Issue Supplemental Documentation on the Menta/Function Block PID simple blocks Product Line TAC Vista, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Menta/Function Block editor Cause The document below is intended to clarify some of the more subtle aspects of the Menta/Function Block PID blocks and when/how to use them. Resolution A Brief Overview of PID Control Proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control is a generic feedback control loop algorithm. A PID controller calculates the error from the desired setpoint of a measured variable. It then adjusts the control output accordingly to try and minimize this error. Parameters used in the calculation must be tuned according to the system they are employed to control. The three prominent parameters are the proportional, integral, and derivative values. The proportional value affects the change in the output signal based upon the current error from setpoint. The integral value works based on the sum of the most recent errors. The derivative value reacts based on the rate at which the error has been changing. The weighted sum of these three actions is used to adjust the control output. The most typical application used in HVAC controls is actually a proportional-integral control with no derivative influence (PI). Derivative action is very sensitive to measurement noise, and generally considered too complex for the relatively limited benefit to slower, more easily controlled loops.   Three Types of PID Blocks in Menta Menta has three different simple blocks for PID control. They are: PIDI, PIDP, and PIDA (links to Web Help). PIDI PIDI is a PID controller with an incremental output. It is designed to be used together with two digital pulse output (DOPU) blocks in control loops with increase/decrease actuators. Input parameters to the PIDI will influence the operation of the controlled output in the same way as the analog PID blocks. The output, however, will not show a percentage. The end user will only be able to force an “open” or “close” command to the actuator – not set it to a desired percentage. Examples of how to use PIDI are explored later in the document. PIDP PIDP is the newer of the two analog output PID controllers in Menta. Because of this, it can only be used in Xenta controllers with a system program version of 3.6 or later. In Menta, under Options > Device Specification, it may be necessary to set the file to system version 3.6 or later during the programming phase. PIDP differs from PIDA in 4 distinct ways: PIDP will remain in saturation for a longer time than PIDA. The integral portion of the calculation keeps a running sum of previous error adjustments. Because of this, it can “wind up” a stored integral response. There is an anti-wind up mechanism to combat the effect, but PIDA has no wind up at all. In PIDP, a change in the setpoint value will not cause a step change when using PI or PID control. The measured error is not from the setpoint input, but rather from the last sampled measured value. The PID block samples a measured variable any time it is inside the deadzone. The allows for the calculation’s setpoint to equal the edge of the deadzone and have a less dramatic response to exiting the deadzone. The other time it will sample a new measured variable is any time a control coefficient is changed. This is an important distinction to be aware of during tuning operations. It may be useful to force the measured variable equal to setpoint after altering tuning parameters. The tracking of the tracking signal is not instantaneous in PIDP, as opposed to PIDA. Looping back the output to the TSg tracking signal feedback input will not cause the PID to stay synched with an overridden output. Additional logic is needed to switch the Mode to 0 for one program cycle in order to lock in the feedback signal any time it does not equal the output signal. The D-part is not as sensitive to measurement noise in PIDP as in PIDA. PIDA PIDA uses the following equation to calculate its output: where e is the control error, y is the measured value (MV), G is the controller Gain, Ti is the integral time, Td is the derivative time and h is the Control Interval (ControlInt), i.e. the time between two successive updates of the controller output signal. While analyzing and understanding this formula is beneficial to fully understanding the PID simple block, do not get too mired in the details. This document will help to demystify input parameters to make the PID work in a number of situations. For the purpose of this document, a PIDA will be assumed for all applications.   Inputs to the PIDA Block MV Measured value is the process variable for the PID controller. It is an input value of type Real. Examples of this would be a room temperature, a return air CO2 level, or a hot water differential pressure. SP Setpoint is the desired value of the measured value. It is an input value of type Real. It could be a static value (Operator “Real const”), adjustable from the front end (Simple Block “PVR”), a stepping value, or a modulating value. If the setpoint is likely to change often, it is recommended to use the PIDA block as opposed to PIDP. Mod The mode input to the PID block will control its action and enable or disable the control output. It is an input value of type Integer. There are four possible modes: Mode = 0 Web Help lists this mode as, “Off, controller stopped.” A more accurate description would be, “The value present at the TSg input will pass through to the output.” If the looped back output value is not changing, then the PID output will freeze. Mode = 1 Normal control. A new output value will be calculated on every Control Interval. Mode = 2 Controller output forced to UMax. This could be used on a hot water valve when freeze protection is enabled. Mode = 3 Controller output forced to UMin. This typically represents the “off” position of a PID. G Gain is the proportional parameter of the PID control. It is an input value of type Real. It is represented by the following equation: To arrive at an appropriate default value for Gain, three parameters must be considered: UMax, UMin, and proportional band. In typical applications, UMin and UMax will be 0% and 100%, respectively. This is because most valve or damper actuators are going to control between 0-100%. For the following examples, this will be assumed, but do not discount the effect it will have on default Gain parameters if these values change (such as in a cascade control application). Appropriate default parameters are merely in the same mathematical order of magnitude as the final tuned value. Rarely will the default parameter result in perfect operation of the control loop. It is only intended to get close enough to provide decently steady control until proper tuning can take place. It is usually easier to think in terms of proportional band than proportional Gain. Consider a room temperature. What would be an appropriate band around the setpoint to maintain? Perhaps ±5°F. If ±5°F is selected, that would result in a 10°F proportional band. Plug that into the equation along with the assumed UMin and UMax values: This would result in a default Gain of 10. It is important to remember that Gain is a unit-less value. A Gain of 10 is neither large nor small – merely relative to the process variable and anticipated error from setpoint. Consider a PID controlling an outside air damper to maintain an outside air flow of 1000cfm. Would a proportional band of 10cfm make sense in this situation? Probably not. A more appropriate value might be a band of 500cfm. Plug this into the same equation as before: In the case of air flow control, because the process variable and anticipated error from setpoint are so much larger than in temperature control, a more appropriate default Gain would be 0.2. In a third situation, consider a PID controlling static air pressure in a supply duct by modulating a variable speed fan. A proportional band of 500”wc would not make sense. A band of 0.8”wc might be more appropriate. In the instance of static air pressure, a default Gain of 125 would be suitable. Comparing these three situations with Gains of 0.2, 10, and 125, they will all have relatively similar speeds in the control loop. Just by glancing at these values alone, it cannot be said that any of them are “bigger” or “faster” than the others without a more in depth mathematical analysis. In addition to the value of the Gain, the sign is also important. Positive values represent reverse acting PIDs like a hot water valve where the signal to the valve will decrease as the room temperature increases. Negative values represent direct acting PIDs like a chilled water valve where the signal to the valve will increase as the room temperature increases. To avoid confusion at the front end, and reduce the possibility that end users will accidentally reverse the action of a PID, it is best practice to always use a positive value PVR to represent the value of the Gain. Then use an Expression absolute value operator “ABS()” to remove any sign and apply a negative value when necessary. Using this method, the Gain from the front end will always appear as a positive value and no consideration for the proper action of the PID will need to be taken after the programming phase is complete. Ti Ti is the integral time, or the integral portion of the PID control. It is an input value of type Real. Adding integral control to a straight proportional algorithm helps to avoid “controlling to an offset.” It is theoretically possible that a chilled water valve at 40% is exactly the amount of chilled water required to maintain a supply air temperature of 58°F, even if the setpoint is 55°F. If the error in the signal never changes, then the proportional algorithm will not change the output signal. And an offset has been achieved and will now be maintained indefinitely. Integral time will eliminate this possibility. Every Control Interval that the temperature remains above the setpoint, integral control will add a little more to the control output. This will cause the measured variable to always approach the setpoint. Because this value does have units (seconds) it is possible to compare one integral time value to the next. Ti is inversely proportional to the integral effect in the formulation of the next control output. In general, the smaller the Ti value, the more integral control will affect the control output. A value of 50 seconds would have a very large impact on the output. A value of 2500 seconds would hardly affect the control output at all. The exception to this rule is that a value of 0 seconds will disable integral control. Typical default values fall anywhere between 250-1000 seconds. Some PID solutions may be susceptible to “integral wind up” where the internal calculation desires and integral response beyond the output limits. When the control signal reverses, the integral wind up must be reversed before the output sees the change. In the PIDA algorithm, integral wind up is not a concern. Td Derivative time is also measured in seconds and represents the D portion of the PID. It is an input value of type Real. Derivative control is generally considered too complex and sensitive to measurement noise to be of sufficient benefit to HVAC control. A Simple Block “PVR” set to a value of 0 seconds will disable derivative control, but allow the tuner to add derivative control if desired. DZ Dead zone refers to the amount above and below the desired setpoint that will result in no change to the control output. It is an input value of type Real. This differs from the concept of a proportional band in that it is not centered around the value. While a proportional band of 10°F represents ±5°F around setpoint, a dead zone of 10°F would represent ±10°F around setpoint. A dead zone is helpful to reduce “hunting” of the control output where it repeatedly rises and falls when a steady output would cause the control variable to steady out. Typical values depend on the process variable. For a supply air temperature, anywhere from 0.25°F to 0.5°F would suffice. For outside air flow, anywhere from 50cfm to 100cfm might be appropriate. In a supply air static pressure control loop, limiting the dead zone to 0.1”wc would suffice. TSg TSg is short for tracking signal. It is an input value of type Real. The internal equation uses this as the value of the previous control signal. It should be looped back to the PID from the output signal. This might be directly from the output of the PID, or it may be after some external logic. The TSg input can be used in another way as well. When the PID is in Mode 0, the TSg value passes directly through to the output signal. By setting the PID to Mode 0 for the first second of a control period, initial positions other than UMin or UMax can be achieved. It can also be used to keep a PID in synch with an output that has been overridden by the front end. If the PID is controlling a physical output AO, then the output of the AO should be looped back to the PID.   Configuration Parameters of the PIDA Block ControlInt The Control Interval represents the number of seconds in between each successive calculation of outputs. If this value is set to 0 seconds, then the Control Interval will match the cycle time of the application. The Control Interval should be thought of in terms of how long a change in the control output will take before the impact is realized on the measured variable. Consider three scenarios: Scenario 1: A variable speed drive modulates a pump speed to maintain chilled water differential pressure. Because water is incompressible, a change in the pump speed results in an almost immediate change in the pressure. A Control Interval of 1 second is appropriate in this scenario. Scenario 2: A chilled water valve modulates to maintain a supply air temperature setpoint. The supply air temperature sensor is a few feet down the duct from the chilled water coil. A PID controller moves the chilled water valve from 0% to 10%. How long will it take before the supply air temperature starts to fall? Granted, there are several X factors in this equation, but a good guess might be around 20 seconds. A Control Interval of 20 seconds is appropriate in this scenario. Scenario 3: A supply air temperature setpoint modulates to maintain a large auditorium's temperature setpoint in a classic cascade control configuration. A chilled water valve then modulates to maintain the supply air temperature setpoint. Room temperature dictates that the supply air temperature setpoint should drop from 60°F to 55°F. How long will it take before this change in setpoint causes the room temperature to fall? It may take a full minute, perhaps even several minutes before that change has an affect at the room temperature sensor. A Control Interval of 80 seconds, while seeming very slow, is perfectly appropriate here. Correctly configured Control Intervals will allow one change in position to have an effect on the measured variable before a second (or third, or fourth...) change is made. A proper Control Interval will stop the valve from overshooting unnecessarily. UMin UMin is the minimum possible output of a PID controller. In most applications (valve and damper actuators) this will be set to 0%. In the case of a cascade control supply air setpoint PID, it might be set to 50°F. If the hardware output has a minimum position (say on an outside air damper), it is best to accomplish this with secondary logic as opposed to using the PID UMin. Otherwise if the PID is made public to the front end, the user will never see this value drop to 0, even if the control output is at 0. UMax UMax is the maximum possible output of a PID controller. In most applications (valve and damper actuators) this will be set to 100%. In the case of a cascade control supply air setpoint PID, it might be set to 90°F. StrokeTime The name Stroke Time refers to the manufacturer specified stroke time of a physical actuator. By setting the PID to the same stroke time as the valve it is controlling, it is guaranteed not to “wind up” faster than it is possible for the valve to react. Whenever possible, set the stroke time to match the physical stroke time of the actuator it is controlling. However, stroke time can be thought of in another way. It is used to calculate DuMax, the maximum rate of change of the controller output during one Control Interval. In the case of a chilled water valve that modulates between 0% and 100% with a Control Interval of 20 seconds, see how a stroke time of 180 seconds affects the DuMax: A stroke time of 0 seconds will not limit the rate of change at all in the controller. Based on the error and the Gain, it could potentially jump the full 100% stroke at once. By setting the stroke time to 180 seconds, the amount that the control signal can move every 20 seconds is now limited to 11.11%. It is not proper practice to employ stroke time as a tuning mechanism of a PID. It should be set prior to and independent from the tuning process.   Output of a PIDA Block The output of a PIDA block will usually control a hardware output from a Xenta controller. Because of this, it is typically connected to a Menta Simple Block “AO.” In Function Block it may be output to an analog value or hardware output.   Output of a PIDI Block A PIDI controls a floating actuator using two Simple Block “DOPU” digital pulse outputs. The PIDI will output a value between -1 and 1, which the DOPU block converts into the appropriate pulse lengths. Inverting the decrease signal will pulse the actuator closed when the output of the PIDI is negative.   The downside to PIDI control is that there is no percentage value to report to the front end about the position of the actuator. This is why use of the PIDI is somewhat rare. The same control can be accomplished using a PIDA with some external logic to pulse the floating actuator open and closed. Using a “virtual feedback” signal to mathematically monitor the assumed position of the floating actuator allows the end-user to view a percentage open signal for the actuator. It also allows them to override the Not-Connected AO to a certain position and have the floating actuator travel to that position just as an analog output would. The following example converts a Not-Connected AO from a PIDA into pulse output DOs from the controller. Public Signals and Public Constants All of the parameters that go into the operation of a PID need to be considered when tuning its operation. Eventually, one will come to the question of what parameters need to be made available from the front end. While some thoughts might end up on the well-meaning, under-trained end-user who could potentially wreak havoc by adjusting values, it is more important to consider the startup technician. If a value is not public from the front end, then a download must be performed to make any changes to any values. By making every parameters public by default (and only selectively removing certain parameters during exceptions) less time will be spent in the field during start up. After the PIDs have been tuned, it is always possible to remove certain values from being public. The exceptions are UMin and UMax, which when controlling a valve or a damper are almost always 0% and 100%. If desired, these can usually be hard-coded into the PID with little consideration. However, they can also be made available from the front end with little or no ill effects. Floating, PID, or Cascade Control There are three main control loop algorithms to consider when programming. Which one best suits the application is really a factor of the control loop speed. Consider the three options: Floating Floating control (also called bump control) involves making small, measured adjustments to the control signal on specified intervals. This is usually the best option any time a variable speed drive is involved. This is because these drives typically control supply fan static pressure or hot/cold water pump differential pressure. Both of these are very fast control loops. A slight change in the speed of the drive results in an almost instantaneous change in the measured variable. Floating control reacts more gradually to these quick changes. It compares the measured variable to the setpoint, and if it is too high, it bumps the control signal down a little bit. If the measured variable is too low, it bumps the control signal up a little bit. PIDs can (and often have been) used successfully to control very fast control loops. However, they are typically tuned to closely resemble floating control – low Control Interval, very little proportional control, very high integral control. In the end, it may be easier for a technician to understand and adjust “1% every 5 seconds” than “a Gain of 125 and an integral time of 175 seconds.” The other advantage to floating control is its adaptability. When tuning a PID, it is tuned to one exact set of circumstances – a certain load on the building, a certain volume of piping, etc. If enough of those conditions change by enough, the PID can be sent into oscillations. Floating control will not be affected by these changes. Consider a PID tuned to control a chilled water pump, which maintains differential pressure during the winter when loads are low. During the summer, a manual valve is opened to provide cooling to the athletics storage shed that was unoccupied all winter. This will increase both the demand for cooling and the volume of the pipe. This could potentially render the PID useless. However, a floating control will not react any differently. It will simply increase and decrease the speed as needed. See an example of floating control: The downside to floating control is that there is no proportional control. It will not take a bigger step size when the error is high. To combat this, and especially to aid during startup of equipment, this floating control macro utilizes two different step sizes – one for when error is low, and one for when error is high. By setting the threshold sufficiently high, this will cause more rapid acceleration during startup, and then quickly revert back to normal control during normal operation. This same code will also work relatively well for any size or nature of supply fan or supply pump. Minor adjustment of the parameters may be needed, but it will give a very decent starting point. PID PID control is for control loops of moderate speed. It can be thought of as the "valves and dampers" control method. A chilled water valve modulating to control supply air temperature or a damper modulating to control outside air flow are two examples of when PID control is appropriate. It is a source of debate whether PID control is appropriate in different situations. Some attest that a PID loop can be tuned to accurately control in any situation, including those where this document recommends either floating or cascade control. While this is certainly true, just because a PID can be used, does not mean that it is always the most appropriate solution, or that it will continue to work even as conditions change. Cascade Control Cascade control is used in very slow control loops. It is called cascade because two PIDs are used in a cascading arrangement – the output of the first is the setpoint of the second. An example of when to use cascade control is to modulate a chilled water valve to maintain the space temperature in a very large gym or auditorium. A small change in the chilled water valve position could take a very long time to have an effect at the sensor. If a regular PID is used, it is likely that the PID will wind up all the way to 100% output before the sensor ever experiences the first adjustment's effect. Then it will stay at 100% until it over-cools the space and starts decreasing the call for cooling. The same thing will happen on the reverse side as it modulates all the way to 0% and under-cools the space. And the cycle will continue indefinitely. In this cascade configuration, the supply air temperature setpoint is modulated based on the room temperature and setpoint. The chilled water valve PID then maintains the supply temperature. This will allow control that is more accurate and prevent the oscillation sometimes seen by inappropriate use of a single PID.   Putting It Into Practice There are college courses devoted entirely to the subject of PID control. The subjects covered in this document have barely scratched the surface of the topic. The intent is to give the average Menta/Function Block programmer and field technician the information needed to get a system up and running in as little time as possible with the most satisfied customer possible. Understanding when and why to use PID control will increase accuracy and efficiency of control loops and decrease wasteful overshoot, hunting, and oscillation. Tuning efforts will also be accelerated when the default parameters only require minor tweaking instead of calculation and trial and error. Using the hints and tips suggested will allow not only for proper programming techniques, but also for creation of macro libraries that can be reused and shared to improve effectiveness across business units.

Issue Many LonWorks network installation problems can be avoided if the appropriate network design rules are followed when the network is being designed. Product Line TAC IA Series, TAC Vista, Satchwell Sigma Environment I/A Series MicroNet (LON) Controllers Satchwell Sigma MicroNet series LON Controllers Vista Xenta Controllers Cause The I/A Series MicroNet System Engineering Guide (F-26507) was written as a resource of information for the installation of the I/A Series MNL-100, 200 & VAV controllers as well as the Sigma MicroNet 440 and 620 controllers.  The Resolution, below, is a summary of the LON design rules presented in this document. Resolution FTT-10 LON network wiring must be installed using Echelon-approved wire.  The most common type of wire used is described as Category 4  cable.  This wire is normally unshielded stranded twisted-pair 22AWG (0.65mm).  An example of this wire is the W221P or W222P series cable from Connect-Air International (http://www.connect-air.com).  This type of cable is normally available both in plenum rated and non-plenum rated types.  Consult the job specifications to determine if plenum-rated or shielded cable is required. The LON network can be wired using "Free Topology" or "Bus Topology" wiring segments.   1.  BUS Topology Guidelines BUS Topology LonWorks wiring extends from device to device (daisy chain format) with no branches or stubs. A LON-TERM-2 terminator must be installed at each end of the LON bus. When using standard Category 4 LON cable with the recommended terminators, the bus may be up to 4593 feet (1400 meters) in length. When extending LON wire to the MN-Sx sensor base in a bus topology network, the sensor base must be wired as part of the daisy chain and not as a stub connection. 2. FREE Topology Guidelines Free Topology imposes essentially no restrictions on the layout of the network -- some controllers may be wired point to point and others branching from a common point.  The free-topology LON network must be terminated at one point with a LON-TERM-1 terminator. When using standard Category 4 LON cable, the total wire length in a free topology LON network may not exceed 1641 feet (500 meters).  In addition, the longest wire path between any two controllers on a free topology LON network may not exceed 1312 feet (400 meters). 3. Common LON Network Wiring Guidelines LON wiring can not be part of an active bundled telephone trunk even if the telephone trunk is wired with Category 4 wire. Shielded Category 4 wire may be used in high EMI/RFI environments.  The shield must be wired continuously and grounded through a 470 Kohm resistor at one end. LON wiring must not be bundled with or housed in the same conduit as controller I/O and power wiring.  4. LonWorks Network Wiring and Addressing Guidelines When the number of controllers on a LonWorks network exceeds 60, the network must be split into segments with not more than 64 controllers or devices per segment using LonWorks Repeaters or Routers.  When counting the controllers and devices on a LonWorks network segment, a LonWorks Network Interface Device and the repeater itself must be included in the device count in each segment. In a LonWorks network containing repeaters or routers, each LonWorks network segment must be properly terminated, as described above. Domain / Subnet / Node addressing is used when configuring the LON controllers. A LonWorks Subnet consists of a series of LonWorks controllers all configured within the same LON Subnet number. A single LonWorks Subnet can have a maximum of 127 device and controller Node addresses.  This Node address count includes the LonWorks Network Interface, all controllers on the subnet, and repeater and/or router node addresses.  An allowance is typically made for additional addresses to be used by LonWorks tools connected to the Subnet.

Issue If there is no saved copy of an XBuilder project and the backup was not sent to target it may still be possible to recover some of the data to be able to reconstruct the project Product Line TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Xenta 5xx / 7xx / 9xx Cause Lost XBuilder project and backup was not sent to target Resolution With XBuilder 1.5.0 or later connect to the Xenta controller through the web interface and use the Utilities > Project Tree to view the project information. Use this information as a blueprint to rebuild the XBuilder project. If an older version of XBuilder was used then can connect to the Xenta Server with FTP. The OGC graphic files as well as the CFG files which configure the linking of points and signals can be obtained through the FTP. These files can then be imported into a new XBuilder project which can be sent to the Xenta Server.

Issue Error message "The Parameter is incorrect" when clicking OK in TAC Vista Server Setup Emailing alarms from TAC Vista is not working Product Line TAC Vista Environment TAC Vista Server Setup Cause The text encoding method has not been selected. Resolution Open TAC Vista Server Setup Click on the Mail Tab Check if the Text encoding Field is empty. If it is, select an encoding from the dropdown. Unicode (UTF-8) is suggested in the US with an Exchange Mail server.

Issue Create smooth rotation for an object in a Vista TGML graphic Product Line TAC Vista, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment TGML Graphics Editor Cause If the "CalcMode" is set to "Discrete" the object will rotate the full specified range instead of taking the duration time to slowly move around it.  Resolution Add a <rotate> tag to the object that will be rotating. Add an <animate> tag to the rotation. Set the properties for the animation: Animation = default state (Start/Stop), if a binding is ultimately used to control when the animation occurs, bind to this attribute. AutoReverse = should the animation continue in one direction or get to the end of the animation and then come back to the beginning? (True/False) CalcMode = determines whether the animation is smooth or jumps from end point to end point of the animation. For rotation, choose Linear. (Linear/Discrete) Duration = the amount of time in seconds that the animation should take. Higher numbers result in slower animation. Freeze = if true, the animation will pause at the last position when Animation is set to False. Otherwise it will revert back to the starting position. (True/False) Repeat = how many times should the animation occur. Default value is "Forever" but this value can also be set to any integer number (1, 2, 3, 4...) From, To = depend on the desired animation and target attribute. For rotation 0 to 360 is typical. Attribute = for rotation, the Angle property of the <rotate> tag is animated from 0 to 360 degrees. For more information on CalcMode see ‘Animation Overview’ in the Help.

Issue Supplemental Documentation on the Menta OPT block for optimized start and stop. Product Line TAC Vista, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Menta Function Block Cause The document below is intended to clarify the inputs and configuration parameters of the Menta OPT block and when/how to use them. Resolution Click here to download the example Menta macro A Brief Overview of Optimized Control Optimal Start Optimal Start measures how long it takes a room temperature to reach setpoint each morning when the air-handling unit is enabled. These measurements are then used to predict how long it will take the next time. As time goes on, the predictive algorithm is refined until it becomes quite accurate. An optimally started unit saves energy by only starting as early as is needed, not just an arbitrary hour or two before occupancy. Optimal Stop Optimal Stop is less common. An optimally stopped unit stops running prior to the end of the day. It measures how long it takes before the measured room temperature drifts outside of an acceptable range around the setpoint. This saves energy on cooling a building until 5:00pm (for example) when the occupants are just about to walk out the door. The example in this document will not implement Optimal Stop. Inputs to the OPT Block RoT Room Temperature. If there is just one room temperature sensor being served by the optimally started unit, then this is where it would be used. However, if the unit has several room temperatures or serves many VAV terminal units, consider the following options: Average all temperatures Pick one interior zone Highest room temperature for cooling/lowest room temperature for heating Use return air temperature In all of these scenarios, some consideration should be made for if the input sensors fail: Averaging all temperatures is the most robust method. However, if SNVT inputs are used, it may be necessary to discard invalid values (621.8°F) from the averaging calculation. If one interior zone is used and the temperature sensor fails, the unit will eventually revert to starting as early as is allowed every day. The default value for this is 12 hours early; the example in this document uses 2 hours. If the primary sensor fails, use a secondary, or disable optimal start on a failed condition. Instead of the highest and lowest room temperatures, it may be wise to use the second highest and the second lowest room temperature. This allows for one failed sensor in each direction before the Optimal Start calculation is affected. Using return air theoretically is a lot like using the average of all room temperatures. Adjusting the setpoint to get the desired result might be required. A failed sensor input should disable the Optimal Start calculation. SP Setpoint. Using two OPT blocks – one for Optimal Start cooling, one for Optimal Start heating – allows each to be fine tuned. If there is a morning warm-up sequence, then the heating Optimal Start may be much quicker than the cooling. Using one block requires the internal calculation to adjust as the needs change from cooling to heating, and can be less agile when switching from cooling to heating requirements. OuT Outdoor Temperature. Resets to the curve occur based on the outside air temperature. If it is very cold or very hot outside, the unit will start sooner. This curve is reset automatically as time goes on to better predict the effect outside air temperature has on the controlled space (if AutoAdjust > 0). OpI Operation Indication. In the example of an air-handling unit, OpI would be the fan status. If the configuration parameter OperIndicF is set to 1, then this will be used for internal calculations. Otherwise, it will just use the command as status. This prevents a mechanically failed unit from affecting the calculation. A good rule to follow is if fan status is available, use it. TmL Time left. A time schedule (TSCH) input goes here. This tells the calculation how much time is left before the unit is scheduled to turn on (or off). The OPT block then starts the unit early based on this number. It also ensures that the unit always runs during the scheduled occupied time. Mode Mode is for heating/cooling or enabled/disabled. It is advantageous to always program in a method for disabling Optimal Start through a public variable (PVB). Many times the seeming complexity of Optimal Start is found to be undesirable by building operators and they will ask to have it disabled. Mode could be programmatically set for heating/cooling based on outside air temperature (or some other factor), but in the example in this document, two separate OPT blocks are used and are hard-coded for their respective modes. Configuration Parameters of the OPT Block AutoAdjust AutoAdjust refers to whether or not the OPT block gets smarter by adjusting the curves set initially on the first download. If AutoAdjust is set to 0, then the OPT block will still adjust the start time every day based on the room temperature and outside air temperature, but it will not adjust those early start times based on past experience. Set the AutoAdjust to 1, and the curves will adjust a little every day. Set AutoAdjust to 2 and the OPT block will also adjust the holiday compensation (the unit will start a little earlier after a 3-day weekend, but may need to learn exactly how much as time goes by). To maximize the potential of the OPT block, it is suggested to set this value to 2. RoomTempF Room Temperature Flag. Is a room temperature sensor present? Without a room temperature sensor, it is not possible for the OPT block to adjust its curves. It is guessing at that point based on pre-determined curves. It is not recommended to use OPT without a room temperature sensor. OperIndicF Operation Indication Flag. If OperIndicF is set to 1, then the OpI input will be used for internal calculations. Otherwise, the OpI input is ignored and the command is used as status. This prevents a mechanically failed unit from affecting the calculation. A good rule to follow is if fan status is available, use it. StartTimeLo Start Time at Low Outside Air Temperatures. When it is cold outside, how much earlier should the unit start? This will change between a cooling and a heating optimal start block. If AutoAdjust is set to 1 or 2 then this is just a default value. It will adjust as needed each day, but a good default value is important. StartTimeHi Start Time at High Outside Air Temperatures. When it is hot outside, how much earlier should the unit start? This will change between a cooling and a heating optimal start block. If AutoAdjust is set to 1 or 2 then this is just a default value. It will adjust it as needed each day, but a good default value is important. HolidayComp Holiday Compensation. This is the default compensation for a holiday (longer than 48 hours of continuous unoccupied time). The value is a percentage. If there is a 3-day weekend, how much earlier should the unit start on the following Tuesday? If AutoAdjust is set to 2 then this is just a default value. It will adjust it as needed each day, but a good default value is important. MaxStartTi Maximum Start Time. This is the maximum amount of hours the unit is permitted to start prior to the occupied time. The default value is 12 hours. The first time the unit is downloaded, it will start this early and measure how long it takes to achieve setpoint. 12 hours is very early. The example in this document uses 2 hours. Even if something goes wrong with the internal calculation (failed sensor input, for example) the earliest it could start would be 2 hours early. ETol Error Tolerance. How close to the desired setpoint does the temperature sensor need to be to be considered at setpoint? An error tolerance of 0.5°F is default and is usually acceptable. StopLoTemp, StopTimeLo, StopHiTemp, StopTimeHi, StopTimeErr All of these parameters refer to the Optimal Stop portion of the OPT block. Setting them to 0 disables the Optimal Stop functionality. Output of a OPT Block There are three possible output values of an OPT block: 0 = The unit is off, unoccupied 1 = The unit is on, occupied 2 = The unit is on, optimally started Putting It Into Practice The example below is a Menta Hierarchy Function Block (HFB) and shows HFB inputs to the blocks. The top OPT block is set to heat mode and looks to a heating setpoint. The bottom OPT block is set to cool mode and looks to a cooling setpoint.   OPT_START_HEAT OPT_START_COOL AutoAdjust 2 2 RoomTempF 1 1 OperIndicF 1 1 StartTimeLo 60 0 StartTimeHi 0 60 HolidayComp 0 0 MaxStartTi 2 2 Etol 0.5 0.5 StopLoTemp 0 0 StopTimeLo 0 0 StopHiTemp 0 0 StopTimeHi 0 0 StopTimeErr 0 0 Using the hints and tips suggested will allow not only for proper programming techniques, but also for creation of macro libraries that can be reused and shared to improve effectiveness across business units.

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 TAC Vista stopped trending or cannot read trend value. SQL reaches 4GB or 10GB limitation (depending on version, Vista 5.0.1 - Vista 5.1.6 supports up to 4 GB and Vista 5.1.7 and newer support up to 10 GB) $queues folder keep growing Product Line TAC Vista Environment TAC Vista 5 Logging errors SQL data Log full, shrink Cause The SQL 2005 Express version that come with Vista 5.0.1-5.1.6 has a 4GB limitation and the SQL 2008 Express version that comes with Vista 5.1.7 and newer has a 10GB limit. Once the SQL database reaches this limitation, Vista will not be able to read/write data from/into the SQL database. To fix this issue, the SQL database needs to be purged and a new SQL database needs to be created, or the SQL server needs to be upgraded. Once the SQL database is full, log data will be stored in the $queues folder wanting to be written into the SQL database. If the $queues folder gets too big that even creating a new SQL database with the same size limitations will not allow the Vista Server to run then data in the $queues folder will need to be removed or an upgrade to a version of SQL with larger size limits will need to be performed. Resolution Note: In deciding which resolution below will be most appropriate, consideration should be given to how quickly the SQL database is growing and how long it took to fill up initially. When the SQL database fills up it is a perfect time to carefully look at the various trends and alarms that consume space in the database and consider what if anything might reasonably be removed. Also, note Vista 5.1.7 and newer include SQL Express 2008 which has a 10 GB storage limit. This is 2.5 times greater than the SQL Express 2005 version that was included with earlier versions of Vista 5 and is a free upgrade from any Vista 5.1.X versions.   Please find the scenario that matches your issue and read the resolution section accordingly.   Scenario A Scenario B Scenario C Scenario D Data in "$queues" folder Not needed Needed Not needed Needed Data in SQL Db Not needed Not needed Needed Needed NOTE:  Administrator rights on the computer and to the SQL database is required in all scenarios in order to resolve this issue. In order to prevent the same issue occurring again, a log backup should be performed regularly.  Refer to Performing database maintenance with Vista 4.5.0 for additional information. Additionally, consideration should be given to whether an upgrade to full version of SQL should be installed to best suit the needs of the system.   Scenario A: Data in the $queues folder and SQL database are not needed. In this scenario, empty the $queues folder and create a new SQL database is the resolution. Please follow the steps below: Empty $queues folder Go to database folder. Its path can also be found in TAC Vista Server Setup (start->all programs/Schneider Electric/TAC Vista Server5.X.X. For TAC Vista 5.1.3 and prior, go to start->all programs/TAC/TAC Vista Server5.X.X instead).  Under “Vista Database” tab, the path is listed in the “Database folder path” textbox.   Delete everything in the $queues/insertevents folder (NOTE: don’t delete the folder). Delete everything in the $queues/insertlogvalues folder (NOTE: don’t delete the folder).   Delete taclogdata. Go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data (default path). Delete “taclogdata.mdf” (default name, or go to Vista Server Setup and find the SQL name under SQL Server tab, Log database name). Delete “taclogdata_log.LDF “ (default name,  or go to Vista Server Setup and find the SQL name under SQL Server tab, Log database name).   Open “Server Setup” (start->all programs/Schneider Electric/TAC Vista Server5.1.X. For TAC Vista 5.1.3 and prior, go to start->all programs/TAC/TAC Vista Server5.X.X instead) and select “SQL Server” tab. Under “SQL configuration”, choose “Custom”.   Under “Custom connect using”, make a new name to “Log database name” (example:  change “taclogdata” to “taclogdata2”). NOTE: DO NOT change the user name and password.   Click Apply Click “OK” for “TAC Vista integrated SQL backup/restore function will not be available in custom configuration”.   Click yes at the prompt that says “No log database was found on SQL Server. Create and configure a log database?"   Click OK. Issue should be resolved at this point.   Scenario B: Data in the $queues folder is needed, but SQL database is not needed. If $queues folder is too big, need to upgrade to a full version of SQL database in this scenario.  $queues folder can be found inside the Vista database folder (refer to Scenario A step 1 for how to find the $queue folder). If $queues folder’s size is not too big do the following: Leave everything in the $queues folder. Data will be written into SQL database automatically after a new SQL database is established. NOTE: depends on the size of the $queues folder, it may take hours to transfer all data from the $queues folder into the SQL database.   Follow Scenario A steps 2-3 to purge the SQL database and create a new one. Issue should be resolved at this point.   Scenario C: Data in the $queues folder is not needed, but SQL database is needed. If the SQL database is needed, it can be removed from the Microsoft SQL Express folder and stored somewhere else. However, an upgraded version of SQL server is needed in order to view the old SQL database.  If the Vista version is <5.1.7Please follow the steps below: Follow Scenario A step 1 to empty the $queues folder.   Move taclogdata Go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data (default path). Move “taclogdata.mdf” out of the folder to somewhere else (for example: Desktop). NOTE: taclogdata is the default name, or go to Vista Server Setup and find the SQL name under SQL Server tab, Log database name. Move “taclogdata_log.LDF “out of the folder to somewhere else (for example: Desktop). NOTE: taclogdata is the default name, or go to Vista Server Setup and find the SQL name under SQL Server tab, Log database name.   Follow Scenario A step 3 to create a new SQL database. Issue should be solved at this point.   Scenario 😧 Data in the $queues folder and SQL database are both needed. If the SQL database is needed, it can be removed from the Microsoft SQL Express folder and stored somewhere else. However, an upgraded version of SQL server is needed in order to view the old SQL database. Versions of Vista between 5.0.1 and 5.1.6 (which include SQL Express 2005) can be upgraded to Vista 5.1.7 or newer (which use SQL Express 2008).  This will upgrade from a 4 GB database size limit to a 10 GB limit and is a free upgrade for and version of Vista 5.1. (Note that it is a paid upgrade from Vista 5.0.X.) In scenarios where SQL Express 2008 is already being used and is full or where 10 GB will not be an adequate upgrade for SQL Express 2005 then a full version of SQL Server will need to be purchased and installed. If $queues folder is too large, it will be necessary to upgrade to a full version of SQL server in this scenario.  $queues folder can be found inside the Vista database folder (refer to Scenario A step 1 for how to find the $queue folder). If $queues folder’s size is not too big do the following: Leave everything in the $queues folder. Data will be written into SQL database automatically after a new SQL database is established. NOTE: Depending on the size of the $queues folder, it may take hours to transfer all data from the $queues folder into the SQL database.   Follow Scenario A steps 2-3 to purge the SQL database and create a new one. Issue should be resolved at this point.

Issue Xenta Server reports it is in FAILSAFE mode without shorting out terminals 9 and 10. After connecting via HyperTerminal, restarting and trying to reset the IP address, the screen continues to scroll back to dsh/> Xenta Server has gone offline and can not connect directly to it using Ethernet. The Run light is flashing Green on first start up but then reverts to red and the LON light also flashes red. During boot up it pauses and reports an error (via HyperTerminal) in loading the RAM disk.  IP Address is set to 172.22.1.5 and can not change it.  Not able to load any firmware into the device – error received. "Error: Could not create remote directory." Product Line Satchwell MicroNet, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Xenta Server 527, 511, 555 Xenta Server 701, 721, 731 Cause Unknown corruption of the Xenta Server hard drive / flash drive, possibly due to electrical noise. Resolution To attempt to recover this device, try to format the device’s flash drive. To achieve this you can follow these steps using HyperTerminal or an equivalent application: (For further assistance with connecting to Xenta Servers and HyperTerminal refer to Connecting a serial cable to a Xenta 5/7/9xx controller).   Login and type the command FORMAT.  (May require device to be placed physically into the fail-safe mode by shorting terminals 9 and 10). The format command can take up to 3 minutes to complete but you should see the confirmation through HyperTerminal while this is occurring. If you have placed the device into Fail-safe mode, remove the link on terminal 9 & 10. Restart the device, by either cycling the power or typing the command RESTART through HyperTerminal. Set the IP address and IP settings (command SETIP). Install the latest firmware. You can download the latest firmware from The Exchange Extranet; ensure that you use the correct version since there various versions for the Xenta Servers. Run the firmware download to the device. During the download you may receive an error regarding "Failure to get the hardware version from the target device…", select OK Continue the installation The download will then occur, it will take some time and may appear that the software is not responding but this is normal. Be patient and if you don’t receive any errors then all should be ok. The device should now restart, after a 1-2 minute window the “RUN” LED should be a solid green. If after following these procedures, the device is still not responding as expected please send into Repairs via your normal repair process.

Issue Supplemental Documentation on the Menta SEQ (sequence) block Environment Menta Cause The document is intended to clarify the inputs and configuration parameters of the Menta SEQ block and when/how to use them. Resolution Click here to download a copy of this document in PDF format Click here to download the example Menta macro   Supplemental Documentation: Menta SEQ   A Brief Overview of Sequence Block The Sequence block is used to start N of M stages based on a percentage input. Each stage is represented by a single bit in the output of the block which requires calculation to determine if each stage is off or on. The Sequence block also provides the ability to rotate the stages, specify a delay between multiple stages activating, and a hysteresis to adjust the activation or deactivation of stages. The Sequence block is ideal for rotating operating stages that have high frequency of change. It is not the proper block to use for run time balancing between multiple stages. Input of the SEQ Block The input expects a 0-100 value where a 0 represents zero stages active and 100 represents all stages are active. Configuration Parameters of the SEQ Block Stages The number of stages to activate at 100% input. Rotate Rotation Flag. If Rotate is set to 0 then the first stage will always be active if 1 stage is required. If Rotate is set to 1 then the first stage to activate will be the first stage to deactivate. Period Time delay(ms) between multiple stages activating. Hysteresis Hysteresis is used to offset the activation or deactivation % for each stage. If the Hysteresis is positive then it will shift the activation % higher by that amount. If the Hysteresis is negative then it will shift the deactivation % lower by that amount. Normal Operation of 4 Stages:    Stage 1 Activation Stage 2 Activation Stage 3 Activation Stage 4 Activation Input 20% 40% 60% 80%  Hysteresis of 10%    Stage 1 Activation Stage 2 Activation Stage 3 Activation Stage 4 Activation Input 30% 50% 70% 90%  Hysteresis of -15%    Stage 1 Deactivation Stage 2 Deactivation Stage 3 Deactivation Stage 4 Deactivation Input 5% 25% 45% 65% Output of the SEQ Block The number of stages active is based on the following formula: Active Stages = ((Maximum Stages +1) * Input) / 100 The number of active stages is then encoded into an Integer as the output of the SEQ block where each bit represents whether each stage is active or inactive. Since this is a single value it must be decoded using expression blocks to detect if each bit is active.

Issue Time schedules are not switching off according to the workstation time. Time schedules are delayed. Product Line TAC Vista Environment TAC Vista, Xenta Servers and Controllers (280/300/400) Cause The Time in the TAC Xenta 911 and TAC Xenta controller is not the same as in TAC Vista Server. Resolution To check the time in the TAC Xenta controller follow these steps : Browse to the TAC Xenta controller Right Click on the controller and select Properties Select the Information Tab. This will display the time in the TAC Xenta controller To check the time zone of the TAC Xenta controller select the time settings Tab. Once the TAC Xenta controllers have been set in the right time zone TAC Vista server will sync them to the correct time. By default this occurs every 10 minutes The final step is to ensure the time and time zone of TAC Vista server is correct. To do that locate your TAC Vista Server object and right click then select properties.  Select the Information Tab to show the server time. This time is governed by the PC time so to adjust the PC time through Windows.

Issue Temperature Sensor Resistance Charts Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Field Devices, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Temperature Sensors Cause Temperature (°C) to Resistance Charts (ohms). Upgrading the site BMS, but retaining the existing sensors and the sensor resistance values are not known. Resolution The resistance of a sensor at a specific temperature can be downloaded below, there are a number of tables collated from different sources for a number of Schneider Electric sensors and other BMS suppliers.   In EBO, the thermistor selection in the IO module or controller does not represent the thermistor bead type, an example is the Continuum Type I in EBO, but the bead is a Type 3,. For further information regarding this see the KB article  Thermistor type selection in EBO.   The document All Sensors covers the following:   Satchwell T range is now known as STR600, STP660, STD600, STO600 10K3A1 with shunt Drayton DC1000, DC1100 30K6A1 is now known as STR600D, STP600D, STO600D Andover 10K4A1 TAC Inc. Vista 1.8KA1 I/A series 10K3A1 with 11K shunt INET 10K2A1 (10k Dale) BALCO 1000 ohm RTD   Older Satchwell ranges: Satchwell DW1204, DW1305, DWS1202 Satchwell DO Satchwell DD/DR Other manufacturers included: Allerton 3K3A1 Ambiflex 2012, Honeywell Aquatrol, Jel/Thorn, Trend, York 10K3A1 Schlumberger (air) 5K3A1 Schlumberger (immersion) 100K6A1 Automatrix, York, Sibe 10K4A1 Honeywell 20K6A Landis & Gyr PT100A, PT1000A   Further information regarding the INET, IA and Balco, the document Thermistor Types Tables (Veris Industries) is available.   Further information for the Continuum ACC Temp 10K Type 3 also known as 10K4A1, the document Thermistor Temp Resist Chart (Precon Thermistors) is available.   TC900 series TC900 RS-03 sensor chart   For I/A Series Controllers (MNL/MNB) Compatible sensors that have a built-in 11k shunt resistor include the TS-5711-850 TS-57011-850 TS-57031-850 TSMN-90110-850 Series 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. Temperature / Resistance Reference Values Temperature Deg F (Deg C) Resistance Resistance Incl. 11k Shunt 32 (0) 25490 8,012 68 (20) 12,260 5,798 75 (25) 10,000 5,238 104 (40) 5,592 3,707 140 (60) 2,760 2,206 The full temperature/resistance table for the US Sensor 10K Thermistor R-T Curve Type G sensor. Please note that the controller may not be able to use the full temperature range shown in the table.  

Issue If the Xenta Server IP address is unknown or lost, how can the user retrieve or reset the IP address? Product Line Satchwell MicroNet, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Xenta Servers Xenta 511, 527, 555, 701, 711, 721, 731, 913 Cause Once the Xenta Server IP address is lost, the user has to use a serial connection cable to connect the Xenta Server to the HyperTerminal in order to retrieve the IP address. The serial cable is a RS-232 to RJ10 cable which can be purchase from Schneider Electric order entry (Part number: 00730920). For some reason, if the cable need to be home made, please follow the steps below to connect correct pins. Note: some third party IP search/scan software can be used to search all IP addresses in a range. User can also use this type of software to retrieve Xenta Server’s IP addresses. Resolution Xenta Server serial cable guide: Connect RJ10 pin 1 to RS232 pin 2. Connect RJ10 pin 2 to RS232 pin 3. Connect RJ10 pin 4 to RS232 pin 5. Connect RS232 pin 1, 6, 4 together. Refer to IP setup for a Xenta server (Xenta 5/7/9xx) through serial communication for how to set up HyperTerminal in order to retrieve/setup Xenta Server IP address.

Issue Understanding and Troubleshooting Modbus Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC IA Series, Other  Environment All Modbus environments. Cause Modicon first introduced Modbus in 1979. Modbus is an open standard,and it is the most widely used in the industrial environment. Modbus is publicly available and,due to its simplicity, many manufacturers use Modbus as a solution for integration in their own products. Many commercial products and systems support the Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP protocols. For further information, visit the Modbus website at http://www.modbus.org. Resolution For a brief understanding on Modbus and how to troubleshoot Modbus, refer to the Modbus Troubleshooting PDF

Issue LMTOOLS was not installed on the computer that Vista 5.1.8 was installed on. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista LMTOOLS LMAdmin Cause The TAC Vista license administrator tool has been upgraded to LMAdmin, a web based license administration tool accessible using a web browser. Existing license files are compatible with the new LMAdmin tool that is included in the TAC Vista Server and TAC License installers. Resolution If the license server is not running as a service, Vista is unable to locate the license, or you need general troubleshooting help then see License troubleshooting in Vista 5.1.8 or greater. Flexnet License Admin   The default license file folder has changed with the new LMAdmin license tool. The new default license file folder is "C:\Program Files\Schneider Electric\License Server\taclic\licenses\". For 64-bit OS the default license path is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Schneider Electric\License Server\taclic\licenses\". The license server administration, LMAdmin, is installed as a web server and is accessible at http://localhost:8080 after the installation; a shortcut will also be placed in the start menu. The location of this shortcut can be found by going to Start > All Programs > Schneider Electric > TAC Tools 5.X.X > FlexNet License Admin. To check what your license file contains, how many seats are available for each program, and how many are in use click on the Concurrent icon.   To log into LMAdmin, click on Administration in the top right corner. The default login and password is admin/admin and it is recommended that this is changed after the installation is finished. User accounts can be managed in the Administration area, under the User Configuration tab. Click the New icon at the top of the window to add users. The edit button at the end of the row of each user will allow the user name and password to be changed. There is also a delete button to remove unwanted users. If the computer running the TAC Vista License server enters a power save mode, the license server may have to be restarted manually in Computer Management > Services and Applications > Services.   TAC License Setup It is recommended to use the "License Setup tool" in the start menu instead of the license popup dialog when specifying a license server name or license file location. The License Setup tool can be found here; Start > All Programs > Schneider Electric > TAC Vista Server 5.X.X. Note: When upgrading Vista from a version 5.1.7 or older to a newer version, the old license file path may still exist in the registry. This will not impact the license server in any way. The old path can be removed if you desire through the TAC License Setup. During the installation of TAC Vista Server and TAC License, any license files located in the old license file folder are automatically copied to the new license file location; the original files are not removed.

Issue Checking if a port is open Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Expert, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Field Devices, Pelco, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment TCP/IP Communication Command Prompt Telnet Command Cause Suspect certain network ports are blocked and need to verify Resolution It is possible to check if a port is open in a network by issuing the Telnet command. Note:- Telnet operates using the TCP protocol. UDP connectivity cannot be tested using Telnet. If a port is open, a blank screen will be seen after issuing the command: telnet [domainname or ip] [port] where [domainname or ip] is the domain name or IP address of the server being checked [port] is the port number the server application is listening on For example: telnet 192.168.0.20 9001 (to a closed port would display a connect failed message)   telnet 192.168.0.20 9003 (to an open port would display a blank screen)   To exit the Telnet session, type Ctrl + ] and then type "quit".   For how to enable Telnet in Windows 7 please see Enable Telnet Client on a Windows 7 PC

Issue How to transfer data from TAC Vista to EBO(EcoStruxure Building Operation) as a temporarily solution while a transition between TAC Vista and EBO is done?    Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC Vista Environment TAC Vista SmartStruxure Solution EcoStruxure Web Services TAC Vista SmartStruxure Interface 1.5 Cause If EBO need data from TAC Vista during a transition period the TAC Vista SmartStruxure interface can be used.   Resolution Please see the video or follow the instructions below:   On the Vista server(s) install the TAC Vista SmartStruxure Interface first. Refer to TAC Vista to SmartStruxure Interface will not connect when TAC Vista and SmartStruxure are installed on the same machine if there are any issues installing or getting the two programs to communicate when on the same PC. In StruxureWare Workstation, on the Enterprise server object or the Automation server object right click and create new interface, and select the EcoStruxure Web Service interface in Workstation. Click next. In the Server, enter the IP address of Vista server. If it is local, just use localhost. Enter the username and password of Vista Server. Pay attention that only the user in the default System user group can be used. Don't try to create other System group. And all the letters in the password field need to be in capital letters. This is a defect that will be addressed in the next release of TAC Vista to SmartStruxure interface. Please be selective with the port that you are using. If the Vista to SmartStruxure Interface program is on the same PC as the Enterprise server than a different port other than 80 or 443 will have to be used. Please refer to TAC Vista to SmartStruxure Interface will not connect when TAC Vista and SmartStruxure are installed on the same machine if the two softwares need to be on the same machine. Click Create. The next step is to Host TAC Vista objects into SmartStruxure. Refer to How to host TAC Vista objects using Web Services in StruxureWare Building Operation for the guide of how to host Vista objects into SmartStruxure. NOTE: There is a defect for Version 1.0 of TAC Vista to SmartStruxure interface under Non-English operation system. The EcoStruxure Web Services interface will not come online in SmartStruxure. Refer to TAC Vista to SmartStruxure Interface does not connect in non-English Operation System for solution.

Issue There may be a situation where the External Interface File (XIF) needs to be extracted out of the controller in order to properly set up the controller in a building automation system.  Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC IA Series, TAC Vista Environment External Interface File (XIF) NodeUtil Loytec XIF Builder Cause These tools will help with the extraction of an XIF file. An XIF file is used to create a Niagara R2 shadow object, a Niagara G3 LMNL file, LonWorks device template, and a SmartStruxure device template.  Resolution The device manufacturer should provide an XIF, and in most cases, a DRF kit as well. The XIF provided by the manufacturer of the controller should be used first but if issues arise it may be required to extract the file from the controller. There are a number of tools available that will create an XIF, but the DRF kit cannot be created by any tool and must be supplied by the manufacturer. This MUST be provided along with the device. The list below covers some of the tools which are available. NodeUtil                          (header: bad,           NVs: ok,                      DMA/File-SCPTs are omitted) Vista's XIF-builder           (header: bad,           NVs: almost ok..,       DMA/File-SCPTs are omitted)  Loytec plugIn                  (does a perfect XIF from a device using Loytec's stack)   NodeUtil is available from the Echelon website (free registration is required) - The NodeUtilLauncher package attached makes it easy to use NodeUtil with Loytec interfaces. Loytec XIF Builder is available from the Loytec website (free registration is required) Using Lonmaker and the XIF Builder. Using NL220 and the XIF Builder. If the uploaded XIF still contains some detailed prompted error, refer to Error displayed when importing a device XIF into SmartStruxure.

Issue TAC Vista SQL maintenance repeatedly fails. Not just once or twice, but on every attempt. Microsoft Management Studio View of error Vista Workstation view of error Environment TAC Vista 5.1.7 or newer. Cause The SQL maintenance feature was added to Vista in version 5.1.7, to regularly database defragment the database and prevent the follow-on effects of a fragmented database. This scheduled maintenance can fail for a number of reasons. Resolution Start by  taking a DSS writer server log using TACOS Tweak. Follow the steps below to do this. Goto the TAC Vista installation folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Schneider Electric\TAC Vista 5.1.9 by default on 64-bit machines). Locate TacosTweak and double-click on it. Click on the "Category" drop-down box and select "DSS (Registry)". Locate the "DSS Server - Log Level" entry and increase the log level to "7" by entering the value in the value field and clicking the "Set" button. Locate the "DSS Server - Log file" entry and chose an appropriate path. Launch "TAC Vista Server Setup" and go to the SQL maintenance tab. Locate the "Run SQL Maintenance now" checkbox and check it. Click on "OK" or "Apply". Locate the DSS server log file and open it with a text viewer/editor. Search the log file for the following text "Maintenance Task - Starting" and check that the date time stamp is approximately when the "Run SQL Maintenance now" button was pressed. Examine the file carefully and follow the file line for line from this point until you reach "[ERROR] Fatal error : SQL Exception : Incorrect syntax near '('. NOTE: Contact Product Support Services if you are unable to interpret the log file or see another type of error than that described above. Once confirmed, launch Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and follow the steps below: Locate the "taclogdata" database. Right-click on it and select "Properties"  Locate the "Options" tab and set the compatibilty level to SQL 2008 (or SQL 2005 if that is the installed version). Don't forget to set the DSS Server log level back to "5"!   A tool to simplify this process can be found here. Please note that this is not an official Schneider Electric utility.  

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 A system Format of the file system will remove all files to return device to a factory condition. Product Line TAC Vista Environment TAC Xenta 5xx TAC Xenta 7xx TAC Xenta 9xx Xenta Server Cause A need to reset to factory defaults exists Resolution These actions clears the filesystem and remove all files and information in it. Make sure you have IP and any other information you need to save from the file system. All files and configurations will be lost. Access Xenta using a serial interface via the RS232 port and a HyperTerminal program. obtain a connection to the dsh> prompt Type format. Wait for formatting to be ready , then enter command setip to enter DHCP enable ,ip-address , subnet mask , default gateway , DNS , local name. Default user/password will then be root/root. Remember to change password. Restart system to accept new ip-address. Install Xenta using the install kit. Use ftp transfer and alternative A (We have just formatted the system). Download WebTool project and user defined files. Update bindings using LonMaker.

Issue Setting a TAC Xenta OP to show IP (US) units instead of SI units Product Line TAC Vista Environment Xenta OP Cause Switching the TAC Xenta OP between imperial and metric units. Resolution Connect to a TAC Xenta 100 After pressing "down," there is a setting "unit as" Toggle between SI and US (IP) by pressing the "up" button Please note that this only changes the presentation, and that both absolute as well as relative values are re-calculated. This means that a difference in temperature may be shown incorrectly.