Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Is Marathon's EverRun software directly supported by Schneider Electric? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Marathon EverRun Disaster Recovery Software Cause Although supported for its use with Continuum as a DR solution, Schneider Electric does not provide direct support for EverRun. Resolution For support with this software, or more information on what they provide, contact Stratus Technologies (previously Marathon Technologies) directly (or one of their distributors in your location). Stratus Technologies support line can be contacted. A local point of contact for the EverRun software in Australia is the local distributor, Providence Solutions.

Issue Receive No Message Blocks Available when reloading or trying to access information on an Infinity controller. Environment Infinity controller Errors IO Bus I/O Modules Cause No Message Block errors indicate a very busy IO bus. Resolution The controller is out of message buffers in the CX.  The only way out of it usually is to reload the CX Check the DB to see if it’s correct offline Then hopefully a CX reset and reload fixes it. Might have to disconnect AC-1 if still an issue and commission 1 by 1 to get it back.

Issue Objects have become edit locked and can not be unlocked Property unlock, CTRL-U and "Object editlock=false" do not unlock the object. The Plain English Integrated Development Environment may crash Product Line Andover Continuum Environment SQL Server Database Cause The hard disk on the SQL server has no more space Stand Alone database may have reached its limit Resolution Once the hard disk on the SQL server PC is too full, Continuum can no longer write to the SQL database, thus object can become editlocked. Space on the hard disk needs to be released, it is likely that old backups have filled the hard disk up. Backups should be moved to a different hard disk If a Stand Alone install, MSDE (SQL2000) has a 2GB limit (up to v1.81), SQL2005Express has a 4GB limit (v1.82 and after) NOTES The database may go to Status "In recovery" until space is made on the hard disk, this may also cause CyberStations to loose contact with the database. It may note be possible to edit or create new objects when in this mode (database or hard disk full)

Issue SQL Management Studio Express is not installed and ContinuumDB needs to be backed up.   Environment CyberStation Standalone Cause Need to backup a standalone database but have no internet access to download & install SQL Management Studio Express Resolution Open command prompt. Type sqlcmd -SComputername\sqlexpress   where Computername is the name of the computer. Press Enter. You should see this: 1> Type backup database continuumdb to disk = 'mycontinuumdb.bak with init;    Press Enter You should see this: 2> Type go and press Enter You should see something like this: Processed ### pages for database 'continuumdb', file 'ContinuumDev' on file 1. Processed ### pages for database 'continuumdb', file 'ContinuumLog' on file 1. BACKUP DATABASE successfully processed ### pages in ###.# seconds. On a default SQLExpress install (on the C Drive) the file created from the above command (mycontinuumdb.bak) will be created in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Backup.

Warning Issue Although Continuum 1.94 is installed, when the workstation is edited Version 1.73 is seen on the Details page under Software Revision and Firmware Revision. The Cyberstation startup splash screen shows Continuum 1.94. Continuum 1.94 is shown under Continuum Explore/Help/AboutContinuumExplorer. Environment Cyberstation. Cause The erroneous version number is most likely an artifact of a Continuum upgrade that was done without fully uninstalling the previous version of Cyberstation. Resolution Uninstall Cyberstation from Control > Panel Add Remove Programs. Backup all profiles and graphic pin and background files, then delete the Program Files\Continuum folder. Delete all occurrences of the Andover Controls folder from the registry. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Andover Controls and HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Andover Controls Reboot the PC and install Cyberstation. Run Continuum Database Initialization and select Workstation to reinitialize the workstation.   .        

Issue The instructions for configuring PE Alarm Functions in Continuum call for the creation of four new keys in the workstation registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Andover Controls\Continuum\Settings. This folder does not exist in the registry of a Windows 7 64-bit PC. Environment Cyberstation PE Alarm Functions Registry Cause On Windows 7 64 bit machines, Continuum no longer writes its registry keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Andover Controls Resolution Write the new registry keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Andover Controls\Continuum\Settings.

Issue With a 10K Ohm resistor wired across the controller input (at the controller) the supervised input reads trouble with the door switch in either the closed or open position.  Environment UI Supervised Input IO Modules 10K Ohm resistor Cause The input voltage selector switch was set to 5 volts instead of 10 volts. Resolution Changed the voltage selector switch from 5 to 10 volts and power cycled the IO module.

Issue On the extranet site, there are two .zip files (SNMP+V1.0+MIBs.zip and SNMP+v2C+MIBs.zip). What is the difference? Environment SNMP Alarming Cause Not sure which file to use.   Resolution On The Exchange Download Center, there are two .zip files (SNMP MIBs v1.0 and SNMP MIBs v2C). The choice between the above files will likely be dictated by the site IT Department, based on their Network Management System. The V1.0 and V2C is the version of the SNMP protocol and is independent of the Continuum controller model and version.  Here's some background information on the protocol versions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Network_Management_Protocol#SNMPv1_.26_SNMPv2c_interoperability  

Issue Continuum presents an error when starting up. "Either there is no default mail client or the current mail client cannot fulfill the messaging request. Please run Microsoft Outlook and set it as the default mail client" Environment Continuum Cyberstation Microsoft Outlook Cause When Outlook is installed on the Workstation, Continuum will try to make a connection to Outlook when it starts up. If Outlook has not been configured as the default mail client then it can't make this connection and presents the error. Resolution Either make Outlook the default email client or uninstall from the Workstation. See Microsoft KB here that describes how to set your default email client.

Issue After drag/drop/copying a b3 to many other b3s an InfinityProgram called FiringOrder is listed with the other InfinityPrograms within some of the b3s  Environment 1.94 standalone, b3 VAV controllers Cause Appears something went wrong with the drag/drop/copy. Possibly tried to copy to too many controllers. Resolution ContinuumAnalyzer identified the problem in the InfinityProgram Object Integrity Test and the Clean fixed it up.  

Issue Do i2600 Series controller support expansion modules? Environment i2608 i2624 Cause Documentation Resolution i2600 Series controllers are input only devices (8 or 24) and DO NOT have an expansion port.

Issue At times it is necessary to uninstall and reinstall just EpiBuilder for troubleshooting a specific issue with Epibuilder You may also need to do this if receiving an 'error opening EpiDesigner configuration database' clicking Make/Edit Badge Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Windows XP Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause Troubleshooting requires uninstalling and reinstalling EpiBuilder or if getting 'error opening EpiDesigner configuration database' Resolution Go to Windows Control Panel> Add/remove programs in XP/2003 or Programs and Features in Windows7/2008 Uninstall EpiBuilder When prompted about the license, select Yes to continue Reboot Login as a local PC administratrot and Open My Computer and navigate to C:\Program Files\Continuum\EPIBuilder\SDK and run InstalEpiBuilder.bat

Issue How to estimate the thermal load (BTU/hr) that your controllers and equipment will produce. Environment All electrical equipment. Cause Need to know what the thermal load of our equipment will be for calculating air conditioning capacity. Not all of our equipment has this information provided in data sheets. Resolution It is possible to calculate the thermal load based on the power consumption of each device. See here for an online calculator. You can calculate the BTU/hr using the following formula. BTU/hr = Power (W) * 3.1412141633 As an example, looking at the Continuum AC-1 I/O module's datasheet, we see that it consumes 2.6W without the attached reader (you would need to add the power from the reader as well if it is being powered by the AC-1). Which gives us; AC-1 = 2.6W * 3.412141633 = 8.87 BTU/hr Use this same calculation for any other devices that you require the thermal load for.

Issue When an Access Event is received at the CyberStation from a controller under a network on a different time zone, will the time shown be that of the CyberStation receiving the event or the time stamp from the remote time zone? Environment CyberStation Cause Documentation Resolution Access events show the time stamp from the zone where the controller is located. So if an Access Event is received at a CyberStation located in (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time from a controller located under a network in the (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time the time stamp shown by the event will be Pacific time.

Issue When the sample code supplied under Continuum Help for the Select Case function is pasted directly into a program a controller the function does not work. Continuum generates the following error.  "Process not supported" Environment Plain English functions Select Case Cause Some PE functions are supported in specific Continuum products only. For example, Select Case is supported only in CyberStation. Resolution Check the Products Supported section of the Continuum Help on Select Case functions.  Select case is supported in CyberStation only.

Issue Cannot log on to Web Client with an I-Pad    Environment Continuum  1.9X Web Client Cause At the present time we do not offer support for Apples I-Pad   Resolution IE 7, 8  and 9 is supported with Web Client 1.9X

Issue When the CX9640 was upgraded using the node count upgrade upd file supplied by Schneider Repair, the node count shown on the controller options page does not increase. Environment Node count upgrade NetController CX96xx Cause Bad upd file. Resolution Contact repair to get a replacement node count upgrade file.

Issue The default auto log off time setting is 20 minutes, customer need to extend the time period for web user. Environment Continuum Webclient Windows XP Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause The default auto log off time setting is 20 minutes,  and can not modify the setting on cyberstation or webclient server Resolution From the webclient install package, open "Webclient planning and installation guide.pdf", Reading from Page 105 to Page 106, Go to C:\Program Files\webserver, open web.config Go to "SessionState" tag and modify the value behind "timeout=" , the default is 20 in minutes. You can change it to another value if you prefer. Save and close web.config Log on web client to see the performance.

Issue User has a backup of my files that they have restored onto a new workstation PC but now they are unable to edit the files.  For example: A Continuum graphic needs to be edited and cannot save changes but can save as a new graphic. Environment Window OS Windows XP Windows 7 8 8.1 10 Windows Vista Cause This is caused by Microsoft Windows OS. Windows will automatically make a file "Read only" if it has been moved from another PC  Resolution The solution is to change the files back to read / write. Example: Open Windows Explorer and find the folder you want to change, for this example it is "Continuum graphics." Right click on the folder and select properties, which shows a tab that will be ticked next to "read only" deselect this tab and then select apply. Once windows has finished changing the folder and its contents to read/write the user will be able to go into continuum and edit graphics.

Issue Command Window is flashing up when Continuum is running, the window has some text but flashes too quick to read Environment Windows 7 XP Command Dos Window Cause Following an upgrade (include new PCs) from a Stand Alone, pre v1.82 installation the Workstation within Continuum retains it's PE Programs Resolution Following an upgrade (include new PCs), Workstations PE Programs should be checked to see if they are still required. Stand Alone Utilities could be used for a number of tasks on pre v1.82 installations and included a number of PE programs calling batch files and SQL queries. If these PE Programs are still running following an upgrade, then they will be calling batch files and SQL queries that do not exist on the new PC. Disable or delete these programs NOTE: One way of seeing what is in the Command Window is to record the screen using a simple Screen recording program.