Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue   In Niagara R2, what would cause an IP communication to the UNC to drop out?  There are no errors in the standard output window. Environment Niagara R2 All version; UNC-410, UNC-510, UNC-520 Cause The same IP address is assign to more than on controller. Two UNC controllers are using the same IP address. Resolution This symptom usually indicates a duplicate IP address condition. Under this condition the UNC will keep dropping offline for a period of time.  The duplicate IP address situation will need to be corrected before reliable communications can be established. Reassign one of the UNCs a different IP address that is not currently being used.  Ensure that each IP address is only assigned to one controller.

Issue When ordering a new NC2 controller with 64 Nodes limit, is it possible to choose the desired comm port, or is it only port 2? Environment Netcontroller II CX9680 CX9900 CX9940 CX9200 Cause Clarification on Comm port node limit Resolution All controllers (CX9200,CX9400, CX9900, NCII CX9680) support various upper infinet node counts, on all of these CX controllers you can split your infinet controllers in any combination between Comm1 and Comm2. So on a NCII with 64 nodes you could have:  64 controllers on Comm1 or 64 controllers on Comm2 or any split between Comm1 and Comm2 e.g. 30 on Comm1 and 34 on Comm1. It is a total limit for the CX controller. There is the maximum supported network limit of 127 controllers on a Comm port if you have that many nodes enabled.

Issue Where can I information on accessories for a job that needs to meet a UL-864 (UUKL) project specification? Environment UL-864 UULK/UUKL project requirements Cause Need various approved accessories to meet a UL-864 job specification. Resolution Due to regulatory issues, all current UL-864/UUKL information is published in the latest version of the TAC I/A Series MicroNet BACnet Smoke Control Systems Manual, F-27419.  Always refer to an online version of that manual for the latest approved information.

Issue Need to configure more than one card format not natively supported in Continuum. Environment CyberStation CX9900 CX9702 CX9680 ACX5720 ACX5740 Cause Documentation Resolution Continuum controllers support up to four (4) custom cards. Custom cards 2-4 are configured in the same way as the first custom card format, the only exception is the name of the magic InfinityNumeric. When creating the InfinityNumeric that contains the array for the card format, use... AccessFormat for the first custom format AccessFormat2 for the second AccessFormat3 for the third AccessFormat4 for the fourth and last one supported.

Issue Original database incorrectly built using an improper collation sequence. Environment Continuum SQL DTS Cause Source database is damaged. Resolution Create new database using Continuum Database Initializer. Use SQL Data Transformation Services (DTS) to transfer the data from the defective database into the new database.

Issue What is the part number for ordering a second copy of Workplace Pro for a jobsite?  What functionality does it have? Environment Niagara R2 Cause End customer wants a second "engineering" station. Resolution A second copy can be ordered using part number WP-PRO-1.  It can engineer/modify existing stations on the jobsite.  It cannot run stations on the host computer on which it is installed.

Issue During the installation process for the Niagara R2.301.523 software, Windows 7 reports the error "Unable to save file "c:\windows\downloaded installation\{Windows application GUID}\TAC I/A Series Enterprise Server 2.3g.msi".  I thought that the I/A Series R2-523 release was supposed to be compatible with Windows 7. Environment Windows 7 Cause Installation of any software using the Windows Installer on a Windows 7 computer requires that the user have administrative rights on the computer.  This issue is not specific to any given software package but rather is a security restriction enforced by the Windows 7 operating system. Resolution The software must be installed by a Windows user that is a member of the local Administrators users group. There are three workarounds for this issue. Have someone that is a member of the "Administrators" users group on that computer install the software. Have the system administrator add the user's user account to the "Administrators" users group. Have the system administrator create a new administrative user account on the computer for the purpose of installing software.

Issue The option to add or decrease the number of remote I/O modules using the Remote IO Wizard is shown, but what is the process to eliminate all modules? Environment I/A Series WorkPlace Tech Cause Eliminate all I/O modules using the Remote IO Wizard Resolution Open the ADI/Remote IO Wizard from the Applications menu.  With the Remote IO Wizard window displayed hit the Back button and select "none" and click Next.  When prompted with "Do you wish to continue?" select yes and all the RIO Input and output tags will be removed from the drawing.  Note: objects that were linked to these tags that are no longer being used must be "cut" from the drawing manually.

Issue Upgraded the Vykon 3.92 Alarm client and can not get it to connect to the Enterprise Server. Environment Niagara R2, Vykon Alarm Client Cause Installed the wrong client for an Enterprise Server with Cloudscape database. Resolution The VAS 3.92 Client is compatible with Enterprise Server stations running MSDE, Microsoft SQL, or Oracle database services. The VAS 2.50 Client is compatible with Enterprise Server stations running Cloudscape database services. The Vykon 3.92 client and VAS jar file will need to be uninstalled and the correct ones installed. Uninstall the Vykon 3.92 client from the client's PC Stop the Enterprise server and uninstall the vas-2.301.532.v3.jar Install the Vykon 2.50 client and vas-2.301.532.v2.jar per VAS 2.50 Client Release Notes.    

Issue The Link tab in Schedule Object shows " Prism Error " Environment R2 Niagara Cause Directly linking the schedule or calendar status output via external link to another station may cause the receiving station's object to not follow the associated calendar or schedule event.  The link tab will show "Prism Error" Resolution The schedule object output should only be linked to objects within the station and not between stations.  Schedule and calendar objects between stations should only be linked via the master/slave links.

Issue Are the I/A MicroNet Sensors (MN-S, MN-SO, MN-SDK, and MN-SDT) used with the MicroNet 2000 family of controllers part of the Network 8000 obsolescence announcement?   Environment I/A Series MicroNet 2000, MN-S, MN-SO, MN-SDK, and MN-SDT Cause Product obsolescence Resolution The I/A MicroNet Sensors (MN-S, MN-SO, MN-SDK, and MN-SDT) used with the MicroNet 2000 family of controllers are part of the Network 8000 obsolescence and will no longer be available for purchase after December 31, 2011.

Issue Import data from the SQL database of a facility management system into the I/A Series R2 system. Environment I/A Series R2 system External SQL database Cause Import data from the SQL database of a facility management system into the I/A Series R2 system. Resolution This module sqlUtility contains an object called "SqlData" that can be used to perform a SQL query on any SQL database. The sqlUtility can be used only in an Enterprise Server, not in a UNC. Using this object, you need to create a SQL query to return a single column in the data table. Here is a sample query that returns the column EnergyIntensity from the EnergyTable.  SELECT EnergyIntensity FROM EnergyTable ORDER BY O_Id DESC This query returns the EnergyIntensity column of the table "EnergyTable" after sorting the record number (O_Id) in descending order.  The data value returned by the SqlData query will be the first element in the first column of the query results.  Since the query uses the ORDER BY data qualifier, specifying descending order of the record numbers (O_Id), the newest value will be returned.

Issue video layout stub error exception pops up when a video layout is triggered to pop up on alarm Exception error: object reference not set to an instance of and object Environment Continuum Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause In some cases having a layout populated with 6 or more cameras may show the error. A remote connection opening a video layout at a quick pace can cause this. Resolution If you are using 1.92 upgrade to 1.93 If you are using a remote connection, the same error will not pop up from the local PC.

Issue TIME and NTP protocol time sync services do not exist on network and the clients for both protocols are disabled.  What else could be causing the time synchronization? Environment I/A Series G3 ENC Cause Third party BACnet device with TimeSync broadcast enabled. Resolution Refer to the documentation for the third party BACnet controller to determine how to disable the TimeSync function.

Issue Engineer is using his I/A Series R2 notebook to edit customer's UNC station. Getting errors in Standard Output Window regarding out of data modules and missing modules. Environment I/A Series R2 WPP and UNC. Cause Engineer's copy of WPP does not have the same version of the I/A Series R2 software or some of the modules are not of the same revision.  UNC station was originally edited from the Enterprise Server on the site. Resolution Insure the version of all modules used in the UNC match those installed in the nre\modules folder of the WPP system. Insure that the version of the NiagaraD service being run on the computer matches the version of software installed in the UNC.

Issue I/A Series R2 graphics browsing issue when using Windows 7 64-bit computer and Internet Explorer 9 Environment Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit) Internet Explorer 9 Cause Java 1.6 Update 28 compatibility issue with IE9 Resolution Java 1.6 update 29 or later is required when using IE9 

Issue Needs to swap out B386x to B865x-V controller. Environment b3865 b3865-V b3866 b3866-V b3885 b3885-V Cause Controller needs to be replaced. Resolution The b38xx-V models can be used as direct replacements for existing Continuum VAV controllers on any Continuum BACnet installations (v1.6 and up).

Issue When copying a trend log in Xbuilder 5.1.6, the green arrows on the signals disappear. Environment TAC Xbuilder 5.1.6 Cause Bug in the code that appeared in v5.1.6 Resolution If you bind something to the signal or reload the project, the green arrows appears again. This issue will be fixed in version 5.1.7.

Issue Wants to be able to access a remotely located group of BACnet MS/TP controllers via BACnet IP or BACnet-Ethernet.  Do you sell any routers or converters of this type? Environment MNB series BACnet controllers using MS/TP communications. Cause Customer wants to use BACnetIP to connect to a group of BACnet MS/TP controllers. Resolution The UNC-520-2 or ENC-520-2, with the BACnet driver installed, can operate as a BACnet IP to BACnet MS/TP router.  These devices allow routing between BACnet-IP or BACnet Ethernet to BACnet MS/TP.  This approach allows for up to four separate MS/TP networks to be routed to the BACnet-IP or BACnet-Ethernet network. The MNB-1000 provides a single MS/TP bus along with the BACnet IP or BACnet Ethernet capability. We have not tested and cannot support any third party BACnetIP to BACnet MS/TP converters.

Issue When running the G3 Niagara AX Lon Tunneling  applet on a Windows 7 computer, all display fields on the LON or Serial tunnel screen are blank.  If data is entered then the form redisplayed, it comes up blank. Environment Microsoft Windows 7 Professional operating system. I/A Series G3 Niagara AX Lon Tunneling  applet Cause Insufficient Windows permissions. Resolution There is no direct solution to this problem with the current version of the I/A Series G3 Niagara AX Lon Tunneling control panel applet, however, there is a workaround. Open the "My computer" Windows explorer window and locate the file c:\Windows\System32\vlonax.cpl.  Right-click on the vlonax.cpl file and select "Copy". Right-click on the computer desktop and select "Paste Shortcut". Rename the shortcut to "G3 LON Tunnel". Open the Windows Control Panel.  If the Windows Control Panel is configured as "View by Category", open the "View by" pulldown box and select "Large Icons". Locate and click on the "User Accounts" entry.  The "Make changes to your user account" window will open. Click on "Change User Account Control settings". Note the position of the notification slider.  If it has already been set to the lowest or second lowest setting, no change is needed.  If the slider is to "Always Notify" or Default (second position), use the mouse to move the slider to the third position.  Click [Ok] to exit the User Account Control window. (optional) If the Control Panel display was changed in step 5, above, change the "View by" selection to "View by Category" To run the G3 LON Tunnel control panel applet from the shortcut, right-click on the shortcut and select "Run as Administrator".  The current tunneling settings will then be displayed and any changes will be properly saved.