Niagara 5 Frequently Asked Questions

Niagara 5 Frequently Asked Questions

Niagara 5 Software

SOFTWARE Q&A !

Q: When will Niagara 5 (N5) be released?
A: N5 will be available for Early Access in Q4, 2025 and is expected to be released at the Niagara Summit in 2026.Niagara 5 is being rolled out in three pre‑release stages before it goes fully live. Partners in the Developer Program will get the first look: an alpha build in Q1 2026, mainly so developers can start updating their third‑party modules and deal with any breaking changes early.

After that, Early Access (EA) will land at the start of Q3 2026 for internal testing and evaluation. The final step is the Beta release at the end of Q3 2026, giving everyone a more stable preview. If everything stays on track, General Availability (GA) will follow in Q4 2026.

Q: When will Niagara 4 (N4) be End of Life (EOL) ?
A: Niagara 4 will be End of Life in Q3 of 2028.

Q: Will N4.15 be the last version of N4, or will it only be the last version for JACE-8000?
A: Yes, Niagara 4.15 will be the final Niagara 4 release, and Tridium are designating it as the Long‑Term Support (LTS) version. As part of that commitment, 4.15 will continue receiving updates and maintenance through to Q4 2028, so partners can rely on a stable and fully supported N4 branch for several years while preparing for Niagara 5.

Niagara 5 Compatibility

COMPATIBILITY Q&A !

Q: Will Niagara 4 Graphics PX Pages work in Niagara 5?
A: According to Tridium’s official Niagara 5 FAQ, the N4-to‑N5 migrator will include Px migration, ensuring that graphic pages created in Niagara 4 remain functional after upgrading to Niagara 5. This preserves standard Px capabilities and minimises redevelopment work during migration.

In practical terms, this means:

Most standard Px views will continue to work after upgrading stations to N5.
Graphics that rely on custom modules must ensure those modules are refactored for Java 21 and signed for N5 compatibility.
Stations with mixed fleets (AX/N4/N5) can still be supervised by an N5 Supervisor, but graphics should ultimately be migrated to ensure consistent behaviour across versions.

Q: Will Niagara 5 Supervisors support Niagara Network connections with N4 stations?
A: Tridium states that Niagara 5 Supervisors will continue to support heterogeneous Niagara networks, including stations running:

Niagara AX
Niagara 4
Niagara 5

This ensures that integrators can upgrade Supervisors first while leaving field devices and JACEs on AX or N4 until they are ready for phased migration.

What this means in practice

You can upgrade a Supervisor to N5 without needing to immediately upgrade all downstream controllers.
Multi‑version networks remain supported, just as N4 Supervisors currently support AX/N4 mixes.
Supervisor should always run the highest version present anywhere in the architecture (same rule as N4).

Q: If sites have a mix of Niagara AX, Niagara 4, and Niagara 5, what version must the Supervisor be running?
A: Tridium explicitly states that the Supervisor must always operate at the highest Niagara version present in the entire architecture. This is the same rule we follow today with Niagara 4, and it continues unchanged in Niagara 5.

Therefore:

If any station in the system is running Niagara 5,
Then the Supervisor MUST also run Niagara 5
Even if other stations are still AX or N4.

This preserves compatibility across the Niagara Network and ensures correct handling of station schemas, security models, platform services, and module signatures.

What this practically means for integrators

You can upgrade a Supervisor first (N4 → N5) without immediately upgrading all field devices.
You cannot introduce an N5 station into an environment where the Supervisor remains on N4 — the Supervisor must go first.
Once the Supervisor is upgraded, AX and N4 stations continue to be supported until you phase them out.

Niagara 5 Development

DEVELOPMENT Q&A !

Q: Will Niagara 4 modules work in Niagara 5?
A: All Niagara 4 modules must be refactored to work in Niagara 5 because the platform is moving from Java 8 to Java 21. Developers need to update and re‑sign their modules to ensure compatibility. Tridium will provide early access in late 2025 to help developers begin adapting their modules before Niagara 5 is fully released.

Q: How can I sign up to access Niagara 5 early access if I am not enrolled in the developer program?
A: Contact a Tridium account manager for more information to learn how to join the developer program and become a certified Niagara developer. For non-developer program Early Access, we will notify when sign-up is available.

Q: Will Niagara 5 modules require a signature to be loaded into an N5 station?
A: Yes, because Niagara 5 moves from Java 8 to Java 21, the old N4 security manager is removed. This means every module must have a valid digital signature to load in a Niagara 5 station. Unsigned or legacy‑signed modules will not load.

Niagara 5 Features

FEATURES Q&A !

Q: How will AI be used in Niagara 5?
A: Here’s the short, simplified version: Yes, AI is becoming a major value‑add in building automation, and Niagara is being developed to take full advantage of it. Niagara 5 will use AI to make configuration, diagnostics, and system optimisation faster and more efficient, helping integrators and end users get more value with less effort.

Q: Will Niagara 5 include both the Zebra and Lucid themes along with the new theme?
A: No, N4 themes will not carry over to Niagara 5.
Niagara 5 introduces a new UI, including redesigned navigation, updated layout, and completely new light and dark themes.

Niagara 5 Licensing & Maintenance

LICENSING & MAINTENANCE Q&A !

Q: Will an active SMA on a Niagara 4 Supervisor give access to upgrade the supervisor to Niagara 5?
A: Yes, an active SMA is required for an N4 Supervisor to be eligible for migration to an N5 Supervisor. Tridium also notes that an additional migration fee may apply depending on the licensing path and partner program requirements.

Q: Customers buying 3 or 5 year SMA for the JACE 8000, is this a waste of money?
A: No, you must have an active SMA to upgrade N4 stations to Niagara 5 on both JACE‑9000s and Supervisors. Niagara 4.15 LTS will continue receiving updates and support through 2028, so staying on N4 remains a valid option.

Remember that an N5 Supervisor can still run a mixed network with Niagara AX, N4, and N5 stations, just like N4 Supervisors do today.

Q: HTTP driver and JSON toolkit require an active SMA. Will it be possible to buy an SMA for an N4 JACE or Supervisor after 2028?JACE or Supervisor after 2028?
A: Yes, you will still be able to purchase SMA for N4 JACEs and Supervisors even after N4 reaches End‑of‑Life. Tridium is keeping SMA availability open so customers can continue to receive support, apply updates, and maintain eligibility for future upgrades.

Niagara 5 Migration

MIGRATION Q&A !

Q: Will it be easy to migrate from Niagara 4 (N4) to Niagara 5 (N5)? Will there be a tool released?
A: You’ll get an N4 → N5 station migrator, just like before, to make upgrading easy.
Before running it, you must identify any 3rd‑party modules in the station and ensure an N5‑compatible version exists, otherwise the migration may fail, because those modules must be refactored for N5. Tridium will be working closely with beta testers to make the transition as smooth as possible. And as with previous releases, an N5 Supervisor will still support a mixed network of AX, N4, and N5 devices.

Q: Can you migrate a station from AX to Niagara 5?
A: No, you can’t migrate directly from AX to N5.
You must first run the AX → N4 migrator and complete that upgrade successfully.
Only then can you run the N4 → N5 migrator to finish the move into Niagara 5.

Q: Can I migrate from any version of Niagara 4 (N4) to Niagara 5 (N5) with the migrator?
A: No, you must upgrade the station to Niagara 4.15 LTS before running the N5 migrator.
Niagara 4.15 is the required baseline for all N5 migrations, so older N4 versions must be updated first before the N4 → N5 migration will work.

Q: Is it possible to run a Niagara 5 and Niagara 4 Supervisor on the same PC?
A: Yes, you can install both versions on the same PC, but you cannot run them at the same time.
For engineering work, this is fine: install both and open whichever one you need.
However, on a server, this will not work because only one Niagara daemon can run at any given time, meaning only one version can be active.

Niagara 5 Hardware

HARDWARE Q&A !

Q: Which Tridium Niagara Controller can be upgraded to Niagara 5?
A: The JACE‑9000 is already built to support Niagara 5 without needing new hardware.
Its quad‑core CPU, 2GB RAM, and 8GB flash give it the performance headroom needed for both current and future integrations. It also keeps all the advantages you’re used to: fast boot times, quick station loads, toolless installation, simple configuration, and low‑cost, high‑performance integration. In short, the JACE‑9000 is future‑ready, powerful, and designed to handle evolving Niagara use cases with ease.

Q: Will the JACE 8000 be upgraded to Niagara 5?
A: No, just as the JACE‑8000 could move from AX to N4, the JACE‑9000 is the platform that will move from N4 to N5. Tridium is also working on a license transfer option that will allow an existing JACE‑8000 license to be moved onto a JACE‑9000, making upgrades easier and more cost‑effective.

Q: Will Niagara Controllers manufactured outside of Tridium be able to migrate to Niagara 5?
A: Tridium remains committed to fully supporting our portability partners as Niagara continues to evolve. If you need details about a specific controller’s eligibility or upgrade timing, you’ll need to contact that controller’s manufacturer directly, as they determine their own Niagara 5 support path and schedules.

Q: What is the roadmap for additional Niagara 5 hardware from Tridium?
A: Tridium plans to refresh the current I/O modules to make installation easier and improve overall performance. They also intend to introduce a new unitary device designed to bring Niagara capability to the edge, addressing modern field‑level and distributed‑control use cases.

Q: Can I still order Niagara 4 JACE’s?
A: Yes — the JACE‑8000 remains available to purchase until 31 December 2025 in Europe, and until 31 December 2026 in North America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia‑Pacific.
The JACE‑9000 (with an N4 license) will continue to be orderable through the full End‑of‑Life period of Niagara 4, which runs until 2028.

Updated February 12, 2026

EXTERNAL LINKS:
Niagara 5

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