JACE FAQs: Answers to the Most Common Tridium JACE Questions
Quick, engineer-checked answers to the questions we are asked most about Tridium JACE 8000 and JACE 9000 controllers, from licensing to resets.
These are the JACE questions our support desk answers every week. Each answer is short, with a link to a full guide where there is more to say. If your question is not here, contact the Tyrrell Products team.
General JACE FAQs
What is a JACE controller?
A JACE (Java Application Control Engine) is Tridium's embedded Niagara controller. It integrates BACnet, Modbus and other devices, runs control logic, logs histories, raises alarms and serves web graphics. See What is a JACE controller?.
Who makes the JACE?
Tridium, a Honeywell company. JACEs are also sold under OEM brands. Tyrrell Products is a UK Tridium distributor.
Which JACE models are current?
The JACE 9000 is Tridium's current controller. The JACE 8000 is end of sale, and the Niagara Edge 10 is end of life. AX-era JACEs (JACE-3E, 6E, 7) are long obsolete.
What is the difference between a JACE 8000 and a JACE 9000?
The JACE 9000 has a quad-core NXP i.MX 8M Plus processor, 2 GB RAM, gigabit Ethernet, isolated RS-485, secure boot and Niagara 5 support. The JACE 8000 has less memory and processing power and stops at Niagara 4.15. See the JACE 8000 to 9000 upgrade guide.
Can a JACE 8000 run Niagara 5?
No. The JACE 8000 is limited to Niagara 4, with 4.15 LTS as its final version. A Niagara 5 supervisor can still supervise it. See the Niagara 5 readiness checklist.
Is there an alternative to the JACE?
Yes. The IONA Niagara 4 controller from Tyrrell Products runs the same Niagara 4 station and adds 24 onboard I/O points, optional LoRaWAN and optional 4G. See IONA vs JACE.
JACE licensing FAQs
How is a JACE licensed?
By Niagara licence tied to its Host ID. The licence sets the Global Capacity (points and, on some licences, devices), enabled features and drivers, and the Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA) expiry. See Global Capacity points.
What point licences are available for the JACE 9000?
Base licences of 100, 250, 500, 1,250, 5,000 and 10,000 points, with 500, 1,250 and 2,500-point upgrade packs.
What is an SMA and do I need one?
A Software Maintenance Agreement gives access to new Niagara versions and updates. Without an active SMA you cannot upgrade the controller's Niagara version, and you cannot use the JACE 8000 to 9000 licence transfer promotion.
Can I transfer a JACE 8000 licence to a JACE 9000?
Yes, under Tridium's licence transfer promotion, currently running until 31 October 2026, if the JACE 8000 or JACE 834 has an active SMA. You buy an unlicensed JACE 9000 and pay a transfer fee.
What happens if I exceed my licensed points?
Points or devices beyond the licence limit will not operate. Buy an upgrade pack for more capacity. The station's Resource Manager shows current usage against the limits.
JACE access and security FAQs
What is the default IP address of a JACE 8000?
192.168.1.140, subnet mask 255.255.255.0.
What is the default JACE 8000 password?
The factory-fresh platform credentials are tridium / niagara, and you must change them on first connection. There is no default station password. See JACE default credentials.
I've lost the JACE platform password. What do I do?
On a JACE 8000 (Niagara 4.4+) or JACE 9000, reboot into shell mode, choose Reset Platform Credentials, and obtain a Tridium reset key through your distributor. The station is kept. See platform reset token.
How do I access the JACE serial shell?
Connect a USB data cable to the debug port (micro-USB on JACE 8000, USB-C on JACE 9000), and open a terminal at 115200 baud, 8-N-1. See serial shell access.
Which ports does a JACE use?
Platform 3011 (5011 with TLS), Fox 1911, FoxS 4911, HTTP 80, HTTPS 443, BACnet/IP UDP 47808, plus any driver-specific ports. See JACE 9000 firewall entries.
Does the JACE 9000 have a firewall?
Yes. It has a built-in host firewall. Services listening on ports the platform does not already manage need a manual firewall entry.
Should I expose a JACE to the internet for remote access?
No. Use a VPN, the Niagara Cloud Suite, or another secure remote access service. Never open Niagara ports directly to the internet.
JACE hardware FAQs
How is a JACE powered?
The JACE 9000 takes 24 VAC (24 VA minimum) or 24 VDC (1 A / 24 W minimum). The JACE 8000 also runs from 24 VAC/VDC. Use a dedicated, protected supply.
Does a JACE have a battery?
No. The JACE 8000 and 9000 are batteryless designs, which removes a common maintenance item from older controllers. The JACE 9000 includes a real-time clock.
How many RS-485 ports does a JACE have?
Two onboard on both the JACE 8000 and the JACE 9000 (isolated on the 9000). More can be added with expansion modules; the JACE 9000 accepts up to four modules, of which a maximum of two can be RS-485 modules.
Does a JACE have onboard I/O?
No. Physical I/O comes from remote I/O modules (such as NRIO on the JACE 8000, or up to 16 remote I/O modules on the JACE 9000) or from BACnet and Modbus I/O modules. IONA is an alternative with 24 onboard points.
Does the JACE support Wi-Fi?
The JACE 9000 offers optional Wi-Fi 5, configurable as a client or access point. A Wi-Fi JACE 9000 should be commissioned with Workbench 4.15.
What is the SD card in a JACE for?
On the JACE 8000 and 9000 the microSD card holds key system data, including licensing-related information. On a JACE 9000 the Host ID is reported incompletely if the card is missing. Never remove it from a running controller.
What temperature range does a JACE 9000 support?
−20 °C to 60 °C operating, −40 °C to 85 °C storage, 5–95% relative humidity non-condensing.
JACE commissioning FAQs
Which Workbench version do I need for a JACE 9000?
Niagara 4.13 or later; the JACE 9000 does not run earlier releases. Wi-Fi models should be commissioned with Workbench 4.15. See Niagara Workbench versions.
Why does a new JACE 9000 take so long to commission?
The first commissioning unpacks the operating system and installs Niagara, which can take 15 to 20 minutes or more. Do not power cycle it, and increase Workbench's device reboot timeout (for example from 600 to 900 seconds) if it times out.
Why does my JACE 9000 lose connectivity on one network port?
Default gateways are set on both Ethernet interfaces. Set the gateway on en0 only and leave en1 blank.
My JACE 8000 won't boot after a factory reset. Why?
Older recovery files from Niagara 4.0/4.1 contain a date bug that breaks factory resets performed after January 2021. Set the date to before 2021 via the serial shell, reboot and recommission. See restoring connectivity on older JACE 8000s.
How do I back up a JACE?
From Workbench, connect to the platform and create a backup (distribution file) of the station and platform configuration. Keep backups off the engineering laptop and take one before and after every significant change.
JACE operation FAQs
Which Niagara version should my JACE run?
The latest maintenance update of a supported release. For JACE 8000s that means Niagara 4.15, the final and long-term support release. JACE 9000s can run 4.13 or later and will move to Niagara 5.
How should a JACE keep the correct time?
Configure NTP to a reliable time server, and set the correct time zone and daylight saving rules. Accurate time matters for schedules, histories, alarms, certificates and two-factor authentication.
How many histories can a JACE store?
It depends on the model, memory, storage and how histories are configured. Keep local history capacity sensible and archive to a supervisor for long-term storage, rather than keeping years of data on the controller.
Why is my JACE running slowly?
Common causes are too many points polled too fast, heavy histories or alarms, large graphics served to many users, or memory pressure. Check the Resource Manager, driver statistics and poll scheduler settings. See the poll scheduler.
Can a JACE run without a supervisor?
Yes. A JACE can be a complete stand-alone BMS for a building, with its own graphics, alarms, schedules and histories served to a web browser.
How do I restart a JACE station without power cycling?
Open a platform connection in Workbench and use the Application Director to restart the station, or reboot the platform from Platform Administration.
JACE integration FAQs
How many Modbus networks can a JACE support?
One Modbus RTU network per RS-485 port, plus Modbus TCP networks over Ethernet. See Modbus networks per JACE.
How many devices can I put on one RS-485 trunk?
Electrically, 32 unit loads per segment (more with fractional-load devices). For responsive polling, keep BMS trunks to a few dozen devices. See devices per Modbus network.
Can a JACE integrate LoRaWAN sensors?
Yes, through a LoRaWAN gateway and network server plus a driver or MQTT integration. The IONA-I can do it with a built-in gateway. See What is LoRaWAN?.
Can a JACE send email alarms?
Yes, through the Email Service with an SMTP account. See setting up the email service with Gmail.
How many JACEs can a Web Supervisor connect to?
It depends on the supervisor's licence, which sets the number of Niagara network connections. Each JACE uses one connection; small Edge-class devices (licensed for 150 points or fewer) count as one tenth of a connection.
JACE support FAQs
Where can I buy a JACE 9000 in the UK?
From Tridium distributors such as Tyrrell Products. See our Niagara controllers.
Where can I learn to program a JACE?
On the Niagara 4 Technical Certification Program course. You can preview the labs free in our TCP training videos. See the Niagara 4 certification guide.
What should I do before replacing a failed JACE?
Find the latest station backup, the licence details and Host ID, the Niagara version and module list, and the IP settings. With those, a replacement can usually be commissioned in a few hours.
Do you offer JACE support contracts?
Yes. Tyrrell Products provides technical support and maintenance options for Niagara systems, including remote assistance from Niagara engineers. Contact the team to discuss your sites.
Can I get a JACE branded with my company's details?
Tridium offers branded clips for JACE 8000 and JACE 9000 controllers, which let integrators present controllers with their own branding. Ask us about options and minimum quantities.
Do JACE controllers need regular maintenance?
The hardware needs little, but the system does: keep Niagara updated, back up regularly, review users and certificates, check alarms and histories, and confirm the controller has spare memory and licence capacity.
Can I upgrade a JACE 8000 instead of replacing it?
You can upgrade its software to Niagara 4.15 and add licence capacity or option modules, but it cannot move to Niagara 5. For long-term support, plan a JACE 9000 or IONA.
Can a JACE run on battery backup?
JACEs need a continuous 24 V supply. Use a UPS-backed supply where uninterrupted operation and graceful handling of power cuts matter.
How long do JACEs last?
The hardware often runs for well over a decade. The practical limit is software support: a JACE that cannot run current Niagara versions becomes a security and support risk long before it fails.
Does Tyrrell Products stock JACE 9000 controllers in the UK?
Yes. We supply JACE 9000 controllers, licences, option modules, upgrades and software maintenance, with UK technical support.
Can I monitor a JACE from my phone?
Yes. Niagara 4's HTML5 interface works in mobile browsers, ideally through a secure remote access method such as a VPN or the Niagara Cloud Suite.
Can a JACE control lighting?
Yes, through lighting control protocols such as BACnet, DALI gateways, KNX or relays, with schedules and occupancy logic in the station.