Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Logs are not archiving in the ENC-520 and the error “Cannot append out-of-order or duplicate record” is being displayed Environment Niagara G3, ENC-520 Cause The timestamp of the archived logs were found to have a date code of the year 2106.  The error is because the ENC’s histories Last Timestamp is later that the ENC’s current station time.  Because of the incorrect timestamp, the ENC thinks its duplicating records so it will not append the records.  The ENC will not append any additional records to the histories until the ENC’s station time is later than the histories Last Timestamp time.   Resolution Delete the history folder from the ENC station Make sure ENC current time is correct

Issue When a download is performed on a BACnet controller does SmartStruxure overwrite the entire contents of the controller? Environment SmartStruxure 1.4 Download Cause Wish to replace the entire contents of a BACnet controller Resolution When downloading a BACnet controller from an Enterprise Server or an Automation Server the following takes place... StruxureWare downloads the configuration properties of the device proxy to the BACnet device. StruxureWare updates the object list of the BACnet device with the object list of the device proxy. StruxureWare writes the properties of the object proxies to the objects in the BACnet device. Following the download the contents of the BACnet device match the contents of the device proxy.  If there are objects in an external BACnet device that do not have corresponding object proxies in StruxureWare, the Download operation deletes those objects in the device.  The Download command does not delete vendor proprietary BACnet objects or properties as described by the ASHREA standard.

Warning Electrostatic Discharge Required: Always discharge static electricity from your person by touching metal prior to handling any hardware. Failure to do so may result in damage to devices. Issue Battery power on an MN50-RTC is low and needs to be replaced. Product Line Satchwell MicroNet Environment Controller PCB Power supply Timeclock Cause Low power in battery Resolution The replacement battery is a standard CR1632 3 volt 125mAh Updated January 2014. The MicroNet 50 series range MN350,450,550,650 LCD and Touchscreen have been withdrawn from sale. Currently no direct replacement is offered.

Issue Infinity Numeric Templates do not allow the BACnet Object type to be specified. Environment BACnet controllers bCX1 b3 Cause The BACnet Object Type is greyed out. Resolution A Workaround for this is to create multiple templates for the different BACnet object types, one template for BACnet Analog Values, one for BACnet Binary Values and one for BACnet Multistate values. You define all of your other attributes as required then create the objects. By default it will create Analog Values, then if you change the BACnet Object Type to Binary Value in one of the objects created from the "Binary value" template, this will prompt you to change all other objects created from this template, so all objects will be changed. You can do the same for Multistate values.   Note: Analog Value, or Binary Value templates can only be applied to Workstations you cannot create objects in the Blue BACnet folders of a bCX controller.  

Issue Both the BACnet Comm and the BACnet IP Port are enabled in an ENC-520, but BACnet devices are not being discovered. The Discover button it grayed out. Environment Niagara G3 all version, ENC-520-2, ENC-410 Cause The ENC’s Object Id number (instance number) setting under the station’s BacnetNetwork/LocalDevice/ property was set to its default value of “-1”. Resolution A valid Object ID (instance number) must be entered for the station.  - Open the BACnetNetwork of the station and go to LocalDevice - Enter a valid instance number in the range of “0” to “4194303” in the Object Id property - save change You should now be able to Discover the BACnet devices.   

Issue After an upgrades to 1.4, units for temperature inputs on Central IO are not configurable. Affected programs no longer work correctly. When there is no client activity to convert to the locale of the client (there is not with the Script engine), the input is assumed to have the number that corresponds to degrees Centigrade. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment SmartStruxure 1.4 Central IO Inputs PE Script Cause Units must be set  in the variables window of the affected script program. Resolution The following program would work fine in 1.3 if the temperature that is bound to the SpaceT input was configured to have units of Deg. F. When the user of this program upgrades to 1.4, this program will no longer work correctly. The input is assumed to have the number that corresponds to Deg. C. You can see it in the variable value listing block: 22.4°C is compared to the setpoint of 70°F and it does not work right. The units MUST be set within the Script program as below: Now it will work.

Issue Cannot import lon Lon Device template. Field stays red after browsing in the correct XIF file. Import button does still grayed out after browsing the correct XIF file. Environment StruxureWare Building Operation 1.3 and earlier Cause There is a problem with some regional settings. We have seen this using Turkish regional settings so far but the are probably other languages that will also cause the issue. Resolution Stop Workstation Open control panel Go to Regional and Language Options Change standards and formats to English. Click ok Start workstation again and import the file. Add your devices Close workstation Open Regional and Language settings and change back to your language Open workstation

Issue   Schneider Electric portfolio replacement actuator for Controlli MVF515 Environment Controlli MVF515 Forta M1500 Cause   A replacement for Controlli MVF515 is requested by customer. Resolution MVF515 is replaced by the Forta M1500. Linkage kit required is depending on application, but should not be necessary when just replacing the actuator.

Issue Eventlist in StruxureWare workstation is filled very rapidly with the following messages: - * Modbus group re-factorized - * Modbus group factorized - * Modbus illegal data address Environment StruxureWare Building Operation 1.4.818 Cause The problem is that it is illegal registers in the Modbus register group or groups. Modbus is trying to resolve this by refactoring the factoring and refactoring but is not successful. Resolution The possible solutions are: Identify the illegal Modbus point in SmartStruxure and remove from the subscription. Solution Split the group in to two so that the illegal Modbus point is left out of the groups. Disable group poll and Force individual point polling by setting incorrect function code for the group.   If it is difficult to identify the illegal Modbus point then you can use solution 3 to do this.

Issue What port is used for the Niagara R2 LON and Serial tunnel clients? Environment Niagara R2 Cause Want to modify network routers to allow port forwarding for tunneling Resolution The port used is the same port used as the UNC station. By default, the port is 80.  So, both tunnel clients also use port 80. If the station port is modified, the tunnel clients will use the new port number.

Issue For email alarms to work properly with Continuum, Outlook needs to be started before Continuum and a mechanism is needed to delay Cyberstation startup to allow time for Outlook to start. Environment Continuum Windows XP Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause Outlook needs to be started before Continuum, if both are placed in the startup folder, Outlook may not start first. Resolution Use a batch file (DelayContinuum.bat) to delay the startup of Cyberstation  -Create the file and place it in the Continuum folder It should contain the following lines: @echo off ping -n 30 localhost> nul C:\Progra~1\Continuum\Continuum.exe Note: 30 is the amount of pings, experiment with the number to allow Outlook to open -The shortcut target will be the path to the batch file, but don’t use the .bat in the target (Ex. C:\progra~1\Contin~1\DelayContinuum) Lastly, in the shortcut properties, select run minimized.

Issue A Fieldserver device was successfully commissioned in a Niagara R2 station using LON. The Lon Link Manager shows all related bindings with a status of "service_type_error".  None of them will bind. Environment Niagara R2 Cause Most Fieldserver devices using LON typically require a different service type other than the default 'standard' binding type. Resolution Change the binding type from 'standard' to 'critical'.  Then try to bind them.

Issue Which frequency is used by the Zigbee wireless communication protocol used in the SmartStruxure Lite? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Expert Environment SmartStruxure Lite SE7000 Zigbee Cause 2 different versions of Zigbee (W and P) are used, depending on generation of product. Resolution   W and P are using the same layer IEEE 802.15.4 at 2.4 GHz frequency, only the "language" is different. (they can't talk to each other) For more information and details on the different Zigbee protocols, please see: Zigbee on Wikipedia Zigbee Alliance

Issue When an alarm is sent to a printer Alarm Receiver, the printer prints several pages for one alarm. Environment Vista Printer Cause A normal, modern laser printer does not have coding that allows it to take a break in the middle of a page and start again later. When a print job starts it will consume the whole piece of paper. An alarm in Vista will print one page for just that one alarm. Depending on the alarm it could span multiple pages. Resolution Only a dot matrix printer can be used because they can print on impact. Correctly programmed you will get one alarm on each row. The programming needs to be done with the printer manual.

Issue Why do the default Continuum Menu pages not look "sharp" on very high resolution monitors? Environment Cyberstation V1.94 Cause Only one set of default .bmp menu screens are provided with a Cyberstation install. Resolution The default menu pages supplied in a Cyberstation V1.94 SP1 installation are bitmaps of 1020 x 662 resolution. If you are using a very high resolution monitor with a much higher resolution you may want to re-draw these example menu pages to suit the sites requirements.

Issue Error code 29506 installing SQL Management Studio Environment Windows 9 SQL Management Studio Express Cause Windows permissions Resolution Run the command prompt as an administrator and launch the .msi file from there to install the management studio. Go to Start\All Programs\Accessories Right click on command prompt and select run as administrator Launch the .msi file from the command prompt.

Issue Can a Jace-Nxt installed with Niagara R2 be cleared and re-installed with Niagara G3?  It's from an existing jobsite that was R2 and is now being converted to G3. Environment Niagara R2 Niagara G3 Cause Jobsite is upgrading from Niagara R2 and G3. Resolution Yes it is possible.  Use remote desktop to connect to the internal Windows desktop and proceed to install Niagara G3 as is done on any Windows box. If the Jace-nxt has a hard drive, there will be plenty of free space to install Niagara G3.  If it has the flash drive, space is limited.  You may have to completely remove R2 to get the installation files for G3 copied over and installed.  A G3 license will have to be purchased for the unit. Note:  Tridium does not offer this 'upgrade' type of service.  It is a do-it-yourself task.

Issue Jobsite has some existing Microsmart and ASD controllers that will eventually be replaced with LON or BACnet controllers as budget allows.  Can they co-exist on a UNC-520? Environment Niagara R2 Cause Existing controllers that cannot be replaced right away due to budget limitations. Resolution The two drivers and their jar files will not conflict.  They can be both installed and work independent of each other.

Issue When emailing an alarm from the ENC the timestamp is always the time the alarm occurred; even when the Alarm email is due to an acknowledgement or return to normal. Environment G3, ENC's, JACE's Cause The default "body" property of the EmailRecipient contains only the %timestamp% which represents when the alarm occurred. Resolution Additional parameters can be added to the EmailRecipient "body" property to provide the "return to normal" and "acknowledged" timestamps. The return alarm timestamp can be added with %normalTime%. The acknowledged timestamp can be added with %ackTime%.  

Issue Is the "Card Reader Power" specified in the datasheet per reader input or the controller total? Environment ACX5740 ACX5720 Cause It does not define on the datasheet if the reader power specified is for each reader input or the controller total. Resolution The reader current available specified on the ACXII datasheet is for each of the reader inputs. The jumpers on the board are used to define if each channel is supplying +12VDC or +5VDC. Each of the 4 reader inputs on an ACX5720 or the 8 reader inputs on an ACX5740 can supply the following: Either: 120mA @ +5VDC Or 180mA @ +12VDC If a reader is used that has a peak (Maximum) current consumption that exceeds this then it must be powered from a separate external power supply.