What B-OWS Is
A BACnet device profile is a standardized capability level: a checklist of things a device must be able to do before it can wear the label. B-OWS (BACnet Operator Workstation) is the day-to-day operator interface, defined in Annex L of ANSI/ASHRAE 135-2024 (clause L.1.3) as an operator interface with limited capabilities relative to a B-AWS. It is used for monitoring and basic control of a system, but it does not support the configuration activities or advanced troubleshooting a B-AWS provides.
The checklist items are BACnet Interoperability Building Blocks (BIBBs), each a named unit of capability such as “can send a read request” (DS-RP-A). B-OWS is an operator-side (client) profile: it mostly initiates requests to other devices and receives event notifications rather than generating them. A device documents its profile claim in its PICS (Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement); to verify a claim, ask for the PICS and check the profile line.
Where It’s Used
B-OWS fits the daily operator who monitors system status and makes simple adjustments, without the configuration reach of an advanced workstation.
- Building operator stations. A workstation in a facilities office where staff watch zone conditions, acknowledge alarms, and adjust setpoints across the site.
- Tenant or floor consoles. A monitoring seat that presents graphics, shows schedules, and lets an operator nudge a setpoint without touching device configuration.
- Basic supervisory front ends. A screen paired with a head end (the central BMS server) that reads points, displays trends, and views calendars.
Required Services
The table below is the service set required by the B-OWS BIBBs. Initiates means the device sends the request or notification; Executes means the device receives and acts on it (responding, for confirmed services). BIBB codes encode the same split: a -A BIBB is the initiating side, a -B BIBB the executing side. A - means the profile does not require that direction; a device may still support it.
| Capability area | Service | Required by BIBB | Initiates | Executes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data sharing | ReadProperty | DS-RP-A, DS-RP-B, DS-V-A | Yes | Yes |
| Data sharing | WriteProperty | DS-WP-A, DS-M-A | Yes | - |
| Alarm and event management | ConfirmedEventNotification | AE-N-A, AE-VN-A | - | Yes |
| Alarm and event management | UnconfirmedEventNotification | AE-N-A, AE-VN-A | - | Yes |
| Alarm and event management | AcknowledgeAlarm | AE-ACK-A | Yes | - |
| Alarm and event management | GetEventInformation | AE-AS-A | Yes | - |
| Alarm and event management | GetAlarmSummary | AE-AS-A | Yes | - |
| Trending | ReadRange | T-V-A | Yes | - |
| Device and network management | Who-Is | DM-DDB-A, DM-DDB-B | Yes | Yes |
| Device and network management | I-Am | DM-DDB-A, DM-DDB-B | Yes | Yes |
| Device and network management | Who-Has | DM-DOB-B | - | Yes |
| Device and network management | I-Have | DM-DOB-B | Yes | - |
| Device and network management | TimeSynchronization | DM-MTS-A | Yes | - |
| Device and network management | UTCTimeSynchronization | DM-MTS-A | Yes | - |
The view and modify BIBBs add no wire service beyond the rows above. DS-V-A (View) and DS-M-A (Modify) present values and change setpoints; AE-VM-A adjusts analog alarm limits; SCHED-VM-A views and modifies schedules and calendars. Each is carried by the ReadProperty and WriteProperty rows.
Related Profiles
| Profile | How it differs from B-OWS |
|---|---|
| B-OD | Operator Display: one step down. Basic display with no scheduling, trending, alarm acknowledgment, or summarization requirement |
| B-AWS | Advanced Workstation: a step up. Adds configuration, object creation, backup and restore, and audit reporting |
| B-BC | Building Controller: the device side. It answers the requests a B-OWS sends and generates the notifications a B-OWS displays |
What Chipkin Provides
B-OWS is an operator-side profile: its initiating and notification-receiving behavior is implemented in Chipkin’s BACnet test tooling rather than the shipping device stack, which targets the server-side profiles. Talk to us about building or integrating a B-OWS operator interface.