Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue If a trend log is referenced by a trend chart that was created in a location that is on a different node the following error is given. This issue is found in multi server networks. Environment Workstation Multi server network Cause If the folder that the trend chart was created in is on a different Node as the trend log that is being referenced, then this error will be given. This action is not allowed.   If you hover over the folders that hold the trend chart and trend log, a pop up window will display which node they belong to. Resolution In order to address this issue both items, the referenced item and the item referencing, must be located on the same node. If items have already been created on the wrong node then they can be copied and pasted to the correct folders. This can cause issues with overloading Vista Workstation and can cause it to become unresponsive. Wait for a couple of minutes and if it still has not responded then shut down and re-launch workstation. Once you have re-launch workstation, if any items are missing then they may need to be pasted again as this task was not completed before shutting down workstation. If you do not have folders referencing the correct node then follow the steps in the next section to create new folders.   How to assign which server a folder belongs to Right click on TAC Vista in the system tree and go to New > Folder. In the Add a Folder Wizard, type in the name of the folder and select the Vista Server (node) that you would like to add it to. Click Finish.

Issue Get the following message in Windows Event Viewer "Guid should contain 32 digits with 4 dashes (xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx)". The complete message looks like this: System.FormatException: Guid should contain 32 digits with 4 dashes (xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx). at System.Guid.TryParseGuidWithNoStyle(String guidString, GuidResult& result) at System.Guid.TryParseGuid(String g, GuidStyles flags, GuidResult& result) at System.Guid..ctor(String g) at TAC.DSS.BusinessLogic.TrendLogProcessor.GetLogValues(XmlDocument filterXml, ITrendLogValuesInterface values) at DssCliLib.TrendLog.GetLogValues2(SByte* pszConnectionString, Char* bstrFilter, ITrendLogValues* pValues) This occurs at regular intervals Environment Vista 5.1.X Cause This is caused by trend log calculation objects being incorrectly configured. The "Trend Log Object" field has been left blank. When Vista tries to execute the trend log calculation, it uses the trend log GUID (Globally unique identifier) of the trend log object to retrieve information from the log database. If the field is left blank, "126??" (which means "object does not exist") is returned instead of the trend log GUID. Obviously "126??" does not comply with the GUID format. Resolution Check all the trend log calculation objects and ensure that they contain a reference to a trend log object.

Issue What are the rules for inheritance in TGML? Environment TGML editor Cause In order to create TGML components that function as designed,  it is important to understand the TGML rules for inheritance Resolution Attribute inheritance means that a child element inherits (gets) the attribute value from an ancestor element if the attribute value is undefined (omitted) and if the attribute has been specified for an ancestor (any of the parents). In the example below, Rectangle will inherit the Fill value from the component.

Issue Choosing a terminator, found there were several choices (Loytec and TAC). Which one should I choose? What are the differences between them? Environment Vista LON physical network FT-10 Cause There are several types of terminators for different use in the LonWorks network. Resolution TAC terminators One TAC terminator has 4 wires, however, only need to connect two wires (red or green). Red wires are used for bus topology Lon structure. And, green wires are used for free topology Lon structure. TAC terminators can only be used in FT-10 (78kbps) LonWorks network. In addition, one TAC terminator can only connect to ONE end of a channel. Which means, a channel without a repeater, you need TWO TAC terminators, and a channel with a repeater, you need FOUR TAC terminators. Note: To test an end of the line resistor (EOL), take a reading of the capacitance across the leads (either the two green or two red leads). You should read somewhere around 50 uF.  LOYTEC terminators (L-term) For LonWorks networks, Loytec has 3 different types of terminators: LT-03, LT-13, and LT-33. LT-03: One network terminator for TP/FT-10 channel (bus or free topology), similar to TAC terminators.  LT-13: One network terminator for TP/FT-10 channel (bus or free topology), and one network terminator for TP/XF-1250 channel (bus or free topology). Barely used in TAC Vista system. LT-33: Two network terminators for TP/FT-10 channel (bus or free topology).  One connection is on the top, and one is at the bottom.  Since you cannot separate two connections, most likely it is used before and after a repeater.

Issue Setpoint in TAC Xenta OP can't be changed to a value above 100. Workstation does not have this limitation. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Workstation Vista Server Xenta OP Cause The default changing range of an analog value in the TAC Xenta OP is from 0 to 99.9. If the value needs to be changed beyond this range, the default property needs to be modified. Resolution In TAC Menta, click Tools, OP Configuration, to open the OP configuration window. Navigate to the value that needs to be changed, and choose property. Modify the minimum and maximum value of this value. Then this value can be changed in the TAC Xenta OP freely.

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 How to convert a NL220 database into a LonMaker database. Environment NL220 LonMaker LNS Cause There are a number of steps that must be taken to convert a NL220 database to LonMaker.  Resolution Note: Before beginning this process make sure that the NL220 database has all devices underneath one root system (In this example, everything was moved into the InfraStructure root system). If this is not done, the controllers will not appear in the LonMaker Visio drawing. Make a backup of the NL220 database before doing anything else.   Create a new LonMaker database and open it up (For this example it was named NLtoLM). Note: You do not need to register any plug-ins or go OnNet at this time. Now close the LonMaker project.  Go to the location of the NL220 database and copy all of the folders and files in the database that you want to convert. In most cases you can find the database files here; C:\NLprj\PROJECT NAME. Go to the location of the LonMaker database that you just created and delete all of the files located in the project folder. In most cases it will be located here; C:\Lm\DB\PROJECT NAME. Paste the project folders and files from the NL220 database into the LonMaker database folder. Now go back to LonMaker and create the Visio drawing for the new LonMaker database. Make sure to select the project you created in the Drawing directory field and to select " " in the Drawing name field. Click Create Drawing. You may get a Database error. Click OK. The LonMaker database has now been created with the Visio drawing. The drawing may be a mess and will require additional time to move nodes around and clean up the appearance of the database. If there are subsystems in the project it will create each subsystem layer in a separate Visio drawing. In order to combine the subsystems back into one drawing follow steps 8 through 13.   On the main Visio drawing, click and drag a new subsystem to the Visio drawing. Give the new subsystem a name that is not used in the database. Go to the subsystem that you want to move and select everything on the page. Right click and go to Move Device > Change Subsystem... Navigate to the new subsystem that was created in step 8 and click OK. Repeat steps 8 through 10 for each subsystem you want to move. Go back to the main Visio drawing and delete the original subsystems that were on the page. Now the new subsystems can be renamed to the original subsystem names by right clicking and going to Properties. You now have one LonMaker Visio drawing for your entire database.

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 Exporting data from a corrupt taclogdata database because it's no longer possible for Vista to log data to the database. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Tac Vista 5.1.X SQL 2005 or newer SQL Management Studio Cause The original database is corrupt, there are no backups available and Vista is unable to write to the database. Resolution If not already installed, download and install SQL server management studio. Use a search engine to search for the appropriate version for your installation. Once installed, log on to your database instance (localhost\TACVISTA by default) and locate/select the taclogdata database in the Object explorer. Then follow the steps below: BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP! before starting this procedure! Create a new clean DB via Vista server setup - don't start Vista. Right click on the source DB in SQL management studio and select Tasks->Export Data. Follow the wizard and select the source and destination DBs. When you get to the "Select Source Tables and Views" stage, select the tables you want to copy. For each table selected, select the table and click on the "Edit Mappings" button. In the dialogue that appears, select "Append rows to the destination table" and check the "Enable Identity insert" check box. Click Next twice and then Finish. The data should be copied from the old database to the new. The progress can be monitored in the wizard.

Issue After a Xenta download through the system Plugin the daylight savings mode is changed in the controller that was downloaded Environment Vista 5.x.x System Plugin Cause The time setting in the System Plugin is applied to the Xenta controller at the time of download. Resolution In the system Plugin under the TAC network pane right mouse click on the TAC network and select Configure Time Settings.   From this window set the Time zone and daylight savings mode. When finished select ok and then update the Vista database.

Issue Cant open a hyperlink because internet explorer version is to low Environment Vista Cause The hyperlink is opened with compatibility mode on please read more here 1) http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6717055/how-do-i-turn-off-compatibility-view-on-the-ie-webbrowsercontrol-in-a-winforms-a 2) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee330730(v=vs.85).aspx Resolution Open regedit Go to Start > Run Enter regedit and press enter Locate the folder 32-bit OS: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION 64-bit OS HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MAIN\FeatureControl\FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION Right click and choose add Add a DWORD Name it "TACVistaExplorer.exe" Enter the value depending what Internet explorer you use i.e for Internet Explorer 10 enter the value 10001 Restart Vista and Tacos This is how it should look

Issue When attempting to open a TGML page from a Xenta Server in Internet Explorer receive a Java error "Unknown error: null" Environment Xenta Server 500 / 700 series 5.03 and above. Cause The original pages in the Xbuilder project were created as OGC pages, the new pages that replaced the OGC pages are now TGML pages. This occurs when, the Xbuilder project had an OGC Graphics object that was replace with a TGML Graphics object of the same name, the Graphic page that referenced this object is what produces the JAVA Null issue Resolution There seems to be an issue with the original Graphics page that were created and referenced an OGC Graphic To solve this Delete the Graphics page in the Xbuilder project. Create a new Graphics page with the same name as the deleted one. Select the new TGML graphic object on the new page with the same name. Generate the project and download to the Xenta server.

Issue SmartStruxure and Vista 5.1.8 and later TGML editors have an option to change the grid size whereas earlier versions of TGML were hard coded at 5 pixels. Environment TGML Graphics Editor Cause Being able to change the grid size to a larger value allows for quicker and easier alignment of graphics objects. Being able to change it to a smaller value allows for more precise positioning. Resolution In the TGML Editor, find the "Show Grid" option in the main toolbar There is a small down arrow to the right of this icon that will pull down a menu for selecting the desired grid size Toggle "Show Grid" to display the grid size on the graphic work area Toggle "Snap to Grid" to turn on and off fixed positioning of items on this grid.

Issue Object Transfers are not working after upgrading Vista. The devices are online and the values are updated when viewed, but the values aren't transferred via the object transfer objects. Environment Vista 5.1.X that has been upgraded. Cause The vista server is in engineering mode. Resolution Go to the $System object under the TAC Vista root object in workstation and check the  Status-Operating check-box is checked.

Issue It takes a lot of time to test each node in a database to verify that they are all truly online. Environment NL220 Cause Instead of checking each node in NL220 one at a time, a test can be performed that will check all nodes at one time. Resolution Right click on the subsystem in the network tree of NL220 Click on Nodes Make sure that "Recursive commands on subsystem" is checked Click on Network Click Test NL220 will now go through the entire database and perform a test on each node.

Issue tam32 Error: "Max limit if number of in- and outlets is reached, this application cannot be generated." Environment Xenta 7xx Xenta 700 series programmable controller. Cause Too many inputs and/or outputs in a Menta Object will cause generation to fail.  Resolution Reduce the amount of inputs or outputs in the program to < 500 total. This can be accomplished by splitting the faulty program into multiple Menta Objects (programs) in the controller.

Issue The "Stop transmission of the Alarm Message" setting in an "Action" can be lost from the "What should be done when an alarm is acknowledged" menu. Environment RAM Remote Alarm Manager 2.0 Settings Actions Cause It is possible to lose the "Stop transmission of the Alarm Message" setting when reviewing, or changing the configuration of an action. Resolution There are two ways that an "Action" can be modified. 1. - Open the required "Action" and starting on the first page, step, using the "Next" button through the pages, to the "Finish" option. If reviewing an action, this method Work through the "Action" pages in sequence, select "Stop transmission of the Alarm Message" and then finish. If the process is then repeated again, the "Stop transmission of the Alarm Message" option is deselected. 2. - Open the required "Action" and using the boxes on the left-hand side of the page, directly select the required page. Note - If you are modifying an "Action" configuration and require the "Stop transmission of the Alarm Message" to be enabled, then be sure to check that it is ticked before selecting finish.

Issue When creating a third party device template with a given XIF file, NL220 displays an error LN#12. Environment NL220 Given XIF file Cause Echelon explanation: The file containing the external interface information of the device has been corrupted, or is missing. The device manufacturer should be contacted to provide a valid XIF file, or the file should be re-built using the Neuron C compiler and linker. Alternatively, the device could be installed using an "Ad-Hoc" installation scenario, in which XIF files are not required. This requires the device to be available, online, functioning, and not having the self-documentation features disabled. Resolution Trying to get the XIF file from the device In the device template panel, creating the template From Network.   If step one failed, in the subsystem try Create Node from Network.   NOTE: when trying to upload the XIF file from the device, the device need to be connected and be online. If all steps above failed, please contact product support and provide the XIF file for investigation.

Issue How do I print out an online chart in colour? Environment Vista 5.1.X Workstation Cause The default setting is to print out in black and white. Resolution - Right-click on the online chart and select print preview. - Check the Force Colors check-box. - If required, check the Use as Default check box and then click on OK - Right-click on the chart and select Print.  - Select the desired printer and print out.

Issue Menta editor crashes when performing a copy/paste Function block editor crashes when performing a copy/paste Environment TAC Menta Function block editor Cause This happens if there are HFB IOs that are not connected to a HFB Resolution Delete any HFB IO that are not coming from an HFB

Issue Is there any way to prevent the Security alert pop-up when viewing a page from an Xenta Server in Vista? For example, if viewing a time object (created in an Xenta Server) in Vista the following dialogue appears: Environment TAC Vista 5.1.X Xenta Server 5.1.X Cause Vista uses SSL communication when communicating with Xenta servers. This type of communication creates an encrypted connection between the Xenta Server and Vista and requires a certificate from the Xenta server to identify the server as genuine. Resolution There are 2 ways to prevent this pop-up from appearing. 1. Use unencrypted communication (HTTP) Open the Xbuilder project for the Xenta Server and set the Web Security Settings\Security Level to low (available from Vista 5.1.8). 2. Create a self-signed certificate. Open Xbuilder and go to the Tools\Generate Certificate menu. Choose Self-Signed and follow the Certificate wizard. The first time you browse a page from the Xenta Server you will be asked to verify the certificate and import it. Once imported the Security alert will no longer appear. Update: option 2 will no longer work. Starting in September 2014, all major browsers will be disabling 1024-bit roots within their trusted roots stores. Any SSL certificates chained to a 1024-bit root will no longer work on any browsers that takes this action or one that relies on another’s root store (the self-signed certificate is 1024-bit).

Issue Get "Device has a different hardware version (hardware version X) than the project (hardware version X)" error message, when downloading an Xbuilder project to a device. Environment Xbuilder 5.1.X Xenta Server 5.1.X with hardware 1, 2 or 3 Cause There is a mismatch between the project's settings and the device's hardware version. Resolution Correct the Xbuilder project's setting to match the device's. Ensure that the hardware version shown in the "Hardware Version"  property field is the same as the device's.