Honeywell’s JADE W7220 Controller
The 101 Basics!

Before we begin; if you’re not familiar with the basics of an economizer, read the article; “What Is An Economizer – AKA Mixing Box?” Many of the blogs and articles about the JADE W7220 Economizer Controller have been copied directly from Honeywell’s online documentation… This is not one of those blogs!

Why Do We Need A New Controller?

The rise of the JADE W7220 Controller occurred to meet current local, state and national building ventilation codes. These new codes were created due to the great multitudes of economizers discovered in the field to be inoperative, improperly setup, or malfunctioning.

JADE Meets The Following Codes

ASHRAE Standards:90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
ASHRAE Standards:62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
ASHRAE Standards:189.1 Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) – both 2006 and 2011
International Green Construction Code (IGCC) – the new code went for public review in June 2011.

Many will miss the simplicity of the Honeywell W7212 which has been the industry standard for controlling economizers for decades. The problem… Just glancing at the older Honeywell W7212 does not offer a clue to the actual functionality. The new codes require the energy savings, as well as a better method for detecting economizer controller and/or mechanical failure.

Not Your Grandma’s Economizer Controller!

Honeywell has raised the bar for packaged economizer controls with the introduction of the JADE W7220 Controller.

The beauty of the JADE W7220… The big backlit LCD screen; the ability to communicate with sensors; visible error codes; and the ability to operate in a multiple speed indoor fan system — What Is A Multiple Speed Indoor HVAC Fan And Why Is It Needed? Although the Honeywell documentation only references one and two speed fans; three speed fans will operate with the JADE controller with the use of an altered wire harness. Finally, it is way easier to setup, interpret and troubleshoot the new JADE W7220 Controller than its predecessor the W7212, W7459 or the like!

The face of the W7220 is color coded and labeled allowing for quick, easy, and accurate component connectivity. The colored rows on the inside by the display are for the header wiring (OEMs) and the colored row on the outside by the edge connectors (with the terminal designations) are for the edge connector wiring.

The W7220 JADE Controller operates as a complete system consisting of…

A required 20K Mixed Air Sensor (C7250A). The sensor is detected by the JADE controller; but does not communicate with it.
Damper Actuator (Communicating or Non-Communicating). A Communicating Actuator which “talks” to the JADE Controller is required by some codes. You can connect the controller to only one Communicating Type Actuator. It works with JADE to provide improved control, field detection, diagnostics, and save time during setup and testing. The JADE controller will operate older models and off brand actuators. You can daisy chain up to three non-communicating actuators to open or close different dampers.
A 20K Outdoor Air Dry Bulb Control Sensor (Same Sensor as the Mixed Air Sensor – C7250A).
A Communicating “Sylk-bus” Sensor (C7400S) — A combination Temperature / Humidity Sensor allowing Single or Differential; Enthalpy, Temperature, or Humidity Control.
Optional CO2 Sensor for Demand Control Ventilation (DCV). Most any CO2 Sensor will suffice as long as some parameters can be programmed into it. We recommend the MicroMetl 8002-WMDM CO2 Wall Or Inside Duct Mount, or the 8002-XVDM External Duct Mount.
Optional Smoke Detector – The JADE Controller is designed to allow a shutdown command from devices similar to a Smoke Detector. We recommend the MicroMetl 9901-0091 Smoke Detector.
Optional Power Exhaust -Ability to stage exhaust fans and provide low temperature lockout without extra hardware is now possible.

MicroMetl carries a large variety of Power Exhaust types, contact MicroMetl to best fit your specific project needs — What is a HVAC Power Exhaust — Achieving Proper Ventilation

NOTE: When ordering the CO2 or Optional Smoke Detector with a MicroMetl economizer, the six pin JADE connector is provided. When ordering separately, or from another manufacturer, be certain to purchase the six pin set (MicroMetl 9901-0136 6-PIN EDGE).

JADE Sylk-bus Sensors

The Honeywell JADE W7220 uses a proprietary communication protocol called “Sylk-bus.” Sylk-bus is a language written and used exclusively by Honeywell, and is the protocol used by the JADE W7220 controller to communicate to some of its sensors and components. Therefore, only the Communicating Actuator and C7400S Temperature & Humidity Sensor will operate with the JADE controller, other brands will not work with the JADE Controller and adhere to code. The Sylk-bus Protocol is only a component bus to communication between the JADE components, not for a Building Automation System (BAS)!

How Far Will They Go?

Sylk Bus Sensors can be placed as far as 100 feet from the controller when using regular wire (18 to 22 GA), and up to 200 feet when using twisted pair. Honeywell recommends a shielded, twisted pair wire if you have a noisy electrical environment. Additionally, polarity is not an issue (The wires can go to either Sylk-bus Terminal).

If you are considering to share Sylk-bus components between different W7200 Controllers, it’s not going to happen. The current design only allows you to feed the information into a single controller.

Several DIP Switches are available to notify the JADE controller that the C7400S Temperature & Humidity Sensor is being used as a Mixed Air, Outdoor Air, Return Air, or Discharge Air Sensor. NOTE: The protective film on the dip switch is only necessary during the factory assembly process. Simply push through the film to set the dip switches; this will not harm the device.

SETUP CAUTION – The JADE W7220 automatically executes a one hour setup mode. During that time, removed or malfunctioning sensors will not display as an error until the one hour has elapsed. The exception is the Mixed Air Sensor which will alarm immediately! Upon power up (or after a power outage or brownout), the W7220 controller module begins a five minute power up delay before enabling mechanical cooling.

Furthermore, the JADE Controller must not be placed inside the economizer’s air streams. The JADE W7220 requires the ability for a user to view and interact during operation. Therefore if access to the controller affects the air stream, the JADE Controller will not accurately reflect economizer effectiveness and functionality.

Other Feature Notes…

Without the antiquated potentiometers, drifting and changes in settings over time will no longer occur.
MicroMetl offers a five Year warranty when you purchase the Jade package with a Honeywell actuator.
Built in “Checkout” test modes; No more need for a multimeter to determine if a component is properly functioning. Easily test the damper operation and any configured output.
Digital sensors are more accurate.
The W7212 will not be available in the very near future.

In Closing…

The Honeywell JADE W7220 Controller and its associated components are here to meet code and save money. It has been long overdue, and will save time. Moreover, customers will get the savings promised due to the easy to use features, error codes and the like.

MicroMetl currently offers the JADE W7220 Controller with associated features and components on our Standard, and Ultra Low Leak Economizers. Additionally, MicroMetl will continue to support those using the soon to be obsolete Honeywell controllers for years to come.

A JADE W7220 Demo is available online — You will need Flash to use it. A link to download Flash is also available at the link location!

For those who are curious… JADE is not an acronym. According to my local rep, “It is a Product Platform Name only – JADE does not mean anything at all!”

Like everything in our fast paced world… A new learning curve! Please feel free to contact the MicroMetl Customer Support with any questions you may have concerning your future and current economizer projects.