Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Override time remaining for Niagara Binary Override object Environment I/A Series R2 WorkPlace Pro Cause There is a need to know the override time remaining for an overridden Niagara R2 Binary Override object Resolution A RemainingOverrideTime object is available which can be connected to a Binary Override object to extract the override time remaining. The RemainingOverrideTime object can be found in 'tridiumx > lib > programObjects > hvac'. Binary Override object's overrideTime linked to the RemainingOverrideTime object's overrideTime input Binary Override object's statusInOverride linked to the RemainingOverrideTime object's statusInOverride input

Issue Is there a way to determine the total number of BACnet points in an I/A Series G3 station? Environment I/A Series G3 Enterprise Network Server or ENC station Cause Engineer wants to know how many BACnet points are used in the I/A Series G3 station. The I/A Series R2 system provided a way of observing the number of points in the station.  Similar BACnet Driver status screen does not exist in the I/A Series G3 station. Resolution Use the Spy Remote function of WorkBench to look at the number of BACnet device objects and number of BACnet point objects that are in the current station database. The following is the step by step procedure to display these counts. Open WorkBench and connect to the Platform. Log into the Station. Navigate through the Nav tree to Drivers, expanding that section of the tree. Right-click on the "BacnetNetwork" and select "Spy Remote" from the Views menu. The displayed "License Limits" table shows the number of defined objects (Used) and the licensed limit (Limit) for each of those object types. 

Issue In an R2 Niagara station, trying to write a setpoint to a  holding register in a Modbus controller, received an error "Illegal Data Address". Environment R2 Niagara integration to a Modbus controller. Cause Not known.  The procedure in the Resolution has been used successfully with a Siemens PLC and with a Thermax chiller controller. Resolution Go to the Properties of the Modbus Asynch Service Go to the General, Config tab Set the value of the usePresetMultipleRegister = True "Apply" to save changes.

Issue Encountered a 'Drop failed' error when adding a component to the ENC station database Environment I/A Series Enterprise Network Controller (ENC) Cause The module which the component belongs to has not been installed in the ENC. Resolution Install the timesync module into the ENC using the following procedure. In Workbench, open the ENC's Platform. Open the Software Manager. Find and select the required module and click on the 'Install' button. This will select the module for installation. Click on the 'Commit' button to start the module installation process.

Issue Microsoft Visual Studio causes Just-In-Time Debugging Environment Windows Operating System Cause Visual Studio is installed on the PC and when attempting to perform a task, an error appears claiming Just-In-Time Debugging.  Resolution To disable Just-In-Time debugging: On the Tools menu, click Options. In the Options dialog box, select the Debugging folder. In the Debugging folder, select the Just-In-Time page. In the Enable Just-In-Time debugging of these types of code box, select or clear the relevant program types: Managed, Native, or Script. To disable Just-In-Time debugging, once it has been enabled, you must be running with Administrator privileges. Enabling Just-In-Time debugging sets a registry key, and Administrator privileges are required to change that key. Click OK.

Issue How to find the MAC address / Physical Address of a computer. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Other, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment All computers Cause The MAC address of a computer may be required when working on licensing issues. MAC stands for Media Access Control and is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications on the physical network segment. Resolution Go to the Start > Run.   Type "cmd" into the Open field. In the CMD window, type the command "ipconfig /all". Locate the connection that the computer is currently using (For this example it is the Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection). You will find the Physical Address (MAC address).

Issue Telnet does not come enabled on Windows 7 PCs Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Field Devices, Other, Pelco, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Windows 7 OS Cause This feature does not come enabled in Windows 7. Resolution Click on the Start Icon and type Programs in the Search Window Click on Programs and Features Click on Turn Windows features on or off When the window becomes populated, check the box for Telnet Client   Click on Ok to apply change, exit Programs and Features window Type Telnet at the prompt and start your session

Issue How do you access BACnet MS/TP devices under an ENC without making a direct connection to the MS/TP bus?  Tunneling is supported with LON and ASD devices but there is no tunnel client for BACnet. Environment WorkPlace Tech Tool release 5.7.x or 5.8.x ENC with BACnet MS/TP devices Cause Want to connect WPT through the ENC to access the MS/TP network attached to the ENC. Resolution Tunneling is not required to access MS/TP devices under an ENC. Since the ENC is already a BACnet device because it has BACnet MS/TP devices connected to it, you can enable BACnet-IP or BACnet-Ethernet on the ENC.  Once either of these protocols have been enabled, the ENC then acts as a BACnet router allowing BACnet communications to the MS/TP devices directly via the ethernet connection to the ENC. To use the BACnet-IP interface via the ENC, you need to enable the BACnet IP port and enable routing in the BACnet Work Layer properties.  You also want to have "Poll Enabled" in the MstpPort properties.   Make sure that you have defined a different BACnet network number for the BACnetIP network and the BACnet MS/TP network.  To enable the BACnetIP interface you need to expand the BACnet communications tree and enable the port as shown in the following image.

Issue When attempting to access the Lon Flow Balance "Help Topics" from the Lon Flow Balance Help menu, the message "Failed to launch help." is displayed: Environment Microsoft Windows 7-32 operating system Micronet Lon Flow Balance 3.0 Cause Microsoft has removed the Windows "WinHlp32.exe" program from the Windows 7 operating system. Resolution See the Microsoft Knowledgebase article 917606 (click here) to download the appropriate Windows update..

Issue I/A Series G3 ENC-SW (Soft JACE) warning - Database resources exceed licensed capacity. Station may not restart. Environment I/A Series G3 ENC-SW (all versions) Cause The I/A Series G3 ENC-SW (Soft JACE) operates with a capacity limit based on Java Resource Units (kRU).  The base ENC-SW-1M includes 10 Million resource units (10,000 kRU).  ENC-SW-2MU can be added to increase the resource units by 20 Million for a total of 30 Million resource units (30,000 kRU). Upon station start, the software will analyze the database and calculate the current resource requirements.  This includes resources used for steady state runtime as well as resource allocation required to archive records (histories, trends, alarms, etc.). The software compares the calculated resource value against the license and generates a warning if the total exceeds the licensed limit.  The warning states "Database resources exceed licensed capacity. Station may not restart. Contact your vendor to acquire additional capacity." When a resource limit is specified in the license, exceeding the limit will result in the station failing. The entry in the I/A Series G3 ENC-SW license unique to a Soft JACE is the “resource.limit” number found in the “station” section.         expiration="never"         resource.limit="10000"         parts="SJ-1M-AX"/> In this license example, any station running on the Soft JACE is limited to a maximum of 10 Million resource units (10,000 kRU).  A station operating above this will generate a yellow highlighted warning in all views of the station, including wire sheets, property sheets, and Px views even when accessed via the browser. ENC-SW resource limit exceeded warning (seen in any view of its station) Furthermore, as the warning informs, the ENC-SW station may not restart. ENC-SW station restart failure example. You can check the current resource unit count of any running station currently opened in Workbench. To do this, right-click the station node in the Nav tree, and select Views > Resource Manager.  Resource Manager reports resource limit and current total Resolution If the existing ENC-SW is licensed for 10 Million resource units (10,000 kRU), purchase additional resource units (ENC-SW-2MU) to increase the total to 30 Million resource units (30,000 kRU).  Otherwise, review the "steady state" resource count and decrease the Capacity (Record Count) of trends and alarms to reclaim resources used for record allocation and maintain a safety buffer below the resource limit.  Note: History information may be lost is the limit is exceeded.

Issue I/A Series G3 Office Demo laptop a dialog box indicating "This machine is now licensed" followed by an error "Workbench is not licensed to run on this machine". Environment I/A Series G3 (all versions) Cause The computer date is earlier than the license generated date. Resolution Run the Niagara Console program for the G3 version.  Type the following command to view the license information. c:\niagara\niagara-3.5.34>nre -licenses The results will provide information to assist in diagnosing the problem.  In this case, the Licenses indicates that the current date is earlier than the license generated date.   Correct the date and time on the computer.

Issue I have a UNC-520-2 running Niagara 522 that is connected on a local network, with internet access. Alarm emails are not sent and I get the following error message: ERROR: Cannot send mail [/Dundee_2StClair/services/MailService] javax.mail.SendFailedException: Sending failed; nested exception is: javax.mail.MessagingException: Unknown SMTP host: smtp.broadband.rogers.com ; nested exception is: java.net.UnknownHostException at javax.mail.Transport.send0 (bytecode 611) at javax.mail.Transport.send (bytecode 9) at tridium.services.MailService.sendImpl (bytecode 29) at tridium.services.MailService.run (bytecode 44) at java.lang.Thread.run (line 5) Environment I/A Series R2 UNC (520, 410 or JACE-NSX/NXT) Cause Mail server address defined by name (smtp.broadband.rogers.com) No DNS server addresses defined in the IP address configuration of the UNC Resolution The error message indicates that there was no response from the SMTP server address specified.  In this case, since the SMTP server is specified by name instead of its IP address, it is necessary to provide one or more DNS (Domain Name Service) servers that can be used to resolve the address to its associated IP address. To enter one or more DNS addresses, access the UNC via the Admin Tool and select the Network Settings tab. On the lower part of the Network Settings screen, click the [Add] button and enter the IP address of the DNS server in the table.  Repeat this step if additional DNS servers are to be added.  Click the [Apply] to save the settings.  Here is what the screen looks like when two public DNS server addresses have been entered.

Issue Every time the Time Sync service runs, an error is generated in the Application Director console window.  The message reads "Error:  NTP in use, RFC868 clients ignored".  What is NTP and why is the system reporting the error.  I have the Time Server function configured in the same manner and with the same servers that I always use. Environment I/A Series G3 release 3.4 or newer Cause Both the "Time" and "NTP" time sync services have been enabled in the system. Resolution The I/A Series G3 software was modified in Release 3.4 to allow the use of the use of NTP protocol time servers in addition to the older "TIME" protocol time servers. If the I/A Series G3 system software detects the use of the more accurate NTP protocol, the error message "Error:  NTP in use, RFC868 clients ignored" is reported and the attempt to synchronize the time to the TIME server will be ignored. The use of "TIME" protocol servers and clients are configured in the "TimeSyncService" service in the station services.  The use of "NTP" services is configured in the "NtpPlatformServiceQNX" under the Platform Services.  If you desire to use the TimeSyncService instead of NTP, you need to disable the "NtpPlatformServiceQNX" by opening the "Ntp Platform Service Editor QNX".  To disable the service, set "Enabled" to FALSE as shown below.

Issue Unable to access to ENC via its Ethernet port. Connection to the ENC's Serial Shell indicates the ENC is continuously rebooting which the following messages. Press to stop autoboot... Autobooting... Loading image from on-board nand flash Niagara JACE 4/5 IPL Version 0.78 Environment I/A Series G3 Enterprise Network Controller (ENC) Cause Unable to load NAND image Resolution The ENC cannot be recovered in the field. If the unit is still under warranty, contact Product Support and obtain a Return Authorization Number for warranty claims through your usual channel. If the unit is no longer under warranty, purchase a new unit for replacement or check with your local sales channel for the cost of repair.

Issue Cannot open the LonTrunk folder for a particular UNC station in WPP in the Enterprise Server.  Getting error: Environment I/A Series (Niagara) R2 Cause LonWorks jar mismatch between the Enterprise Server and the UNC. Resolution Alter the LonWorks jar in the Enterprise Server or the UNC's so they match.  It is recommended the Enterprise Server and it's subordinate UNC's be at the same software revisions. 

Issue The I/A Series G3 ENC ASD driver tunnel is enabled however the Status indicates {fault} Environment I/A Series G3, ASD Driver, ENC-520 Cause The {fault} typically occurs when two or more tunnels are configured and simultaneously enabled for the same communications port and/or tunnel identifier. Resolution Add the tunnelService to the ENC station Services.  Note: Do not add a SerialTunnel object to the tunnelService for tunneling to the ASD devices. The ASD driver includes the necessary tunnel software components that operate with the tunnelService. Verify the tunnelService is enabled (true) and the Status indicates {ok}. View the Property Sheet of the AsdNetwork and expand the Tunnel settings.  Verify the Tunnel is enabled (true), the Identifier indicates IbsAsd, and the Status indicates {ok}.

Issue How to open an I/A Series G3 station in offline mode. Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series G3 WorkBench (all versions) Cause There is a need to configure/program an I/A Series G3 station without the station running. Resolution In Workbench, expand My Host: Navigate to My File System > Sys Home > stations Look for the name of the desired station and expand it Find 'config.bog'. Expand this and the station can be configured/programmed offline. Below is a screenshot showing an example for accessing the demo station offline. After making changes to the station, make sure to save the changes by right-clicking on 'config.bog' and selecting 'Save'. If this is not done, the changes will not be there the next time the station is run and opened online.

Issue During the installation of the WorkPlace Tech Tool release 5.8 software, the following error is displayed: Environment Windows 7, Visio 2007sp2 WorkPlace Tech Tool release 5.8 installation Cause The message will be displayed if no Microsoft Office 2010 components have been installed on the computer. Resolution If Microsoft Office 2010 or any of its individual products including Word-2010, Excel-2010, Visio-2010, etc.,  have not been installed on the computer, the message can be ignored.  The Microsoft Office 2010 component upgrade failed because the no upgradable components were not found by the installer.  Click the [Yes] button to continue the installation.

Issue When using I/A MNL800 controllers in Vista classic network (without using LNS database), an issue will happen when commissioning and downloading the controller: Local Network Management Failure, Info: nci_Location. The xif file has been updated to the newest version of the WPT program. Environment WPT version higher than 5.7.2 Vista 5.1.6 Cause The possible cause is that the WPT version is too high for Vista classic network to integrate. Resolution Firstly it isn't recommended to use I/A LonWorks controllers in Vista system. And there is no specific compatible matrix for Vista and WPT. Currently the proved version of WPT that can be used with Vista 5.1.6 is 5.7.2. The version higher than this will has this issue. So the only solution is to use the xif file generated by WPT 5.7.2 in Vista classic network.

Issue Getting error "Cannot find distribution platform" when attempting to start new I/A Series R2 Enterprise Server software. Environment I/A Series R2 Enterprise Server and WorkPlace Pro Cause The I/A Series R2 Enterprise Server software was installed without selecting the Program Files checkbox within the Select Modules dialog box. The Program Files include the distribution files required by the software. Resolution During the installation process, click the check box next to each module required or click Select All to select all modules at once.  At a minimum, the Program Files check box must be selected to install the core Niagara modules.   Reference the Installation Instructions provided with the Niagara CD or software zip.