Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Can certain Analog Input values be read with up to 3 decimal places in WorkPlace Tech? Environment WorkPlace Tech MNL series MNB series MicroNet 2000 Network 8000 Cause The MNL, MNB, MicroNet 2000 and Network 8000 controllers have the capability of working with values from -163.83 to 16,383 and never use more than 2 digits after the decimal place. This is something that all of the controllers have used for many years. This is documented on page 25 of WorkPlace Tech Tool 4.0 Engineering Guide (F-27254). Resolution In certain applications where it is necessary to read very small values beyond 2 decimals, a work around has been used.  The technique should only be used by those who fully understand the concept and its implementation.  The technique to overcome this is to set the output scaling factors of the Analog Input object (in WorkPlace Tech) to values at a factor of 10 or 100 (or other suitable number) thus giving the resolution and therefore (no loss of) accuracy that is required.  This requires scaling the value down by the same factor at the head-end (or wherever) to get the proper and accurate reading.  Multiply the scale properties by a factor then divide by the same factor for display or logic calculations. Example:  A pressure transmitter that reads a pressure range of -.25 to .25 in. wc at 4 to 20 mA, the Analog Input properties needed for such a transmitter would be as in this table: Input Low Value:     4 mA Scaled Low Value:  -.25 inwc Input high Value:     20 mA Scaled High Value: .25 inwc There is an issue with a device that has such small sampled values.  The controllers can only register at most 2 digits after the decimal.  Therefore the controller can be fooled by setting the properties such that the controller thinks that it has a device transmitter attached that reads pressures from -25 to 25 In. WC.  This is a factor of 100 and all values would be 100 times larger than the true reading.  This of course needs to be accounted for in any calculations and GUIs.  The properties for this would be as in this table. Input Low Value:      4 mA Scaled Low Value:  -25 inwc Input high Value:     20 mA Scaled High Value: 25 inwc In using this technique, remember to factor the number when displaying it or using it with other logic.  Since the controller can use negative numbers no smaller than -163.83, no properties can be entered smaller than that value.  In the table below the same transmitter is used but a factor of 1000 is used for the properties.  This can not work due to the scaled low value being less than -163.83. Input Low Value:     4mA Scaled Low Value: -250 inwc Input high Value:     20 mA Scaled High Value: 250 inwc The workaround is well proven and sufficient to satisfy needs.

Issue What does the ReassertDaemon error in a Niagara R2 UNC Standard Output Window mean? Environment Niagara R2 Cause The UNC station is unable to log into the Enterprise Server station as a client to update the slave schedule information. Resolution ERROR: ReassertDaemon [SubscriptionModule] java.lang.NullPointerException at tridium.foundation.node.Node.set (bytecode 5) at tridium.foundation.node.ExecutableNode.setViaSubscription (bytecode 33) at tridium.foundation.prism.Subscription.updateValue (bytecode 10) at tridium.foundation.prism.Subscription.reassert (bytecode 106) at tridium.foundation.prism.SubscriptionsTable.reassert (bytecode 18) at tridium.foundation.prism.SubscriptionModule$ReassertDaemon.run (bytecode 79) The UNC is unable to subscribe to the server and continues to retry. Eventually, a message indicates too many pending connections. The usual suspect are the firewalls (Windows, anti-virus software, etc.) blocking connections into the Enterprise Server. The server will be able to connect to the UNC but the UNC will not be able to connect into the server. The Enterprise Server needs to have its Address Book updated to include all the UNC’s IP Addresses, Usernames and Passwords.

Issue Is there any way to setup Niagara R2 station passwords such that they expire and must be changed on a periodic basis? Environment Niagara R2 station Cause No settings to define password expiration. Resolution This feature is not available in Niagara R2.

Issue Is there any way to synchronize Niagara R2 station passwords with an IT password list from an on-site IT computer? Environment Niagara R2 Cause Password management Resolution This feature is not available.

Issue Cannot log into localhost via admin tool in Niagara R2 Workplace Pro. Environment Niagara R2 Workplace Pro Cause This is typically related to the Windows user accounts, domain accounts, and administrative privileges. Resolution The username and password are affiliated with the domain. The domain policy is not allowing local administrative rights for that computer. Either the domain policy needs to be changed (IT does not like this) or a new local user must be added with the same username and password reflected by the domain.

Issue The following message appears when launching Niagara R2 serial tunneling for Vserial: "RUNDLL". An exception occurred while trying to run "C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL" "C:\WINDOWS\system32\natconfig.cpl", Niagara App Tunneling" Environment Niagara R2 Cause Google Desktop and Embassy Suite (Wave Systems Corp) have been found to cause this problem. Resolution If either one of these are installed, remove it and reboot the computer.

Issue Procedure for changing the name of a FLO2 block in a Network 8000 GCM, and in the MicroFlo II controller Environment Unknown Environment Cause Unknown Cause Resolution The name comes from the FLO2 block in the GCM. Once the block is created and named, there is no direct way to edit the name, either in the GCM or from PSI. The name is saved in the backed-up PSI application file, and when the application is downloaded, the name in the controller changes to the name from the file. Download a different file, and the MFII gets a different name. To keep the programming intact, but change the block name in the GCM and in the controller: 1. Set the physical address of the existing FLO2 block (with the wrong name) = 0. 2. Copy the block, give the new FLO2 block the name you want. 3. Edit the new FLO2 block, set the physical address = the DIP switch setting on the MFII. 4. Reset the new block, created in step 3. This writes the new name to the MF2 controller. 5. Delete the original FLO2 block, that had the wrong name.

Issue An error message "Cannot process DB Admin command; java.net connection refused" is displayed when attempting to back up a Niagara R2 UNC station using the DB Admin "Get" function. All other DB Admin commands also return the same error message. Environment I/A Series R2 station Cause This error occurs when the HTTP port for the UNC has been changed. Resolution In order to correct this, add a line in the station.properties file that references the new port number. Edit this file using the Admin Tool, as follows: where 'xxxx' is the same http port number changed in the station.  Be sure to type in the line with the capitalization as shown. If not already done, open the Admin Tool and log into the host that contains the station with the changed http port Right-click the station name (not the host name or address) and select Edit > Properties Add a line to the file that reads:  httpPort=xxxx From the file menu, choose File > Close.  If any changes were made, save them or, otherwise, the window closes. If prompted to save your changes, click Yes to save your changes. The file saves and the window closes. To enable the change, stop and start the station and verify that it is running. Test the functionality of the new port by initiating a database conversion.  If the error message is received, verify that the httpPort line was added correctly. For more information, consult the Niagara Networking and Connectivity Guide.

Issue Wiring detail for using the B&B Electronics model USOPTL4 converter with PSI / XPSI Revision 4.1 Product Line TAC IA Series Environment PSI (Personal System Interface) Revision 4.1 XPSI (Xtended Personal System Interface) Revision 4.1 B&B Electronics USOPTL4 converter Cause PSI / XPSI Revision 4.1 does not work with the Patton Electronics RS-232 / RS-485 converter, model 2089-bc, that was widely used with earlier versions of PSI (rev. 3.13) and XPSI (rev. 2.0). Resolution One converter recommended for use with PSI / XPSI Revision 4.1 is the B&B Electronics model USOPTL4. To connect directly to the RJ-12 jack on an ASD device, or on a stat: Cut the RJ-12 plug off one end of an RJ-12 cable. Connect Black and Yellow wires and tape back. Connect the Green wire to the RDB(+) on the screw terminal of the USOPTL4. Connect the Red wire to the RDA (-) on the screw terminal of the USOPTL4. All four switches of the DIP switch on the USOPTL4 must be in the ON position to allow it to work properly on the ASD bus.

Issue How to prevent the Niagara R2 UNC station from sending multiple messages when emailing an alarm to a Cell Phone. Environment I/A Series R2 station Cause If a message sent to a cell phone as a text message exceeds a specific number of characters, the receiving phone will usually split the message into more than one part.  These message segments may not always be delivered in sequential order. Resolution Limit the number of fields defined to be transmitted in the alarm message. This field information is configured in the properties of the MailRecipient object. Remember that each selected field will appear in the message on a separate line. An alarm message sent as an e-mail message includes the Subject property, address properties (To, From & CC) and selected formatted alarm data fields. The message is formatted by the cell phone service provider based on their message delivery protocol. The exact e-mail delivery technique varies from one cell phone service provider to another. For example, the service providers US Cellular, ATT/Cingular or Sprint, deliver e-mail messages as a series of SMS (Short Message System) messages. The limit for each SMS message is 160 single-byte characters. To format the message into SMS format, the carrier breaks the message into 160 byte chunks and delivers these chunks as a series separate messages to the recipient's cell phone. Some cell phone service providers use MMS messaging (Multimedia Message Service) to transmit e-mail messages to users subscribed to this feature.  With MMS, the e-mail message is typically received as a single message, however, only the message header (To, From and Subject) will be delivered to the phone until the user attempts to read the message. When the user opens a message in this format, the cell phone uses WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) to retrieve the message from the service provider and display the entire message. Note that to read the entire message, the user must have access to his carrier's network at the time he is attempting to read the message. UPDATE: US Cellular has announced that in selected service areas, they will offer a new service on specific phones that will allow sending and receiving HTML (text) based e-mail messages without the 160 character limitation.

Issue Tried to add a holiday event to a Niagara R2 calendar and received the error: "Cannot add entry" /tridium/props/error.properties#error.E_CALENDAR_FULL Environment Niagara R2 Cause There is a 50-event limit hard coded into the R2 schedule object. Resolution One solution is to use multiple Calendar objects.

Issue Menu pull downs missing from WorkPlace Tech 5.7.1 after installing the Belkin Bluetooth adapter. Environment WorkPlace Tech 5.7.1 Belkin Bluetooth adapter Cause For Visio 2007, un-check the box for Send to Bluetooth. For Visio 2003, un-check the box for COM add-ins. Resolution Field offices have reported an issue after installing the Belkin Bluetooth adapter for use with the MNB-ROAM-IA. The problem is that Workplace Tech menu pull downs are missing (Project, Application); additionally, all of the Workplace Tech options are missing from the Tools pull down ( Configure Communications, Browse Devices, WorkPlace Commissioning Tool, etc.) One result of this problem is that the user cannot re-configure WorkPlace Tech for LON communications, or any other BACnet communications. WorkPlace Tech 5.7.1 with Visio 2007 Open Visio 2007 Open the Tools Pull down. Select the Trust Center Select Add-ins. At the bottom of the screen, COM Add-ins is the default selection. Press GO. In the COM Add-ins box displayed, un-check the box for Send to Bluetooth. Click OK to apply. Close Visio. Open WPT, all menu items should be there. Workplace Tech 5.7.1 with Visio 2003 Open Visio 2003 Open the Tools menu. Select Options, then Security. Un-check the box for COM add-ins. Click OK to apply. Close Visio 2003. Open WPT, all menu items should be there.

Issue Is there a way in a Niagara R2 UNC station to display the current date and time on a graphic? Environment Niagara R2 UNC station Cause There is a standard program object that can be used to expose the elements of the UNC time and date. Resolution The program object is found in the remote library under tridiumx in the "LIB" jar file.  The program object is "DateTimeDiscreteComponents.sns" found under the muxDemux folder in the "programObjects" folder. To use this object, copy it to the desired container in the station database then create links to the desired date or time elements. The following elements are exposed as values that can be linked to other similar type objects or to GxText objects: dateTime (as DateTimeType) date (as DateType) time (as TimeType) timeAmPmString (as String) weekday (as WeekdayEnum) month (as MonthEnum) SecsToday (as FlowtStatusType) The following elements are exposed as integers that can be linked to other objects that accept integer value links or to GxText objects: year day hour minute second When considering the use of this program object, remember that for best performance there should be no more than 100 custom program objects used in a UNC station database.

Issue How many trended points can exist in a Niagara R2 Enterprise Server station? Environment Niagara R2 Enterprise Server Cause Information on the number of trended points allows in a Niagara R2 Enterprise Server station. Resolution There is no “recommended” point count or intervals. Each trend sample gets added to the app database (located in the C:\niagara \stations \app folder). When this folder gets too large, the Enterprise Server's performance will be affected. The work around is to move or purge the app folder on a periodic basis.  

Issue Having issues accessing a remote BACnet network on a Niagara R2 UNC. Environment Niagara R2 UNC BACnet network Cause Configure the Niagara R2 UNC as a BBMD device. Resolution When attempting to access a remote BACnet network from a computer over the Internet, the Niagara R2 UNC on the network must be set up as a BBMD device.  Then, in the Commissioning Tool, configure communications so that the computer is accessing the remote network, using the IP address of the UNC set up as a BBMD.

Issue How to make configuration changes to a Niagara R2 UNC with the WorkPlace Commissioning Tool. Environment Niagara R2 UNC WorkPlace Commissioning Tool Cause WorkPlace Commissioning Tool can't change Niagara R2 UNC configuration. Resolution Even though the UNC appears in the WorkPlace Commissioning Tool, configuration changes cannot be made.  Any changes must be made with Workplace Pro.

Issue What models of Bluetooth adapters are supported with WorkPlace Tech for use with the BACnet Roam-IA MS/TP interface? Product Line TAC IA Series Environment WorkPlace Tech Tool software version 5.7.1 or newer MNB-ROAM-IA BACnet MS/TP adapter Cause Many of the available BlueTooth adapters do not support serial communication emulation at 115,200 baud as is required by the Roam-IA BACnet MS/TP interface. Resolution Approved USB Bluetooth Adapter for systems that do not currently have a Bluetooth facility, can be easily added by purchasing an approved external Bluetooth adapter. At a minimum, the adapter used MUST BE CAPABLE OF serial communication emulation at a rate of 115,200 baud. Some of the less expensive adapters are only capable of 57,600 baud. For use with WorkPlace Tech, the tested and approved external Bluetooth adapter is the Belkin USB adapter (330 Feet), Model F8T012 – UPC Code: 7 22868 61581 2. Although other external adapters may work, use of this adapter is required for resolving product support issues. Update: As of 6/19/2009 The Belkin Bluetooth adapter model F8T012 is obsolete and has been replaced by the Belkin USB Bluetooth Adapter Model F8T017  – UPC Code: 7 22868 67681 3.

Issue What are the proper steps in upgrading an I/A Series WorkPlace Pro site? Environment WorkPlace Pro Cause Instructions on upgrading an I/A Series WorkPlace Pro site Resolution The published upgrade instructions can be found on F-27334 TAC I/A Series® R2.301.522 Installation Instructions. However, there is another method. Using the existing version of WorkPlace Pro backup ALL of the UNC and Server databases into the XML format. Copy the stations containing the XML to the desired WPP revision. Enable and open the new revision of WPP. Use the Admin Tool to convert locally all of the stations from XML to DB. (If there are any errors, this will allow you to repair them with out affecting the running installation.) After all the databases have successfully converted to DB, convert them to SNS. (This will save you time later if you need to reload the UNC.) Now you can install the new desired revision into the Server, copy all of the stations into the new stations folder. Use the Enterprise Server to upgrade the UNC. During the upgrade process of the UNC you will be ask to backup the database. If the database had upgraded with no issue in the previous step, enter the username and password to proceed with this backup. What it will do is backup the station, upgrade the UNC, and then upgrade and reinstall the station. The previous station upgrade will be needed only if there is an issue. The only problem you may encounter would be on old Lon jobs. Some of the enumerated SNVT definitions were change by Echelon about the time we released WPP 431. If you run into the problem, the XML can typically be edited to resolve them.

Issue Why are only three tabs viewable when the Properties page of a MNB controller is opened using version 5.7.1 (and newer) of the WorkPlace Commissioning Tool? Environment MNB controller WorkPlace Commissioning Tool Cause Beginning with version 5.7.1 of the WorkPlace Commissioning tool, only a subset of the controller configuration data is requested when initially browsing for BACnet devices using the selected communications protocol. Without additional information, the "Device Properties" program module does not know what kind of device (controller model) is being accessed. Without the model information, only the generic "General", "BBMD" and "Advanced" device information tabs are displayed. This is the same information displayed when third-party BACnet controllers are accessed. Resolution There are two options for acquiring the additional "Extended Device Data". Turn on the "Auto Acquire Extended Data" option.  WorkPlace Commissioning Tool will automatically request the extended data for those devices shown in the device list. Right-click the specific device entry in the list and select "Refresh" from the displayed menu.   Once the extended data has been retrieved from a BACnet device, the Properties window for that device will display with all the appropriate property tabs shown.

Issue WorkPlace Tech "Application Menu" and some "Tools Menu" entries are missing or grayed out. When attempting to run the WorkPlace Tech Tool, Application Menu missing or grayed out. All WorkPlace Tech Tool related entries in the Tools menu are grayed out or missing.   Project Toolbars are not displayed.  Environment WorkPlace Tech Tool 4.0.x, 5.7.0 - 5.7.3 Microsoft Visio 2002, Visio 2003 or Visio 2007 Microsoft Windows XPsp2, XPsp3, Vista or Windows 7 Cause Various causes beyond the scope of this article. Resolution There are several different reasons why these entries are grayed out or missing and therefore not selectable. There are two parts to the procedure to correct the problem, disabling COM addins and deleting the Visio directory cache. The exact procedure depends on the version of Visio and the version of Windows being used. WorkPlace Tech with Visio 2007 Open Visio 2007 Open the Tools Pull down. Select the Options. Select the Trust Center Select Add-ins. Verify that the box "Disable all Application Add-ins" is NOT checked. At the bottom of the screen, COM Add-ins is the default selection. Press GO. In the COM Add-ins box displayed, un-check the box for all third party add-ins. Click OK to apply. Close Visio 2007 Delete the Visio Directory Cache file, as follows, depending on the version of Windows. If running Windows Vista, delete the file c:\Users\< username >\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Visio\content12.dat If running Windows XP, delete the file c:\Documents and Settings\< username >\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Visio\content12.dat Open Visio 2007 and wait for the "Getting Started with Microsoft Visio" window to be displayed. Close Visio 2007. Open WorkPlace Tech, all menu items should be there. If some or all of the WorkPlace Tech Tool menu entries are still grayed out, repeat these steps, disabling all COM addins. Workplace Tech with Visio 2003 Open Visio 2003 Open the Tools menu. Select Options, then Security. Un-check the box for COM add-ins. Check the box for "Enable Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications". Check the box for "Enable Automation events" Click OK to apply. Close Visio 2003. Delete the Visio Directory Cache file, as follows, depending on the version of Windows. If running Windows Vista, delete the file c:\Users\< username >\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Visio\content.dat If running Windows XP, delete the file c:\Documents and Settings\< username >\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Visio\content.dat Open Visio 2003 and wait for the "Choose Drawing Type" window to be displayed. Close Visio 2003 Open WPT, all menu items should be there. Workplace Tech with Visio 2002 Open Visio 2002 Open the Tools menu. Select Options, then Advanced. Un-check the box for COM add-ins. Check the box for "Enable Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications". Check the box for "Enable Automation events" Click OK to apply. Close Visio 2002. Delete the Visio Directory Cache file, as follows, depending on the version of Windows. If running Windows Vista, delete the file c:\Users\< username >\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Visio\VISIO.BIN If running Windows XP, delete the file c:\Documents and Settings\< username >\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Visio\VISIO.BIN Open Visio 2002 and wait while Visio updates its directory cache. The process is complete when the "Choose Drawing Type" window is displayed. Close Visio 2002 Open WPT, all menu items should be there.