounting clips or NIE housing when tightening the screws. Use
shims or washers to mount the NIE evenly on the mounting surface.

•

Mount the NIE in areas free of corrosive vapors, and observe the environmental limitations listed in the Technical

Specifications section.

•

Allow sufficient space to accommodate cable and wire connections (Figure 2).

• Do not mount the NIE where the ambient temperature may exceed 50°C (122°F).

• Do not mount the NIE on surfaces that are prone to vibration or in areas where electromagnetic or radio frequency
emissions can interfere with NIE communication.

• Do not obstruct the NIE housing ventilation holes.

• Do not mount a power transformer below the NIE.

On applications where the NIE is mounted inside a panel or enclosure, follow these additional guidelines:

• Do not install the NIE in an airtight enclosure.

• Do not install heat-generating devices in the enclosure with the NIE that may cause the ambient temperature to
exceed 50°C (122°F).

2NIE29 Installation Instructions

Mounting the NIE

Wall Mount Applications

Use the holes in the three mounting clips for wall mount applications.

To mount the NIE on a wall (or other vertical surface):

1. Ensure that all three mounting clips are inserted into the back of the NIE housing and then pulled outward and
snapped firmly into the extended position (Figure 3).

2. Mark the location of the three wall mount holes using the dimensions in Figure 2.

3. Drill holes in the wall at the locations marked in Step 2 and insert wall anchors (if necessary).

Figure 2: NIE Mounting Screw Hole Dimensions and Mounting Area Requirements (mm/in.)

4. Position the NIE and insert the screws through the holes in the mounting clips, and carefully tighten all the screws.

Important: Do not overtighten the mounting screws. Overtightening the screws may damage the mounting

clips or NIE housing.

DIN Rail Mount Applications

To mount the NIE on a DIN rail:

1. Securely mount a 20 cm (8 in.) or longer section of DIN rail horizontally and centered in the required space.

2. Ensure that the bottom two mounting clips are pulled outward and snapped firmly into the extended position
(Figure 3).

Figure 3: DIN Rail and Mounting Clip Features on the Back of an NIE

3. Hang the NIE by the DIN rail hooks (Figure 3) on the top track of the DIN rail, and position the NIE DIN rail
channel snugly against the tracks of the DIN rail.

4. Push the bottom mounting clips up to secure the NIE on the DIN rail tracks.

3NIE29 Installation Instructions

To remove the NIE from the DIN rail, snap the bottom DIN clips to the outward extended position and carefully lift
the NIE off the DIN rail.

Enclosure Mount Applications

Mount the enclosure in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, and then mount the NIE in the enclosure
following the guidelines in the Location Considerations and Mounting the NIE sections.

Wiring

Power Supply, Network, and Communication Connections

See Figure 1 for the location of the NIE’s power supply terminal, bus terminals and ports, USB port, and Ethernet
port.

Note: Do not remove the red terminal block keys from the board mounted terminal blocks. Removing the keys can

result in a removable terminal plug being plugged into the wrong terminal block, which can cause the NIE to
malfunction.

24~ Supply Power Terminal Block

The 24~ supply power terminal block is a gray, keyed, removable 3-terminal block located on the top side of all NIE
models (Figure 1 and Figure 13).

In North America, the NIE requires a Class 2, 24 VAC, 25 VA minimum power supply. Outside North America, use
a 24 VAC safety extra-low voltage (SELV) transformer at the appropriate rating. A minimum input voltage of 20 VAC
is required for the NIE to operate properly.

Note: The maximum power consumption of an NIE29 is 25 VA, but that does not include power for internally sourced

binary output (BO) points. Applications that provide power to BO points and configurable output (CO) points
configured as BO points can require up to 125 VA of additional power over the 25 VA minimum required for
the NIE29.

SA Bus Terminal Block

The brown, keyed, removable, 4-terminal SA BUS terminal block (Figure 1) is provided on all NIE models. Connect
the 4-wire SA Bus cable to the SA BUS terminal block. See the SA Bus Rules section for more information.

SA Bus Modular Port

The 6-Pin modular Sensor/Actuator (SA) Bus port is available on all NIE models (Figure 1 and Figure 4). The SA
BUS port connects to:

• a Wireless Commissioning Converter (MS-BTCVT-1) to commission the NIE with the Controller Commissioning
Tool

• a DIS1710 Local Controller Display to provide a display screen on NIE29 models without an integral display
screen

• an NS Series Network Sensor to provide room temperature data to the NIE

4NIE29 Installation Instructions

Figure 4: Pin Number Assignments for Sensor, SA Bus, and FC Bus Ports on NIE, FEC, IOM, and VMA16

FC Bus Terminal Block

The blue, keyed, removable 4-terminal block FC BUS terminal block (Figure 1) is designed for RS485 serial protocol
field buses and is available on NIE models that support N2 Bus, Master-Slave/Token-Passing (MS/TP) FC Bus
applications. Depending on the NIE29 model:

• connect the 3-wire N2 Bus to the FC BUS terminal block on NIE models that support N2 Bus applications. See

Figure 5 and the N2 Bus Rules section for more information.

• connect the 3-wire MS/TP FC Bus to the FC BUS terminal block on NIE models that support MS/TP FC Bus
applications. See Figure 5 and the MS/TP Bus Rules section for more information.

The SHLD terminal on the FC BUS terminal block can be used as a convenient terminal to connect cable shield
drains in daisy-chain bus applications that use shielded cable.

FC Bus Modular Port

The 6-pin modular Field Controller (FC) BUS port is available only on NIE models that support MS/TP or N2 Bus
applications (Figure 1 and Figure 4). Connect a Wireless Commissioning Converter (MS-BTCVT-1) to the modular

FC BUS port to commission the NIE with the Controller Configuration Tool (CCT).

LONWORKS® Network Terminal Block

The blue, keyed, removable, 3-position LON terminal block connects a LONWORKS network trunk to NIE29 models
that support a LONWORKS network trunk. The shield (SHD) on the LON terminal block is soft grounded to the NIE
chassis terminal, and you can use it as a convenient terminal to connect cable shield drains in daisy-chain bus
applications that use shielded cable.

RS232C Serial Port

The RS232C serial port provides direct connection to a Modbus RTU or M-Bus network using a standard 9-pin
female data terminal equipment (DTE) to 9-pin female DTE null modem cable. Integration of only one device is
permitted. If the RS232C serial port is not used to integrate a vendor protocol, you can connect to a computer serial
port to browse to the NIE or to connect to a VT100 or a computer with a VT100 emulator and perform diagnostic

procedures. Refer to the Metasys® System Extended Architecture Direct Connection and Dial-Up Connection

Application Note (LIT-1201639) for more information about direct connections to an NIE.

Standard USB Port

The USB port connects to an external flash drive that can store diagnostic information when the NIE is placed in
diagnostic mode. You can otherwise configure the USB serial port to use an optional, user-supplied external modem.

5NIE29 Installation Instructions

Ethernet Port

The Ethernet port, labeled ETHERNET, is an 8-pin RJ-45 network port for connecting the NIE to Ethernet networks.
NIE29 engines can connect to Ethernet networks at 10 or 100 Mbps. Use this port for connecting a Modbus TCP,
M-Bus TCP, or KNX network.

Wiring Rules for Networks and Field Buses

All NIE29 Series models are designed to connect to Ethernet IP networks and support a single SA Bus.

Depending on the model, an NIE29 also supports either an MS/TP field bus trunk, an N2 Bus trunk, or a LONWORKS
network trunk. All models support two vendor integrations, such as two Modbus, two M-bus, or one of each. Or, if
a KNX integration is required, three KNX IP Gateways are supported for one NIE29. See Table 11 for a list of all
supported dual trunk applications. The rules, guidelines, and wiring considerations for each type of network or field
bus application are provided in the tables of this document.

IP Ethernet Network Rules

All NIE29 models are designed to connect to properly configured IP Ethernet networks, including Modbus TCP,
M-Bus TCP, or KNX. Refer to the N1 Ethernet/IP Network Technical Bulletin (LIT-6360175) for recommended parts
and part numbers. Observe the IP Ethernet network rules in Table 10.

Note: The Media Access Control (MAC) address is printed on a label on the NIE housing.

MS/TP Bus Rules

The MS/TP Bus connects Field Equipment Controllers (FECs), VMA1600s, Input/Output Modules (IOMs), TEC
Series thermostats, and third-party MS/TP controllers to NIE296-x models.

NIE296x models support an FC Bus trunk with up to 32 MS/TP devices. Observe the rules in Table 3 when designing
and installing the connected FC Bus.

SA Bus Rules

The Sensor/Actuator bus (SAB) connects the Metasys IOMs, NS Series Network Sensors, DIS1710 Local Controller
Display, specified variable frequency drives, and Wireless Commissioning Converter (MS-BTCVT-1) to an NIE.

Observe the rules in Table 4 when designing and installing the SA Bus for your application.

N2 Bus Rules

The N2 Bus connects N2 controllers to specified NIE29 models. NIE291x models support a single N2 Bus trunk with
up to 32 N2 devices.

Observe the rules in Table 1 when designing and installing the connected N2 Bus.

Modbus RTU Rules

The RS-232 port supports connection of one Modbus RTU (RS-232) device. With the addition of an RS-232/RS-485
converter and connection to the RS-232 port, up to 32 Modbus RTU (RS-485) devices are supported. Observe the
rules in Table 2 when designing and installing the connected Modbus RTU Bus.

LONWORKS Network Guidelines

The LON Bus connects up to 32 LONWORKS Network controllers to NIE292x models. Observe the rules in Table 7,

Table 8, and Table 9 when designing and installing the LONWORKS Network trunk.

For more information on LONWORKS networks, refer to the LONWORKS LN-Series Network Communication and Interface
Guide Technical Bulletin (LIT-12011253).

6NIE29 Installation Instructions

Wiring the NIE

Important: Do not connect 24 VAC supply power to the NIE before finishing wiring and checking all wiring

connections. Short circuits or improperly connected wires may result in permanent damage to the
equipment.

Important: Use copper conductors only. Make all wiring in accordance with local, national, and regional regulations.

The NIE is a low-voltage device (<30 VAC) in North America and an extra low-voltage device in Europe.
Do not exceed the NIE electrical ratings.

Important: Do not remove the terminal block keys. The terminal block plugs and the terminal sockets are keyed

to fit together in the correct configuration only.

Important: Prevent any static electric discharge to the NIE. Static electric discharge can damage the NIE and void

any warranties.

Important: Ensure the network and field bus wiring meets the specifications, rules, and guidelines in the Power

Supply, Network, and Communication Connections section in this document.

Mount the NIE securely before wiring the NIE.

Follow these guidelines when wiring an NIE:

• Route the supply power wires and communication cables at least 50 mm (2 in.) away from the vent slots on the
sides of the NIE housing.

• Provide slack in the wires and cables. Keep cables routed neatly around the NIE to promote good ventilation,
LED visibility, and ease of service.

Wiring the NIE for N2, MS/TP, LONWORKS, or Modbus RTU Protocol

1. Connect the Ethernet cable to the RJ-45, 8-pin Ethernet port on the NIE shown in Figure 1.

2. If using an external modem, connect the modem to USB A using the proper cable.

3. Connect the Building Automation System (BAS) network cables to the appropriate ports.

For an N2 or MS/TP network, connect the 3-wire bus cable to one of the removable 4-terminal blue plugs

•

labeled FC Bus (Figure 5).
Note: If an N2 or MS/TP bus is connected to the NIE, you must set the NIE EOL switches to the proper

positions. See the Setting the End-of-Line Switch section. The Modbus RTU network does not require
termination.

• For LONWORKS compatible networks, connect the 2-wire cable from the LONWORKS network trunk to the

removable 3-terminal blue plug labeled LON (Figure 6).
Note: The LONWORKS network trunk is available on the NIE292x-0 model only.

7NIE29 Installation Instructions

Figure 5: FC Bus Terminal Block and Wiring Connections

Figure 6: LONWORKS Network Terminal Block and Wiring Connections

4. For Modbus RTU (RS-485) protocol, use a cable to connect the RS-232/RS-485 converter to the RS232C serial
port on the NIE.
Note: The maximum cable length between devices connected though an RS-232 line depends on the baud

rate. In general, the length should not exceed 15 meters at 9600 baud.

5. Terminate the wires from the RS-485 terminal on the converter to the RS-485 port on the vendor device (Figure

7). The RS-485 bus is a two-wire network.

a. Connect the converter's + A terminal to the device's + (or A) terminal.
b. Connect the converter's - B terminal to the device's - (or B) terminal.

c. If the device has a Signal Ground or Reference terminal, connect this to the converter's CG2 terminal.

8NIE29 Installation Instructions

Figure 7: Connection Between Converter and Device

6. Set the NIE EOL switches to the proper position. See Setting the End-of-Line Switch.

7. To add additional vendor devices, terminate the wires from one device to the next as shown in Figure 8. No more
than two wires may be connected to each terminal to ensure the daisy chain configuration. See Wiring Rules for

Networks and Field Buses for the Modbus protocol.

Figure 8: Daisy Chained Devices

The completed wiring should look similar to Figure 9.

Figure 9: Modbus RTU Wiring Detail Overview

8. Terminate the 24 VAC supply power wires from the transformer to the removable power terminal block plug on
the NIE (Figure 10).

9NIE29 Installation Instructions

Figure 10: 24 VAC Supply Power Wiring

Note: Power supply wire colors may be different on transformers not manufactured by Johnson Controls. Follow

the transformer manufacturer’s instructions and the project installation drawings.

9. Terminate the 24 VAC supply power wires from the transformer to the converter. No additional external power
adapter is required. Terminate the hot and common wires as desired. The NIE does not require an earth ground
connection.
Note: The 24 VAC power should be terminated to all network devices so transformer phasing is uniform across

the devices. Powering network devices with uniform 24 VAC supply power phasing reduces noise,
interference, and ground loop problems.

Wiring the NIE for M-Bus Protocol

1. Connect the Ethernet cable to the RJ-45, 8-pin Ethernet port shown in Figure 1.

2. Connect from the RS232C serial port on the NIE to the RS-232 connecter of the level converter. Wire to terminals
GND, RxD, and TxD as shown in Figure 11.

3. Terminate the M- and M+ wires on the level converter (Figure 11) to the meters using a free (star, tree, or line)
topology. Specific cabling can vary depending on the topology and site. See Wiring Rules for Networks and Field

Buses.

Note: If the number of M-Bus unit loads or distances exceeds the specifications of a level converter, you can

connect an M-Bus repeater to the converter to increase the number of unit loads and distances. The
converter shown in Figure 11 is capable of handling up to 6 units loads, while other models can handle
up to 100. See NIE29 Model Ordering Information Table for a list of M-Bus devices.

4. Terminate the 24 VAC supply power wires from the transformer to the removable power terminal block plug on
the NIE (Figure 10).
Note: Power supply wire colors may be different on transformers not manufactured by Johnson Controls. Follow

the transformer manufacturer’s instructions and the project installation drawings.

5. Terminate the 24 VAC supply power wires from the transformer to the -/~ and +/~ terminals as shown in Figure

11.

10NIE29 Installation Instructions