Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue What's the best way to uninstall SIGNAL software? Environment SIGNAL software Cause Remove SIGNAL software from a computer that no longer need the software. Resolution Steps: Perform two backups - one with executables and one without executables. The backup with executables can be used to restore the entire SIGNAL installation if that is required. The backup without executables is good to have if SIGNAL is already installed on a computer and only job-specific files are restored In Windows Explorer, delete the SIGNAL folder and two files in the C:\WINDOWS directory: signal.ini & bit.ini Remove any shortcuts created on the desktop and in the Windows startup folder. Reboot the computer.

Issue An override command was applied to a Network 8000/DMS standard point on a SIGNAL graphic. The graphic now shows the point is in override but the actual point in field panel is not in override. Environment Network 8000 SIGNAL Cause When override commands in SIGNAL do not apply properly, the actual point in field panel will not be in override. Resolution it is best to clear the data file and try applying them again. Follow these steps: Shutdown SIGNAL and open up Windows Explorer. Find the override.dat file in the C:\Windows\Override directory and delete it. Re-start SIGNAL. Apply override commands again. (The override.dat file will be re-created)

Issue Can SIGNAL software communicate with MNL controllers? Environment SIGNAL software MNL controllers Cause Use SIGNAL software to read and write to MNL controllers Resolution Yes. SIGNAL can be interfaced to a LNC-100. This controller is very similar to a GCM-86000 but it contains a LON trunk connector and block types that allow for communication to MNL controllers. By creating APT & DPT blocks in the LNC-100, SIGNAL can read from and write to blocks in the MNL controllers.

Issue Can the Robertshaw DMS T99 sensor be connected to a MNL controller using the curve fit object? Environment WorkPlace Tech Robertshaw DMS T99 MNL controller Cause Site require the use of Robertshaw DMS T99 sensor with MNL controller. Resolution The T99 sensor is a 2000 ohm silicon-based RTD with linearity similar to the Balco. Wire this sensor to the MNL controller's UI with a parallel 2000 ohm 1% shunt resistor and use the AI object's Balco type selection. The AI object's output temperature values can then be corrected by using a Curve Fit object. Set the Curve Fit X and Y data points as follows. The X points reflect Balco temperatures and the Y points reflect the corrected T99 sensor temperatures. Note that the A/D degree per count resolution is twice the Balco's which calculates to approximately 0.15 Degrees F per A/D count change. X Data Points 1 to 6 are 52.5, 61.6, 70.0, 78.4, 86.6, and 94.8. Y Data Points 1 to 6 are 32.0, 50.0, 68.0, 86.0, 104.0, and 122.0.

Issue UltiVist/DMS, how to remove all or parts of the E: Segment. Environment UltiVist/DMS Cause Delete the E: segment database using KILBRNCH. Resolution KILBRNCH is a powerful tool, before doing the following procedure, BACKUP THE DATABASE. In an OS/2 window, go to the FI directory and type SET NOFCS=TRUE (this command turns off communications so that the KILBRNCH command will delete only the elements in the UltiVist database set to 'offline'). Press Return. After getting x:\FI prompt back, type KILBRNCH FI (example KILBRNCH \FI\FI E:001.12.01.023).   This will delete (or kill) the database from that branch. E: is the Segment 001 is the Network ID 12 is the Panel ID 01 is the DCM ID 023 is the Controller ID After completion, go to FI directory and then type SET NOFCS=FALSE. Refresh the E: Segment.

Issue UltiVist/NETWORK 8000, how to remove all or parts of the E: Segment. Environment NETWORK 8000 Cause Procedure on removing a segment. Resolution KILBRNCH is a powerful tool, before doing the following procedure, BACKUP THE DATABASE. In an OS/2 window, go to the FI directory and type SET NOFCS=TRUE (this command turns off communications so that the KILBRNCH command will only delete the elements in the E: Segment set to 'offline'). Press Return. After getting the x:\FI prompt back, type KILBRNCH FI (example KILBRNCH \FI\FI E:000.GCM_00.XXX_00.xxxxxxxx). This will delete (or kill) the database from that branch. E: is the Segment 000 is the Network ID GCM_00 is the area controller number XXX_00 is the LCM/ASD device type xxxxxxx is the block type After completion, go to FI directory and then type SET NOFCS=FALSE. Refresh the E: Segment.  

Issue Use of Universal Input UI1 on a Microzone II as a pulse counter requires an external pull-up resistor. Environment Microzone II Cause High speed count input required a 10 K ohm shunt resistor. Resolution When UI1 on the Microzone II is used as a Pulse Counter, an external pull-up resistor must be added between UI1 and the 5.1 VDC output terminal. The resistor shall be a 10 K Ohm, 1/4 Watt or higher, +/- 10% tolerance or better. Universal Inputs UI2 - UI8 do not require the resistor.

Issue A known cause of communication problems with GCM Ethernet NIMs (GCM-ETH-001) is entering incomplete IP addresses in the NIM block. The NIM block requires full octets ( 3 digits) in all four fields of each IP address, e.g. 012.034.056.078 Environment Network 8000 GCM-86000 series Network 8000 SIMs, including LNC-100, SIM-CCN, SIM-MTECH, SIM-TRANE, and SIM-YORK (hardware based on the GCM-86000 series) Ethernet NIM, (Network Interface Module), part number GCM-ETH-001 Cause The NIM block in the GCM is used to program the NIM hardware, and it requires full octets for all IP addresses. Resolution When programming the NIM block for an Ethernet NIM (GCM-ETH-001) installed on a shared Ethernet LAN, the NIM block requires full octets (3 digits) in all four fields of each IP address. For example, if the network administrator assigns a unique Panel IP Address (PNLIP) of 194.86.47.6, the NIM block should be programmed with PNLIP = 194.086.047.006, where leading zeroes have been added in front of the significant digit(s) to fill each octet with the required three digits. The same rule applies to all IP addresses in the NIM block ( IPMLT, IPSUB, RTRIP, etc.). Refer to the NIM Networking and Configuration Guide, F-25955-1 for further information on the NIMs. Note that the IP addresses shown in the manual all have full octets, but the requirement for 3 digits in each field is not explicitly stated. Also note that the UDP Port (UDPPT) address is a hexadecimal number, leave at the default value of ( 1234 hex + NetN hex). For example, if the Network Number of the GCM is 219 decimal, the UDPPT should be (1234 hex + DB hex ) = 130F hex.

Issue Communication issues with the UNC when ASD devices in the station are not physically connected to the ASD bus. Environment UNC and ASD controllers Cause Avoid a known cause of communications problems between a UNC and the ASD controllers by disabling polled controllers that are not physically connected to the ASD bus. Resolution The polling is enabled / disabled by a check box on the Config tab of the ASD controller. With polling disabled, the poll scheduler will skip that device, resulting in more efficient communications with controllers that are actually online. This issue has been seen on jobs where the ASD network has been engineered offline, with a large number of controllers with polling enabled, but the actual device not yet physically connected to the ASD bus.

Issue Does installing WorkPlace Tech version 5.6 load all of the Bin files required to upgrade the firmware of MNB controllers to rev 1.4x? Environment WorkPlace Tech version 5.6 MNB Controllers Cause The WorkPlace Tech version 5.6 doesn't contain all the require Bin files to upgrade the firmware of MNB controllers to rev 1.4x. Resolution No, installing only WorkPlace Tech version 5.6 will include only the bin files current at the time of its release. Additional Bin files are needed to upgrade firmware to the latest revisions. To load all necessary Bin files, load WPTech 5.6, then download the following two self-extracting Bin files: MNB Series v1.423 Firmware Pack.exe MNB v1.41 Firmware Pack – BTL Compliant To verify the minimum necessary Bin files have been loaded, compare the following list of Bin files to your C:\Program Files\Workplace Tech\Firmware folder. The list of Bin files on the computer may be longer, depending on how Bin files have been installed since originally installing WPT 5.0. MNBP01-011F -0120.bin MNBP01-0120 -0121.bin MNBP01-0120 -0130.bin MNBP01-0130 -0131.bin MNBP01-0131 -0132.bin MNBP01-0132 -013F.bin MNBP01-013F –0140.bin MNBP01-0140 –0141.bin MNBP01-0141 –01411.bin MNBP01-01411 –0142.bin MNBP01-0142 –01421.bin MNBP01-01421 –01422.bin MNBP01-01422 –01423.bin MNBU01 –0141.bin MNBU70 –0141.bin MNBV01 –0141.bin MNBV02 –0141.bin

Issue Procedure for correcting duplicate LON device node numbers in a Niagara R2 UNC station Environment Niagara R2 UNC station Cause Occasionally, when a LON device has been removed from use at one site and installed at another site, the previously configured LON subnet and node number can be the same as an existing device in the new installation. The problem typically manifests itself when attempting to learn and commission the new controller using the Workplace Pro. Resolution Use the following steps to correct the problem. Open the "Lon Device Manager" from the right-click menu of the LonWorks Service. Click "Find" to get a list of all the LON controllers under the UNC. An error message will be displayed indicating that a device with a duplicated subnet and node number has been detected. Right-click on one of the devices that has the duplicate address. If no right-click menu is displayed, right-click on a different device with the same subnet and node number. From the right-click menu, select "Properties" then select the "General" tab then select the "Engineering" tab. In the "Node State" pulldown list, select "Unknown". Change the node number, displayed in the "NodeID" box, to a value that is not currently used. Click the "Apply" button to save the changes. Click the "back-arrow" button to return to the Device List screen. Reselect the device just changed then click the "Commission" button. In the pop-up window that is displayed, verify that the Neuron ID of the device is correct then click the "Apply" button. Wait for the commissioning process to complete. 10. If additional devices are shown with duplicated node addresses, repeat steps 3 through 9 for each additional pair of duplicate addresses.

Issue What is the part number to order just the back plate for an MNB-300 or MNB-1000? Environment MNB-300 MNB-1000 Cause Replacement part number. Resolution The part numbers are: MNB-BASE-300 MNB-BASE-1000

Issue When attempting to bind to SNVTs from a LON Field Server device a service_type_error appears. Environment Field Server UNC network management tool Cause The UNC network management for bindings is set to the "standard" service type (Unacknowledged) by default. Resolution The Field Server device requires something other than the "Unacknowledged" service type. Either change the Field Server service type to Unacknowledged or change the default service type in the UNC network management tool to match their type. Review the Niagara LonWorks Integration Guide for more details.

Issue When trying to connect to a station running on a UNC an intermittent error appears: "Cannot Open station. Service Unavailable (503)". Environment Niagara UNC Cause This error indicates that the embedded UNC's web server is currently unable to handle the request due to a temporary overloading or maintenance of the server. In this case, it means that the web server is refusing the connection due to a thread overloading condition. More specifically, the UNC is out of web service threads. Resolution Starting in Niagara build 431, a line item was added to the system.properties file that sets the maximum thread pool size for the web services. Using the admin tool open the UNC's system.properties file. From the drop-down menu, select Admin Tool > Host > Edit File > System Properties.  Locate the line that defines the webServer.threadPoolSize. Increase the webServer.threadPoolSize from the default value of 15 to 30. Save the changes to the file and re-boot the UNC to initialize the new thread pool size.

Issue Upgraded a UNC-510 to Niagara version 522 and when trying to run the station, the following error appears: "Cannot load BACnet MSTP Driver" Environment Niagara version 522 UNC-510 Cause The upgrade process does NOT change the drivers.properties file. Resolution The error indicates the line: driver.mstp=tridium.nre.vxworks.mstp.VxWorksMstpDriver is missing from the driver.properties file. Copy the drivers.properties file from a UNC-520 running version 522 or higher or manually add this line into the drivers.properties file. Note that the UNC-510-2 has a maximum baud rate of 19.2 k for a BACnet MS/TP network.

Issue Upon starting the Lon App Tunneling program, a window displays a critical error message: "Exception occurred when attempting to run C:\windows\system32\shell32.dll, control_run.dll natconfig.cpl" Environment Lon App Tunneling Program Google Desktop Cause Google desktop interferes with the Niagara LON App Tunneling service. Resolution Uninstall the Google desktop Uninstall the Lon App Tunneling program from the Windows Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs Re-install the Lon App Tunneling program Re-boot the computer

Issue Erie T200 series thermostats, display is blank, or thermostat will not hold setpoint, or thermostat function buttons do not work. Environment Erie T200 Series Cause Bad or missing thermostat battery. Resolution Replace the bad or missing thermostat battery p/n Energizer 357 or equal. Confirm voltage is between 20 and 32 VAC with 75mA to 1.2A of power is available. If the battery is good and voltage and current is within specification then replace the thermostat. Symptoms Display fades away after 1 minute then goes BLANK. No function with up/down buttons. SETPOINT will default to 70°F (21.1°C) in Heat mode and 76°F (24.4°C) in Cool mode when power is restored. If the thermostat was manufactured before 2000, the default was 75°F (23.8°C) for both Heat and Cool mode. With a good battery, the display will indicate space temperature. There are no functions with the up/down buttons. The last setpoint is maintained when power is restored.

Issue Niagara R2 UNCs using the bacnet-2.305.523b.v1 (or newer) jar file may need  have the bacnet.properties file modified in order to work properly. Environment Niagara R2 UNC with bacnet-2.305.523b.v1 will need the bacnet.properties file modified in order to work properly. If the station is upgraded to bacnet-2.305.527i.v1, -2.305.529.v1, or -2.305.232.v1, the bacnet.properties file modified in order to work properly. New stations created with bacnet-2.305.527i.v1, -2.305.529.v1, or -2.305.232.v1 will have the correct bacnet.properties file  by default. (revised 9-23-2011) Cause Upgrading bacnet jar files. Resolution Two lines near the end of the file must be un-commented by removing the leading # sign. The two lines are: pollHeartbeatCheck=true PollRestartEnabled=true No other modifications to the file are recommended. The UNC must be rebooted to utilize the revised settings. (revised 9-23-2011)

Issue Lon Tunneling does not function with Workplace Tech 5.7. Environment Workplace Tech 5.7 Cause In order for Lon Tunneling to work, the Echelon OpenLDV Network Driver, version 3.4 is a requirement. Resolution To determine what driver version is currently installed, follow the steps outlined on page 7 of the WPT 5.7 Installation Instructions (F-27367-4). If "Echelon OpenLDV 3.4" is not listed, install the Echelon OpenLDV Network Driver software. The installer file for this driver is provided on the WPT 5.7 CD or it can be downloaded from The Exchange Download Center: 153-0212-01A_OpenLDV340.exe. Alternatively, it can be downloaded from the Echelon website (www.echelon.com). In order to download from Echelon’s website, a (free) user account is required. Once it is created, proceed to “Recommended Downloads” and the LDV driver will be listed (towards the bottom):"OpenLDV 3.4 Network Drivers for Windows Vista/XP/2000/Server 2003 (includes drivers for i.LON 10/100/600 RNI, PCLTA-20/21, PCC-10, and U10/20".

Issue Can a Master schedule in a Niagara R2 Enterprise server station trigger slave schedules residing in a PollOnDemand object in a UNC station? Environment Niagara R2 Enterprise Server UNC station Cause To trigger slave schedule, be sure to link a slave calendar to the slave schedule. Resolution Schedule objects do not care that the folder is PollOnDemand. Only driver points (ie. shadow objects) will be affected by the fact that their parent is a PollOnDemand container. Be sure that there is a slave calendar linked to the slave schedule in the same station. Calendar to schedule links do not work across an external link.