Patent ID: 7464339

Claim:
A method of integrating a third party device into a building control system, the building control system having a workstation running building control system program instructions and a separately housed field panel in communication with the workstation, the method comprising the steps of: providing a user interface separate from the field panel for the input of data regarding a third party building control device that is on the field panel, wherein said third party building control device is one of the group consisting of a sensor or actuator or actuator controller, in an environmental and fire safety system; accepting data input from the user regarding the third party building control device through the user interface; launching an integration tool in response to the data input from the user regarding the third party building control device; generating an integration file by the launched integration tool for use by a driver at the field panel associated with the third party building control device; and loading the generated integration file into the separately housed field panel for use by the driver associated with the third party building control device to allow the third party building control device to operate in conjunction with the building control system software.