Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue What resources are available to get more information on the Modbus protocol? Product Line Andover Continuum,EcoStruxure Building Operation,Field Devices,Satchwell BAS & Sigma,Satchwell MicroNet,TAC IA Series,TAC INET,TAC Vista Environment Modbus ASCII/RTU Modbus TCP/IP Cause The Modbus protocol information is available on www.modbus.org Use the menu on the left and select Technical Resources. Select the Modbus Specifications. Resolution Found on www.modbus.org are the protocol specifications: Modbus ASCII/RTU Modbus TCP

Issue First Day of Week is incorrect Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation WorkStation Building Operation  WebStation Cause Calender/Schedule has the week starting on Sunday/Monday and the first day of the week in my region is Monday/Sunday. Resolution WorkStation Exit the Building Operation WorkStation. In the Operating System for Windows, select Start - Control Panel - Clock Language and Region. In Region and Language on the Formats tab, find First day of week and adjust to your regions choice: Open up Building Operation WorkStation and see your calendar changes the first day of the week to match your choice: WebStation Navigate to web_root/localization folder under the ES and find the Local-en.US.js.gz file to edit Using WordPad++ below I find the "First_Day_Of_Week" as shown below and change from "1" to a "2" then save, and using my zip software, I save to format gzip. Notice in the above screenshot the renamed OLDlocal-en-US.js.gz and the new one is in place. Now you can see in WebStation the first day of the week is Monday rather than Sunday

Issue EcoStruxure Building Operation Automation Server, Enterprise Server and BACnet object names limitation Dragging converted I/NET TGML graphics into Workstation causes Workstation to crash with following message: Exception message: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at SE.WorkStation.Base.Windows.Views.TgmlFileDropHandler.Drop(FileInfo, Path, IOperationContext, IProgressInfo) at SE.WorkStation.Base.Windows.Views.FileDropCoordinator.ExecuteDrop(Path, IList`1, IProgressInfo) at SE.WorkStation.Base.Windows.Views.<>c__DisplayClassd.b__9(IProgressInfo) at SE.WorkStation.Framework.Services.<>c__DisplayClass1.b__0(IProgressInfo) at SE.WorkStation.Framework.ProgressIndication.ProgressActionOperation`2.Run(IProgressOperationInternal, IProgressResult, IProgressOperationInfo) at SE.WorkStation.Framework.Services.ProgressItem`1.b__1a(Task) at System.Threading.Tasks.<>c__DisplayClasse`1.b__d() at System.Threading.Tasks.Task`1.InvokeFuture(Object) at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.InnerInvoke() at System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Execute()  Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Cause The number of characters and the use of special characters in a EcoStruxure Building Operation object name and EcoStruxure Building Operation BACnet objects names Resolution Refer to the Webhelp Object Names topic for information on naming restrictions The statements in Webhelp also apply to EcoStruxure Building Operation BACnet objects unless is it a Continuum b3 object.  If you are creating a Continuum b3 object etc., the b3 object display name is limited to 16 characters consisting solely of letters, digits, and underscores (as per Continuum limitation). Basically, any objects you create for Continuum, for example, a 'BACnet Analog Input (Continuum)' will be subjected to the Continuum limitation. If you add a standard 'BACnet Analog Input' into an Automation Server or an Enterprise Server, then it is not limited by the Continuum limitation of 16 characters. The most common issue when bringing I/NET TGML converted graphics into Workstation is not checking for spaces at either the beginning or end of the converted file name.  Make sure there are no spaces (white space) before or after any characters of the file name before copying into Workstation.

Issue Displaying Automation Server status on a graphic page Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Webstation Automation Server Cause The online / offline status of an Automation Server can be viewed in the Workstation System Tree (Servers folder). However, there is currently no 'built in' method of displaying the Automation Server status on a graphic page.  Resolution There are two possible ways to workaround this   Within TGML Bind any Automation Server attribute that is shown only when the Automation Server is online (such as DateTime) and convert the status either by TGML script or a ConvertStatus element. See the attached example.   Using a script program We can create a point in the Automation Server and use another server to monitor this point. Below is an example of using the Enterprise Server to monitor an Automation Server.  Create a value point in the Automation Server. In this example, I have created an Analog Value point and set it to a value of 88.8. This value does not really matter but I have set to this value for easier recognition. Create a value point in the Automation Server. In this example, I have created an Analog Value point and set it to a value of 88.8. This value does not really matter but I have set to this value for easier recognition 1. Create a value point in the Automation Server. In this example, an Analog Value point (named 'Status')is created and set to a value of 88.8. The value set does not matter. It has been set to 88.8 for easy recognition.    2. In the Enterprise Server, create a new Program point (named 'Monitor AS' in this example) with the following codes.  Numeric Input In1 String Output Out1 Numeric Output Out2 Out2 = In1 If In1.Offline = true then Out1 = "Offline" else Out1 = "Online"   3. Edit the binding of the Script program and bind 'In1' to the Value Point that was created in the Automation Server.    4. When the Automation Server loses connectivity to the Enterprise Server, the Out1 output of the Script program will show 'Offline'. You can then bind this to a graphic page.

Issue How to define the number decimal places displayed for a point? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Cause The default resolution for displaying points is 2, there is no setting to change this in individual points on the Workstation. Resolution The number of displayed decimal places is read from the Workstation PC Windows Region Options, change or customize the Windows Options to set the "No of digits after decimal" value as required. This setting applies to all displayed values except for graphics where the number of digits displayed can be defined in the graphic editor. Control panel\Region\ Select Additional Settings opens Customize Format. Adjust "No. of digits after decimal to your requirements".   The Workstation will need to be restarted for this setting to be changed. The screenshot below shows a setting of 2 decimal places, Windows allows the value to be changed from 0 through 9:

Issue Receive “Timeout while waiting for server to get ready” error when starting PCT Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, Project Configuration Tool Environment Project Configuration Tool, PCT Cause PCT can't reach DHCP-server from the virtual machine. Resolution To configure a port group or virtual switch to allow promiscuous mode: 1.Log into the ESXi/ESX host or vCenter Server using the vSphere Client. 2.Select the ESXi/ESX host in the inventory. 3.Click the Configuration tab. 4.In the Hardware section, click Networking. 5.Click Properties of the virtual switch for which you want to enable promiscuous mode. 6.Select the virtual switch or port group you wish to modify and click Edit. 7.Click the Security tab. 8.From the Promiscuous Mode drop  down menu, click Accept. Note: The setting on the port group overrides the virtual switch setting. For more information, see How promiscuous mode works at the virtual switch and portgroup levels (1002934).  

Issue A newly installed program does not run and could be using a port on the host computer that's already assigned to another running program or service.  How can current port usage on the host computer be determined quickly? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, EcoStruxure Building Expert, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell BAS & Sigma, TAC INET, TAC I/A Series, TAC Vista, Andover Continuum, CCTV, Field Devices Environment Microsoft Windows Cause A port conflict is suspected. Resolution Open a command prompt and type: netstat -a -n -p tcp -b This command will display all services running, protocol used, local and foreign address, state, and program name.   netstat -p tcp -ano This command will display all services running, protocol used, local and foreign address, state and PID (process identifier). Use Task Manager to match the PID to the program using the port. netstat -p tcp -ano | findstr :80 If a specific port number is necessary, this command will interrogate the system for the program currently using that port number:

Issue The bandwidth utilization in the Lon network is high, it is possible to see what Lon device and what objects in the Lon device that is causing the high load on the Lon network. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium (AS-P) Cause When the load on the Lon network is too high (above 50%) you need to analyze the Lon communication to understand what Lon devices and objects in the Lon device that is causing the high load on the network. Resolution Use a Lon Protocol Analyzer to measure the Lon bandwidth utilization on the Lon network if the load on the network is too high (above 50%) analyze the communication. When doing that it is possible to use the trace log in the ES or AS-P, please see attached video of how that is done.    Configure Trace Log to capture Lon Communications Open Workstation and navigate to [AS/ES name]/System/Modules/Trace/Loggers/nsp/nsp.pin/nsp.pin.lon Right-click "nsp.pin.lon.comm" and choose Properties Under Level, change from "Information" to "Trace", then click ok Let it run for a few minutes. If there is some user input needed to recreate the lon issue, then perform these steps now Retrieve the log by right-clicking [AS/ES name]/System/Modules/Trace/TraceSettings and choose Trace settings->Get trace log Save the log file

Issue In order to troubleshoot random network issues, it is sometimes necessary to set up Wireshark to capture network traffic for an extended period of time. As Wireshark runs it decodes packets and its data structures grow. This causes performance issues and eventually, Wireshark may simply run out of virtual memory and stop capturing or crash. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Wireshark Cause Need to capture network traffic using Wireshark for an extended period of time. Resolution Open Wireshark and follow these instructions: From toolbar, select Capture -> Options On the Input tab, select input adapter. If necessary set capture filter. On the Output tab, perform the following: Browse capture file location and provide a filename. A timestamp will be added to the filename as a suffix. Ensure output format = pcapng Check Create a new file automatically Check After 1 and change seconds to hours Check when time is multiple of 1 and change seconds to hour Check use a ring buffer with X files. (Recommended settings are 96 hours (4 days) or 168 hours (1 week) so can retrieve files after long weekend or 1 week, respectively).  On the Options tab, perform the following Check last selection and change to 744 hours. (Recommended to capture for 31 days without stopping).  When an event happens, gather a capture with the timestamp before and after the event. One can ZIP the .pcapng files to save space when transferring.   NOTE: More recent versions of Wireshark ( 2.4.1.21317 ) make it very easy to set up a ring buffer from the Output tab of the Capture options. For older versions of Wireshark 1.x use the steps below When capturing data, Wireshark actually uses a capture utility called DumpCap to do the actual data capture. DumpCap does not decode packets as they come in and thus has a smaller memory footprint which remains constant. The only remaining concern is the size of the capture file or files which can be specified when starting the ring buffer to keep them from growing too big. DumpCap is found at the location where the Wireshark program resides which can be seen if you go to Help\About Whireshark\Folders Determine the index to the Ethernet adapter you need to capture on. In this example, the traffic seen by the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapter will be captured. Index 1 is specified when starting DumpCap. Execute DumpCap with the following options dumpcap -i 1 -b files:3 -b filesize:10 -w C:]temp\abe.pcapng -i 1 specifies tp capture on the network adapter with an index of 1 -b file: 3 specifies to use a 4 file ring buffer. -b filesize:10 specifies to limit the file size to 10 KB (*** for a real life capture this number would be much bigger like say 100/200 MB) -w c:\temp\abe.pcapng specifies location and prefix for the three files In the screenshot below we can see the files in the ring buffer being used, once a file reaches the specified limit, the capture continues at the next file, files are names using the specified prefix as well as a date-time stamp that is updated each time utility dumps captured data in the file. Care should be taken to stop the capture as soon as possible once the issue under investigation takes place and before the ring buffer wraps around and overwrites the data.

Issue Script program Halts with error “Datetime calculation with overflow” resulting in the program not controlling Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Observed in versions 4.0.1.86 and 4.0.3.176 Cause When a script program subtracts one datetime from another it can result in a negative value if the datetime being subtracted (subtrahend) is a later datetime than the one being subtracted from (minuend).  This causes the program to halt with error “Datetime calculation with overflow”.  The issue can also occur when a script program calls a function that involves a datetime subtraction resulting in a negative value, for example the standard PID function.   The image below illustrates the issue where DT1 is a later time than DT2.     The problem has typically been seen to occur when using the PID function and the ASP is set to obtain updates from an NTP server.  The PID function uses the current time and the last time the function was called to calculate the time passed, for example: -   TimePassed = CurrentDate – LastTime   Ignoring the date portion consider the scenario where the ASP time is currently 14:01:00 but is one minute ahead of the actual time of the NTP server.  If the function has just been called the LastTime variable will be 14:01:00.  However, in the meantime if the ASP time is updated by the NTP server it becomes 14:00:00 and hence when the function is called again the calculation is: -   TimePassed = 14:00:00 – 14:01:00    This results in a negative value halting the program on error “Datetime calculation with overflow”.   Resolution Either of the two workarounds below can be used but each will need to be considered based on their overall impact.    Use the DIFFTIME function If calling a function check the subtrahend is not a later datetime than the minuend before calling.   This is reported in defect #50263

Issue How can I add a SmartStruxure Automation Server to TAC Vista using BACnet/IP and what is needed Product Line TAC Vista, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment TAC Vista Xenta 913 Automation Server Cause Building Operation versions earlier than 3.2 are not FDA 21 Part 11 approved, In instances where the version is lower than 3.2 it can be achieved by using  TAC Vista as a front end, and having Automation Servers as field controllers. In Building Operation version 3.2 and later an optional Regulated Industries Compliance Pack is available that can be used without the need for  TAC Vista as a front end. Resolution 1. Create a BACnet interface in Automation Server. 2. Create BACnet points in the "Application" folder 3. Browse the Automation Server with a BACnet browser (Here is a free tool) 4. Note the instance id's of the points 5. In TAC Vista, create a Xenta 913 6. Edit the Xenta 913 7. Create a "BACnet IP Client" interface and give it the IP address of the Automation Server 8. Create a BACnet device template containing the points you need - refer to the id's previously discovered 9. Add the device template to the "BACnet IP Client" interface in XBuilder 10. Save and download the project 11. Now you get the live values from the Automation Server in TAC Vista

Issue How can a workspace be created that can see only a single graphic page at a time. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Enterprise Central Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Building Operation Workstation Cause While more complex workspaces can be created a kiosk or graphic page style interface could be the perfect workspace for the occasional user or touch screen style kiosk in a communal area. Resolution To create a workspace of this style it is important to use the Work Area Window instead of a Graphic pane since the Graphic pane will not fill the window area and has to be linked to a side of the workspace area. Open the StruxureWare Control Panel Select Account Management Click Add under Workspaces Specify the name of the Workspace ("Kiosk" for example) Click Next Click Add in the Content Window Highlight Work Area Window and  click Next Specify your initial path to be the default graphic you want to be presented such as a home page. Click Create Define what user interface options you want to restrict such as the history bar, toolbar, or address bar (Address bar for example can allow access to other parts of the database unless you restrict it with access rights or user permissions) Click Create Select your newly created workspace from the drop down menu and select  User Account groups Add the user account group you want to use this workspace to the right hand column. The graphic page only workspace should now be accessible or configured as the default workspace for a user both in Building Operation Workstation or Webstation.

Issue Trying to install SSL certificate via Web browser but the 'Install Certificate' button is missing. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Webstation SSL Cause User logged into the machine needs to have administrative privileges to install the certificate. Resolution When running the browser, right click on the browser's icon then select 'Run as administrator'

Issue It has come to our attention that people are using Backup and Restore to duplicate Automation Server databases, this is not supported and should not be used as it results in various issues.  Some of the known issues at this time are listed below: When attempting to update Server IP addresses using the advanced feature "Repair server communication"; one or more Automation Servers are listed as Offline even though they are shown as Online within the System Tree. (Click on image for larger view)   When performing a backup / restore from the Enterprise Server the Automation Server(s) are not listed as part of the Child view.    Right-clicking on the Automation Server does not give all the options available and most are grayed out. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 Cause This situation arises because each Automation Server receives a unique identifier, global unique identifier (GUID), when using the backup and restore function this GUID is retained.  Therefore when restored to other Automation Servers these will retain the same identifier.  The only course of action available within this environment is to detach the Automation Server from the Enterprise Server and create a new database from scratch. The correct duplication process across Automation Servers is to use the export and import feature or copy and paste (drag and drop) across Automation Servers.   Resolution StruxureWare Building Operation 1.6 and above update:   You can now use the Restore function to re-use the configuration data from a backup set in a new standalone Automation Server. Rather than manually configuring your preferred Automation Server configuration, you can save time and configure the standalone Automation Server from a backup set. Online help topic: Duplicating an Automation Server Using Restore Backup and Restore feature should NOT be used to duplicate multiple Automation Server's databases it should only be backed up and restored to the same server.  Instead the Export / Import and copy and past features are designed for this function.   A warning note in the Technical Reference and IT Reference guides (versions 1.2, 1.3, & 1.4) has been added warning the users not to use the backup and restore function for duplication.  See the online StruxureWare WebHelp for this current Important Note (login required): Backup and Restore Overview However if you have this situation then it may be possible to recover some or most of the database, please contact Product Support and reference this article number so that this issue can be confirmed.  

Issue Need to know what different system alarms can occur in EcoStruxure Building Operation?  Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Enterprise Central Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Cause System alarms are alarms built into the system, such as "IO module offline" or "Server offline". In EcoStruxure Building Operation, over 230 system alarms exist. Resolution For all system alarms check WebHelp article: System Alarm ID Enumerations

Issue The Automatic Logoff feature is available in version 1.4 and higher. Starting in version 1.5, there is a default automatic logoff time of 10 minutes in both Workstation and WebStation for the Administrators user group. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation WebStation Cause To prevent unauthorized users access to the system the automatic logoff feature has been added to SBO/EBO. The default Administrators group is set to automatically log off of both Workstation and Webstation after 10 minutes of being idle. This setting cannot be changed for the Administrators group. Resolution The automatic logoff function makes it possible to decide when a user is automatically logged off after a specified time of inactivity. Inactivity means that no user initiated activity is ongoing, that is, no action has been made using the mouse or the keyboard. However, if a user has initiated a big operation in Workstation, for example an import or a large copy and paste, the user is still considered to be active as long as the process is ongoing in Workstation. This is to prevent loss of data. The automatic logoff function is used for security reasons and it also prevents that a Workstation user occupies a license when inactive. The automatic logoff time is set at User Group level and is always defined by the group that has the longest automatic logoff time. For example, if a user belongs to two groups, one group has an automatic logoff time of 5 minutes and the other group has an automatic logoff time of 15 minutes, the user is automatically logged off after 15 minutes. If a user belongs to a group that does not have the automatic logoff function enabled the user will never be logged off. Note: When a user is logged off by the automatic logoff function all settings that are not saved are lost.   Creating a new user group so the Automatic logoff time can be adjusted Starting in version 1.5, in order to change the duration of time before the automatic logoff occurs or turn it off a new User Account Group must be created. Follow the steps below. Go to the Control Panel in Workstation. Click on Account management. Click Add under the User Account Groups section. Name the new User Account Group. Click Next. Select the Users to add to the new group and then click the right arrow to move them to the "Selected User Accounts" window. Click Next. In the same method as step 4, select the Workspace to add to the new group and move it over to the "Available Workspaces" window. Click Next Set the group policies for the new group taking note of the Automatic logoff time which can be set to "Never" if desired. Click Create.   Changing the Automatic logoff time of an existing user group In the System Tree under System > Domains > Local > Groups, select the user group and click on the "Policies" tab. Here the Automatic logoff time can be changed and then click the save button on the tab at the top of the window.

Issue Alarm window either does or does not display on alarm as desired Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Cause The Alarm View Properties are not set correctly Resolution Right Click in the Alarm View window and select Alarm View Settings>Properties Change the Display on Alarm Property to the desired state.

Issue Audible alarms not sounding when there are active alarms. Workspace has multiple tabs for graphics navigation and a tab for Alarm View. If a user is not on the alarm tab when an alarm is activated, the audible alarm is not heard, and the user does not know that an alarm has been activated. The audible alarm works when the user navigates to the alarm tab.  Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation WorkStation Building Operation WebStation Cause The Workspace content does not have an Alarm Pane added.  Resolution Edit the Workspace to add an Alarm Pane to the Workspace content. If the user does not wish to display the Alarm View due to screen space etc., configure the Alarm Pane Default visibility to Hidden.  Note: Audible alarms are available in WebStation from 3.2 onward.

Issue When troubleshooting server issues, it can be helpful to look at the logs that are recorded within the Enterprise Server or Enterprise Central Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Enterprise Central Cause Within the Enterprise Server and Enterprise Central logs are many records that are logged as a part of normal operations and unexpected events. Resolution Collect ES and EC Logs via EBO Workstation: Refer to the Workstation section of KB article: Collect logs from an Automation Server Collect ES and EC Logs via Windows Explorer, especially if ES or EC will not run as a service or keep crashing: The ES or EC database path is listed in Software Administrator.   For Windows 7, Server 2008, or higher, the default paths for the logs folder are: Enterprise Server: C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric [EcoStruxure|StruxureWare]\Building Operation [n.n]\Enterprise Server\db\logs Enterprise Central: C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric EcoStruxure\Building Operation [n.n]\Enterprise Central\db\logs In EBO V3.2 or higher, shortcut buttons can be found in Software Administrator to go to the folder for logs and database directly.    By default, the "Program Data" folder is hidden, so Windows needs to be configured to view hidden files and folders. For Windows 10 or 11, open Windows Explorer and select View > Show > Hidden items. For other Windows versions, please refer to this Microsoft help article: Show hidden files (microsoft.com). Using Windows Explorer, Navigate to the ES or EC logs folder to find System and Trace logs. Copy the Logs folder contents and send them to Product Support as a compressed file if required. To open a log file, Right-click on one of the logs and select Open with... Expand the window and select WordPad. For Windows XP:   Other ways to review site-specific issues: Is the issue site-specific regarding workstation being used or applications/programs running on these machines? Always try to keep the programs on a workstation to a minimum. Review the Windows Event Logs. What specifically happens when an error occurs? Follow this KB article to view and save the Windows Events: Viewing, Saving, Sharing Windows Event Logs for Troubleshooting Purposes - Communities Make sure that PCs and Windows OS used for WorkStation, ES or EC meet the requirements mentioned in Information Technology System Planning Guide (se.com) Make sure that the firewall and antivirus are correctly configured, and required ports are open for EBO, as explained in Information Technology System Planning Guide (se.com) Make sure that the current installed EBO version is supported, as per the Software Support Policy for EcoStruxure Building Operation - PA-00300. Check if Microsoft currently supports the installed Windows OS: Lifecycle FAQ - Windows | Microsoft Docs

Issue Are Xenta Servers supported in StruxureWare Building Operations? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment EcoStruxure Building Operation Xenta 701, 711, 721, 731, 511, 527, 555 Cause Want to use Xenta Server as a controller in StruxureWare Building Operations. Resolution No there are no special support for Xenta servers. But you can add them as normal LonWorks devices. You can only read/write SNVTs from the Xenta server. Normal Lon rules applies here, you can have a maximum of 64 nodes to a segment (we recommend to keep it under that). TAC Xenta Server I/O modules will not be seen in StruxureWare Building Operation, but they will count towards the 64 nodes on the segment. See Maximum number using StruxureWare Building Operation (Scalability and Capacity) for more information on Lonworks units in StruxureWare Building Operation.