Understanding the Niagara Environment

Niagara is a Java-based building automation framework developed by Tridium. It operates within a component called a Station, which contains drivers, devices, control logic, alarms, and historical data.

JACE (Java Application Control Engine) controllers are field-deployed devices that run individual stations and communicate with building systems using protocols such as BACnet, Modbus, or OPC.

A Niagara Supervisor aggregates multiple JACE controllers into a centralized station using the FOX protocol. It may also connect to non-JACE systems through additional drivers (e.g., Modbus or oBIX).

The Mapped Connect N4 module installs into the Niagara Supervisor and connects it to Mapped.

Prepare the Connector in the Mapped Console

Before installing the module in Niagara, create the connector in the Mapped Console so credentials are ready immediately after installation.

• In the Mapped Console, navigate to Connectors → Sources → Add New
• Search for 'Mapped Connect N4' and create the connector
• Open the connector and navigate to the Auth tab
  • Note: These values are pre-populated and read-only.
• Copy the Endpoint, Client ID, and Client Secret

Preparing this in advance minimizes Niagara downtime, allowing immediate configuration after restart.

Install the Mapped Connect N4 Module

Niagara modules must be installed while the Supervisor Station is stopped. Plan this during a maintenance window.

The installation package is provided as a .zip file containing the module .jar.

Installation Steps

• Extract the .zip file to obtain:
  • mappedconnect-rt.jar
  • Do this on the same machine hosting the Niagara Supervisor
• Stop the Supervisor Station and close Niagara Workbench
  • (Leaving Workbench open may cause file lock issues)
• Copy the .jar file into:
  • Niagara Home Files Directory → Modules
• Restart Niagara Workbench
• Restart the Station:
  • In the Niagara Workbench, right-click the Host and, in the menu, click “Open Platform”.
  • Double-click “Application Director”
  • Highlight the running station, and click the “Restart” button.

Add and Configure the Mapped Connect Service

After the Station restarts, add the service to Niagara.

• Open:
  • Window → Side Bars → Palette
• In the palette file browser, locate MappedConnect
  • If it does not appear:
    • Confirm the .jar file is in the correct directory
    • Restart Workbench and the Station again
• Drag MappedConnectService into Services
• Open the MappedConnectService property sheet
• Enter the following values from the Mapped Console:
  • Endpoint
  • Client ID
  • Client Secret
• Save the configuration
• Confirm the Connection Status changes from:
  • Closed → Connected

Mapped Connect Service Properties

Property	Description
Status	Current module status
Fault Details	Error information if status is not OK
Enabled	Enables or disables the service
Endpoint	Mapped Cloud endpoint
Client ID	Connector identifier
Client Secret	Authentication key
Connection Status	Closed or Connected
OTLP Endpoint	Endpoint used for log transmission
Polling Check Interval	Polling interval for updates
Device Subscriptions	List of subscribed devices

View and Subscribe to Devices

Once connected, devices from the Niagara Supervisor become available in the Mapped Console.

Navigate to:

Connectors → Mapped Connect N4 → Devices

To Subscribe to a Device

• Select a device
• Open the device details panel
• Click Subscribe
  • If already subscribed, the button will display Unsubscribe

Subscriptions operate at the device level, meaning all points under that device are included.

What Happens on First Subscription

• The device entity is created in Mapped
• All associated points are created
• The device becomes available for place mapping

Device Details Panel

When selecting a device, the following information is available:

• Device Name
• Device Type (Mapped-normalized type)
• ORD (Object Reference Descriptor)
  • Can be used in Niagara Workbench via Ctrl+L
• Path (location within Niagara)
• List of Points
• Subscription Status
• Merge Status (indicates ingestion into the Mapped graph)

Place Mapping Devices

After subscribing, devices must be assigned to a location (building, floor, or space).

• Assign the device to a place
• Click Sync to apply changes

Note: Saving alone does not complete the process. Sync is required to update the Mapped graph.

Connector Overview Page

When you open the connector in Console, the Overview page displays several real-time indicators:

• Connection status (Connected / Disconnected)
• Total available devices in the Supervisor
• Number of subscribed devices
• Number of place-mapped devices

These values are not cached - they are queried live from the Supervisor over the secure WebSocket. If the Supervisor goes offline, the status updates immediately.

Mapping Validation

To confirm mapping:

• Navigate to Explorer → Building/Site

• Locate the device

• If not visible, check the Jobs panel inside the connector and confirm the sync completed successfully