Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Need sample Plain English code that creates custom web page(s) served by the controller. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation CX99xx CX9702 CX9640 CX968x ACX57xx Cause Continuum CX controllers allow user created custom web pages to be served directly from the controller's web server, this functionality requires embedding HTML in a PE program. The purpose of this article is to provide sample custom web pages for illustration. Resolution Get the sample code from the links below Home.txt  Home2.txt Home3.txt IMPORTANT: Some strange characters (i.e. 　) added to the code during upload to this site MUST be removed to make the code compile. Read the instructions on the document below Instructions for using sample code to create a custom web page menu system in the CX controller

Issue How to be redundant with your intelligent Building Management System (iBMS) Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Field Devices, Satchwell Sigma, Security Expert, TAC INET Environment Existing intelligent Building Management System Open Mind High Availability Solutions (Deprecated by manufacturer) everRun MX ztC Edge Cause In engineering, redundancy is the duplication of critical components of a system with the intention of increasing the system's reliability. To be redundant with an intelligent Building Management System (iBMS) would take on two possibilities. Have an alarm on critical points alerting personnel who move into action quickly replacing control boards or devices in the event of failure. Have secondary backup controllers which upon failure, which are used to control devices resuming functionality. This is accomplished through programming the BAS with event sequences triggered from alarms or flags noting the failure. Redundancy capabilities and feasibility are site specific. Ascertaining failure in boards, points, or devices is crucial to creating secondary measures to keep seamless processes going and resume with functions.   Error detection and correction with maintenance is often the best practice for preventing failure. Worn components are the leading cause of failure, followed by a lack of planning and consideration in the protection of electrical components through power surges or failures.   For the database, backups including automated backups for MSDE, SQL Express, and Full SQL are available. For further information on database backups and options, take a look at Microsoft SQL Management Studio. For Host Computer backups, look at adding a secondary computer which replicates the database and can capture transactions and messages should a failure with the primary host computer take place. Also work with the local IT department to keep machines up to date, safe, and clean of 3rd party applications which may interfere with integrity. Schneider Electric’s building management systems are designed such that building control continues even when controller to server communication is disrupted. The BMS server is home to a database of alarm and historical data, as well as system parameters and programs. When a server or its network connection fails, the collection of data from building controllers halts until the problem is resolved. For data critical applications, this solution provides an environment capable of preventing the data loss that results from these types of failures.  Although we do support its use with EcoStruxure Building Operation, Security Expert, Continuum, I/NET, Vista, Sigma, and I/A Series as a disaster recovery solution, we do not provide direct support for EverRun. Resolution For Open Mind High Availability Solutions guide please look at the following link; Open Mind High Availability Solution guide For everRun MX solution guide please look at the following link; everRun MX guide For ztC Edge solution guide please look at the following link; ztC Edge guide   

Issue What 10k Thermistor sensors are compatible with the I/A Series MNL and MNB families of controllers? Product Line TAC IA Series, Andover Continuum Environment I/A Series LON Controllers (MNL-xxxxx) I/A Series BACnet Controllers (MNB-xxxxx) Continuum 10K T3 Sensors Cause Specification information Job spec requires a specific family of sensors.  Need to know how to compare the TC curves. Resolution Compatible sensors that have a built-in 11k shunt resistor include the TS-5711-850, TS-57011-850, TS-57031-850, and TSMN-90110-850 Series.  NOTE: These sensors are no longer available for purchase. The TW2XAXK is the replacement Any sensor that matches resistance to temperature curve for a 10K Thermistor Type G (U.S.Sensor), Type 9 (Dale/Vishay) or Type III (ACI Series AH) can be used with the I/A Series MNL and I/A Series MNB series controllers, provided that a 11k ± 0.1% 1/8 watt resistor is wired in parallel with the sensor. The input has a range of -10 to 135 °F (-23.3 to 57.2 °C) with an accuracy of ±1% of span.   This includes the Continuum 10K T3 sensors.  The table below shows that the resistance in its normal operating range is within a few ohms of the TSMN non 11K shunted sensors.  The Continuum sensor can be used with a parallel 11K ohm resistor. The full temperature / resistance table for the US Sensor 10K Thermistor R-T Curve Type G sensor can be found here.  Please note that the controller may not be able to use the full temperature range shown in the table.    

Issue Continuum NetController fails when a port scanning tool runs a network port scan on the ethernet network where the controller is connected. Some of the controller failures that have been reported to Product Support Services include controller scan locked, controller resetting, hanged, stuck in bootloader etc. In some cases the controller may be running but exhibiting very strange symptoms due to its tasks scheduling being disturbed by the scanning traffic and/or due to memory corruption. Product Line  Andover Continuum   Environment Continuum CX Gen 1 Continuum Net Controller II Continuum ACX 2 Controller Continuum ACX 4 Controller Continuum bCX4040 (BACnet) Continuum bCX4000 (Router) Continuum bCX9640 (Infinet)   Cause The legacy Continuum controller's network stack is not able to handle some of the packets generated by network scanning tools, most such tools explicitly point out that older internal systems may not be able to handle the port scanning traffic and may fail during the process.  The controller error log may show some variation of the following errors...   219 I 08/10/2024 13:14:53.35 0xbadd0018 0x00002500 0x001783f0 0x40602004 0x0017eeb4 Reset (Spurious interrupt)   4914 I 09/14/2022 09:00:54.00 0xbadd0002 0x00002600 0x02001bd4 0x48082600 0x020ffbb8 Reset (access error) Resolution The Continuum NetControllers are now legacy systems no longer in active development, therefore, the only known solution is to add  the controller's IP address to the tools white list so that no port scanning packets are directed to the controller.   It is important to note that NONE of the Continuum NetControllers listed above use Windows or Linux based OS, this makes them less vulnerable to the typical hacker attacks.    Andover Continuum is a legacy Schneider Electric product. We strongly encourage upgrading your system to the more secure and feature-rich platform, EcoStruxure Building Operation. 

Issue Using a Security Expert SX-RK-XW reader to work with Continuum Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum 2.03 ACX 5740 CX9702 Cause It can be useful prior to a transition from Continuum to Security Expert to use Security Expert readers with Continuum Resolution Minimal functionality testing was done using the Security Expert reader model SX-RK-XW Continuum 2.03 ACX5740 with firmware: 1.100013 and 1.100052 CX9702 with firmware: 1.200036 Tested with Pin Only mode by setting up a door, a card holder and entering in the appropriate PIN code   5740 with SX Reader ACX 5740 PIN Only Active Event View CX 9702 with SX Reader CX 9702 PIN Only Active Event View

Issue Graphics updates are very slow, it takes over 1 minutes to load a graphic, Opening objects from Continuum Explorer is slow, sometimes it will failed to open an object if clicked too frequently. When using the BACnet path for objects on graphics it is fast. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment b4920 version 4.2000026 b3s version 4.5000035 Cyberstation 1.81 or above Cause For the old BACnet IP controller b4920, versions prior to 4.200029 could have some communication issue with b3s MSTP enhance mode not enabled on b4920, Resolution Upgrade b4920 to version 4.2000029 or above, preferably the latest version  Go to the webpage of b4920, check "MSTP Enhance Mode" and then click submit Wait for b4920 to go back online and test graphics operation

Issue Continuum operation unacceptably slow. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation All CXs, i2s and b3s Cause Wireshark capture shows lots of SMB traffic between the machine running CyberStation and the server. The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol is a network file sharing protocol, and as implemented in Microsoft Windows is known as Microsoft SMB Protocol. Resolution Identify the application/service responsible for generating this traffic and stop it or relocate it to a different machine where it will not interfere with CyberStation operation.

Issue When Continuum Explorer is launched it takes a very long time to update.  Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation WebClient Continuum Explorer Cause When Continuum Explorer is launched it must populate all objects that reside at the root.  When there are a very large number of Personnel objects or other object types in the root, Continuum Explorer will be slow or unresponsive until this population process is complete. Resolution Create a Folder under the Root of Continuum Explorer and move personnel objects to this folder. Consider doing this to other objects that exist in large numbers.

Warning Potential for Data Loss: The steps detailed in the resolution of this article may result in a loss of critical data if not performed properly. Before beginning these steps, make sure all important data is backed up in the event of data loss. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with any complex steps detailed in this article, please contact Product Support Services for assistance. Issue Active Event Viewer contents and column headers are blank.   Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation Cause Windows registry corruption. Resolution Method #1 Close Continuum and use Windows System Restore to put the system back at a point where the Event Viewer were fine. Method #2 NOTE: Any customization previously done to the event viewers such as column name changes etc  will be lost when this method is used Shut down CyberStation then backup the Windows registry as a precaution Edit the Windows registry and delete HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Andover Controls\Continuum\Access Event View Start CyberStation and open the event viewer which recreates the entry in the registry using default values.

Issue Do the light emitters in the I2-210 Fiber repeater use an LED or LASER light source Product Line Andover Continuum  Environment I2-210 Fiber repeater Cause Fiber optic modules light source type Resolution The transmitter in the B-LINK-F is LED; it is specified as an AEL Class 1 LED light source and is considered "eye safe"

Issue Required a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) or statement of accessibility for the Andover Continuum System. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Andover Continuum Cause The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is a document that evaluates how accessible a particular product is according to the Section 508 Standards. It is a self-disclosing document produced by the vendor which details each aspect of the Section 508 requirements and how the product supports each criterion. VPATs are used by buyers to determine how accessible a product is and where any potential deficiencies are. They are required by some buyers before a purchase is made. More Information can be found from the below public links: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) Overview of Technologies and Formats WHAT IS A VPAT AND HOW IS IT USED? Resolution Schneider Electric does not have a VPAT document for Continuum.

Issue In Andover Continuum, the model name of a field device (i2/b3) is always obtained from the SQL database as there is no direct way to retrieve the model directly from the controller. Consequently, discrepancies between the model stored in the SQL database and the actual controller may lead to uprev errors like "This Uprev file does not match this type of controller"     In the screenshot above, note that both the device's editor as well as the command line, report the controller's model as i2800, when in fact the hardware associated with the device is an i2920.   Note: In EcoStruxure Building Operations, where a distributed database design is employed, the device's model type is always obtained from the proxy representing the device in the Automation Server. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment All i2s All b3s Cause Frequent model mismatches for i2/b3 devices in Continuum installations often result in errors when attempting to upgrade the device's firmware. Resolution To obtain the device's model (controller type) from the Continuum controller hosting the device follow the steps below: In the master controller, create an InfinityNumeric, in this example we will name it 'DevModel' In the master controller, create an InfinityProgram, in this example we will name it 'GetDeviceModel' Enter the following lines of code in the program... DevModel = <device_name> CntrlType Stop ***Replace <device_name> with your i2/b3 device's name   Note in the screen capture above, that the program reports the actual device's model to be i2920. The mismatch needs to be corrected by either installing the correct hardware or adjusting the model in the device editor in Cyberstation to align with the hardware.

Warning Potential for Data Loss: The steps detailed in the resolution of this article may result in a loss of critical data if not performed properly. Before beginning these steps, make sure all important data is backed up in the event of data loss. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with any complex steps detailed in this article, please contact Product Support Services for assistance. Issue Finding the correct procedure for migrating Infinet controllers from a Continuum controller fieldbus to an AS-P. Product Line Andover Continuum,EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Continuum Cyberstation Building Operation Automation Server Premium (1.9 onwards) Building Operation Automation Server Bundled (1.9 onwards) Cause The wrong procedure has been followed which is not the approved and tested procedure to be used when migrating Infinet controllers from Continuum to EBO.  Resolution Procedure for Converting / Transitioning the Infinet Bus Prior to migrating the Infinet The RS-485 network cable should be routed in a continuous daisy chain bus configuration. There should not be any stub connections, stars or ring configurations. The bussed cable should pass through each node to be connected with no splits or branches in the cable network. Repeaters can be used to achieve the star, distributed star (backbone with clusters), off of the backbone. For additional information, review the article: EBO Webhelp Cabling Using the conversion tool and other engineering efforts, create the AS-P database for all Infinet devices, Infinet, Interface items, etc. in either a live AS-P or in the PCT. At the site From Continuum CyberStation,  the following must be completed to each Infinet controller that you are moving to an AS-P. Upgrade all Infinet devices that are going to be converted to the latest firmware version.  Firmware upgrading capability will not be available in EBO until a future release. Clear the memory of all Infinet devices involved before relocated to the AS-P com port by editing the controller object and selecting Runtime > Reset. If the conversion was done on the PCT, deploy the AS-P. Verify that the AS-P firmware is 1.9.0.73 or higher. Disconnect Infinet bus from the Continuum controller com port(s). Move the Infinet bus (busses) to the corresponding RS485 port(s) on the AS-P. Confirm that the Infinet devices are all showing online under the AS-P Download the Infinet devices. * Backup all Infinet devices to flash memory.   *  If the Infinet devices share data with other Infinet devices then it may be necessary to repeat this step in order to establish the complete Import/Export table. PLEASE NOTE The above steps are important! If not followed, offline and bus problems can occur. There may be a desire to skip the rest of the controllers, but the steps must be followed The likelihood is high that there will be substantial difficulties in getting the i2 controllers online and in a stable state to accept the download files. All of the Infinet controllers must be reset in Continuum before moving the bus to the AS-P.  The controllers should then be backup up to flash memory to ensure that they do not revert to their Continuum configuration following a cold start. If problems occur that make it necessary to abort the migration process and return the controllers to the Continuum system, all of the Infinet controller must have their memory cleared before re-attaching the bus on the comm port of the original Continuum controller.  For those controllers which have not established communications under the AS-P, this will mean performing a hard reset at the Infinet controller hardware. At no time should the Infinet bus be connected to the both the AS-P and the Continuum controller at the same time as this  confuses the Infinet controllers causes communications issues that will take some time to resolve. Please also see the "Infinet under the hood" community post Continuum Conversion Tool NOTES V3.0.x and v3.1.x Conversion Tools should not be used. The Workaround is to use the 2.0 Conversion Tool then upgrade. (The Conversion tool was fixed by v3.1.2.6000 (CP5)) V3.2.x onwards the Conversion Tool operates correctly v4.0.3 has an issue converting Infinet controllers, 4.01 or 4.02 should be used instead Now fixed in v4.0.3.5005 CP3(Known Issues) v3.x outperform 4.x, 5.x and 6x.(known Issues). The Workaround is to convert the dmp file in CCT 3.x then upgrade the DB to the expected version in PCT or AS-P.

Issue How to decode BACnet errors when they are encountered in the following products. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, Andover Continuum, TAC IA Series Environment EBO Error Log Tool Continuum bCX4040 (BACnet) Continuum b3s Building Operation Multi-purpose Controller (MPC/V) Building Operation Room Controller (RPC/V) Building Operation IP-IO EBO Trace and System logs Cause Documentation is unavailable for these errors when reviewing log files against any captures.  Resolution The error in log files is composed of two fields, BACnetErrorClass and BACnetErrorCode. The BACnet Error Class (BEC) field is made of the high 16 bits and the BACnet Error Code (BE) of the low 16 bits.  0x800 indicates the error class and error code are in Hexidecimal format. Error Class 0x8001, when remove 0x800, 1 decodes to Object Error Code 001f decodes to Unknown Object Therefore, the error code is Object_Unknown Object, where the device indicates it has no knowledge of the object, either it does not exist or the device does not have the expected program/database installed. For b3, it could be memory was wiped on power failure and needs to be reloaded. It could mean the expected application needs to be downloaded for other devices.   The following are a subset of BACnet errors defined in the specification. If you have questions or encounter ones not listed, please contact Product Support Services.   Error Class List High 16 bits of Error. See BACnet spec clause 18. May not include 0x8000. (Example: could be 0x5002B instead of 0x8005002B for COV subscription failed) Error Class Hex(0x800) Dec Notes device 0 0   object 1 1   property 2 2   resources 3 3   security 4 4   services 5 5   vt 6 6   proprietary     64 is the first available code for proprietary error classes client 7FFD   0x7FFD0000 Reject 7FFE   0x7FFE0000 (error code is BACnetReject) Abort 7FFF   0x7FFF0000 (error code is BACnetAbort)   Error Code List Low 16 bits of Error. See BACnet spec clause 18. Error Code Hex (0x) Dec other 0 0 authentication_failed 1 1 configuration_in_progress 2 2 device_busy 3 3 dynamic_creation_not_supported 4 4 file_access_denied 5 5 incompatible_security_levels 6 6 inconsistent_parameters 7 7 inconsistent_selection_criterion 8 8 invalid_data_type 9 9 invalid_file_access_method A 10 invalid_file_start_position B 11 invalid_operator_name C 12 invalid_parameter_data_type D 13 invalid_time_stamp E 14 key_generation_error F 15 missing_required_parameter 10 16 no_objects_of_specified_type 11 17 no_space_for_object 12 18 no_space_to_add_list_element 13 19 no_space_to_write_property 14 20 no_vt_sessions_available 15 21 property_is_not_a_list 16 22 object_deletion_not_permitted 17 23 object_identifier_already_exists 18 24 operational_problem 19 25 password_failure 1A 26 read_access_denied 1B 27 security_not_supported 1C 28 service_request_denied 1D 29 timeout 1E 30 unknown_object 1F 31 unknown_property 20 32 removed 21 33 unknown_vt_class 22 34 unknown_vt_session 23 35 unsupported_object_type 24 36 value_out_of_range 25 37 vt_session_already_closed 26 38 vt_session_termination_failure 27 39 write_access_denied 28 40 character_set_not_supported 29 41 invalid_array_index 2A 42 cov_subscription_failed 2B 43 not_cov_property 2C 44 optional_functionality_not_supported 2D 45 invalid_configuration_data 2E 46 datatype_not_supported 2F 47 duplicate_name 30 48 duplicate_object_id 31 49 property_is_not_an_array 32 50   Common BACnet errors you may see: Error Code Translation Notes 0x8000001e Device + timeout likely something is offline 0x8001001f Object + unknown object likely b3/AS memory was wiped in power fail 0x80020020 Property + unknown property   0x80020025 Property + value out of range likely writing 0 to a multistate object 0x80020028 Property + write access denied   0x8002002c Property + not cov property trying to subscribe to non COV property  0x8002002e Property + invalid configuration data likely configured a change-of-value alarm on non-analog 0x80030000 Resources + out of memory   0x80050007 Services + inconsistent parameters   0x80050019 Services + operational problem   0x8005001D Services + service request denied   0x8005002B Services + COV subscription failed (0x5002B may show, not including the 0x800)   In Wireshark, using the display filter bacapp.type == 5 one will see errors dissected in the APDU packets in Decimal format. In this example, the BACnet device returns an error for Device (0) and operational problem (25) when responding to a readPropertyMultiple.

Issue How to identify what ports are being used on a PC. Product Line All product Lines. Environment Any Windows OS Cause Running multiple applications on the same PC without managing TCP/UDP port assignments can lead to conflicts. Resolution TCPView will help you identify all ports and services to each application. Download from Microsoft's website http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897437.aspx Detailed instructions are available at the site.

Issue For various reasons sometimes it is necessary to clear the error log in the controllers.   NOTE: First generation controllers such as the CX9200 and CX9900 (NetController 1) and Infinet1 devices do not support the error log utility, this article does not apply to those controllers.   Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation bCX9640 bCX4040 bCX4000 CX9680 ACX5740 ACX5720 All b3 devices All i2 devices Cause Guidelines for clearing the controllers error log in the field. Resolution bCX4040, bCX4000, b3s Error log is cleared by setting the Errors system variable to 0 (zero)   IMPORTANT It s not recommended to set the errors system variable from within a Plain English program, doing so risks damaging the controller's flash memory which has a limited number of write/erase cycles. Only reset the errors system variable to 0 from the command line or from the system variable object editor.   If the Errors system variable has a non zero value all that is required is to reset it to 0   NOTE: In some older version of the firmware, if the Errors system variable is at 0 then it has to be changed to a non zero value before it can be reset to 0 One easy way to generate an error is to create an InfinityProgram that attempts a DIVIDE BY ZERO I.e. Program is AutoStart and FallThru Numeric N n = 1/0   Create the InfinityProgram above in the controller, once the program saves and runs it will be disabled and the Errors system variable will increment by one. Remember to delete the program as it is no longer needed bCX9640 CX9680, ACX5740, ACX5720 Use the controller error log tool to clear the error log.

Issue Continuum i2 and b3 devices share the same hardware platform, however, power consumption on the devices IO Expansion Port differs depending on the communication protocol firmware (Infinet or BACnet) running in the device. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment All i2 devices All b3 devices Cause Even though the hardware of an i2 device is identical to that of its counterpart b3 device, the difference in firmware causes variation in power consumption on the device's Expansion IO port, specifically, it has been observed that the b3 devices adhere more strictly to the 180 mA limit than the i2 devices, resulting in loss of operation on IO channels located on the Expansion Port if the power limit is exceeded.  Now that conversion of devices from one protocol to another is occurring in the field, it has become evident that there are cases where the 180 mA limit is exceeded in an i2 device without any negative results, but once the i2 device is converted to a b3 device, all IO on the expansion port stop working. Resolution Before converting an i2 device to a b3 device in the field, it is crucial to review the Expansion IO Datasheet (attached) to ensure that the configuration does not exceed the specified power consumption limit. If the configuration exceeds the 180 mA limit, take the following steps: Remove any additional xP module causing the limit to be exceeded. Reconfigure the xP modules to ensure that the configuration does not consume more than 180 mA.

Issue After 2000 backups an attempt to perform a backup to flash results in the error 'Flash backup for this controller has been disabled.' Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, Andover Continuum Environment b3 controller i2 controller Cause Flash memory has a limited write count; Controllers implement a flash circuit breaker that trips after 2000 backup operations in order to protect the flash device from damage. Resolution (Applies to all b3 and i2 controllers) EcoStruxure Building Operation In EBO, a command has been added that will re-enable backup to flash after the circuit breaker has been tripped (2000 backups) From Workstation, in the object tree, right-click the i2/b3 device. From the context menu select, DEVICE->ENABLE BACKUP TO FLASH     Andover Continuum From CyberStation command line set the ACCStatusBackup system variable of the device to ACCBackupEnable. NOTE: The flash circuit breaker CANNOT be reset from Script/Plain English.  This is by design as it was deemed too risky to allow resetting it programmatically.  A poorly written program could very quickly cause damage to the flash device.

Issue Cannot do a backup to flash on bCX4040. Distribution Properties indicates "The flash for this controller does not need to be backed up." Product Line Andover Continuum Environment bCX4040 Cause ACCStatusBackup is set to ACCBackupInactive when ACCRestartMode is set to ACCWarmStartOnly. This occurred when a bCX9640 was flashed to a bCX4040.  ACCWarmToCool is the default ACCRestartMode for the bCX4040. Resolution Change ACCRestartMode to ACCWarmToCool and then try the backup. For more information on the ACCRestartMode refer to Chapter 5 of the bCX1 Series Controller Technical Reference document # 30-3001-890.

Issue Verification of BBMD broadcast table list Product Line Andover Continuum Environment bCX CyberStation Cause Where is the location of BBMD broadcast table list. Resolution Using a web browser connect to the bCX using the IP address and login. Select the "BBMD Configuration" option to the left.  (If this in not available then BBMD is not enabled). The BBMD Configuration page lists the IP address, broadcast mask, and network port for each BBMD that the bCX knows of. After a successful "Save All To Flash" has been executed from the BBMD Configuration webpage the "Saved" buttons will be checked off. After a "Teach" has been executed from the BBMD Configuration webpage, the Teach Results webpage will be displayed. If there is an entry in the BBMD Configuration webpage that has a "rejected" status on the Teach Results webpage, either continue to troubleshoot until the teach is successful or remove that entry from the BBMD Configuration webpage.