What Is Miura Connect?

Miura Connect is Miura's connected monitoring platform for collecting equipment operating data and making that information available through an online interface. The system connects compatible Miura equipment through the M-NET3 communication network and uses a Miura Connect gateway to communicate collected information to the Miura Connect web service.

Depending on the equipment and application, Miura Connect can monitor information from boilers, boiler system controls, and water treatment equipment. Miura Connect 2.0 can also incorporate signals from external equipment using PLC inputs.

Two hardware configurations are available:

• Miura Connect 2.0 provides the most extensive integration capabilities, including provisions for external instrumentation and building automation system communication.
• Miura Connect Lite provides a smaller, simplified solution for applications that primarily require monitoring of compatible Miura equipment.

Why Use Miura Connect?

A modern boiler room includes far more than the boiler itself. Boiler controls, water treatment equipment, feedwater systems, instrumentation, and other supporting equipment all contribute to the operation of the steam system.

Miura Connect provides a common platform for collecting information from supported equipment rather than treating each component as an isolated device.

Compatible Miura equipment can communicate directly with Miura Connect through the Miura equipment network. Miura Connect 2.0 can extend monitoring beyond native Miura devices by connecting miscellaneous sensors and third-party equipment signals to its PLC inputs and mapping those inputs to custom assets on the web dashboard. The installation manual specifically gives a third-party feed tank as one example.

This makes Miura Connect particularly useful when a customer wants greater visibility into the operation of the overall boiler room rather than monitoring individual pieces of equipment independently.

Miura Connect Lite

Miura Connect Lite is the compact Miura Connect hardware option intended primarily for monitoring compatible Miura equipment.

The Lite system natively monitors selected equipment over M-NET3, including:

• BLXX-based boilers
• MW water softeners
• Miura Colormetry units

Water treatment equipment communicates through DS-NET and requires conversion to the M-NET3 network. The necessary conversion can be provided through compatible equipment including the WP2-200, BP-201, EN-011A, or EN-021A.

Physical Configuration

Miura Connect Lite is significantly smaller than the Miura Connect 2.0 panel. Its enclosure measures approximately 12.4 in. high × 12.3 in. wide × 8.1 in. deep and weighs approximately 15 lb. The panel operates from 12–24 VDC and can communicate externally through wired Internet, Wi-Fi, and/or cellular service. An antenna is required when Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity is used.

Internally, the Lite configuration uses an industrial PC/gateway, with an Ethernet switch and antenna available as optional components.

Miura Connect 2.0

Miura Connect 2.0 expands the system's hardware capabilities when additional field signals or external communication interfaces are required.

It natively supports monitoring of selected Miura equipment including:

• BL11-based boilers
• BP master controllers
• MW water softeners
• Colormetry units
• WP2 water treatment control panels

The panel also incorporates an AutomationDirect Productivity1000 PLC. External sensors and equipment signals can be connected to available PLC inputs and mapped to custom equipment assets on the Miura Connect dashboard.

The standard I/O includes:

Monitoring External Equipment

The PLC is the primary hardware distinction when an application requires information that cannot be collected directly through the Miura equipment network.

For example, external dry contacts can be connected to the discrete inputs, while appropriate sensors can connect to thermocouple or analog inputs. The documentation also provides an example of monitoring a flow-meter pulse that is shared with a boiler controller.

This capability allows Miura Connect 2.0 to incorporate selected information from auxiliary or third-party equipment into the Miura Connect environment.

BACnet and Modbus Integration

Another important application for Miura Connect 2.0 is integration with a customer's external control or building management system.

Miura Connect 2.0 can provide Modbus TCP and BACnet/IP outputs, and these communication functions are available without a connection to the Miura Connect web service.

The available BACnet data is extensive and varies by connected device. The published BACnet guide includes signal mappings for equipment including BL11-based boilers, MW water softeners, Colormetry, WP2, BP-201, and PLC data.

For example, documented boiler points include steam pressure, flue-gas temperature, feedwater temperature, boiler-water conductivity, flame signal, water-level information, operating signals, alarms, cautions, and numerous device status points.

The BP-201 BACnet mapping likewise includes system settings, system steam pressure, external inputs and outputs, water-supply information, and controller alarms and status information.

This makes Miura Connect 2.0 the appropriate standalone panel when BACnet/IP or Modbus TCP communication is required.

BP-201 and the Built-In Miura Connect Gateway

A particularly important change in selecting Miura Connect hardware concerns the BP-201.

All standard BP-201 units now include a Miura Connect gateway. A separate Miura Connect panel is therefore not required solely to provide Miura Connect connectivity for a standard BP-201 installation.

This is an important distinction between Miura Connect service capacity and Miura Connect hardware.

The physical gateway does not determine the number of assets that a customer can monitor through Miura Connect. Asset limitations are defined by the customer's specific Miura Connect contract.

When Is a Standalone Miura Connect Panel Still Required?

A standalone Miura Connect panel should be specified when the application requires functionality that is not provided by the standard BP-201 gateway configuration, particularly:

• BACnet/IP communication
• Modbus TCP communication
• Additional external monitoring or I/O capabilities requiring the Miura Connect 2.0 PLC

For reference, the Miura Connect 2.0 documentation confirms that the panel can provide BACnet and Modbus outputs, while its PLC provides discrete, thermocouple, and analog signal inputs for external devices.

Using a Standalone Miura Connect Panel with a BP-201

When a project requires a standalone Miura Connect panel in addition to a BP-201, only one Miura Connect gateway should be connected to the network.

The preferred configuration is to use the gateway installed in the standalone Miura Connect panel.

The BP-201 can be modified through an OTU to remove its standard Miura Connect gateway when the project configuration calls for a standalone panel. If the BP-201 retains its factory-installed gateway, leave that gateway disconnected from the network and connect only the gateway in the standalone Miura Connect panel.

This avoids placing multiple Miura Connect gateways onto the same installation unnecessarily.

Miura Connect Lite vs. Miura Connect 2.0

* The Wi-Fi/cellular antenna is an optional add-on feature that must be specified when ordered.

Selection note: For a standard BP-201 installation that only requires Miura Connect connectivity, neither standalone panel is normally required because the BP-201 already includes the Miura Connect gateway. Select a standalone panel when the application's communication or I/O requirements require additional hardware.

Network and Internet Connectivity

Both Miura Connect configurations support wired Internet, Wi-Fi, and/or cellular connectivity.

When cellular or Wi-Fi communication is used, an antenna is required. The antenna can also be mounted remotely when necessary to improve signal strength.

For the Miura equipment network, Category 5 shielded cable or better with RJ45 connectors is specified, with a maximum documented connection distance of 330 ft (100 m).

Selecting the Right Configuration

A simple way to determine the appropriate hardware is to begin with the application's required functionality:

Standard BP-201 + Miura Connect monitoring
→ Use the gateway already included in the BP-201.

Miura equipment monitoring without a BP-201
→ Consider Miura Connect Lite.

External sensors, third-party signals, or custom PLC-connected assets required
→ Use Miura Connect 2.0.

BACnet/IP required
→ Use Miura Connect 2.0.

Modbus TCP required
→ A standalone Miura Connect configuration is recommended. Modbus output is typically associated with additional sensor, signal, or custom asset requirements. Both devices incorporate Modbus output capability, so the specific hardware should be selected based on the remainder of the project requirements. 

Application Engineering Note

Miura Connect hardware should be selected around the communication and instrumentation requirements of the project, not around the number of assets being monitored.

The customer's Miura Connect contract establishes the applicable asset limitations. Adding a larger or additional physical panel does not, by itself, increase the contracted asset capacity.

For applications involving a BP-201, BACnet or Modbus communication, third-party instrumentation, or unusual network architecture, the Miura configuration should be established during system design so that the appropriate gateway and standalone hardware are specified.