Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue What is the difference between Crompton and Modbus? Environment IC3-Modbus IC-Modbus Cause Adding Modbus slave devices to a network that have Crompton devices and the IC Modbus is set to Crompton. Resolution The IC Modbus when set to MODbus reads 16bit registers separately. It can add 2 consecutive 16 bit registers together to make a 32 bit word. The IC Modbus when set to Crompton reads a single 32 bit register. Crompton uses 32 bit registers. Therefore Modbus and Crompton slave devices cannot be mixed on the same IC Modbus network.

Issue The thermostat appears to be in OFF mode and can't be cycled through the modes as indicated by the manufacturer's directions.   Environment Venstar T2700, VST2700 thermostats for red-wire control connected physically to a controller Cause It seems that the polarity of the dry contact was set to the default Normally Open (NO) state. Using the Venstar EZ-Programmer to apply the correct settings for use with an occupancy point did not overwrite the polarity of the Venstar's dry contact, but did overwrite the Dry Contact Operation. Also, by wiring everything up first, we did not power up the thermostat to change the mode before it got the closed dry contact command from the BAS. So when we did power everything up, the dry contact was closed, but the thermostat understood that this was an "unoccupied" command since it was still set to NO. Even though the security settings allowed the mode to be changed, when Dry Contact Operation is enabled, the mode can only be changed in occupied mode. When the thermostat goes unoccupied, it stays in whatever mode it was in previously, and controls to the unoccupied setpoints. By not realizing that the EZ Programmer didn't overwrite the polarity, we assumed the dry contact operation and polarity were correct and a closed dry contact would enable the occupied mode.   Resolution This issue can be resolved by powering up the thermostat before connecting the dry contact relay and changing the mode to "auto". If already wired, make sure the dry contact polarity is set to Normally Closed (NC) and Dry Contact Operation is "Yes". Then the modes can be cycled while occupied. < acc0432manualrev1.pdf="" manuals="" support="" www.venstar.com="">

Issue SmartStruxure with I/A Series Micronet BACnet (MNB) controllers Environment SmartStruxure version 1.4 and earlier I/A Series Micronet BACnet (MNB) controllers Cause Need to know if it is possible to use MNB controllers with SmartStruxure.  Resolution I/A Series MNB controllers can be integrated into SmartStruxure as 3rd party BACnet devices. For more information on SmartStruxure with MNB controllers, download document MNB BACnet Support within a StruxureWare Building Operation System Solution Guide.

Issue I/A Series Micronet BACnet controllers firmware download Environment I/A Series Micronet BACnet (MNB) Controllers Cause The firmware for the MNB controllers is not available on the Extranet. Resolution The MNB controllers' firmware can be downloaded from The Exchange Download Center by searching for MNB firmware.

Issue What is the procedure for using a BCX9640 to replace a CX controller. Environment BCX9640 Comm Port Cause Need to change the Infinet Controller type. Resolution A BCX9640 is not the preferred replacement for a NetController for several reasons, among which are the following..  Can only support one Infinet port (Comm 2). Does not support L-Bus Does not support IO Module control. The process for replacing a NetController with a BCX9640 is as follows. Print a list view off all Infinet Controllers under the NetController.  This list must include the following columns... SerialNum CntrlType InfinetID Create a new BCX9640 with a new ACCID and bring it online. Switch Cyberstation to offline editing mode. Change the serial numbers of all Infinet Controllers under the NetController false serial number (so that the serial number for each Infinet Controller will be available for each new Infinet Controllers created under the BCX9640). With the workstation in Offline mode, manually create all the Infinet Controller object that existed under Comm 2 of the BCX9640.  Use the following information, The same controller model that the Infinet Controller had under the NetController. The same Infinet ID that the Infinet Controller had under the NetController. Drag and drop copy all the points and programs from the original controller to the new controller. Verify that all the points and programs were correctly copied and are intact. Go into the new Infinet Controllers and change their serial numbers to the serial number it had under the NetController. Next go back to online editing. At this point you should see all your infinet controllers come back on line. Finally reload the complete site. It is important to note that any controllers that are referencing points in the relocated controllers will have to have these object references verified and repaired in cases where the references have been lost.

Issue What version of LONMARK Resource Files are used within StruxureWare Building Operation? Environment StruxureWare Building Operation Cause SBO documentation currently does not provide this information.  The LONMARK Resource Files define the standard SNVTs and SCPTs that are supported by the platform. Resolution StruxureWare 1.2 ... LONMARK Resource Files version 13.02 StruxureWare 1.3 ... LONMARK Resource Files version 13.02 StruxureWare 1.4 ... LONMARK Resource Files version 13.20 StruxureWare 1.5 (next release) ... LONMARK Resource Files version 14.00

Issue Managing servers with Microsoft System Center Environment A site with Schneider Electric SmartStruxure Cause Microsoft System Center is a set of server products aimed specifically at helping corporate IT administrators manage a network of Windows Server and client desktop systems. Microsoft Servers (previously called Windows Server System) is a brand that encompasses a line of Microsoft server products. http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter  Microsoft Software Asset Management (SAM) Is there a way to integrate Microsoft System Center with Schneider Electric SmartStruxure? Resolution Integration of Microsoft System Center with Schneider-Electric SmartStruxure has not been tested, nor is it supported. With System Center, the management of Server environments is outside of the installation and use of Schneider Electric SmartStruxure.

Issue I/A Series G3 Niagara network points in fault and indicate Subscribed error:invalid permissions. Environment I/A Series G3 (all versions) Cause The credentials being used by the connection does not have the correct permissions to access the data. Resolution Verify username / password and associated permissions related to station to station fox connections.  Modify the associated permissions on the server side or use another set of credentials that have permissions.

Issue Uninstalling KB2858725 removed MS Dot Net 4.0 from the system and Web Client no longer accepts connections. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum 1.9x Windows 7 Windows 2008 Server Windows 2008R2 Server Cause Removal of KB2858725 not only removes the update it also removes Microsoft Dot Net 4, Dot Net 4.0 Client and Dot Net 4.5 extended. Resolution   Microsoft Dot Net 4.0 Extended. http://microsoft-framework-4-extended.en.lo4d.com/ Reinstall Microsoft Dot Net 4.0 Client profile. http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24872 Note: Link to TPA-CONT-13-0005.00 for .Net Control errors with schedules once update for 4.5.1 is installed.

Issue A floating control reheat valve is wired to the digital triac outputs of a MicroSmart controller.  After a few hours of operation, the valve position does not match with the expected position as provided by the real-time display.  Is there a way to synchronize the actual position with the real-time display without power-cycling the controller? Environment DMS MicroSmart (any with triac outputs) Cause Intrinsic design issue with floating actuators with built-in feedback. Resolution One option is to write a UDP that toggles valve control using a STOP command and then an AUTO command on the analog output point. Ensure the STOP command action is RANLO (range low) which will swing the actuator to its fully open or fully closed position.  The AUTO command will restore dynamic control via its control loop. In between the STOP and AUTO commands, insert a delay of 120 seconds to give the actuator time to get to its fully open or fully closed position.  If the actuator needs more or less than 120 seconds, modify it accordingly. Run the UDP on a timer of every 4 hours.

Issue For Modbus RTU Xdriver, if poll too much points or polling is too fast with one xdriver will cause reading 0 issue. Environment Continuum 1.9X BCX1-CR, Modbus RTU xdriver Cause Poll too much points with one xdriver or polling is too fast ,more than 2 polls per second More than one programs polling at the same time Resolution  Make sure there is only 1 PE program running to Poll the xdriver points Slow down the polls rate ,make sure it is under 2 polls per second,  If the issue still exist, please do the following steps Create a mirror point for each xdriver point,and fill the mirror point in AnnexPoint of Xdriver Point configuration tag Create an infinityfunction called PollFunction( as a example) in the BCX1 as below:           Arg 1 XdriverPoint Numeric count ,i,temp For count=1 to i Next count temp=xdriverPoint Return(temp)      4. Creat the poll program in BCX1 like below Numeric count,i,temp, Caller Line initial if caller is 0 then goto 1 line 1 i=200 temp=PollFunction(XdriverPoint1) DisplayPoint1=AnnexPoint1/rate1 goto 2 line 2 temp=PollFunction(XdriverPoint2) DisplayPoint2=AnnexPoint2/rate2 ... goto waitting line waitting Caller=1 goto Initial 5, Follow step4 , create another poll program to poll more xdriver points, change the sytax to caller=1,2....n in the Initial line, and change the sytax to caller=2,3,.....0 in the waitting line to assure there is only one program does poll xdriver point at the same time. After configure annexpoint, annexpoint will keep the good value and ingore the bad value.

Issue When the AS is connected to the ES we never have problems to login but sometimes when the AS have been disconnected from the ES it is not possible to login to the AS. Environment StruxureWare Building operations 1.4 Cause If a user do one invalid logon attempt this account will be locked until the AS is connected to the ES again. Resolution If the AS is not connected to the ES don't do invalid logon attempts. Make sure to type in the correct password. 

Issue Do we have any official statements if Windows updates should be installed on computers running a Vista server?  Environment TAC Vista Cause As TAC Vista is using Windows components there is always a very small risk that TAC Vista could run in to trouble when installing a Windows update. But on the other hand if not installing Window updates the computer could run in to trouble and then Vista will crash too. Resolution There is no official statement saying if Windows updates should be installed on a TAC Vista site, it is up to the engineers on site to take that decision.

Issue Getting "Comm Error 12 - Cannot run this ROM in this hardware" when trying to access a PEM through XPSI. Environment Network 8000 PEM-1 Cause Internal board failure Resolution Ensure the version of PSI being used is Y2K compliant (i.e. at least version 3.11).  The PSI program utilizes the time/date during log in, and it may well be the year 2000 date that is causing this problem.  The PEM PSI version will show as you enter it from XPSI. If that is not the issue, re-install the controller's database.   If that doesn't help, replace the controller.

Issue How many controllers and Workstations can Continuum systems support? Environment All Ethernet level controllers and Workstations. bCX, CX, NCII, ACX Cause Valid address ranges required Resolution Each "Network" (often called Continuum Network or Infinity Network) supports controllers with ACCNetID values of 1 to 190. No duplicate numbers are allowed on the same network Potentially the database supports up to 4 Million networks. Cyberstation workstations have ACCNetID's in the range 191 through 254 (maximum 64)

Issue AS reboots when opening a Function block program in webstation Environment AS 1.4.1 Webstation Cause There is a issue in the AS that causes it to reboot when you view a Function Block program from webstation Resolution There is a Hotfix that solves this issue. Contact Product support to get it. Please ask for hotfix 1.4.1.4302, this hotfix is for the specific problem.  

Issue How can a TAC Vista system communicate with a Profibus device? Environment TAC Vista system 3rd Party Profibus device Cause A site may have existing devices that communicate via the Profibus field bus protocol and these are to be kept and integrated into the TAC Vista system Resolution There is no standard way to do this, but one way would be to use a Modbus to Profibus converter. On one side of the converter a X913 can communicate via Modbus and on the other side the Profibus device would communicate with the converter via Profibus. The X913 can then be integrated into Vista if/as required.

Issue A report is set up to be printed automatically at certain times using Periodical reports.   Nothing happens and the report is never printed. It is possible to open a report manually and print it but the reports are not printed when using periodical reports. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Server Windows Server 2008 Cause The periodical report worked when running Vista as a application but not as a service. The user starting the service Tacos had a password with only three characters which does not meet the complexity requirements for a Windows 2008 server. It was possible to login and start the service using this password but the service Tacos could not start Excel and create the report using this password. Resolution Change to a user with a password meeting the complexity requirements for a Windows 2008 server for the service called Tacos.

Issue If a Modbus IP server goes offline it will slow the polling of other operating servers, how can this be prevented? Environment Modbus TCP/IP X-Driver Cause When the Client Modbus IP XDriver polls points from a Server that is offline or not communicating it will time out slowing the polling of other online devices. Resolution Create a "Remote Device Status Point" (Function code 102) for each of the Servers on the system. This point will return a  value of 1 when the server is communicating, 0 when it is not connected. If a server is known to be offline or switched off this point can be set to a value of 2 to stop it polling that server for data. This allows the other servers to continue to be polled without any time out delays from every point on the offline server.

Issue What is the "meter factor", what does it mean? Environment Kamstrup Heating meter cooling meter flow meter Multical 601 602 Cause The "meter factor" is mentioned in the documentation, but what does it mean? Resolution The "meter factor" is the number of impulses/Liter, and differs between the different sizes of meters. This value is described in the data sheet. The meter factor can also be seen on the label on the side of the meter.