Documentation
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Guides, tips, and answers for getting the most out of Controls.Support.
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Getting Started
Step 01
Create your account
Sign up with Google or your work email. Your 14-day free trial starts immediately — no card required to begin.
Step 02
Add your first building
When you first open the app, you'll be prompted to name your building. Add your BAS platform, equipment, and any known issues under the Profile tab anytime.
Step 03
Ask your first question
Describe a fault, paste an alarm, or upload a screenshot. Be as specific as you would with a colleague — system name, observed behavior, what you've already tried.
Step 04
Review and follow up
The agent responds with a structured diagnostic path. Ask follow-up questions in the same session — context carries through the entire conversation.
Asking Questions
Be specific about the symptom
Include the equipment ID, what you're observing, the current setpoint or value, and what changed recently. Vague questions get generic answers.
Better: "AHU-3 discharge air temp is reading 58°F but setpoint is 55°F. Heating coil valve is at 100% open. OAT is 28°F. Unit is Carrier 39MCC, Metasys integration."
Less useful: "My AHU isn't working right."
Less useful: "My AHU isn't working right."
Paste alarm text or error codes directly
Copy alarm descriptions, fault codes, or log output and paste them into the chat. The agent reads raw text — you don't need to interpret it first.
Ask for programming help
Request a control sequence, PPCL program, Niagara wire sheet logic, or BACnet configuration. Specify the equipment, control objective, and any constraints (economizer lockout, demand limiting, etc.).
Request a diagram
Ask for a wiring diagram, sequence of operations flowchart, or system block diagram. Diagrams render inline in the chat and can be copied or saved to PDF.
Example: "Draw a block diagram of a dual-duct VAV system with mixed air control and CO₂-based DCV."
Escalate to a human engineer
If you need a senior controls engineer to review a complex issue, type
escalate or ask to be connected. You'll receive a direct contact path with your session ID for context.Buildings & Context
How building context works
When you select a building from the dropdown in the chat panel, the agent scopes every answer to that site's equipment, BAS platform, and any notes you've added. This means fewer follow-up questions and more relevant responses from the start.
Adding a building
Go to Account → Profile and use the Buildings section to add a site. Include the BAS platform (Metasys, Niagara, Distech, etc.), major equipment types, and any recurring issues. The more detail you add, the more tailored the diagnostic responses.
Managing multiple buildings
Add as many buildings as you manage. Switch between them using the building dropdown at the top of the chat panel. Each building maintains its own profile, session history, and alarm data independently.
Tip: Name buildings clearly — "Main Campus CUP", "North Tower", "Warehouse 2" — so sessions are easy to identify in history.
Files & Images
Supported file types
Images (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP), PDFs, and plain text files up to 10 MB. Upload by clicking the attachment icon, dragging onto the chat window, or pasting from your clipboard.
BAS screenshots
Screenshot your Niagara station, Metasys UI, or ecGFX screen and upload it. The agent reads the values, identifies the equipment, and uses what it sees as part of the diagnosis — no manual transcription needed.
Tip: Crop the screenshot to the relevant graphic or alarm table. Smaller, focused images produce more accurate results than full-screen captures.
Station files (.bog)
Upload a Niagara
.bog station export and ask specific questions about the configuration — controller bindings, schedules, history extensions, or alarm routing. The agent reads the XML structure directly.Sketch tool
Use the sketch tool (pencil icon in the toolbar) to draw a rough wiring diagram, piping schematic, or system layout and attach it to your question. Useful when you can't easily screenshot the actual system.
Alarm Analytics
What alarm analytics shows you
The Alarm Analytics page visualizes alarm frequency, top alarm sources, and time-of-day patterns for each building. Use it to identify recurring faults, noisy equipment, and alarms that are masking more serious issues.
Filtering by building and date range
Use the building selector to scope the view to a single site, and the date range controls to zoom in on a specific period — useful for correlating alarm spikes with weather events, occupancy changes, or equipment modifications.
Diagnosing a recurring alarm
Found an alarm that keeps firing? Click through to the chat and describe the pattern — paste the alarm name, frequency, and any correlating conditions. The agent will walk through the most likely root causes based on the alarm type and your building's equipment profile.
Example: "AHU-2 'High Static Pressure' fires every weekday between 7–9 AM. It's a VAV system with a Siemens VFD on the supply fan."
Sessions & History
Sessions are saved automatically
Every diagnostic conversation is saved to your account. Access past sessions from the History page or from the recent sessions panel in the app sidebar.
Resuming a session
When you sign in, if you have an unfinished session from the last 24 hours, you'll be offered the option to resume it. You can also find and reopen any past session from the History page.
Exporting a session to PDF
Use the export button (↓ icon) at the top of the chat to save the full session as a PDF — useful for service records, work orders, or sharing a diagnostic path with a colleague. Individual responses can also be saved separately.
Copying a response
Hover over any agent response to reveal the copy button. This copies the plain text (without formatting) — useful for pasting into a work order system or service report.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Submit a message | Enter |
| New line in message | Shift + Enter |
| Open sketch tool | S (when input is empty) |
| Attach a file | Ctrl/⌘ + U |
| Focus chat input | / |
Frequently Asked Questions
The knowledge base includes thousands of pages from Distech, Honeywell, Johnson Controls , Tridium Niagara 4, BACnet protocol standards, and Modbus references. New manuals are added continuously. The AI also draws on core HVAC and controls engineering principles for mechanical system questions where manufacturer documentation isn't the limiting factor.
Controls.Support learns your systems over time and retrieves answers directly from indexed manufacturer documentation — it doesn't guess or paraphrase from memory. Responses cite specific manuals, include relevant parameter values, and follow structured diagnostic paths. It also knows your building's equipment and BAS platform, which a general-purpose AI has no knowledge of.
Yes — the app is fully mobile-responsive and works in any browser. No app download required. Sign in at controls.support/login from your phone and you have full access to the chat, file uploads, and alarm analytics.
Building profiles, sessions, and uploaded files are private to your account and are not shared with other users or used to train any AI model. Refer to the Privacy Policy for full details.
Use the diagnostic output as a structured starting point, not a final verdict — just as you would with a knowledgeable colleague. If a suggestion doesn't match what you're seeing in the field, push back in the chat with what you observed. The agent will revise its path. For anything involving life-safety systems, always verify against the manufacturer's published documentation and your local codes.
Currently each subscription is per-user. Team and company plans are on the roadmap. If you need multiple seats now, contact support and we'll work something out.
It can provide general help for all systems. BACnet and Modbus protocol questions are fully covered. Niagara 4 / JACE questions are well-supported. For proprietary systems like Siemens Desigo, Honeywell EBI, or Distech, the AI draws on general controls engineering knowledge and protocol-level understanding. More manufacturer documentation is being added regularly — request a specific system and we'll prioritize it.
Billing
Free trial and pricing
The 14-day free trial gives you full access to all features. A card is required to start the trial but you won't be charged until the trial ends. After that, the plan is $12/month — cancel anytime before your next billing date and you won't be charged.
Managing your subscription
Go to Billing to see your current plan status, next billing date, and payment method. From there you can update your card, download invoices, or cancel — all through the Stripe billing portal.
Payment failed
If a payment fails, you'll see a warning banner on the billing page. Update your payment method through the billing portal to restore full access. Your session history and building data are retained during any lapse.
Still have a billing question?
Email support@controls.support and include your account email. We'll respond within one business day.