Building Automation Knowledge Base

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.

Issue In the Personnel Manager, the template field shows an error: "Error in datagrid DataGridViewComboBoxCell value is not valid." Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum 1.93 and below Personnel Templates Cause Error occurs while attaching the Personnel Templates to a personnel from the Personnel Manager. The selected Template is not in the default template folder (Personnel Templates). Note: It is still possible to attach the templates through the method of CSV importing/exporting of personnel. If the Templates are created under the "Templates" Folder, this error occurs. The Personnel Templates should be created under "Templates\Personnel Templates". Resolution Select all the Personnel Templates and move them (Right Click + Drag) to "Personnel Templates" Folder. It will give you an option to "Move Here". See the below screen shot. Click on "Move Here" to complete moving the Personnel Templates. Alternatively: Go to the "Properties" of the Template, then change the path of the Owner.

Issue BACnet alarm Change Of State 'Alarm On' field is blank in the Algorithm page. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation bCX4040 b3s Cause BACnet alarm type must match the type of point that is associated with the alarm in the AlarmEnrollment object. For example, a Change Of State alarm requires a binary point. Resolution Make the object BACnet object type match the alarm event type (Change of State, Change of Value, Out of Range etc). In this example of a Change of State BACnet alarm, when the appropriate binary point is associated with the alarm, the 'Alarm On' field looks like this:

Issue Access control site where doors are typically held opened during business hours don't want annoying alarms during the day, specifically the site wants door ajar alarms sent only from 5:00 PM (17:00) to 8:00 AM (08:00) Environment CyberStation Cause Configure a separate Event Notification with recipient time range specified in 'From Time' to 'To Time' columns. Resolution When configured as above the alarms associated with the notification object will be logged in the database but not displayed in the Alarm Viewer during business hours.

Issue bCX going offline and logging multiple 0x1408s in its error log. Environment bCX4040 ALL CX master controllers. Cause Excessive traffic on the network causes controller to run out of message buffers. Every time a controller receives a communication packet it has to allocate a block of memory (a buffer) to place the packet until it can be processed. Under normal network conditions the packets are processed at a rate that exceeds the rate at which they are coming in, in some cases typically associated with network configuration issues or malfunctioning nodes on the network, (i.e. broadcast storms) the firmware in the controller is unable to keep up with the amount of packets being received which exhausts message buffers available and renders the controller unable to communicate properly. In many cases the condition is temporary and does not result in a major problem, it is not unusual to see sporadic 0x1408s in the error log but when the condition persists for longer periods it will have an impact on the ability of the controller to communicate properly on the network. Resolution Identify and remove the root cause of the excessive traffic.   In the WireShark capture above, a constant WHO-IS sent out by BBMD devices due to part of the network being disconnected was causing a "WHO-IS storm" resulting in the bCX controller on the subnet to go offline and register several 0x1408 errors per minute.

Issue How do the controller settings affect the Occupation Sequence in respect of temperature control. Environment Stand alone. Part of a system. Cause Customer is uncertain of how this process works, the rooms are cold. Resolution There are a number of settings that will affect this sequence, the screen shot below shows the sequence and the settings used.  

Issue Photos are taken with a webcam, saved as JPG and loaded from the file into the personnel record. Was working fine previously. Now they are being stretched (distorted) when added to the personnel records. Environment CyberStation with Badging Option, webcam Cause In Make/Edit Badge >> Capture >> Options the checkmark had been removed from the "Allow cropping" checkbox. Since the photo dimensions were wider than high, the resulting un-cropped photo had white space above and below it in the Make/Edit Badge screen and when that screen was saved (using the OK button) the image was stretched to fill the photo field in Continuum.  Resolution In Make/Edit Badge >> Capture >> Options add the checkmark from the "Allow cropping" checkbox.

Issue PE Programin bCX/b3 seens as disabled/idle in list view even though program is running and operating normally. AS In the screen shot above the program is reported as ACTIVE and ENABLED from a Continuum perspective (List View on the Infinity side) BUT idle and disabled from a BACnet perspective. (List view on BACnet side) Printing the programs BACnet properties from the command line shows that the program is actually In Service and executing. Environment CyberStation bCX b3 BACnet Cause Inconsistencies between Andover and BACnet protocol which in some cases have conflicting property values. Resolution When looking at properties of BACnet objects from Cyberstation make sure to be aware of the context in which the properties are being shown (BACnet or Continuum) and ignore non applicable properties. For example, if looking at the program from BACnet perspective look at the OutOfService property instead of the State property.

Issue When using the User Entry option in a Graphic to enter a value, the decimal place in the number is dropped. Entering a 1.5 in the Graphic User Entry results in 15 showing up in the linked object, entering 0.5 results in 5. Fig.1 - Configuring User Entry   Fig.2 - Inputting value in User Entry "calculator"  Environment Continuum Cyberstation Windows Regional Settings Cause The decimal symbol in Regional Settings was set to a comma (,) instead of a period (.). The Region and Language Format was set to French (Canada) which by default uses a comma as the decimal symbol. When using the User Entry "calculator" to enter a decimal number the correct decimal symbol needs to be used. Using a period when it is set to a comma in regional settings results in the symbol not being typed at all. Resolution Check the Region and Language settings to see what the Decimal symbol is set to and use that symbol in the User Entry in a Graphic or change this to the symbol you want to use. French Format Setting with Comma Decimal Symbol   English Format Setting with Period Decimal Symbol