What is the symbol for a BMS controller?

A BMS controller is drawn as a rectangular control panel symbol with terminal connections shown along the bottom or sides — typically labelled "BMS" with the make/model and IP network address. Distributed BMS modules at each plant area are drawn as smaller rectangles linked back to the central controller by a bus line (BACnet/IP, Modbus RS-485, etc.).

How is a DALI lighting system drawn?

A DALI lighting system is drawn with the DALI gateway as a rectangle (labelled with the make/model and short-address range), connected by a two-wire DALI bus (typically purple in schematic colour coding) to each DALI-controlled luminaire. Up to 64 short addresses per DALI bus segment per BS EN 62386. The bus is polarity-free — wiring errors don\'t damage devices.

What sensor symbols are most common on BMS plans?

The most common BMS sensors are temperature (circle with "T" inside), occupancy/PIR (circle with motion lines), daylight (circle with sun symbol), CO2 (circle with "CO2"), and humidity (circle with "%RH" or wave symbol). Each sensor wires back to the BMS controller via 0-10V analogue, 4-20 mA, or digital bus.

What is the difference between KNX and DALI on a drawing?

KNX is a building automation bus (BS EN 50090) that controls lighting, HVAC, blinds, security and metering on one network — drawn with a green bus line. DALI (BS EN 62386) is purpose-built for lighting only — drawn with a purple/violet bus line. A KNX-DALI gateway translates between the two protocols where required. KNX is often the higher-level bus controlling DALI sub-buses for lighting.

How are smart lighting scenes shown?

Smart lighting scenes are typically shown in a schedule rather than on the drawing — the schedule lists each scene by name (e.g. "Meeting", "Presentation", "Cleaning") with the dim level for each addressable luminaire. The drawing itself just shows the luminaires with their addresses; the scene programming sits in a separate commissioning schedule document.

SYMBOL REFERENCE

Controls + BMS Symbols: Building management + smart lighting references

Every BMS, lighting control and sensor symbol — drawn to IEC 60617 with BS EN 62386 (DALI), KNX and Lutron protocol cross-references.

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6 min readUpdated 2026-05-18Andrew Moore, Founder of Elec-Mate

Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.

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Key takeaways

01BMS controller symbols on building services drawings show the central or distributed control unit — BACnet, Modbus or proprietary protocols differentiate the network type.
02Lighting control module symbols (DALI gateway, KNX dimmer, Lutron QS module) indicate the protocol — DALI uses two-wire polarity-free bus to BS EN 62386.
03Sensor symbols differentiate by measurement type — temperature, occupancy, daylight, CO2, humidity — each with a distinct internal element.
04Smart lighting installations typically reduce energy consumption by 30-50% versus static switching — measurable in the buildings post-occupancy evaluation.
05BMS schematics show all sensor and actuator points wired back to the controller, with cabling annotated as belden (control), CAT 6 (IP) or DALI 2-wire bus.

01 · Symbol Reference

Controls + BMS Symbols — Complete Symbol Set

Below are every controls + bms symbols on the Elec-Mate symbol library, drawn to BS EN 60617. Right-click any symbol to save the SVG, or use the AI Diagram Builder to drag them directly into a circuit drawing.

BMS Controller

A Building Management System (BMS) controller — central or distributed unit that schedules HVAC, lighting and other plant. BACnet, Modbus or proprietary protocols.

Used in: Commercial offices, hospitals, schools; centralises control of all building services.

Control Panel

A local control panel — typically housing a PLC, contactors, overloads, and HMI for a discrete piece of plant or process line.

Used in: Industrial plant, water treatment, packaging lines, kitchen extract control.

Lighting Control Module

A lighting control module — DALI gateway, KNX dimmer, Lutron QS module, or wireless mesh controller. Schedules, scenes, daylight harvesting and occupancy linkage.

Used in: Offices, retail, hospitality, schools; smart lighting saves 30-50% on energy vs static control.

BMS sensor occupancy temperature electrical symbol IEC 60617

Generic Sensor

A generic BMS sensor input — temperature, CO2, occupancy, light level. Wired back to a BMS controller or PLC. 0-10 V, 4-20 mA or digital bus.

Used in: Above ceiling, in ducts, on walls; BMS scheduling depends on accurate sensor placement.

Humidity Sensor

A relative humidity sensor — typically 0-100% RH range. Used to control extract fans, HVAC dampers, dehumidifiers; common in bathrooms, swimming pools, archives.

Used in: Bathroom fan control, indoor air quality monitoring, art gallery + archive HVAC.

02 · Symbol Reference

About Controls + BMS Symbols

Every BMS, lighting control and sensor symbol — drawn to IEC 60617 with BS EN 62386 (DALI), KNX and Lutron protocol cross-references.

Each symbol is drawn to IEC 60617 — the UK adoption of the international IEC 60617 standard for graphical symbols on electrical diagrams. The same symbols appear on EICR forms, distribution board schedules, single-line schematics and installation layout drawings.

Looking for symbols in a different category? See the full IEC 60617 symbol library covering switches, sockets, lighting, distribution, safety, containment, equipment, mechanical, renewables, controls and architectural symbols.

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