Building Automation Knowledge Base

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 Time synchronisation is often an issue on large BMS installations. A central time signal is normally required to make sure all controllers, terminals or workstations have the correct time. If there is no internet connection available then the time has to be synchronised from a central source. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC Vista Environment Sigma Continuum Vista SmartStruxure Windows XP Windows 7 Server 2003 Server 2008 R2 Cause No internet connection available to synchronise the system time. Resolution Important The methods below contain steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. If using Windows XP, please use the following link - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314054 If using Server or Windows 7 OS, please use the following link - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816042 This has been tested for Time updates to an AS by simply using the PC IP address as the primary NTP Time Server. If the firewall is turned on you also need to make sure UDP 123 is open. Please note that Windows will add a dispersion to the time that may cause issues with time synchronization, please see Automation Servers ignore time sync message sent from Windows NTP server that uses local internal clock for details.

Issue What card readers and technology can be used with Continuum Access Control Systems Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cause Need to know what card readers will work with Continuum Access Control Systems Resolution The card reader and card technology is not relevant to the Continuum Controller, as this is used between the card (tag, fob or other) and the reader. This allows the use of the standard technologies available today, including fingerprint and other biometric based access as well as cards, fobs and tags. The signal that comes from the reader must be serial data input type Wiegand or ABA (or Clock & Data) USB, Ethernet, RS485, RS232 inputs are not accepted. NOTES The exact input type and maximum data bits can only be determined by checking the hardware, firmware and Continuum version combination being used. Retina, fingerprint, facial recognition and other biometric based systems that are connected to Continuum Access Controllers will store the biometric information and still be connected via the serial data Wiegand or ABA to the Continuum Controller. The current Continuum access controllers also accept an 8 bit burst for PIN numbers from keypads See Where can I find datasheets, install guides and other information on HID Electronic Access Control products? ABA (or Clock & Data) this was often used with Magnetic Swipe technology which has mostly been phased out Standard Wiegand Formats within Continuum Infinity 37-Bit AC 4+4 32-Bit Wiegand 26-Bit CK 34-Bit G 32-Bit HIDCorp1000 35-Bit - Some restrictions Custom

Issue When starting up the Continuum Workstation an error "SmartHeap library out of memory" error is displayed and Continuum does not startup. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cyberstation Microsoft Windows Cause The PC memory allocated for Cyberstation to use is insufficient for the application and the site's configuration. There are three known items that can require more memory to be required on Workstation startup. EventNotifications. If a very large number of them. The Workstation reads all of them and may require more memory at startup. Workstation Programs. Check in the Workstation for many or large Programs. Objects in the Root of Continuum. The startup of WS can be very long with a large number of objects in the Root. Resolution Verify that the PC being used for the workstation meets the minimum requirements as defined in the Install.pdf document for the specific Cyberstation version being used. If other applications are to be run on the PC then the RAM size should be increased accordingly. If the system StandAlone (Single User) 1.81 or before then verify the database size is below 2Gb, For Version 1.82 and above it can not exceed 4Gb. Verify that you have sufficient available memory you have when seeing the error, using task manager. If the above checks confirm that the basic PC memory is sufficient then the following changes can be made to allow the Cyberstation application further resources, this is often required when a number of Plain English programs are running in a Workstation. Shut down Continuum and set the Virtual Memory size Initial to 2048 and Maximum to 4096. Using Regedit go to the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Andover Controls\Continuum\Settings and increase the setting for omscachesize to 5000 decimal. For systems where the Workstation is known to have an extremely heavy workload, this number may be increased up to 9000 in decimals. If using the Elevator Control Module add-on, it may be necessary to set the size to 5000. Note: For new Continuum or WebClient Workstations, the omscachesize registry key is not created until after the Workstation has first logged in at least once. If you are adding a Workstation to an existing LAN installation with a large ContinuumDB, then the omscachesize may need to be increased right from the start. One way to do this is to: Create  a new "test" database, see Creating a test database for troubleshooting for more information. Connect this Workstation to that test database so that the correct registry keys are created Change the omscachesize value as described above Restart the PC Reconnect to the original production database and start-up Continuum.

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 After installing a new Stand Alone Continuum system or upgrading it to use SQL Server 2005 Express (SQL Express) it is found that the ExtendedLog table is not being purged. (truncate delete purge) The tables fill up, resulting in a large Continuum database that can cause the system to slow down as it reaches its 4GB limit. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Stand Alone v1.82 and above. Continuum Stand Alone system that has been upgraded from v1.81 or below. SQL Server 2005 Express Cause Before Continuum v1.81, our Database engine for Continuum was MSDE. It used SQL Server Agent service to run maintenance tasks on the ContinuumDB. SQL Server 2005 Express does not have this SQL Server Agent and the scheduled maintenance tasks are added as Windows scheduled tasks during the creation of a new Continuum Database. "SQL Agent is a SQL Server service that is used to automatically schedule job execution for SQL Server. It is typically used to schedule the execution of DTS packages or to perform system maintenance tasks like database backups. While MSDE includes the SQL Agent service, SQL Server 2005 Express does not. However, you can use the Windows built-in Task Scheduler to schedule jobs for SQL Server 2005 Express. You can use Task Scheduler in combination with the downloadable DTS runtime to automatically schedule the execution of DTS packages. Likewise, you can use Task Scheduler in combination with the SQL Server 2005 Express command-line SQLCMD tool to regularly execute SQL Server 2005 Express system maintenance jobs like database backups and other database access jobs." See full article on this at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc966393.aspx The key here is that the scheduled tasks are added during the creation of a new Continuum Database. When upgrading Continuum you would typically install overtop the existing installation; upgrading your existing Continuum Database, which does not create the Windows scheduled tasks required to schedule events tables and ExtendedLog table to be truncated on a regular basis. Resolution Check Purge interval First thing to do is to confirm that your Extended Log Purge Interval has actually been set properly, by default this is set to 0 which disables automatic purging. Right-click your Continuum icon and select General Preferences. On line 10 - Extended Log Purge Interval, set this to the number of days you want to keep in your database. (typically 30 days) Once this is set, the next time the scheduled task runs it will truncate your table back to the number of days you have selected. If this was not set properly this may be all that is required. If it still does not purge and tasks have not been created then continue on with the below steps. Creating Scheduled Truncation Tasks Create a new Continuum database, at the end of this creation after closing the Database Initialization window, the scheduled tasks are created under Start -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Scheduled tasks. To create these scheduled tasks and associated scripts you will need to delete the DB, create a new one, and then restore your backed up database overtop. To do this follow the below steps: Shut down all Continuum Cyberstations. IMPORTANT: Make sure to perform a full SQL Database backup before attempting to make any changes to the database. (See Move / Backup / Restore a database on a Single User SQL2005 Express system for details on how to backup your database and, if not already installed, where to get Management Studio from) Use SQL Management Studio Express and logon with the SA account. Browse to the Databases folder, right-click the ContinuumDB and select Delete. This will delete the ContinuumDB from the server and the associated .Mdf and .Ldf files from the harddrive. Open up Database Initialization. Select Stand Alone. Click on the Create New database radio button (bottom right) which opens up the needed fields. Confirm the Database name is ContinuumDB. Ensure the User Login ID is set to Andover97. Ensure the User Password is set to (not disclosed due to public access). Ensure the path is correct for the DB File location. Enter in the SQL Server's SA password. Enter the Windows username and password that has local administrator privileges. (IMPORTANT: Make sure that your Windows user has a valid username and password; the scheduled tasks will not be created if the Windows user does not have a password) Click Continue (This creates the two files ContinuumDev.mdf and ContinuumLog.ldf in the DB File Location) Click Close to close Database Initialization, this is the point at which the scheduled tasks and associated scripts are automatically created. Using SQL Management Studio, now restore the backed up database. Restore the backup over the top of the ContinuumDB on your new system: Right click on ContinuumDB -> Tasks -> Restore -> Database. Select "From device:" and add your Database file, making sure to tick the Restore checkbox to select the source. Next, go to the Options page and select "Overwrite the existing database" and press the "OK" button. Change the db owner with the below query using the sp_changedbowner stored procedure. Select "New Query" and copy the query text shown below. Run the query. use ContinuumDB go sp_changedbowner 'Andover97' go Now confirm that your Extended Log Purge Interval is set properly, by default this is set to 0 which disables automatic purging. Right-click your Continuum icon and select General Preferences. On line 10 - Extended Log Purge Interval, set this to the number of days you want to keep in your database. (typically 30 days) Once this is set, the next time the scheduled task runs it will truncate your table back to the number of days you have selected.

Issue Licenses for MS SQL Server 2008 are becoming difficult to source, is MS SQL Server 2012 going to be supported? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Cause As retailers deplete their old stock, it will become harder and harder to obtain licensing for MS SQL Server 2008 which is the most recent version of MS SQL Server that Continuum v1.94 supports. Purchasing SQL Server 2012 licenses to downgrade deployment rights does not seem to be an option with current Microsoft licensing as this option only applies to volume licensing and not retail license packages. (Refer to page 16 of the Licensing Reference Guide from Microsoft here.) Resolution Continuum v1.94 was not qualified with MS SQL Server 2012 at the time of release, this has since been tested and qualified with Service Pack 1 for Continuum v1.94. Please see the Continuum Compatibility Matrix in Software and Firmware compatibility matrix for older versions of the traditional product lines for details of supported environments. To use Microsoft SQL Server 2012 you will need to upgrade your installation to Continuum v1.94 SP1 or higher. You will be able to use MS downgrade rights to downgrade an SQL 2014 license so that SQL 2012 can be installed. See references from Microsoft below. http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/briefs/downgrade-rights.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/sql2014.aspx For sites using Continuum v1.94 or older that do not wish to upgrade, downgrade deployment rights can be used with volume licenses of MS SQL Server 2012 to deploy an older version of SQL Server (say MS SQL Server 2008 R2 that is currently qualified with the version of Continuum you have). Note: Continuum v1.94 SP1 has been qualified with MS SQL 2012 (SP1) but has not been tested with SQL 2014.

Issue Extended log data not being saved to the database. Error stated that controller should be returned online and reloaded. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Cyberstation SQL Extended log data Extended logging Error Troubleshooting logs Cause Error is generated indicating a mismatch between the Database and controller. But reloading the point does not always cure the problem. Resolution The error Unable to find Extended Log records to download states that it was added to the point when the controller was off-line. This can often be the case and the controller should be returned online and reloaded. However if this does not resolve the problem there are other extended logging issues that can cause this message: Ensure the system is set to be using Enhanced alarm logging and delivery if the system is V1.5 or above, it should have been configured (in the DB initialisation) to use this. See Alarm Forward and Log settings with enhanced alarm logging causes unnecessary network traffic. Run the Continuum analyser to ensure the database is not corrupt. Fix any issues and reload the controller. The controllers have not been fully reloaded. Ensure that a full reload including all attached controllers has been done and that this does not generate any errors. Ensure software and firmware is compatible for the version you are using, see Compatibility matrix. Also check Operating system versions and .Net versions are correct for the version used. Verify that you have set the same UTC times for the country in the Network, all Workstations and all BACnet controllers. Check that one Workstation has the time synchronisation program running to keep the CX's in sync' (Time sync controllers to workstations). Look at the Continuum error log to make sure you are not getting Extended log time synchronisation errors. Check for network problems; use the Controller offline alarm to verify no controllers go offline. Controller Network problems can stop the objects from saving to the controller which will cause a mismatch between the DB and controller requiring a reload. Ensure the Workstation IP address is a fixed address in the Windows settings and it matches the Workstation IP address in the database, as viewed in Offline Editing. Verify only 1 network card is fitted and enabled in the PC.  

Issue Checklist to be used as a basis for Maintenance visits. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Hardware Continuum Software Cause Having a checklist available for routine maintenance will help with service calls to ensure Continuum sites continue to run smoothly over the life of the installation. Resolution There is no official maintenance checklist but some of the things you might want to consider checking on a regular basis are the items below. Continuum Analyzer Run the tests which check the database for known issues and provides a results file. See How to run Continuum Analyzer and get a report.   Review Windows Event Logs Check the Application and System Event logs for Continuum or SQL related errors. See Viewing, Saving, Sharing Windows Event Logs for Troubleshooting Purposes.   Check the size of the ContinuumDB The Database can't be more than 2GB in MSDE, 4GB in SQL Express, and the size of available space on the drive if using full SQL Server. Continuum will always run better when the database is kept trim, as the database size grows, Continuum transactions may start to slow down. If general system slowness is observed then check the database size and SQL Server resources first.   Truncate/trim event tables in ContinuumDB Especially the ExtendedLog table which can grow very rapidly if not kept in check. See Set up a Continuum system to do automatic log truncation to save database space.   Check that the Continuum Workstation is patched and up to date Periodically service packs and hotfixes are released for different versions of Continuum to resolve identified issues. Consult The Exchange Download Center for the current updates. Service Packs | Hotfixes   Check that Controller Firmware is up to date Check that the Controller firmware versions are supported for your version of Continuum and that they are up to date. Same as service packs for Continuum, new firmware builds are released as issues are identified and resolved. You can find supported firmware for each version of Continuum in the Compatibility Matrix. See Software and Firmware compatibility matrix for older versions of I/NET, Vista, Andover Continuum, Satchwell Sigma, I/A Series, and StruxureWare Building Operation. And new firmware updates are available on Exchange Extranet.   Check battery charges On controllers that have them, check that the battery for holding up the active RAM still has a charge. How to check -> Battery life in Andover Continuum controllers that have onboard batteries Replacement batteries -> Replacement batteries for the various Continuum controllers   Run the Continuum Errors listviews to see if there are any recurring errors that may need to be investigated.   Most Importantly - Backup the ContinuumDB before leaving site! Backup and restore instructions for a single-user system are below but these also apply to full SQL Server using Management Studio. Steps 1 and 2 in the article below apply to backing up a ContinuumDB. See Move / Backup / Restore a database on a Single User SQL2005 Express system.

Issue Do IP settings go to defaults when flashing from 4040 to 9640? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment bCX9640 bCX4040 Cause Have a need to flash a controller from bCX4040 to bCX9640 over a remote connection access. Do not want to have to go to the site to reset IP settings.  Resolution Using CyberStation v1.93 a bCX4040 was flashed to a bCX 9640 and it did NOT lose its IP info. Notes: At the end of the upgrade an error was received: “The uprev could not communicate with the specified controller”. From the webpage it was noted that the IP address had not changed and the upgrade was successful. It did not come back online in CyberStation. From the webpage, resetting it still did not bring it back online in CyberStation. Changing the model number in CyberStation to bCX9640 (from bCX4040) to bring it back online was not an option. The flash upgrade had reset the ACCNetID to 1. The 4040 was then deleted (Bacnet side first then Infinity side) and a new 9640 was created. The proper ACCNetID was set up in the webpage and the changes committed. It was then online in CyberStation. Bottom line – IP address never changed. ACCNetID did. The controller never had to be touched during this process so remotely doing this is expected to work. This was only tested using the latest firmware and CyberStation v1.93. Of course, the best way to do this is on the bench not on a live system. Please be aware that the model flash change will cause node count and/or xdriver upgrades to be reset if they were added as post-factory-shipment upgrades (via the Repair Dept) since these upgrade UPD files are model specific. See Node or XDriver Upgrade of BCX Inf (9640) to BCX BACnet (4040) or reverse. Also see Update b3 or i2 OS, changing (converting) a controller, BACnet to Infinet or Infinet to BACnet .

Issue A Door configured with Magstrike status as Door Status re-locks after 2s  even when Door Strike Time is set to 10s. Environment Continuum Access Control Cause The Door output will relock after the Door Strike Time or when the Door is opened. Since you are using the mag lock status as the Door status (not the preferred method), then as soon as the Door is unlocked, the mag lock is de-energized which turns off the Door Status which then relocks the Door 1s later. Resolution You need to monitor the actual physical status of the Door to indicate when it has physically opened and shut. Either that or remove the input from the Door object by setting the Door Status channel to 0. This should allow the Door to stay open the DoorStrikeTime. You can also use a PE program to get around not having a DoorStatus that monitors the actual Door. This post on the Community discusses this and has some good comments about using this type of Door control with the maglock status instead of a true Door Status switch and is worth a read. Below is an example Plain English program that can help monitor the Door for ValidAccess then hold the Door unlocked for the DoorStrikeTime. 1: If Door1 ValidAccess is On then Goto 2 If Door1 ExitRequest is On then Goto 2 2: Door1 = UnLocked If TS > Door1 DoorStrikeTime then Goto 3 ' wait for DoorStrikeTime 3: Door1 = Locked Goto 1

Issue Where to find Continuum SQL schema and table details so a 3rd party can have access to the database. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cause Third party requires access to the database Resolution It is not recommended that third party systems directly access to the Continuum SQL database as the Cyberstation software expects full access to all tables at all times. Should a table be locked or inaccessible to Cyberstation it may cause problems or runtime errors. We do not publish any details on the database tables or a SQL schema as Continuum is used for Security applications it would undermine the security of the product. Also the database does not contain live data, this should always be read directly from the controllers. There are other alternatives that can be used. Use an existing open protocol XDriver e.g. Modbus IP or other open protocol BACnet IP or MS/TP link to the 3rd party system or controllers, could also be linked to StruxureWare Building Operation Export the required data from a Listview, Group or Report for use by a 3rd Party Create a Plain English program to regularly export data to a .CSV or .TXT file, see Automatically export logged data to .CSV files Commission the development of a new Xdriver or other integration; contact UK Technical Services department for a bespoke solution, paul.bates@schneider-electric.com

Issue Continuum running under MS Windows 7, Vista or MS Windows Server 2008 (including R2) Access event viewers at workstations other than the primary access server do not show events. Alarms acknowledged at one CyberStation would remain unacknowledged in the other CyberStations.  Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation Microsoft Windows 7 Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Cause Problem in Microsoft MSMQ component. MSMQ service might not send or receive messages after you restart a computer that is running Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008. This will cause any Continuum component that uses MSMQ (such as Alarms and Access Events) to fail. Microsoft has issued a hot fix for this MSMQ problem. Resolution Use the following command prompt test to verify the problem netstat -ano | findstr 1801 The command tests whether MSMQ is listening for messages. For example, Continuum WS 'A' is the primary access server (PAS) with an Event Viewer 'EV' up,  a second Continuum WS 'B'  is also displaying the same EV. If MSMQ is functioning normally you should see the following. 1. is the IP address of WS 'B' that has established a link to WS 'A'  2. is the IP address of WS 'A', the PAS in this case. 2560 is the listening MSMQ process PID  You can clearly see that there is a MSMQ process (2560) in WS 'B' LISTENING on port 1801 If there is no MSMQ process listening the output of the command will show the loopback or localhost IP address 127.0.0.1 and you have to install the following Microsoft hotfix: Package: ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- See Microsoft KB Article Number: 2554746   ** In very rare occasions, removing MSMQ and adding MSMQ again to the PC is required. ** Once it is re-installed, please refer to Access event viewers running in a workstation other than the Primary Access Server stop displaying events to set the MSMQ CleanupInterval setting to one hour in the primary access server.

Issue How do I run Continuum Analyzer and get a report Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum 1.7 onwards Cause The Continuum Analyzer is designed to provide installers and troubleshooters with a point of reference for discovering problem areas within their installations.  The software is proactive in that it enables you to 'clean' orphaned and mismatched objects from the database, thereby recovering from a minimal amount of database corruption.  Continuum Analyzer also performs a system information check and provides full reporting on all aspects of the installation, as well as alerts regarding deficiencies. Resolution Always ensure the site database backed up before Continuum Analyzer is used to "Clean" the database. Go to - Start - All Programs - Continuum - Continuum Analyzer Type in User Name and Password (usually andover97 and (not disclosed due to public access)) for the Continuum DB or you can use the system admin user name and password. Click on the version "System Tests", then "Run Wizards" There should be zero failed. Then "Generate Report". To save click on top left disk icon and save as .html file If there are any failures, then ensure the database has been saved before a "Clean" is performed There was a bug in some Analyzer versions that caused a ghost alarm on the AlarmInfo test, also see Continuum Analyzer Failure for Continuum 1.92 & 1.93

Issue The Save to Flash exclamation point (bang) shows on a Controller object. Hovering over the icon, a tooltip comes up indicating that the controller 'requires flash backup'. However when performing a backup to flash, a result comes back that the 'controller doesn't need flash backup' and the exclamation icon remains. Re-loading the controller and performing a send to database have no effect. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Controllers Cause The ObjectStatus attribute of the controller, or an object in the controller, may be fixed on and falsely reporting a save to flash is required when one is not. Resolution Toggle the ObjectStatus attribute by forcing it to a value of zero: In Continuum Explorer, find the controllers that have bangs on them Browse in these controllers and see if there are any objects with bangs on them. Run a Default Class Listview on those objects that show bangs In the listview, select the object(s) that are affected, right-click and SetAttribute for the ObjectStatus attribute to 0. This will reset the bang until it gets set when the flash again needs to be updated.. Also, refer to Save to Flash yellow exclamation point remains after valid save to flash.

Issue Need to prevent passback in a Continuum access control system. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Access Control Cause Access control users may try to "passback" their card in order to have another user enter an area. Resolution The way that anti-passback works in Continuum is that all the Door's entering into an Area that require the feature need to be setup for anti-passback. This then means that any one granted access at any of the Door's is then denied access at the other Door's into that same Area until they have badged out. There are two variations on the anti-passback implementation: Strict anti-passback. This restricts the same card from being used to enter the same Area until that Personnel badges out into an exit Area. It also ensures that the person's current area is adjacent to the area he/she is trying to access so if the system has the person's current area as OUTSIDE and the person tailgates into the premises and then badges at an internal door she will be denied access due to anti-passback violation. Relaxed anti-passback. This also restricts the same card from being used to enter the same Area but will allow access if the Personnel is in any different Area. As long as the Personnel is not currently in the Area they want to enter then they will be allowed in. (See Anti-passback enforcement on area re-entry only)   How to setup To setup anti-passback you will need to have at least two Areas created. One you want to restrict access to and another where they will be coming from. Next, you will need to configure the Door objects entering these Areas for both Entry and Exit. Make sure to define both of these Areas otherwise the anti-passback options will not be selectable. (See Anti-Passback Protection option is not available) Then go to the Entry Options and/or Exit Options tabs and tick "Anti-Passback Protection". This will provide strict anti-passback unless relaxed is enable by the next step. You can enable relaxed anti-passback by ticking the "Allow Entry on an Anti-Passback Violation" option. There is also an option for timed anti-passback, which if ticked, allows access on anti-passback after the "Timed Anti-Passback" time has lapsed.   Possible Solutions When Exit Readers Not Available You do need to have exit readers as well as entry readers to be able to configure and use anti-passback. To restrict access to an Area we need to know the current Area that each Personnel is in, we can only do this with Exit readers. This may not mean having to install exit readers at every entry reader though, there a couple of possibilities. First though, you will need to setup dummy exit readers in the Door objects you want to have anti-passback enabled. This will allow you to access the anti-passback function. The main problem will be that after entering the Area successfully, that same user will not be able to enter again unless they are shown to have exited that Area. There a number of possibilities on how to provide this: Install a single "badge out" reader at the exits for Personnel to badge out before exiting through free egress doors. This reader will be tied to a Door object with an exit area attached. Timed anti-passback could be used with a large enough window to deter tail-gating but still allow the cardholder to exit then enter again normally throughout the day. Could use the "allow access on anti-passback violation" option to monitor (and potentially trigger an alarm at the entry point) to note the violation for latter analysis but still allow the Personnel through.

Issue What Techniques can be used to troubleshoot Modbus TCP/IP X Driver? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Modbus TCP/IP X Driver Cause Advice/ tips required to help isolate & determine Modbus IP communications problems. Resolution The first thing to check is that you are using the latest release of the driver and manual, also that it is the correct one for the controller model you are using, currently V2.00002 for the 1st Generation controllers (e.g. Netcontroller CX9900 etc) and V2.00018 for the 2nd Generation controllers (e.g. Netcontroller II and bCX1). Download Modbus TCP/IP xDriver. Ensure you are using only 1 XDriver for all your Modbus IP comms, if say you are using Comm1 as your X Driver enabled port then all of the Modbus IP points must be under Comm1, you cannot have 2 X Driver ports loaded with this X Driver (See Can multiple Modbus TCP/IP XDrivers be installed on a single 2nd Generation NetController?). The following points should be checked with reference to the Modbus TCP/IP X Driver Manual downloaded with the software: Set the X Driver accordingly for Client or Server mode (Client mode and will be polling the 3rd party devices, server mode responds to requests for data). Check that your Configuration point has been setup correctly as a Infinity String and the parameters are correct for the mode you are using. For Client mode check that Param 1 is set to a polling rate that the 3rd party devices can cope with also that Param 3 is long enough for the devices to respond between 20 and 60 seconds. Use Parameter 4 to enable the error logging in an appropriate date format, this will then put the errors into the String array behind this point, ensure you have set the log size to say 50, automatic log and the interval to be 0 (a semi automatic log See How to log data only when a point changes). This will then log the error in the string each time they occur, you can view these errors with a function that loops for the log size printing out each line to the Message Window, or put a number of lines of the error log array lines on a graphic as lines of text. Create a Remote Device Status point to monitor the state of the remotely connected Modbus IP servers, again this can be put on a graphic to show which devices are on/offline. By selectively disabling or removing some of the X Driver points you can limit the polling to certain devices, that way each device can be tested in turn. Another tool that can help debugging Modbus IP comms is Wireshark as it allows you to monitor the IP comms between the Client and the Servers. Check the correct addressing and function codes are used in the polls and that the servers are responding correctly. As per the Compatibility Matrix check that your NCII has a compatible firmware loaded for the Cyberstation software used (2.0x or 2.1x) In Client Mode, ensure the 3rd party system does not poll the driver too fast, see Typical data throughput rates for Modbus XDrivers. Ensure the Xdriver Objects (usually Numerics) have correct details within the Parameter Fields. An incorrectly formatted IP address can cause the Controller to Cold Start following a download. The quickest way to check the Parameters is to load the Controllers with all the objects apart from the Xdriver Configuration String, then create a listview with parameters 1 to 6.  

Issue Does Continuum support Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 as the client for emailing alarms? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cyberstation (v1.93 and above) Microsoft Outlook 2007 (32-bit) Microsoft Outlook 2010 (32-bit) Cause Sending out alarms as emails using Microsoft Outlook. Resolution Outlook 2007(32-bit) and Outlook 2010(32-bit) have been tested by QA with Continuum for emailing of alarms. This is mentioned in the Cyberstation Installation guide. Outlook Express does not work and is not supported. MS Outlook/Exchange 64-bit is not supported across all versions.  For specific information on how to set up emailing of alarms on your Cyberstation please refer to the Continuum Help available on your Continuum Cyberstation or see Creating an EventNotification Email and Page Distribution List. Note: Outlook 2013 and above has not been tested by SQA, but reports from the field are that it does work. In the new versions of Outlook, they have changed the name of the "Personal Distribution List" to the new name of "New Contact Group" Please see How to create a distribution list from your contacts in Outlook for info on how to set up these groups,

Issue General questions and best practices for RS-485 protocol including cable length and terminating resistors Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment MSTP Cause Understanding best practices for installing, cabling, and terminating RS-485 networks can avoid a lot of problems with communication and hours of troubleshooting communication problems. Resolution MS/TP MS/TP stands for Master Slave Token Passing. Each device on the link is considered the master when it has the token. If it does not have immediate need to use the token, it is required to pass the token along to the next device. This is the token passing part. All devices on the link which do not currently have the token are regarded as slaves, and are expected to listen to any messages the current master may have for it. Because all devices take turns being master, the link is effectively peer to peer. Electrically, MS/TP adheres to standard RS-485, physically wired using two-conductor shielded twisted pair cable. RS-485 Cable Specifications Cables used to form the RS-485 network should conform to the following specifications: Wire Size: 22-24 AWG Cable Type: Twisted-pair, copper wire, tinned Shield: Braid Nominal Impedance: 100-120 Velocity of propagation: 78% Capacitance: <12.5 pF/ft between conductors and <22 pF/ft between the conductor connected to ground and the next conductor. Topology Daisy chain bus topology. Star topology can be achieved using Infilink/B-Link repeaters. Maximum Cable Length Cable lengths of up to 4000 ft (1220m) daisy chained from controller to controller on one arm of a star are supported. After 4000 ft (1220m), a signal repeater (b-Link) is required to add more nodes to the network or further extend the cabling. Using a b-Link fiber repeater allows you to extend the length of RS-485 with fiber optic cable, recommended for running cable between buildings and through noisy environments. Maximum Number of Devices TAC's MS/TP RS-485 supports a maximum of 127 nodes overall. Each controller represents a single node on the network. RS-485 Termination The MS/TP field bus requires a 120 ohm terminator resistor at both ends of a daisy chain segment. The following diagram illustrates the connection of the terminator: Also check out the SmartStruxure-RS485-Network Installation Quick-Help video on the Exchange.

Issue Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2008 (R2) gets "Incorrect User or Password, please try again" or "web.Client only supports Internet Explorer 32 Bit version 8.0 and greater" when logon to the Webclient server. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Webclient 2.0 Windows Server 2008 / 2008R2 Internet Explorer 9, 10, 11 Cause Internet Explorer security issue and the compatibility issue. Resolution Change the setting of the IE 11 on Server2008 as below: When Webclient logon from IE gets error "Incorrect User or Password, please try again": Set the Webclient server a Trusted site : From IE menu, select Tools -> Internet Options -> Security tab -> select the Trusted sites and click the Sites button -> add the Webclient to the Trusted Sites list. When Webclient logon from IE gets error "web.Client only supports Internet Explorer 32 Bit version 8.0 and greater" : Set the Compatibility View: From IE menu, select Tools -> Cmpatibility View settings -> add the Webclient name or IP address to the Compatibility View list. Also refer to:  Do we support 64-bit Internet Explorer for use with WebClient? HTTP Error 500.21 Internal Server Error logging into WebClient. or ASP.NET setup custom has stopped working when trying to register .NET 2 using aspnet_regiis.exe Invalid user name or password dialog when logging into webclient with acc that works in Continuum Error: "Unable to load the .Net control for this page." when trying to open a schedule or trend log in WebClient

Issue Where can I find standard Plain English programs for common HVAC and security applications? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Plain English Cause Schneider Product Support Services does not issue sample Plain English code.  Resolution There are a number of PE programs available on the Buildings Business Community. Plain English programmers can post samples of their code that may fit your application. Buildings Business Communities: Area 360 Documents

Issue Where to find a statement of discontinued products if needed. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Obsoleted Continuum Controllers DCX250 DCX 250, Netcontroller CX9000, CX9400 Infinity products Cause Which products are no longer available? Resolution The following link details all products that were discontinued in 2007/ 2008: 2007/ 2008 Discontinued Products Also the DCX250 was obsoleted in 2011 see Product Announcement Discontinuation of Infinity 01-0008-300 (DCX 250) Also see Display options now the DCX250 is no longer available for DCX250 alternatives.  Search for all discontinuation announcements on The Exchange.