Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue There is a need to know which card formats are supported by Continuum Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Access Control Continuum Cyberstation Cause There are many different card formats available from HID, so there is a need to know which formats that Continuum allows. Resolution Here are the formats that HID offers: 26-Bit Format: H10301 HID Proprietary 37-Bit Format: H10302 **** HID Proprietary 37-Bit Format with facility code: H10304 Corporate 1000 Formats HID Long Format Card Programming OEM Proprietary Formats (i.e. Continuum 37) 35-Bit Card Format Formats 1, 4, and 6 above are supported natively We support all the other formats (as custom cards) so long as the format does not exceed 64-bits and the format can be supplied or understood. (i.e. start/end bit of the site code, card number, etc.)   ****IMPORTANT Continuum supports a maximum of 32 bits for the Card Number field, any format above, such as the H10302, that defines more than 32 bits for Card Number field will only work if the card number range used at the site is between 1 and 4,294,967,295, any card number above 4,294,967,295 will NOT be read correctly by the controller. A possible solution for this limitation is to use the Extended Custom Cards feature supported ONLY in the ACX5720 and ACX5740 controllers.   More information about Extended Custom Cards https://community.se.com/t5/Building-Automation-Knowledge/Extended-Custom-Wiegand-features-available-for-ACX57xx/ta-p/1215 

Warning Electrostatic Discharge Required: Always discharge static electricity from your person by touching metal prior to handling any hardware. Failure to do so may result in damage to devices. Issue Introducing a previously commissioned Continuum IOU module such as an AC-1 to an Access Expert or Security Expert site can cause communication issues in the LON bus due to duplicated node id. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Security Expert, EcoStruxure Access Expert Environment Continuum AC-1 Continuum Net Controller Continuum Net Controller II Access Expert Controller Security Expert Controller Cause When IOU modules are commissioned in a Continuum system, the Net Controller assigns each module a Node ID, this is in addition to the LON Module ID that is unique to each module hardware, the purpose of the Node ID, is to decouple the identifier used by Continuum for communication from the specific piece of hardware, this in order to facilitate the replacement of a failed module without the need to change its Continuum identifier. The module stores the Node ID in nonvolatile memory so that it persists across power loss. If a Continuum IOU module is introduced to a LON network (Security Expert SP-AC1 or Access Expert AX-SSC) without clearing its Node ID, there is a risk of creating a duplicate Node ID condition that will prevent the LON network from operating properly. IMPORTANT This should not be an issue during the normal transition of Continuum site to Security Expert or Access Expert, as all the modules on the running LON bus should have unique Node IDs, this is only a problem when adding a module, or replacing a module with one that has been used before. Resolution In order to signal its presence on the LON network, each module will transmit on resetting its status network variable. If upon receiving this message, the Net Controller determines that the module is NOT in its local database, the controller will decommission the module by setting its Node ID to zero. Before introducing a Continuum IOU module that has been previously commissioned to the LON network of an SP-AC1 or SX-SSC controller, decommission the IOU module using the steps below: Attach the module to an empty Net Controller that is powered down with its battery removed. For a Net Controller II, in order to be absolutely sure that the Net Controller has an empty database, you may need to clear its backup in flash from a browser or by the use of the reset IP switch. See LL on how to use the controller's reset IP switch to clear its flash backup https://community.se.com/t5/Building-Automation-Knowledge/How-to-clear-the-controller-flash-backup-from-the-hardware-using/ta-p/5877 Power up the Net Controller Once the CPU led on the Net Controller starts blinking, press the 'Reset' button on the IOU module. Wait 30 seconds to make sure the decommissioning process has completed. Power down the Net Controller Remove the IOU module

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 for assistance. Issue There is a limit of around 200 user-created objects in b3/i2 devices, once that limit is reached, an attempt to create a new object of any type in the device will result in  "Invalid Handle" error. See https://community.se.com/t5/Building-Automation-Knowledge/Creating-an-object-in-a-BACnet-B3-or-Infinet-controller-results/ta-p/9490 for more info.   Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Continuum b3920 Controller Continuum i2920 Controller Cause Each Continuum object is represented in the system by a "Handle Id", in b3/i2 devices, the handle ID is stored in the controller as a byte value which allows for a maximum of 255 handles, the system objects (System Variables etc.) use around 55 of the handles leaving around 200 for user-created objects.  CX controllers store handle IDs using a 2 bytes value, which allows for 65535 handles, CX controllers rarely run out of handle IDs. Resolution One way to deal with this limitation in the Continuum field devices is to combine InfinityNumeric, InfinityDateTime objects (when possible) into one object configured as an array (manual log).   EXAMPLE: The screen capture below shows 10 InfinityNumeric objects in an i2920 device that are used in the control application of a room named "MainLab"     Let's say for the purpose of this illustration that the following is the control program for MainLab     Since InfinityNumeric objects MainLab.a thru MainLab.j are used exclusivity to store values *** (i.e Setpoint etc), we can configure one of the objects as an array and have it hold all 10 values, thus allowing us to delete 9 InfinityNumeric objects and free 9 handle ids       Before deleting MainLab.b thru MainLab.j we need to modify ALL references to those objects, instead of referencing MainLab.b - MainLab.j we need to reference MainLab.a[1] - MainLab.a[9], note that MainLab.a holds its value (70) normally (not as part of the array), so in this case, we are only using 9 of the 10 array elements.     ***IMPORTANT Only InfinityNumeric and InfinityDateTime objects that are used exclusively to hold a value should be combined, if the object is being used for any of the following operations then it should be left as its own object.   Object triggers one or more programs Object is configured as a log Object is Occupancy flag of a schedule Object has alarms associated with it or is alarm point Object is a setpoint

Issue Out of range alarm attached to i2 device does not work when point's value is out of the range. The 'Alarms' system variable in the controller shows 0 Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation All i2 devices All InfinityControllers Cause Out of Range alarm is a BACnet alarm and can not be used with Infinity points Resolution Use Expression or Infinity Low/High Limit alarm type.

Issue MSTP controllers go offline when changing the MaxMaster value in the Automation Server from it's default of 127 Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Automation Server MSTP Master Controllers Cause The MaxMaster value is being set lower than some or all of the MSTP controllers on the network Resolution EcoStruxure Building Operation supports MSTP Master controllers in the address range 0-127 (often refered to as the node id). The MSTP network is a token passing network where the token is passed around the network, until a controller has the token it cannot 'talk' to other devices.   The MaxMaster value is defaulted to 127 to allow all devices on the network to receive the token and reply to online status requests, send values etc. If the MaxMaster value is less than any of the MSTP Master controller addresses then those controllers never receive the token and cannot respond to online status requests.   The value for the MaxMaster needs to be equal to or greater than the highest addressed MSTP controller node id.  For example, if the highest node id=54 then the MaxMaster will need to be set to 54 or higher. For maximum efficiency the MaxMaster should be set 1 or 2 greater than the highest controller address, this allows for adding future devices without needlessly polling for many non-existent devices.    Please refer to BACnet MS/TP Network Properties – Basic Tab or Configuring the MS/TP Network for b3 Communication 

Issue Which communication paths are secured with encryption when Continuum network security (IPSec) is enabled? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation NetController II - CX9680 ACX II - ACX5740, ACX5720 Cause Information required on Continuum network security. Resolution Continuum IPSec implementation secures communications between Continuum controllers and CyberStations.     The following paths are secured: CyberStation to CyberStation CyberStation to controllers Controllers to controllers. Controllers can be configured to allow communications with other controllers that do not support network security such as the CX9900. Consult the Network Security Configuration Guide for further information.   Securing the communication path between workstations running CyberStation and the DB server is outside the scope of the Continuum implementation and is left up to the site’s IT department to put in place.

Issue Site may be migrating from I/NET to another access control system and would like to import the data. Product Line TAC I/NET Environment I/NET Seven SQL Management Studio Cause The site is migrating from I/Net to Continuum or another access control system. Resolution Open SQL Management Studio and create a New Query by clicking on the "New Query" button Run the script below: SELECT * FROM InetDb.dbo.IdWorksView Note:  This view only shows the Primary Group associated with each individual.     Select File>Save Results As... Save the file as a .csv to a location of your choosing

Issue A Schedule or PE program can not change the value of a point because it is set by another process at a higher Command Priority. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation bCX4040 B3s Cause Command value must be Relinquished at the priority that no longer needs to control the point's value so that a command with a lower priority can take control of it. Resolution Edit the point from the BACnet view. Go to the Command Priority tab, this tab shows the 16 priorities and their current statuses   Select the priority to relinquish and then click on the Relinquish button. The command with the next highest priority should then immediately take over.

Issue Configuration of BACnet Foreign Device Registration Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation,  Andover Continuum Environment BACnet IP  BBMD Foreign device Cause  Foreign Devices registration can be confusing Resolution When configuring a Foreign Device Registration on a B/IP BACnet Network. The Foreign Device only needs to register with the one BBMD on its B/IP Network Segment. The BBMD that has the Foreign Device registered with it creates a table called FDT (Foreign Device Table) internally which is different from the BDT(Broadcast Distribution Table) that the BBMD uses to communicate with other BBMDs.   Once the FDT confirms the Foreign Device, it is up to that BBMD to distribute BACnet communications to and from the necessary BBMD's in its BDT. and the all Foreign Devices in its FDT.  In this way the Foreign Devices does NOT perform Broadcasts.

Issue CX level controller was once online and now appears as offline Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Netcontroller CX ACX BCX Cause From time to time issues will be reported that controllers are offline at the IP level. Resolution Troubleshooting steps to perform:   From one of the existing sites Cyberstations perform a ping of the controller. If there are responses, verify that the response is from the controller and not another device. Verification of the response can be done via Wireshark capture if the CX appears to be responding. If there are responses to the ping, then attempt to open up the web-configuration page for second generation controllers. Verify the site’s Cyberstation is online itself. (Right-Click/edit the workstation and view the Comm Status. It will be either Online or Offline.) With CyberStation installed on technician’s laptop with the same version as the site version. Plug an Ethernet cable into the same hub the controller is plugged into. Connect to the site database with the local laptop's CyberStation and start Continuum. Check the controller in Continuum Explorer to see if it shows offline to the local laptop's CyberStation. If the controller is online to the local laptop's Cyberstation, then it is clearly a site network issue. At that point we will need to make sure all the IP address info is correct; there is no port blocking, subnet masks, gateways etc… Standard network troubleshooting. If the controller shows offline to the local laptop's CyberStation, then look at the CPU lights on the controller for activity. Watch the link light, CPU, IO bus lights if there is IO modules, etc… If those look abnormal and you have a smart phone it will be worthwhile to try and get a video of them to send into support for review. If there is no link light then try disconnecting the Ethernet cable from the NETWORK SWITCH and plug it back in to check if it brings the controller back online. If that does not bring the controller back online try disconnecting the Ethernet cable from the CONTROLLER and then immediately put it back and check if the controller comes back online. If all of the above fail then the next step will be to power cycle the controller to try and bring it back online. If communications cannot be established, contact support and open up a case for additional troubleshooting to determine if the controller needs to be sent to repair. If communications is restored and further investigation is required, please retrieve the following information and open a case with support for review. Controller error log Controller offline listview exported to CSV A Wireshark LAN capture at the controller level with peak traffic occurring Additional information may be requested including a controller core dump. This is a very intensive process. Support will supply the Core Dump Utility if needed.   Please click HERE for a copy of these instructions in PDF format.

Issue Need to send Continuum alarm messages to email addresses  Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cyberstation Cause Alarm delivery required to remote users via email.  Resolution Please note this resolution is applicable to all versions of Continuum Cyberstattion and requires Microsoft Exchange or Outlook to send emails.  However, CyberStation version 2.xx does not necessarily require Microsoft Exchange or Outlook to send emails for alarm notifications. Instead, it is possible to configure an SMTP server on the network and use it to send alarm email notifications directly to the intended recipient.  Please refer to SMTP Email Alarm Configuration in Continuum 2.00 to 2.03    Here are some requirements for forwarding Continuum workstation alarm events via email and paging: The Continuum workstations that have been designated primary and backup email and/or page handlers must have an email client such as Microsoft Exchange or Outlook. The email client application must communicate with an existing email server application, such as MS Exchange Server. The primary or backup email/paging workstation must be running Continuum at the time an alarm is generated. Each EventNotification object associated with the alarms that you wish to email or page must have its own email distribution list in the personal address book of the client email application using a specified naming convention as outlined in the table below. This email distribution list must be stored in the first address book shown in the list of available address books in the email client application. For example, if you create an EventNotification distribution list in the Personal Address Book in Microsoft Outlook, then the Personal Address Book must be the first one showing in the address list dropdown box when you open the Address Book.   How to Create an EventNotification Distribution List Note: The following steps are based on Microsoft Outlook. Other mail applications may have different menu names and choices but the general procedure is the same. Step Action 1 Open the Address Book for the email account on the Continuum workstation that will be providing the email/paging services. Your toolbar may have a button for this. If not, use the Address Book option of the Tools menu. 2 Select New Entry from the Address Book File menu. 3 Select the entry type Personal Distribution List and put this entry in the Personal Address Book. 4 In the Name field enter a name for the distribution list using the following format: For E-mail: ACC.name For Paging: ACC.page.name where name is the name of the EventNotification. 5 Add members (the email addresses or pager and service numbers of those to whom the notification of the alarm will be sent) to your personal distribution lists. 6 Set address book options so that the address book where your personal distribution lists are stored is the first one to be searched when sending emails or pages.

Issue What is the Intel Floating point number as used in the Modbus X Driver? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Modbus RTU X Driver Cause It is not clear how the two special floating point function codes vary. Resolution There are two different floating point data formats (248 & 245) these are both standard 32 bit floating point numbers but the data bits stored in memory (or read over the protocol) differently.   The 32 bits of Function 248 are stored as one string of bits, bit 0 through to bit 31.   For the 245 format the upper and lower words are swapped around, so it stores the data as bits 15 to 0, then bits 31 to bit 16. This format is called Intel format as it is the way Intel microprocessors handle floating point data.   Here is a link to information on floating point numbers FYI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating-point_arithmetic   These two formats can also be called Big Endian (Function 248), or Little Endian (Function 245). Little Endian is also known as the Intel format. Information on Endianness can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endianness

Issue On a large system with more than 32 subnets, is their a workaround for the 32 BBMD limit on a Continuum system? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment BBMD Foreign Device Registration. Subnets Cause It is not possible to configure more than 32 BBMDs within a BCX40xx. Resolution While foreign device registration can be used as a workaround when controllers must be installed on a subnet but no additional BBMDs can be configured, foreign devices present their own limitations. Let's say we have two subnets.  Subnet A has a BCX4040 that is configured as a BBMD.  On subnet B there are two BCX4040 controllers.  One controller on subnet B is registered as a Foreign device with the BBMD on subnet A Foreign Device Table registration supports up to 1024 devices on the workstation (v1.94 and later).

Issue How many BBMDs and Foreign Devices can be registered on a CyberStation and a bCX4040?   Product Line Andover Continuum Environment BACnet bCX4040 CyberStation BBMD Foreign Device  Cause Concerned about large BACnet sites and exceeding a limitation on the number of BBMDs and Foreign Devices that can be registered.  Resolution Maximum number of BBMDs The maximum number of BBMDs that can be registered on a bCX4040 or on a CyberStation is 32.   Maximum number of Foreign Devices (FDs) Continuum v1.93 or earlier The maximum number of Foreign Devices (FDs) that can be registered on a bCX4040 or on a CyberStation is 64. Continuum v1.94 or later The maximum number of Foreign Devices (FDs) that can be registered on a CyberStation is 1024 The maximum number of Foreign Devices (FDs) that can be registered on a bCX4040 is 64.

Issue Configuration of multiple BACnet BBMD's over several subnets Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Bacnet BBMD Cause Bacnet Broadcast communication through IP router Resolution Configuration of multiple BBMD's over several subnets: INCORRECT METHOD For example if there are 4 subnets on the same B/IP (BACnet IP Network): Subnet 1: Workstation setup as a BBMD with an entry in the Broadcast Distribution Table for each BCX Subnet 2: BCX setup as a BBMD with an entry in the Broadcast Distribution Table for itself and the Workstations BBMD Only. Subnet 3: BCX setup as a BBMD with an entry in the Broadcast Distribution Table for itself and the Workstations BBMD Only. Subnet 4: BCX setup as a BBMD with an entry in the Broadcast Distribution Table for itself and the Workstations BBMD Only. The BCX's do not reference any points from each other. Since there is no data sharing between the BBMD's, one might think that in each BCX's Broadcast Distribution Table that there would only be a need to add one entry for the Workstations BBMD. Sounds like with this setup we'll reduce traffic by only adding the one entry in each BCX's BBMD Broadcast Distribution Table. The above scenario could in fact slow down a network and cause unnecessary traffic.   The supported method is that every BBMD on a B/IP network have the same routing tables(better known as the Broadcast Distribution Table) as in the below configuration. CORRECT METHOD For example there are 4 subnets on the same B/IP (BACnet IP Network). Subnet 1: WS BBMD with an entry in the Broadcast Distribution Table for itself and all BCX's setup as BBMD on the same B/IP. Subnet 2: BBMD with an entry for all BBMD's(including self) in the Broadcast Distribution Table on the same B/IP. Subnet 3: BBMD with an entry for all BBMD's(including self) in the Broadcast Distribution Table on the same B/IP. Subnet 4: BBMD with an entry for all BBMD's(including self) in the Broadcast Distribution Table on the same B/IP. The entry below can be found in the BACnet Standards 2004:   J.4.3 BBMD Concept Each IP subnet that is part of a B/IP network comprised of two or more subnets shall have one, and only one, BBMD. Each BBMD shall possess a table called a Broadcast Distribution Table (BDT) which shall be the same in every BBMD in a given B/IP network.

Issue Cannot open Calendars on several BACnet Networks. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum 1.9X BCX 4040 B38XX controllers Cause BBMD Sub Net Mask Configuration. Resolution There are two configuration methods allowed in a BBMD Subnet mask. One hop configuration and a Two hop configuration. See Understanding BACnet BBMD Distribution Mask for further details

Issue When configuring a BBMD what is the Broadcast Distribution Mask and what are the valid settings for the field. Continuum EcoStruxure Building Operation Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, Continuum Environment Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Enterprise Server Continuum CyberStation bCX4xxx Cause Documentation Resolution When configuring a BBMD the BACnet protocol defines two methods of propagating the broadcasts messages to other networks. The two methods are referred to as One-Hop also known as a Directed Broadcast and Two-Hop.   Note: In this article the subnet mask is shown using Classless Inter-Domain Routing(CIDR) notation. An IPV4 address is 32 bits long, CIDR notation defines the number of bits used for the subnet mask. The most commonly used are: /8 or 255.0.0.0 /16 or 255.255.0.0 /24 or 255.255.255.0 /32 or 255.255.255.255 One-Hop With the One-Hop method the local BBMD transfers the message directly to the remote devices via the remote router. In this case the IP routers have to support the transfer of IP broadcast messages to remote IP subnets Figure 1 Figure 1 above illustrates the one-hop method, when the bCX1 which has been configured to take the role of BBMD for network 172.16.0.0/16 detects broadcast messages such as WHO-IS, I-AM etc, it sends a message directly to the broadcast address of the 192.168.1.0/24 subnet, it is then up to Router2 to send the directed broadcast to all devices on the subnet. Any device on the subnet that is acting as a router to other networks will then also re-broadcast the message on those networks. (i.e a bCX hosting an MSTP network on COMM2)   Two-Hop With the Two-Hop procedure a BBMD device transfers broadcast messages to a further BBMD in the remote IP subnet, which then distributes the messages in its local network as IP broadcast messages for its IP subnet. Any device on the subnet that is acting as a router to other networks will then also re-broadcast the message on those networks.(i.e a bCX hosting an MSTP network on COMM2) Figure 2 Figure 2  above illustrates the two-hop method, when the bCX1 which has been configured to take the role of BBMD for network 172.16.0.0/16 detects broadcast messages such as WHO-IS, I-AM etc, it sends a unicast message to each BBMD device on its table, it is then up to each BBMD device on each subnet to send a broadcast that will be heard by all devices on the subnet. Which distribution mask should be used? As mentioned earlier, in order for the one-hop method to work, the router on the remote subnet MUST be configured to process incoming messages sent to the broadcast IP address, the two-hop method on the other hand is guaranteed to work, so when in doubt use the two-hop method. Most sites use two-hop distribution for the reason stated above,, the only obvious disadvantage of the two-hop method is that it is a little more verbose than the one-hop method since the message appears twice on the subnet, once as a unicast sent to the BBMD device and then again as a broadcast sent by the BBMD device. In Building Operation and Continuum the distribution mask defaults to the two-hop method (/32 or 255.255.255.255) How to configure the distribution mask For one-hop enter the subnet mask of the remote network in the distribution mask, the system will apply the mask to the IP address to obtain the broadcast address for the remote network. For two-hop enter 255.255.255.255, this tells the system not to do a direct broadcast and instead do a unicast to the remote BBMD device. Sample distribution mask In the BBMD table of a bCX shown in the screen shot above, BDT #1 and #3 use the two-hop method while BDT entry #2 uses the one-hop method.

Issue Communications failure due to transaction timeout when reloading b3 device. b3's version number as seen from the Infinity side reads 0.0000 Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation bCX4040 b3 Cause A b3 BACnet controller is found to exist in the BACnet folder under an MSTP Network which is different from the Network specified in the bCX's comm2 Port. Resolution Delete the MSTP network under the BACnet folder and perform a 'Find new BACnet devices'.  A new MSTP network should be created with the right network ID.

Issue What is the BACnet attribute COV Increment and how to use it Product Line Andover Continuum Environment BACnet Cause The COV Increment attribute on a BACnet point is equivalent to the Threshold attribute of standard Continuum Infinity inputs. When a Continuum BACnet point is subscribed to by other BACnet devices using COV (Change of Value), its value must change by at least that COV Increment value before a new Value Notification will be sent out. Using this attribute will decrease network traffic especially on the MSTP network when subscribing to frequently changing values.  Resolution This CovIncrement attribute can be set in the BACnet point's Editor on the Basic Alarms Tab.   If you have a CyberStation prior to Version 1.8, setting this value from the point editor will not stay persistent in the controller after the controller is reloaded, it will default to 0. In order to keep the value after a reload, you will need to write a PE program to set the desired value after a reload. The program should be Autostart and Fallthru. A sample of the program is below: Line SetCov Writeproperty("Full Bacnet Path to Point", CovIncrement, "Desired Value") Stop If you have several points that need the CovIncrement set, you would just add the additional lines into this program.   In 1.8 or greater, this program is not needed as these attributes get sent to controller on a reload. Suitable initial CovIncrements still need to be added to each BACnet point however as they default to 0.

Issue There is a need to know if Continuum and/or EcoStruxure BACnet support NAT. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Continuum EcoStruxure BACnet BBMD NAT Cause Many sites use NAT for security purposes.  Resolution NAT traversal is not supported in BBMD implementations (Continuum or EcoStruxure). It is an optional feature that has not been implemented. Requests to add this feature should be directed to Product Marketing to include on the backlog for prioritization. Related Continuum article: Can Continuum operate over a NAT Ethernet connection? Ashrae information: here