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Honeywell system migration

Migrating Honeywell CARE, Eagle and Excel 5000 to Niagara 4

If your building runs on Honeywell Excel 5000, Excel 50 or Honeywell Eagle controllers programmed with CARE, you don't have to replace everything at once. At ACIPro we migrate these systems to Niagara 4 in phases, retaining what is still usable and keeping the installation running.

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Reply within 24 working hours · Across Extremadura and neighbouring provinces in Spain

Honeywell CARE and Excel 5000: when to migrate to Niagara

CARE is the engineering software that was used for years to programme Honeywell Excel 5000 controllers (Excel 50, Excel 500 and others) and Honeywell Eagle, Panther and Lion controllers. Many are still controlling air handling units and boilers, but their environment has aged.

These are the signs we see most often before a migration:

  • The supervisory workstation relies on an old computer and nobody dares switch it off.
  • Only one person knows how to use the Honeywell CARE software, or the licence has been lost.
  • Spare controllers or I/O modules are no longer available.
  • There is no secure remote access and no useful historical data.
  • You want to connect the building to a building management system shared with other buildings.

If you recognise two or more of these, it is worth looking at migration before a breakdown forces it on you.

Phased migration process

A well-executed migration never leaves the building without control. We work in short, verifiable phases:

  1. Inventory. Existing controllers, buses, points, schedules, alarms and programs.
  2. Supervision first. Niagara 4 (Honeywell Optimizer Supervisor) is installed and everything that already communicates is integrated, restoring visibility from day one.
  3. Gradual replacement. Controllers are replaced floor by floor, zone by zone or plant room by plant room, starting with the most critical or those with the fewest spares.
  4. Testing. Every sequence is verified point by point before the phase is signed off.
  5. Handover. Documentation, points list and training for maintenance staff.

The order is adapted to the building's budget and calendar. The technical detail of each step is in our guide to migrating Honeywell CARE without losing data.

We will reply within 24 working hours with an initial assessment.

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What is retained from the existing Honeywell system

Migrating doesn't mean throwing everything away. In most installations a significant part of what is there can be reused:

  • Sensors, actuators, valves and field wiring in good condition.
  • Electrical panels, if they comply with the REBT (Spanish low-voltage regulation) and have space for the new equipment.
  • The control logic: the CARE sequences are documented and rewritten, and improved where appropriate (for example, following ASHRAE Guideline 36).
  • Schedules, setpoints and alarm limits, which are transferred to the new system.
  • Controllers that still have some life left in them, integrated into Niagara for as long as they keep working.

Before quoting, we check the actual condition of the field devices. If a sensor or valve is faulty, we say so and price it separately, so you can decide whether to include it in the migration or leave it for later.

BACnet coexistence between Eagle, Excel 5000 and Niagara 4

During the migration, the old and new systems run side by side. Communication is the key. Honeywell Eagle controllers and devices with a BACnet interface are integrated directly into Niagara 4, which speaks BACnet (ASHRAE 135) natively, as well as Modbus, KNX and LonWorks.

Older Excel 5000 devices that only communicate over their proprietary bus need to be assessed case by case: gateway, controller replacement or temporary integration of critical signals. We decide with you based on the number of points and the condition of each device.

While both systems coexist, maintenance staff can see everything from a single Niagara workstation, with alarms and trends from both systems. Every new point is named according to our naming database and tagged with Project Haystack, so the installation is well organised from the very first phase.

Tell us about your building and what concerns you. We'll tell you where to start.

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Licences, code and ownership of the installation

One of the most common problems with old systems is dependency: licences registered to a third party, programs with no backup or passwords nobody knows. In a migration to Honeywell Niagara 4 we resolve this from the outset:

  • The Niagara licences are registered to the building owner.
  • You receive a copy of the station database, programs and graphics.
  • Individual user accounts and an encrypted remote access procedure are provided.
  • The control network is segmented and never exposed directly to the internet; we follow the principles of the ISA/IEC 62443 series.

So if you decide to work with another integrator tomorrow, you can. That is the basis of any maintainable system. We expand on this in open BMS integration.

Why choose ACIPro for your Honeywell migration

We are an official Honeywell partner and work with Niagara 4 every day. The team has over 20 years' experience in industrial maintenance, automation and building controls, and knows CARE systems from the perspective of those who maintain them day in, day out.

  • Our own 3D graphics for each air handling unit, chiller or plant room.
  • Control panels built and tested in our workshop (UNE-EN 61439).
  • Mandatory Haystack tagging and CamelCase naming for every point.
  • We work across Spain on migrations and Niagara projects.

After the migration, the building is ready for remote monitoring, energy reports or automated fault detection (FDD), should you need them. We will also tell you whether the control upgrade makes you eligible to apply for Energy Savings Certificates (CAE, the Spanish scheme) under the TER050 measure sheet.

Call us or message us on WhatsApp on +34 634 456 471 and we'll go through it with you.

How much could your building save?WhatsApp +34 634 456 471
Case study

Honeywell CARE/Eagle to Niagara migration in a commercial building in Extremadura

Commercial building in Extremadura with a legacy Honeywell CARE/Eagle system and BACnet integration, an outdated supervisory system and dependence on the original engineering software.

What we did

  • Inventory of the controllers, points and programs in the CARE/Eagle system.
  • Installation of a Niagara supervisory system with Honeywell Optimizer Supervisor.
  • BACnet integration of the existing controllers into the new supervisor.
  • Point naming and Project Haystack tagging across the entire installation.

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Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Can Honeywell CARE software still be used after migrating?

Yes. While Excel 5000 or Eagle controllers remain in service, it can be useful to keep CARE for occasional changes. Typically, as the phases progress, the software is no longer needed. We provide you with documentation of the original programs so that the knowledge of how the installation worked is not lost.

Do all Honeywell Excel 50 controllers have to be replaced?

Not necessarily. Excel 50 controllers that work well and have usable communications can remain in place for a while, integrated into Niagara. Those that are failing, have no spares or control critical equipment are replaced first. The decision is made device by device after the initial inventory.

Will the building be left without HVAC during the migration?

It shouldn't be. We plan each phase so that shutdowns are short and take place during low-occupancy periods. The old system keeps controlling the plant while the new one is prepared, and every change is tested, with the maintenance contractor present, before it is put into permanent service.

What is the difference between Honeywell Excel 5000 and Honeywell Eagle?

Excel 5000 is the family of Honeywell controllers programmed with CARE, which includes models such as Excel 50 and Excel 500. Eagle, Panther and Lion are another family of Honeywell controllers that is also programmed with CARE. Both can be integrated or replaced in a migration to Niagara 4.

How much does it cost to migrate a Honeywell CARE system to Niagara?

It depends on the number of points, how many controllers are retained and the condition of the field devices. That's why we start with an inventory and a phased proposal, so you can spread the investment. In some cases the control upgrade makes it possible to apply for Energy Savings Certificates, which are assessed case by case.

Are the historical data and alarms from the old system lost?

Schedules, setpoints and alarm limits are transferred to the new system. Old historical data is exported where the format allows and kept as an archive. From the first phase, Niagara starts logging its own trends, with well-organised point names and Haystack tags.

Call us or message us on WhatsApp on +34 634 456 471 and we'll go through it with you.

Talk to a technicianWhatsApp +34 634 456 471

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References and manufacturers

Do you have a control system that nobody knows how to maintain?

We review your installation and tell you what can be reused, what should be replaced and how much you could save.

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