Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Using Vykon Alarm Services no sound is played on alarm popup, sound is enabled in both server and clients. Default sound is enabled and valid (operates in Windows when tested) and same for object level alarm sound. Have entered object level alarming parameters with pipe symbol, sc and tag in alarm text but even the default global sound doesn't work Environment Niagara R2 Vykon Alarm Client Cause The Vykon Alrm Client only supports wav files in standard PCM format, wav files that use compression codecs (e.g. mpeg3, etc.) do not work. Resolution Right click on the sound files and view the properties. The summary tab typically indicates the audio format. (for information on audio formats see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_file_format)  There are free utilities such as Moo0 Audio Converter that can be used to convert audio file formats

Issue Is there any way I can transfer a value between 2 LUA programs without using a BV or AV? Example: A Lua program (PG1) is created to turn on lighting, a variable called LightOn is created but other Lua programs PG2, PG3, PG4 cannot reference the "LightOn" variable. Is there any way a variable from one Lua program can be accessed from another Lua program? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Expert Environment SmartStruxure Lite Lua programming Cause Each PG script has its own dedicated environment, which basically means variable names cannot be shared between scripts. The only things that can be referenced are actual objects (AV, BV, etc.) Resolution An AV or BV object will need to be created within the EcoStruxure Building Expert controller to store the value and make it available for other programs to read. For example a BV1 could be created and read from or written to by multiple Lua programs by referencing ME.BV1 For more information, please reference the EcoStruxure Building Expert Software - User Interface Guide document on the Exchange.

Issue How to measure absolute pressure in an air system? Environment SPD310, SPD360 Cause Only Differential air pressure sensors are listed in the catalogue. Resolution The SPD310 & SPD360 are the only Air Pressure transmitters we have in the Sensors Catalogue, however these should be suitable for measuring pressures most Air based systems. They can be used to measure the differential pressure across fans or dampers, but you can leave one side of the sensor open to the plant room atmospheric pressure and the other side connected in to the duct, that way it will measure the pressure in the duct relative to that days atmospheric pressure. This method will mean the air pressure coming out of the system relative to the room remains constant as atmospheric pressure changes. The SPD360 has the added local LCD display showing the differential pressure in Pascals. Note: There are air pressure switches and meters also available in the catalogue.  

Issue Badge printing was working, but when trying to print now the error is shown. The Windows user has full admin privileges Environment Continuum EpiBuilder Windows XP Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause Layouts are contained within files and the path can be specifically selected Resolution Ensure that the path to the layout is correct Ensure that the layout is the correct layout. Test with multiple layouts as it could be one particular layout that is corrupt.

Issue I/NET Host Tool with StruxureWare Building Operation Environment I/NET Site StruxureWare Building Operation Site Cause I/NET Host Tool support with StruxureWare Building Operation Resolution With the current release of Building Operation, I/NET Host Tool is not supported. Licensing of the Host Tool comes from a TAC Vista server and the graphics converter is not in the I/NET Host Tool. 

Issue Explanation and detail required for Client Access License (CAL). Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC INET Environment Windows  SQL Server Cause Information on Client Access License (CAL). Resolution Server licensing and Client Access Licenses (CALs) for the MS Server or MS SQL can become complex. It may be worthwhile to research further through Microsoft resources. SQL Server 2008 is available under three licensing models: Server plus device client access license (CAL). Requires a license for the computer running the Microsoft server product, as well as CALs for each client device. Server plus user client access license (CAL). Requires a license for the computer running the Microsoft server product, as well as CALs for each user. Processor license. Requires a single license for each CPU in the operating system environment running SQL Server. This license includes unlimited client device access. SQL Standard will normally come with 5 CALs. If more than 5 connections exist, then ore SQL CALs need to be purchased. See Microsoft Volume Licensing for more information. Note: MS Server CALs are separate and are also required. EcoStruxure Building Operation does not check CAL Client Access Licensing. EcoStruxure Building Operation Reports Server can be run using Microsoft SQL Express.  

Issue Getting Error: Class ID error when starting WorkPlace Tech. Environment WorkPlace Tech installation Cause The error indicates WorkPlace Tech is having problems working with RTMonitor. Resolution Remove the newest LDV driver first then the older ones and then uninstall and reinstall WPT. During the install WPT will load the LDV driver it requires.  

Issue Why is the LED on the TAC Xenta 422A module on, even when I set the hand switch to off? Environment TAC Xenta 422A Cause The LED on the TAC Xenta 422A module always show the status from the program, regardless of the position of the hand control. The hand controls controls the relay direct, and not via the program. Resolution The LED on the TAC Xenta 422A module always show the status from the program, regardless of the position of the hand control.

Issue  A temperature input will not go into alarm when it's value falls outside of the temperature range specified in its associated Out of Range alarm. When changes are made to the input (requiring the input to be saved) either of the following errors is displayed. The object attribute specified is invalid. The referenced attribute for an out of range or floating limit alarm must be either a REAL or smaller numeric type. Environment Alarm Enrollment Event Notification Alarms Cause While the High and Low limit parameters appear to be whole numbers, one or more of the values are either corrupted or of an incorrect data type. Resolution Record the parameters specified in the Algorithms page of the Alarm Enrollment. Clear the values in the Out of Range parameters by changing the alarm type to Expression. Apply the changes. Change the Alarm Type back to Out of Range. Enter the alarm parameters recorded in step one. Apply the changes and test.

Issue A MSC-MPC MicroSmart controller (revision 10) was replaced with the only available MSC-MPC on-site.  The replacement is a revision 11 controller.  Will a backup copy of the database from the revision 10 controller work in the revision 11 controller? Environment DMS MicroSmart MSC-MPC MSC-MPC-001 Cause No available revision 10 controllers Resolution Yes, the revision 10 database will work in the revision 11 controller.  OPRIF (the DMS-MicroSmart) programming tool) will prompt the user with a warning that the database file is not for the revision 11 controller.  Go ahead and continue with the download. Once complete, the unit displays in the MicroSmart controller may show up blank in OPRIF but the points are there and working.  Use the Point Configuration screen to scroll through all the points.  The only way to correct this display issue is to re-create each point from scratch which is time-consuming.  All the MicroSmart points linked to the DMS will restore properly.  So, from the DMS level, all the points will work normally and display normally.

Issue After upgrading a station to version 3.7,  saving and backing up the station fails every time. Any changes made in the station are erased once Workbench is closed Environment Niagara G3 version 3.7 Cause This is a new bug in 3.7, and should be fixed with next major release (3.8).  Control points copied from inside the BacnetNetwork to outside the BacnetNetwork causes the issue.   Resolution Control points with BBacnetProxyExt who are descendants of any Bacnet Network should be fine. You need to look for places you copied a control point from inside the BacnetNetwork to outside the BacnetNetwork.  There is a workaround: 1. In the station, go to Config > Services > ProgramService. Click the "Find Objects" button 2. In the Bql Query Builder window click the "Of type" drop-down, and select (Custom Type) 3. In the middle drop-down, select bacnet. In the right-most drop-down, select BacnetProxyExt. Click OK. A list of BACnet objects will appear 4. If any BacnetProxyExts show up outside the bacnet network, then their parent control point needs to be deleted, or replaced with a regular control point without a BBacnetProxyExt Proxy Extension  

Issue Changing one Filemaster to another Environment All versions of I/Net Cause Possible corruption on Filemaster and needs to be changed to a different Filemaster then repromote as a client. Resolution To resolve this the following steps needs to be followed: Demote the original Filemaster to a stand alone option and backup the database Demote all the clients to stand alone option Restore the backup from the original filemaster to the PC that will be the new Filemaster Promote to Filemaster Option and allow the icon to change states to where it allows clients to connect Promote all other clients to Equalized Clients by pointing to the new Filemaster Once Equalization is online again, the system should be working again.

Issue Job site has a Niagara G3 station integrated with several Xenta 301 controllers.  Can the Menta programming tool be used via LON tunneling through the station to re-program the Xenta controllers on an as-needed basis? Environment Niagara G3 Xenta controllers Cause Field request for ease of programming Resolution Tunneling via a Niagara G3 station to Xenta controllers is not possible.  A direct-connection is required.

Issue There are a couple of part numbers available for the expansion module cables, which ones are for which devices? Environment xP modules Cause Not sure which cables are for which xP modules. Descriptions and documentation on iPortal is inadequate. Resolution There are three xP module cables available: The 01-0100-484 cable is a replacement for the xP-Display module cable and this is meant to be for the xP-Display only, not for any of the other xP I/O modules. The xP I/O modules such as xPDO4 require either the xP-Mod-Cable-3 or xP-Mod-Cable-10. Be aware that you will only be able to extend the xP network for a maximum of 10Ft. See this iPortal datasheet or on Exchange Extranet for details.

Issue When configure a door with both reader channels as 0, only want to monitor the status of door switch, when the door is opening for a long time, the door ajar alarm should be triggered if the alarm has been configured, but on this condition, the door ajar alarm will never be triggered. Environment Cyberstation ACX AC-1 Cause Maybe it is a design, the controller not consider is a door when the reader channel is 0 Resolution Set a valid channel number for EntryReader although it is not connected, then try again, that should be OK.

Issue A 3rd party BACnet/MSTP controller was added to an existing ENC-520 running version 3.5.25.  All points from the controller were added to the ENC station successfully.  When adding these new points to the server, most of the points added except for two.  An 'invalid facets' error gets generated for the two points.  The points that were added successfully were pressure, temperature, and speed points.  The two points that did not add were flow points.  The server is running version 3.3.22. Environment Niagara G3 3.3.22 and 3.5.25 Cause The default engineering units changed between versions 3.3 and 3.5. Resolution Replace the units.xml file (lib folder) in the 3.3.22 server with the units.xml file from a 3.5 server.  Restart the station.  The points should now add successfully.

Issue A MN-Sx sensor is installed more than 200 feet away (the maximum specified) from a MNL controller. The dynamic temperature value drops in and out at the controller.  Is there a repeater that can be installed to improve communications? Environment MNL MN-Sx Cause Cable run extends beyond the specified 200 feet. Resolution There is no repeater available that can be used for the MN-Sx cable run.

Issue Errors variable increasing rapidly and frequent 182a errors seen in the Controller Error Log. 0x0000182a - COMM_ERR_IV_IPADDR (Invalid Internet network address) Product Line Andover Continuum Environment All IP Level Controllers bCX ACX57xx Netcontroller Netcontroller II Cause The 182a error indicates that there is an issue with the controller IP Address settings. Some potential causes of this are: Duplicate IP Address, improper subnet mask, improper gateway, BACnet routing issues. It seems that it is logged when trying to change the IP address or use an encode id already used by another device. This error can be caused by misconfigured IP address information including mask and gateway addressing.  Can also be due to improper BACnet routing. In one specific scenario the issue was the default router setting in the Controller. This was set to a device that was not a router to the network. Confirming the configuration of all IP Devices on the network and getting a Wireshark capture can help to identify the potential cause.  Resolution Removed the invalid IP address from the Default Router field and the 182a errors stopped appearing in the Controller Error Logs.

Issue UNC stops communicating with LonWorks devices. The following messages are seen in the UNC's standard output. Opened lon / LON1 >>> Lon Driver opened!   ERROR: readProperty() failed for property tridiumx.lonworks.LonException E_LON_INVALID_MSG_CODE Opened lon / LON1 >>> Lon Driver opened! Opened lon / LON >>> Lon Driver opened! Opened lon / LON1 >>> Lon Driver opened! Environment I/A Series UNC-520 LonWorks communications Cause The standard output of the UNC shows that the UNC LON port and LON driver were successfully opened and indicates no error. The cause of the problem is unknown at this time.  Resolution Current workaround is as follows: In the UNC station, go to Services > LonWorksService > LonDeviceManager. Select the LocalLonDevice and Commission it. 

Issue Do we have any UV intensity sensor available in the Schneider Electric portfolio? Environment Ultra violet sensor UV Cause Some applications require a UV intensity sensor. Resolution Unfortunately, no such sensor is currently available in the Schneider Electric offer. If required, it needs to be purchased locally.