Niagara 4, BMS & LoRaWAN Knowledge Base
Practical, engineer-written guides to building management systems, the Tridium Niagara 4 framework, JACE and IONA controllers, field protocols and LoRaWAN sensors. Every article comes from the questions our support desk in Leigh answers every week, so you get the fix, the reason behind it and the product that solves it. For additional assistance or personalised support, please don't hesitate to contact the Tyrrell Products team.
Start here: essential guides
Building management system fundamentals
Start here if you are specifying, buying or taking over a BMS. These guides explain what each layer of a building management system does and how the parts fit together.
- What is a building management system (BMS)?How a BMS works, its components, protocols, costs and what it saves, in plain English.Read the guide
- Smart building management systemsHow IoT sensors, analytics and an open BMS turn a controlled building into a smart one.Read the guide
- BMS vs BEMS: what is the difference?Building management versus building energy management systems, and when you need each.Read the guide
- How to choose a BMS controllerSupervisory, plant and application controllers compared, with a selection checklist.Read the guide
- BMS I/O modules explainedUI, DI, AO and DO points, 8UI / 8DI / 4DO modules and how to size I/O for a plant.Read the guide
Tridium Niagara 4 and JACE controllers
Platform knowledge for Niagara integrators: what the framework is, which controller to fit, and how to plan the move to Niagara 5.
- What is Tridium Niagara 4?The Niagara framework explained: stations, Workbench, supervisors, licensing and drivers.Read the guide
- What is a JACE controller?What JACE stands for, what it does in a BMS and how the JACE 8000, 9000 and IONA compare.Read the guide
- JACE 8000 to JACE 9000 upgrade guideEnd-of-life dates, the licence transfer offer and a step-by-step migration plan.Read the guide
- Niagara 5 readiness checklistWhat changes in Niagara 5, which hardware is supported and how to prepare your estate.Read the guide
- IONA vs JACE: which Niagara 4 controller?Onboard I/O, LoRaWAN, 4G and licensing compared side by side.Read the guide
BACnet, Modbus and RS-485
The field protocols that carry almost every BMS point, explained for commissioning engineers.
- What is BACnet? BACnet/IP vs MS/TPObjects, services, device instances, BBMDs and how BACnet networks are built.Read the guide
- What is Modbus? RTU vs TCP explainedRegisters, function codes, addressing and the Modbus mistakes that waste site days.Read the guide
- BACnet vs ModbusA side-by-side comparison and a simple rule for choosing between them.Read the guide
- RS-485 wiring, termination and biasingDaisy-chain topology, 120 Ω termination, bias resistors, shields and fault-finding.Read the guide
LoRaWAN and wireless sensors
Wireless sensing for occupied buildings: how LoRaWAN works, how far it reaches indoors and which sensors to deploy.
- What is LoRaWAN?LoRa vs LoRaWAN, gateways, network servers, classes and UK 868 MHz rules.Read the guide
- LoRaWAN range and gateway planningRealistic indoor range, spreading factors, antenna placement and gateway counts.Read the guide
- LoRaWAN indoor air quality and CO2 sensorsWhat to measure, where to mount sensors and how to bring IAQ data into the BMS.Read the guide
- People counting and desk occupancy sensorsPIR, ToF and AI people counters compared, with PoE vs LoRaWAN guidance.Read the guide
Niagara 4 video tutorials
Free screen-recorded walkthroughs: the full Niagara 4 Technical Certification Program lab series, advanced engineering tasks, and step-by-step setup of the Tyrrell Products Niagara 4 drivers.
22 videosTechnical Certification Program
The complete Niagara 4 TCP lab series, from creating your first station to the Web Supervisor.
Watch the series
10 videosAdvanced Engineering Guides
Short, focused videos on the more complex engineering functions within the Niagara 4 framework.
Watch the series
8 videosNiagara 4 Driver Guides
Setup and configuration walk-throughs for the Tyrrell Products Niagara 4 drivers and services.
Watch the series
Browse all documentation
Step-by-step articles, reference tables and troubleshooting for Niagara 4, JACE and IONA controllers, BACnet, Modbus, LoRaWAN and the rest of the Tyrrell Products range. Use the sidebar or search to go straight to a topic.
Frequently asked questions
- Who writes the Tyrrell Products knowledge base?
- Our Tridium-certified engineers and support team in Leigh, Greater Manchester. The articles are based on real support tickets from integrators, contractors and facilities teams, and are reviewed whenever Niagara or a product firmware changes.
- Is the knowledge base free to use?
- Yes. Every article and video is free to read without an account. Some downloads, such as Tyrrell Products Niagara 4 drivers, need a licence from the shop.
- Do the guides apply to Niagara 4 and Niagara 5?
- The guides are written for Niagara 4, mostly 4.10 LTS to 4.15 LTS. Where a procedure changes in Niagara 5 the article says so, and the Niagara 5 readiness checklist covers the migration itself.
- Can I get help if a guide does not solve my problem?
- Yes. Contact the Tyrrell Products team on 01942 732819 or [email protected]. Customers with a support contract get priority remote assistance from a Niagara engineer.
- Where can I learn Niagara 4 properly?
- Watch the free Technical Certification Program video series here, then book the Niagara 4 Technical Certification Program (TCP) course with Tyrrell Products to become a Tridium-certified Niagara 4 professional.