Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue During Energy Expert installation an error is shown, and the floating license manager is never installed Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, Other Environment EcoStruxure Energy Expert (formerly Power Manager) Installation Cause "Error 1722" occurs due to a conflict between the version of Java installed on the PC and the version included in the EE installation package Resolution Uninstall all versions of Java from the PC Install the JavaRuntime manually from the install media "..\setup\SetupSupport\Licensing\JavaRuntime\x86\jre1.7.0_02.msi" Run the complete installation again

Issue How is the Real Time Clock (RTC) maintained when a Automation Server loses power since there is no battery on the AS. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Automation Server (AS-P, AS-B, AS) Real-time clock Cause Documentation Resolution Each Automation Server has a dedicated capacitor that backs up the RTC chip.  Please consult the tables below or use the Webhelp links and search for 'Real-time clock':-   AS-P Real-time clock Accuracy in runtime mode NTP server Accuracy in backup mode, at 25 °C (77 °F) +/-52 seconds per month Backup time, at 25 °C (77 °F) 10 days   AS-B Real-time clock Accuracy in runtime mode NTP server Accuracy in backup mode, at 25 °C (77 °F) +/-52 seconds per month Backup time, at 25 °C (77 °F) 10 days   AS Real-time clock Accuracy, at 25 °C (77 °F) 47 to +73 seconds per month Backup time, at 25 °C (77 °F) 30 days

Issue Users are getting two possible errors when trying to open WebReports page Error #1 - "The Web Site URL for Reports is not configured. Please contact the administrator" Error #2 -  "The webpage cannot be found" can also be generated. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Web Reports Cause These Errors can occur when the link to the Reports Server is not correct.  This is usually caused by having the Enterprise Server and Report Server on the same PC It should be noted that having both the Enterprise and Report Server's on the same PC is not recommended.   The reason the Workstation can not access the Web site / Web service URL's is because the Report Manager points to the "Localhost".  When you try to use a Workstation that is not local to the Report Server it can not locate this URL, hence the error.   This issue is not seen if when installing the Report Server on a different machine to the Enterprise Server as designed. Resolution Even though the Enterprise Server is local to the Report Server if access required by any other Workstation or WebStation you must enter the IP or PC Name of the Report Server within the Report Manager's Web site URL.  In this instance changing only the Web site URL will rectify the problem but it is recommended to change both the Web site and Web Service URL settings. This will allow any remote Workstation / Browser to find the Report Server. In workstation, Browse, to the System folder Click on System>Report Manager Set the Web site URL to http://localhost/SchneiderElectric/WebReports/Login.aspx Set the Web Service URL to http://localhost/SchneiderElectric/WebReportsService If the Enterprise Server resides on a different PC than the Reports Server, change "localhost" to the Report Server computer name or IP address After making this change WebReports should display correctly:

Issue The following error is generated during the SQL Configuration step for 1.8 Reports Server Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment WebReports Installer Cause This can happen for various reasons: Possible cause 1 The Microsoft .NET Framework installation is damaged after installing Microsoft SQL Server. Possible cause 2 In one of the steps during SQL installation, we have to configure NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. If user fails to change this and move ahead with default user then create database step would fail. Possible cause 3 The operating system is not using English as its selected language. Resolution Solution 1 Quit the WebReports Installer Package Remove/reinstall or repair .NET Framework 4.5 (Available from Microsoft .NET download site or direct download - WebInstaller - OfflineInstaller) Repeat the installation of WebReports Solution 2 Set the SQL server service log on properties to "Local System" (NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM) Restart the SQL server service Repeat the installation of WebReports Solution 3 Replace the WebReports OS with an English version of Windows. 

Issue BACnet 3rd party controller will not respond to Find New BACnet Devices (Who-Is/I-Am), so will not come online to Continuum or EBO Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, Andover Continuum Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Building Operation Edge Server - Standard Continuum Cyberstation Continuum bCX4040 (BACnet) Cause BACnet MSTP device can be master or slave. BACnet MSTP slave will only respond to a request from a master device, and will not respond to the Who-Is broadcast so it can not be discovered. EBO: EBO does not support slave devices. EBO does not currently have a way to statically configure MAC addresses as it relies on dynamic discovery.   Continuum: Slave only devices cannot come online. Resolution Check 3rd party device documentation or contact 3rd party device vendor for Master/Slave settings and configure for Master to communicate on a MSTP network. Use 3rd party interface to convert to a protocol that can be directly supported by EBO or Continuum. Examples of BACnet MSTP Slaves that are known not to respond to EBO or Continuum Who-Is request and so not come online are: - The Babel Buster 485XM from Control Solutions Inc is BTL listed as a BACnet Slave device , their PICs statement can be seen Here. - Wilo pumps Interface Modules: IF-Modul BACnet & IF-Modul Stratos BACnet, their PICs statement can be seen Here.  

Issue When adding a document to an EcoStruxure server an error message appears. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Enterprise Server Automation Server (AS-P/AS-B) Cause There are size limitations to take into consideration. Resolution It is possible to upload any file type, including .doc, .jpg, .pdf, or .txt.  However, importing files larger than 20 MB will result in an error message.     Refer to Documents Overview for additional information

Issue If an Automation Server should be used as a LON Device in an OpenLNS Database using the OpenLNS Commissioning Tool? Is that possible to do? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Automation Server 1.4.1.68 or newer   Cause Some sites may wish to use other Lonworks configuration tools than EcoStruxure Building Operation Workstation. Resolution This is possible in 1.4.1.68 and newer. Add a Lonworks Local FT-10 interface and then add an Externally Managed Lonworks Network.

Issue When backup to flash is automatically disabled by the system due to exceeding the flash circuit breaker write limit, no system alarm is sent to make the system's operator aware  Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Continuum i2920 Controller Cause Implementation of Continuum Infinet integration in EcoStruxure Building Operation did not include this feature. Resolution As a workaround, a user-created alarm can be used instead of the system alarm. Here is a sample implementation of this workaround:   Under the Infinet Interface create an Alarm, in this example, we are using an 'Expression' alarm Here is the algorithm used as an expression for the alarm Value = BackupDisabld In the i2 device, edit the 'StatusBackup' system variable and attach the alarm above in the Alarm Configuration tab. Make sure to tick the 'Enabled' box to engage the alarm.   The alarm will be sent when the flash circuit breaker trips which in the i2 device takes place after 10,000 backups To resume backups the feature must be manually re-enabled from Workstation by right-clicking the device and selecting DEVICE->ENABLE BACKUP TO FLASH

Issue What is the maximum number of registers that can be read/written using the multiple read/write function codes in Modbus Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server Modbus Register Groups Cause When deciding how to group registers using a Modbus Register Group, what are the maximum number of registers that can be grouped. Resolution There is a limit to the number of packets that can be polled in a single packet, however, if this number is exceeded then two or more polls will be made (blocks).  The nominal Read multiple registers maximum is 125 16 bit registers (250 8-bit bytes, so the register count will vary for 32 and 64bit polls).  The Register Group Properties Tab shows the number of blocks being polled. The Modbus register grouping function has a direct effect on system performance. A poorly grouped device can easily increase the overall poll time as points, or blocks, in each Modbus network are polled sequentially.  See the section "Batch Read Function" in the EcoStruxure Building Operation Technical Reference Guide for full details. Note: Multiple group writes are not possible and are not controlled via Modbus Register Groups.  

Issue How and when are Modbus points polled? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operations Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Cause Need to understand the Modbus poll mechanism Resolution Consult the 'Modbus Deep Technical Reference' chapter of EcoStruxure Technical Reference Guide Or use WebHelp to find information on the Modbus Poll Manager, which manages all polling of the points/data and devices, and the Poll List which contains all the current subscriptions (eg. data being referenced within Programs, Listviews, Graphics, Logging, etc) These mechanisms isolate the Modbus Polling from programs and graphics. Note: For each network, the poll manager operates with a poll list and a poll task. If a Modbus Object value is only required for logging purposes, then the  "Requested poll interval" is set to a high number (typically 2,147,483,647 ms) This means the object values are not currently being polled. When the time arrives for the log value to be collected, the "Requested poll interval" is set to 1000ms, until the value is collected, at which point it reverts to this higher number.

Issue Modbus Register Groups feature can overcome some Modbus communication problems. It has been seen before where the Modbus controller falls offline for a few seconds then comes back online. This cycle will repeat every few seconds. When register groups are not used, there may also be issues with the amount of time it takes for a Modbus points to update. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium (AS-P) Building Operation Automation Server Bundled (AS-B) Cause In a normal Modbus network, a Modbus polling device obtains data from a polled device by sending a query message to the device and then waiting for the response message that contains the requested value from the selected register. If data from another register is required, the polling device sends out a new query message and awaits the response message. This process is repeated until all subscribed points values have been read. The Modbus Register Groups are a batch read function to poll Modbus devices. Instead of reading each register individually, the batch read function reads registers in manually created groups. When all registers in a group have been read, the response message returns subscribed register values for the whole group. Register grouping provides a dramatic saving in the time taken to poll your devices. For more guidance and tips on this topic, see Section "Batch Read Function" in the EcoStruxure Building Operation Technical Reference Guide.  Note: When viewing a graphic containing Modbus values, those values will update at the same interval as their Modbus register group. Resolution When grouping Modbus points, it is important to keep in mind some of the following points. Try to ensure that as many Modbus points as possible are contained in as few groups as possible. This will reduce the overall time it takes the Enterprise Server or Automation Server to read all the subscribed points in each Modbus device. Network performance can be enhanced by choosing the method of grouping that is most suitable for each device in the Modbus network.  Network performance can be enhanced by selecting a different default poll time for each register group. Network performance can also be enhanced by grouping points that have the same or similar polls. Start with higher group poll times to ensure a stable system before reducing the poll time. Make sure to delete Modbus points out of a register group individually before deleting the group. If this is not done, it can cause system delays. See article Modbus Batch Read Multiple Registers Groups Creating a Modbus Register Group In Workstation, in the System Tree pane, right-click on a Modbus device and select New Object (1).  In the create object window select Modbus Register Group (2), provide a name and select Create (3). Now that the group has been created, existing Modbus points can be dragged and dropped into the group. New Modbus points can also be created in the group.  Right-click on the Modbus Register Group and select New Object (1).  In the create object window expand Modbus Point (2), select a point type (3), provide a name and select Create (4).

Issue BACnet/IP port supported with EcoStruxure Building Operation Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Building Operation Edge Server - Standard Cause Which BACnet/IP ports are supported with EcoStruxure Building Operation, and can there be more than one port? Resolution By default, the BACnet/IP network uses UDP port 47808 (0xBAC0), this is adjustable higher or lower. The BACnet/IP network supports a single BACnet UDP port, Additional IP networks can be created in the BACnet system as long as each network has a unique identifier (network Id and name) and UDP/IP port number. Refer to: Creating an Additional BACnet IP Network (se.com) and Best Practices When Configuring BACnet IP Networks and BBMDs for EcoStruxure BMS Servers Please note that BACnet/IP uses UDP as its transmission protocol. For more information read the BACnet/IP basic design criteria.

Issue Will J-Bus operate with Modbus RTU devices on the same bus? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation  Environment Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Cause Compatibility of J Bus required. Resolution The J Bus protocol is supported by the Autimation Server, it runs on an RS485 network and uses a subset of the Modbus RTU protocol function codes. The J Bus devices addressing usually has an offset of 1 compared to the Modbus RTU standard, to apply this offset select "J-Bus Mode" = Yes in the Modbus Master Network Properties.   Verify that the devices to be used have a standard RS485 electrical connection and do not require any special electrical biasing, also ensure that all units connected on the bus have a unique ID/ address number. If this is the case then you should be able to connect both Modbus RTU and J Bus devices on the same Automation Server port connection but in the Modbus Master Network select the J Bus Mode setting to No. In J-Bus mode, the Automation Server will automatically reduce the polled register addresses by one, so if the AS is set to Modbus mode, you may need to manually set the register addresses of any J-Bus devices by minus one. With J Bus as with Modbus sometimes the point addressing needs to be offset by +1 or -1, but check with the 3rd party device supplier/ documentation to determine its specific point addressing requirements.  

Issue Import of BACnet/IP device is missing Device ID value. The device is indicated as offline and will not communicate. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Building Operation Edge Server - Standard Cause A device instance number is not preserved in an export. An imported BACnet device must be associated with a device.  Resolution Use the Associate with Device option on the BACnet/IP device object, refer to: Associating a BACnet Instance Number with a Device (se.com). Specify the device instance number.

Issue Setting the default BACnet priority levels for different applications avoids priority conflicts by normalizing which priority gets used for a specific action or within a specific application Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Building Operation Edge Server - Standard Cause Different EcoStruxure applications may act upon BACnet objects utilizing different BACnet priority levels. This may cause confusion and can keep the system from operating as expected. Resolution BACnet objects created with EBO (1.4 and higher) will have a default BACnet Priority of 16 unless specified otherwise. The default BACnet Priority can be changed to the customer's needs.   As a best practice, define the Default priority level prior to configuring the system. In addition, consider maintaining the same default priority level for multiple active systems at your site. For example, configure the same default priority level for the EcoStruxure Building Operation and fire protection system. In a multi-server system, you can only configure the Default priority level from the Interface Manager of the Enterprise Server. If you set a new priority level, the system propagates the change to the other automation servers in the network. Refer to: Default Priority Level (se.com) and Configuring the Default Priority Level (se.com)  

Issue What is the maximum number of trend logs in a SmartX IP Controller? What is the maximum number of trend log records in a SmartX IP Controller? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Multi-purpose Controller Cause SmartX IP controller free object system memory is shared between objects and data in your application. There are no specific limits on the number of objects and/or trend logs that you can create. Several factors impact memory consumption: Every object added consumes a fixed amount of memory Memory is shared between objects and data. Adjustments to description fields or trend log buffer sizes will also impact the amount of memory consumed. Different controllers have different amounts of memory to start from. RPC controllers have roughly half of the memory of an MPC. Changes to EBO 3.X will also change the memory consumption, so upgrading your system may skew the memory consumption larger than it was in previous versions. Resolution After adding trend logs to the device consult the Free object system memory entry in the device report since this will help determine how much free memory is available. Trend log buffers are pre-allocated on creation of the trend object. The other place to find how much free memory the device have is in the device property page. This value can be put in a watch window, trended, or even bound to a low-limit alarm.     If the amount of free memory drops below 50 Kbytes, that is critically low available memory. A better target is to try to preserve 50% of available memory. Based on empirical testing, estimates of memory available inside a blank controller are: MP-C: 1890 Kbytes MP-V: 1780 Kbytes RP-C: 1115 Kbytes It is important to not overload the controller because the remaining memory can also be used for COV subscriptions (the last line in the table above). If there is no memory available, then opening a graphic which creates COV subscriptions could overrun memory or operate very slowly

Issue Alarm Pane not shown in Webstation Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Webstation Cause The User is viewing a Workspace which does not contain the Alarm Pane Resolution In the Top Left hand corner of the screen click View>Workspaces Select Engineering (or other applicable workspace)

Issue Unable to lock down access to AS WebStation to all clients Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Webstation Cause Required to forbid accessing AS via http or https.. Resolution Https is the default workstation communication channel to an SBO server and therefore cannot be locked down. 

Issue Information is needed regarding the content of the various license types Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Cause If a standard Workstation license and a Workstation Pro. license are purchased, and are loaded on to a License server, when is the professional license used? Resolution The difference between the standard Workstation license and the Workstation Pro. license is that the professional license allows the usage of the editors (Graphics Editor, Function Block Editor, Script Editor, Menta Editor, WorkPlace Tech Editor). The licenses can be seen as a bundle of license features that can be checked in and checked out separately from each other. When a workstation attempts to use any of these editors the license server is asked to check out the license feature for that editor and if successful, that feature is "taken" and cannot be used by any other Workstation until the first workstation leaves the editor. This means that if you have one professional license, only one Workstation can use the same editor at the same time, if you e.g. have 2 professional licenses you can have 2 Workstations using the same editor at the same time. However, any Workstation can use any editor as long as there is a free license feature for it on the license server.

Issue The script program always executes the first condition, whatever the condition is. The code is shown below: Numeric Input AirFlowMin,AirFlowMax,AirFlowRead Numeric OutPut FlowFactor Line Judging if AirFlowMin<AirFlowRead<(AirFlowMax-AirFlowMin)/3 then goto 1 if (AirFlowMax-AirFlowMin)/3<AirFlowRead<(AirFlowMax-AirFlowMin)*2/3 then goto 2 if (AirFlowMax-AirFlowMin)*2/3<AirFlowRead line 1 FlowFactor=1 goto judging line 2 FlowFactor=2 goto judging line 3 FlowFactor=3 goto judging After the above program saves successfully, whatever the value of AirFlowRead is, the program only goes to line 1 and sets the value of FlowFactor to 1, and never goes to the other two lines. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment B3s Script Program Cause Some expressions are supported in Continuum Plain English but are not supported in b3 Script programs Resolution Change the expression as shown below: Line Judging if AirFlowMin<AirFlowRead and AirFlowRead<(AirFlowMax-AirFlowMin)/3 then goto 1 if (AirFlowMax-AirFlowMin)/3<AirFlowRead and AirFlowRead<(AirFlowMax-AirFlowMin)*2/3 then goto 2 if (AirFlowMax-AirFlowMin)*2/3<AirFlowRead and AirFlowRead