Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue At times it is necessary to manually delete MSMQ messages Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Windows XP Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause Under certain conditions messages build up in queues and don't clear out from msmq (i.e. Cyberstation offline that is configured to receive alarms) Resolution To open MSMQ Go to Windows Control Panel> Administrative Tools>Computer Management Expand Services and Applications Expand Message Queuing Expand Outgoing Queues and select one of the entries Right Click on queue messages and select AllTasks>Purge Are you sure you want to delete all messages? Yes Repeat this for the queues that require purging Note: The IP of the Cyberstation is listed in the Outgoing Queue Channel (an offline Cyber will keep building up messages) Here is a snapshot of the queues below.

Issue When launching Continuum the following error window comes up   The main menu splash is not displayed and the application randomly crashes with an MFC error. The following Application error is seen in the windows log.     Continuum.exe 1.94.0.1 4f735b82 MFC80.DLL 8.0.50727.6195 4dcdeca2 c0000005 00023b10 f94 01ce6c36e741312b C:\Program Files (x86)\Continuum\Continuum.exe C:\Windows\WinSxS\x86_microsoft.vc80.mfc_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_8.0.50727.6195_none_cbf5e994470a1a8f\MFC80.DLL 295d2fa7-d82a-11e2-9a81-00188b6cfffd     Environment CyberStation Cause Corrupted Continuum.MNU menu file. Resolution Remove the corrupted menu file and replace with a good file from another WS. Note: When copying a menu file from another WS make sure it is the same type in terms of 32 versus 64 bit as there are paths in the file that differ depending on the OS type.

Issue Continuum BACnet devices not seen in Continuum Explorer Environment CyberStation Cause "Continuum Explorer\View\Show Continuum BACnet Devices As" is set to "Infinet Controllers only" Resolution "Continuum Explorer\View\Show Continuum BACnet Devices As" is set to "Infinet Controllers only" Set to "Infinet Controller and BACnet Device The slightly confusing thing is that all Non Continuum (third party) devices still appear in the Bacnet view. This is correct, as designed. See below for both examples  

Issue When logging onto a client session on the WebClient server, the screen goes white and cannot logon. Environment WebClient Firewall Client WebServer Cause Firewall was restricting access to the database server. Resolution Turned off firewall on the database server.

Issue Different Windows Users see the Pinpoint buttons differently. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Cyberstation Pinpoint Cause Continuum uses the information from the Windows profiles to define the system appearance. Resolution In the Windows Display properties you can select the "Windows and Buttons" style for your profile, this will change the appearance of the standard buttons used within Pinpoint graphics. For example: Selecting Windows XP Style will look like: Selecting Windows Classic Style will look like: Windows 7 also has other styles available.

Issue When browsing to graphics file directory on shared drive the following error is generated. Environment WebClient IIS Cause When specifying the virtual directory physical path in IIS DO NOT use a mapped drive. In the example below 'Y' is a mapped drive to ABEPSSZ4002\Program Files\Continuum\NewGraphicsFiles The 'Test Settings" results in an authentication error Resolution Use remote folder path only specifying the remote computer either by name or IP address follow be the name of the share. If the example below, the Program Files\Continuum|NewGraphicsFiles folder on the remote computer that will host all the graphic files has been shared with the proper permissions using the share name NewGraphicsFiles.  

Issue Sending BACnet alarms to a third party BACnet device (from bCX or b3 controller) Environment Continuum BACnet Cyberstation, B-OWS Cause Clarification required on the best way to send BACnet alarms to a third party BACnet device (from bCX or b3 controller). Resolution There are two main methods that can be used. The Event Notification Delivery tab should be set up using the Continuum discovered BACnet address or the NET:MAC method see below. Both methods generate the same packet and should give the same results. It is normally recommended to use Guarantee Delivery Method 1 Method 2 NOTE BACnet Global Broadcast is not often used

Issue How to create a push button to launch an external application. Environment Continuum Cyberstation Cause Not sure how to open an external application from the Continuum Menu pages. Resolution To setup a button to run an external application, you can create a hotspot on a Menu page that when clicked, runs the application. 1. On the menu you want to add the button; right-click and select Edit. 2. Click and draw a rectangle. 3. Right click the rectangle and select Properties. 4. Edit the hotspot by giving a name, selecting Control to be Execute, select the application you want to run using the Open field, then tick "Make hotspot look like a windows button", and type a display label in the Button field. 5. Hit OK, then save and run the page. 6. Test that it works by pressing the button you just created.  

Issue  Error  'Communications failure due to device not online' during personnel distribution Environment CyberStation CX9900 CX9702 CX9680 ACX5720 ACX5740 ACX701 ACX781 Cause By default CyberStation will try to speed up the personnel distribution as much as possible in order to expediently distribute all the card records to the controller. There may be situations where the controller may be overwhelmed,  100MB NIC in the controller  versus a 1Gig NIC in the Cyberstatom and by the amount of traffic caused by multiple CyberStations distributing multiple records simultaneously. Resolution Continuum contains some facilities available in the General Preferences window where adjustments can be made to throttle the personnel distribution. Lines 12 and 13 are the settings used to throttle personnel distribution going to field devices such as ACX701 or ACX781 Lines 14 and 15 are used to throttle personnel distribution going to LAN controllers such as the CX9680 (NC2), ACX5740 (ACX2), CX9900 etc The interval between personnel distribution is in milli seconds, a reasonable value to start at when issues are encountered is 50 milli seconds. Ex. Line 15 change from 0 to 50 Increase by 25 milliseconds after that to get better results. Ex. 50, 75, 100

Issue Can the default names for security groups (Group1, Group2 etc) be changed? Environment CyberStation Cause Documentation Resolution The default names for security groups can be changed to user specified names. To rename security groups.. In the Windows tray right click on the Continuum icon then select 'Security' In the Security window go to the 'Group Names' tab To re-name a group, double click in the name itself, the text control will become editable to allow the name to be changed in place.  

Issue Getting "Continuum Database Initialization" error message when trying to Initialize a new ContinuumDB on a system that has had multiple ContinuumDB's created. Environment SQL Express 2005 Continuum Single-User Database Initialization Cause This error indicates an issue with SQL Express. Seen when having four databases already created and getting the error when trying to create another. This is something to do with the five database limit for SQL Express, This has also been seen when four database had been created at some point, even after removing one of them you are still presented with the same error.   Resolution The only way I found to get rid of the problem was to remove all of the databases from SQL Express (right-click delete in Management Studio Express), and then I was able to create a new database successfully. Even freeing up space by removing one or two did not help, in the end all database needed to be removed before it would allow a new one to be created.  

Issue The following error dialog comes up when trying to change FIPS-PIV format in a door. Environment CyberStation CX9680 ACX5720 ACX5740 Cause FIPS-PIV card formats have controller scope, in other word, the selected FIPS-PIV format (FIPS_PIV_75, FIPS_PIV_Full_FASC-N etc) applies to all the doors in the controller, once you have selected a FIPS-PIV format at a door, you must select the same FIPS-PIV format for all other doors in the controller. If the format has to be changed, you first need to de-select all the card formats on all the doors under the controller then re-assign the card formats. Resolution Edit EVERY door in the controller and de-select all the card formats. After all the doors have their formats de-selected, you'll then be able to re-assign the card formats.

Issue An email alarm generated in Continuum in not sent on Outlook; the email remains in the Outbox. The attached error is displayed in Outlook:   Environment Continuum Cyberstation version 1.94, Outlook 2010 Cause In this instance, Outlook would not send the email because the PC was not part of the Windows Active Directory Domain. Resolution Add the PC to the Windows domain.

Issue RJ11 cable has been lost and a new one is required. Environment Roam I/O Cause Unable to find the cable part number  for ordering. Resolution The P/N for the black RJ11 cable is 01-0100-315. This can be ordered through your local Customer Care Center. Please select your country from the list for local contact details.  

Issue When making changes to the Personnel Manager to show custom attribute names, are these changes seen on all Workstations or just on the Workstation where the changes are made? Environment Continuum Personnel Manager Cause Not sure if these changes will need to be made to all Workstations or if this is only required to be done once. Resolution Any changes to the display name of the various attributes in the Personnel Manager using the Customize Attributes setting are applied to the database and will be seen by all other Cyberstations on that network. Basically, you will only need to make these changes once and not for each Workstation in your Continuum system.  

Issue Getting errors when opening Web Pinpoint or a Web client schedule. Environment Web Client Browser. Cause Communication back to the Web Client server is being blocked for Web Pinpoint and Web Schedules but other parts of Web Client are operating correctly. Errors displayed are: Resolution These errors are caused by a proxy server or firewall used on the site that is blocking some of the Web client data. Typically to remove: • Go to the Web Proxy or Firewall software • Edit settings - typically in the Advanced Tab • Disable HTTP Strict Mode • Save • Restart Proxy/ firewall   These steps may vary from product to product, but it is letting the majority of the Web Client data through in order to logon and view points etc, but blocking the Web Pinpoint and Scheduler data.

Issue When point goes in alarm nothing is displayed in the active alarm viewer but when the point returns to normal the RTN shows up in the alarm viewer. Environment CyberStation Cause The Alarm Enrollment allows you to specify the transitions that gets sent to the active alarm viewer, make you the appropriate check boxes are checked. Resolution Configure the alarm enrollment to deliver both the alarm and the RTN

Issue Key for the standard Door Control Graphic Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Door Control Graphic PinPoint Cause Require a key for the standard Door Control Graphic Resolution

Issue How to work out the part number of a NC2 / NetController 2 Environment Continuum  Cause Don't know how to work out what the part number is for a Netcontroller 2 Resolution The below image has been taken from the Continuum product catalog, which shows what numbers you need to use for number of NODES etc. I.e if you need a Infinet NC2 with 32 Nodes you will need the following NC2-R-032000000

Issue MODBus XDriver is communicating with device but the data read is not what is expected. For example,  when requesting the voltage between phase 1 and neutral (StartChannel = 3926)  from a PM1200 the value received is the following: VPhase1toNeutral [1] = 17085 VPhase1ToNeutral [0] = 65890  (This last value varies constantly because it is the least significant part of reading). This value should be between 110V and 120V  or  220V and 240V depending on location. Environment CyberStation CX9900 CX9640 bCX4040 CX9680 ACX5720 ACX5740 Cause Function code used reading raw data from register(s) without conversion. Since, when you request information from a Modbus RTU device you receive the exact value that is in the register, Andover Controls has provided some special function codes that will help to convert some of the common engineering values into usable values.  The listing in the x-driver documentation shows the special function code, what is expected from the third party and the equivalent function code that is truly sent to the device.   For instance if a point is a Intel float and resides in the 40,000 range then function code 245 would be used in the Andover Controls x-driver.  This will still send out a function code 3 in the Modbus message but the x-driver will take the value sent in from the third party device and convert it into a usable float. Resolution Use Continuum special function code to convert the raw value to a readable value.