We recently interviewed one of our sales managers about Setra FLEX. He answered some of the most common questions related to FLEX and its capabilities as a hub.
What sensors does Setra offer today that tie directly into FLEX?
As of now, there are 6 parameters FLEX can display. Onboard FLEX is differential pressure, which can also be configured as a remote sensor; FLEX also has the ability to bring in, either locally or via BACnet, other parameters such as temperature and humidity, particle counting, air changes per hour, and additional differential pressure measurements. All of these parameters are available via Setra's "Works with Setra FLEX" suite of sensing products.
If a space already has existing sensors, can Setra FLEX tie into these third party sensors?
Absolutely. One of the most common examples of this is existing temperature and humidity sensors. In these cases, the sensors already working in the space don't need to be replaced as long as they have an analog output or BACnet capability. If so, these sensors can be mapped as a BACnet object on the BMS, or they can be died back directly into FLEX. Another increasingly common scenario is door switches. A dedicated input for a door switch on FLEX indicates whether the door is open or closed and has various configurable parameters around that alert.
How do sensors communicate with Setra FLEX?
Setra FLEX can communicate with sensors two different ways. Either external sensors are tied directly into the FLEX with an analog input or mapped via BACnet. FLEX has an innovative capability not every room pressure monitor has: it can easily map a BACnet object to the FLEX via the BMS. If there is an existing BMS, most installed sensors are already tied into the central controller. With BACnet MS/TP or BACnet IP, specific parameters can be mapped from the controller back to FLEX. And again, each FLEX is capable of simultaneously monitoring and alarming up to three separate spaces, with up to 6 parameters per space.
What are the benefits of buying a suite of sensors anchored on Setra FLEX?
We designed FLEX to function as a hub with our other products in mind. Certain products on our website have a tag saying "Works with Setra FLEX" to indicate which products we guarantee will communicate with one another. A Setra device with the tag "Works with Setra FLEX" will not have communication issues you might have with other non-BTL certified room monitors and sensors.
What is the future of Setra FLEX as a hub looking like?
It's an incredibly bright future. The Setra Lite is the first innovative product we've added onto this line originally designed to be compatible with the FLEX. We also have multiple products in the works to increase FLEX's usefulness and power as a monitoring hub. As we continue to develop FLEX's capabilities and this suite of products, we're keeping in mind that end users don't want to spend a significant amount of time setting up new devices and learning how to tie them into their existing or new BMS system. Our goal is to make installation and setup as easy and intuitive as setting up a smartphone.
