Custom control

In the ICE Expert edition, users may implement custom control strategies for different devices in the building.

The following control macros are currently supported:

Note: Control macros are shared (e.g., an opening control defined in one window is available in all windows (both simplified and detailed). They are included in the list of IDA Resources. Use this list to manage the custom controls (e.g., copy to other buildings).

A user-defined control macro is never simulated in its original form. Instead, a copy of this macro is created for every use and all these individual copies are simulated being connected to the appropriate signal sources and targets. Therefore a user-defined macro will never contain results of simulations (such as values of variables in models and time series in output files).

If an output file is inserted into a control macro (or into a sub-macro of a control macro), a copy of this output file will be created in every simulated instance of this control macro. When running from standard level, these output files are copied to the zone or to the building before the simulated instances of control macros are destroyed.

Control macros are designed for use in the standard level of building models. When switching to the advanced level, copies of the control macros are created and connected. These copies are treated as ordinary macro objects in the advanced level system.

Operations available in a device form

The following operations are supported by the controller field in a device form (see the table above for list of devices and controller fields):

Editing custom controls

See Modeling in the documentation to IDA Modeler for general information about editing macro objects.

Signal sources

Signals from sources listed on the left may be used as input to the control algorithm.

More sources may be added by dragging from palette page Links.

Signal sources may be also inserted in sub-macros of control macros, in AHU and plant macros, fan coils and their sub-macros.

Here is the list of supported sources:

Control targets

The output from control macros should be connected to one or more Control target objects

The central zone macro may generate four types of control signals:

The Building supervisory control macro may also send signals to zones, to air handling units, and to the plant.

All Control target objects are available from the palette (page Links).

Connecting the output from controllers to devices

To connect a control macro with a device

• In the control macro, connect the output of the control algorithm with the required interface of the actuator control target (e.g., to the heating interface). Some devices may require multiple signals (e.g., heating and cooling).
• Open the device and select the device control (or the control target of the central control) from the list of available controllers in the Controller field. The same list may be also available from the tables in the General view of the zone or the building.
  For ventilation control, the list is available in the field Ventilation/System type in the General view of the zone.

Connecting the output from controllers to other macros

Lower-lever control macros may receive signals from higher-level macros.

To establish such connection,

• In the higher-level control macro, insert (from the palette) an appropriate Control target object (if not already present). Rename it if you like.
• Connect all desired output signals to the appropriate interfaces in the Control target object.
• In the lower-level macro (or in a sub-macro of the lower-level control macro), insert a corresponding Signal source object (if not already present). The new object will be created with the same name as the Control target above. You will be asked to choose a target if multiple compatible control targets exist.

Now the signals are available in the receiving control macro.

The control target and the control source both contain the same list of predefined interface (i.e., signal names). The user may also add custom interfaces (use the same name in the target and in the source; when the source object is created, it contains all user-defined signals defined in the target).

In the same way the control signals are sent to the plant, AHUs, and fan coils.

Signals from devices to controller macros

The device control macros have access to the following signals related to the controlled devices:

Advanced setpoints

The signals sent in the central zone control macro to the Setpoint target object override the signals defined by the Controller setpoints object. In this way the user may describe custom variable setpoints.

The Setpoint source object may be used in the device controllers and in the central zone controller.

• In the central zone controller it always references the signals coming from Controller setpoints object
• In the device controllers it references the setpoints that are eventually redefined in the central zone controller.

Access to parameters of the controlled device

The control algorithm may depend on parameters defined for controlled devices. For example, the shading control may use the parameter "Level" defined in detailed window.

Such dependence may be implemented using parameter mapping.

To map a parameter in a control macro to a parameter in the controlled device,

• Open the control macro from controlled device (either from form or from table that describes the controlled device)
• Right click the parameter to be mapped and select Mapping and Edit link… from menu;
• Select <origin> in the left side of the mapping dialog. The controlled device will be shown on the right side of dialog
• Select the desired parameter (mapping source) in the right side of dialog
• Click OK in mapping dialog.

The mapped value is not shown at the standard level, the text "<mapped>" is shown instead. This is because the control is not connected to the device. It is only at advanced level when the copies of the control macro will be really connected to devices (a separate copy for every device) end then the mapped parameters will get the actual values.

Multiple control targets

The central zone control may contain multiple Actuator and Functional mode control targets. The user may choose which one is used for every controlled device – either by selecting it in the Controller field or by inserting an appropriate control source object in the device control macro.

In the similar way, the supervisor controller may provide different control strategies to different zones and AHU’s.

Currently the central zone control cannot provide different setpoints to different devices. This may be modeled instead by combining central zone control with individual control macros for devices that require individual setpoints.

The output signal should be connected to the pre-defined OUTSIGNALLINK interface reference on the right border of the macro.