Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue A previously functional MNL controller is not communicating and the RED LED is on solid. Environment MNL controllers - all revisions Cause Internal hardware failure Resolution The solid RED LED indicates that the LON processor Neuron application is not running. This is a hardware failure and is not field repairable. Replace the controller.

Issue A Niagara R2 / Lonworks integration station running on a computer  can interfere with WorkPlace Tech, by preventing its access to the LON card. Environment Niagara R2 WorkPlace Tech Cause LON adapter not working with WorkPlace Tech on a pc installed with WorkPlace Pro Resolution One symptom is if attempting to download and the dialog box indicates “loading device driver”, followed by the box with the hand. The hand is not moving and is followed by an error, “waiting for service pin.” A Niagara station with autorun enabled can be running in the background without the user being aware of it. To insure that a Niagara R2 station is not running in the background on the computer, follow these steps: Go to Computer Management by right-clicking on My Computer Select Manage from the pull-down menu. Go to Services and Applications, then Services. Stop the Niagara and Niagara LON Tunnel services. Typically, the Niagara and Niagara LON Tunnel services will be configured to start automatically when the computer is rebooted.

Issue MNL-800 ramp object step change does not function if time value set greater than 164 seconds. Environment MNL-800 Cause The ramp object configured as "step change" incrementally increases or decreases the output at the level and rate defined by the step level and time values. The ramp will not perform the "step change" function if the time value setting is greater than 164 seconds. Resolution The workaround involves decreasing both the step level and time values by a common factor to obtain the overall result in the original timeframe required. For example, a step change of 1 every 1000 seconds can be performed with the same results if using a step change of 0.1 every 100 seconds.

Issue When using PSI 4.1 in direct connect mode, the baud rate is modified and saved but it will not communicate at the new rate. Environment PSI 4.1 Cause A baud rate change in PSI direct connect mode does not take affect until the PSI program is closed and restarted. Resolution Closed the PSI program and restart the program for the new baud rate to take effect.

Issue Cannot resolve WorkPlace Tech licensing problem - "License Registry is Corrupt." This applies to all versions. Environment I/A Series WorkPlace Tech Cause This issue occurs when a user that does not have "Local Administrative Rights" on the Windows operating system installed in the computer. When the license is repaired by Product Support Services and reloaded on the computer, the problem will reappear when the user attempts to start WorkPlace Tech. Resolution There are two different procedures that can be used to correct this problem: Procedure 1: If the computer is on a Windows Domain and the user has only normal user rights on the computer, an administrative user with Domain User rights can add the user's domain account to the "Local Administrators Group" on the computer.  When this is done, the user will continue to have only normal user rights on the Windows Domain but will have the privileges of an administrator on the local computer.  This allows the WorkPlace Tech (and any other software) on that computer to be run with local administrative privileges. Procedure 2:  Create a new local computer user account and place this new user account in the Administrators group. Hold down the shift key then right-click on WorkPlace Tech, either by selecting its Icon on the desktop or selecting it in the system Start menu. In the menu that is displayed after right-clicking, select "Run as Administrator". When prompted, enter the name and password for the user created in step 1.

Issue MNB controllers wired to the MSTP trunk of a MNB-1000 do not show up in the WorkPlace Commissioning Tool when connected via BACnet/IP. Environment MNB-1000 WorkPlace Commissioning Tool Cause Settings and configuration on the MNB-1000 and WorkPlace Commissioning Tool. Resolution Ensure that the MNB-1000’s MS/TP trunk is enabled. Ensure that the MNB-1000's MS/TP network number is entered.  Ensure that the Max Master count under the MSTP tab of the MNB-1000 is set with a number that is two more than the total number of controllers on the MSTP trunk. The MSTP addressing should have no gaps. Also, set the “Browse Settings” to Global. The setting is located under File > Connect > Advanced menu of the WorkPlace Commissioning Tool. When the browse setting is configured for local, not all devices on all BACnet networks will display.

Issue What is the voltage used on a universal input (UI) on a MNL-20Rx controller? Environment MNL-20Rx Controller Cause Information on the input types the MNL-20Rx Controller accepted. Resolution UI circuits output (5.0 Vdc) and are designed to process the following input types: 1K Balco RTD, 1K Platinum RTD, 10K thermistor with 11K shunt resistor, Voltage 0 to 5 VDC, Current 0 to 20 mA with external shunt, 0-1K resistance range, 0-10K resistance range, and a digital contact closure. For resistive type inputs, the microprocessor controls an internal multiplexer that switches and pulses the various current sources to the various UIs during the analog to digital (A/D) process. The circuit does not apply a constant current to the sensor on a continuous basis. A voltage value will be read across the resistive sensor.  However this reading is not accurate due to the pulse methodology. The current pulsed to the sensors depends upon the range. The 10K thermistor with 11K shunt resistor is pulsed with 0.45 mA and the 1K RTD sensors (e.g. Balco and Platinum) are pulsed with the 3.1 mA current source.

Issue Can the Echelon U10 USB interface function with the MicroNet VAV Flow Balance program (revision 3.0) for LON? Environment Echelon U10 USB MicroNet VAV Flow Balance program (revision 3.0) Cause The MicroNet VAV Flow Balance program will only function with an interface configured for LON1.  If a PCMCIA card is installed on the computer, it is probably already set up for LON1. Resolution To use the Echelon U10 USB interface: Uninstall the PCMCIA card first Ensure the Echelon OpenLDV 3.4 Driver is installed If the U10 USB interface was previously installed and it was not recognized as LON1, remove any traces of it: Disconnect the device Open the "LonWorks Interfaces" in Windows control panel On the "USB" tab, check "Show detached interfaces" to view the previous USB devices. Highlight and remove all interface instances. In the system device manager, delete any Echelon devices that may still reside under the Universal Serial Bus Controllers. When plugging in the U10 USB interface, it will be recognized as the first Lon device LON1.

Issue When using WorkPlace Tech and Niagara G3 LON tunneling through an ENC, just a few devices are found and they are displayed slowly. Environment WorkPlace Tech Niagara G3 LON Cause This is a symptom of a bandwidth issue with Lon trunk communications. The LON polling function can be a high contributor to the bandwidth, and disrupt Lon Tunnel communications. Resolution By default, the "Poll Enabled" feature in an ENC is set to true in the Poll Service (located in the Property sheet of the Lon Network). If bindings are being used, polling can be disabled, which should free up enough bandwidth for Lon Tunneling. For more details, see the Niagara LonWorks Guide "Lon Poll Service notes" page 3-6.

Issue Why is the Niagara G3 Time Sync Service not working with time.nist.gov? Environment Niagara G3 time.nist.gov Cause As of April 2007 the server time.nist.gov no longer responds to requests for time in the "Time Protocol" format defined in RFC-868. Resolution As an alternative, try time-a.nist.gov or time-b.nist.gov As of April 2007 the server time.nist.gov no longer responds to requests for time in the "Time Protocol" format defined in RFC-868. All of the other NIST servers (except for time-nw.nist.gov) will continue to respond to requests to either tcp or udp port 37 for time in the format specified in RFC-868. "Time Protocol" used by the TimeSyncService has been superseded by a more sophisticated and more accurate one known as "Network Time Protocol" (NTP for short) defined in RFC-1305 The newer protocol is supported in Niagara G3 version 3.4 and newer and it is configured through the platform service of the station.

Issue What is the current firmware revision for a Network 8000 GCM and is an upgrade kit available? Product Line TAC IA Series Environment Network 8000 GCM Cause Looking for a firmware upgrade part number. Resolution The following table lists the part number and upgrade kit part number for the system firmware installed in each version of the GCM, LCM and similar type controllers. The listing of a particular device part number, EPROM part number or Firmware Upgrade Kit part number does not guarantee that the specific item can be ordered. Update - 12/31/2011 - All firmware kits listed below are now obsolete and can no longer be purchased. GCM / LCM Model Current Version EPROM Part Number Firmware Upgrade Kit GCM-84x1x (GCS Version) 5.4 PROM-12-100/200/300 GCMA-120-054 GCM-84x2x (ASD Version) 5.41A PROM-12-120/220/330 GCMA-137-054 GCM-85x1x (GCS-CCL Version) 4.7C PROM-12-110/120/130 GCMA-132-047 GCM-85x2x (ASD-CCL Version) 4.7AC PROM-12-140/240/340 GCMA-141-047 GCMA-114 4.2 PROM-19-100 GCMA-130-042 LCM-84x1x (8k EEPROM) 5.4 PROM-23-100/200/300 LCMA-138-054 LCM-85xxx (CCL Version) 4.7C PROM-23-110/210/310 LCMA-141-047 LCM-88x1x (32k EEPROM) 5.4 PROM-23-100/200/300 LCMA-138-054 GCS-xxxxx 4.0 PROM-18-120 GCSA-103-040 GIM-2100 4.7G0 PROM-12-130/230/330 GCMA-140-047 GIM-MTECH 4.8G2 PROM-12-150/250/350 GCMA-143-048 GCM-ECH-002 (Echelon NIM) 11.1B PROM-48-204 GCMA-147-111 GCM-86x11 (GCS Version) 5.4 PROM-41-100 GCMA-145-54 GCM-86x21 (ASD Version) 5.4A PROM-41-110 GCMA-146-54 GCM-ECH-001 (Echelon NIM) 11.1B PROM-48-203 GCMA-148-111 GCM-ETH-001 (Ethernet NIM) 11.2T PROM-48-202 GCMA-149-113 LNC-100 5.4GL PROM-41-160 LNCA-100-054 SIM-CCM 5.4G3 PROM-41-120 SIM-CCN-U SIM-MTECH 5.4GM PROM-41-150 SIM-MTECH-U SIM-TRANE 5.5GT PROM-41-140 SIM-TRANE-550 SIM-YORK 5.6GY PROM-41-130 SIM-YORK-U

Issue When using WorkPlace Tech on a Windows Vista computer, the LON USB adaptor will not configure properly to work with my site. Environment WorkPlace Tech installed on a Windows Vista computer LON USB adaptor Cause The LON USB adaptor has a communication issue with both Vista and Windows 7. When configuring the LON communications via the automatic option in WorkPlace Tech, this error appears: "Error occurred in SetInterfaceDomain for domain index 0.” After this error, the LON interfaces will no longer function. Resolution A temporary work-around is to identify the domain and use the manual configuration option.  Echelon NodeUtil, Niagara R2 WorkPlace Pro, or Niagara G3 WorkBench can be used to identify the domain, if needed.  If the domain is "0", the "Default Setup" option can be used.

Issue It is possible to edit a database offline using the MNet-CI that is installed as a part of PSI 4.1? Environment PSI 4.1 MNet-CI Cause The templates and default database files are not installed by the PSI 4.1 installer.  Resolution The templates and default database files, PSIv4.10_MN-CI_Templates.zip can be downloaded from Extranet. Install the templates in the "mnetci" folder and the database folder in the PSI parent folder.

Issue Why doesn't BACnet/Ethernet work on a Niagara R2 UNC-600 or UNC-610 after upgrading to R2 version 529 (527 or higher)? ERROR: Cannot start Ethernet Packet Driver tridium.nre.DriverException: Cannot open \Device\RTL81391 [ethernet] Environment UNC-600 UNC-610 Niagara R2 version 527 or higher Cause New driver files were generated for BACnet/Ethernet to provide Vista compatibility. As a result, the driver files are unable to properly initialize the Ethernet packet driver on both the UNC-600 and UNC-610 platforms. The error can be viewed using the output window during the station start process. Resolution The solution involves the replacement of three files within the platform's R2 version 529 bin directory. File (UNC-6xx_BACnetEthernet.zip) contains the associated files and includes a readme.pdf with details on how to install on the UNC-600 and UNC-610 platforms.

Issue In Niagara G3, how can the status (up / down) of a device object be trended? Environment Niagara G3 Cause Recording a connected controller's communication status Resolution Within the Wire Sheet that contains the device shadow object: Insert a StatusDemux object (from the kitControl pallet, Util folder).  Link the "Status" from the device object to the "In Status" of the StatusDemux object Insert a Boolean Writable object.  Link the "Down" slot of the StatusDemux object to the "In10" of the Boolean Writable object Add a BooleanCov history extension to the Boolean Writable object.  This will then track the up / down status of the device.

Issue What is the preferred method of finding the MAC address of a Niagara R2 UNC? Environment Niagara R2 UNC Cause Determine the MAC address to set up the reserved IP address. Resolution The quickest and easiest method of finding the MAC address of a UNC is by way of the following: From a command window, ping the UNC using the following command: ping IP , where IP Address is the Internet Protocol Address of the known UNC.  After receiving the Ping Statistics, type the following command: arp -a The physical address will then be shown. *NOTE: All UNCs will have the following generic first four octets: 00-20-96-05. The last two octets will be specific to the Serial Number of the UNC.

Issue In Niagara G3, is there a way to access the Alarm Portal through a web browser? Environment Niagara G3 Alarm Portal Cause Through the web, only the alarm console associated with the connected station can be viewed, and only one station at a time. Resolution The Alarm Portal is a program that runs off the Workbench framework, but can also be purchased as a stand alone product (i.e. no need to purchase Workbench and Alarm Portal, just purchase the portal). With the Alarm Portal software, connecting to multiple consoles at once is possible (similar to using Tools > Alarm Portal within Workbench). The other option is to create a Station Recipient for the desired alarm class in the ENC station's Alarm Service that points to the Enterprise Network Server, and use the server's Alarm Console. As long as the user has permissions to access the alarm console in the server, then the user can navigate to it in the nav tree.  It can also be added as a node in the .nav file for easy access to the location.  The user would still need the appropriate permissions to access the console.

Issue Which antivirus software is compatible with Niagara R2 and G3? Environment Niagara R2 Workplace Pro (all versions), Niagara G3 Workbench (all versions) Cause Antivirus software can block ports and services used by Niagara R2 and G3 Resolution By default, Niagara R2 software needs the following ports/services/applications "open", or unblocked: Port 80 (station communications & Web access) Port 3011 (Admin Tool) Niagara Service (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services) Files in the C:\ < niagara r2 release number > \nre\bin directory By default, Niagara G3 software needs the following ports/services/applications "open", or unblocked: Port 80 (Web access) Port 1911 (station communications) Port 3011 (Platform access) Niagara Service (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services) Files in the C:\ < niagara g3 release number > \bin directory Various antivirus software products by default will block one or more of the above, and need to be configured to allow or "unblock" them.  Niagara R2 and G3 software will work with any antivirus program that allows unblocked communication to the above ports, services, and files.   NOTE: The specified ethernet ports must be open bidirectionally for both TCP and UDP traffic.

Issue In a Niagara R2 UNC-600 (or UNC-610), when using the Installation Wizard to review installed jar files, this error appears: "Cannot find distribution set platform matching the target installation platform (NT)" Environment Niagara R2 UNC-600 (or UNC-610) Installation Wizard Cause The UNC-600 and UNC-610 use jar files stored in the "nt" directory. This error appears if the "emb" directory is selected instead. Resolution The "emb" directory is used for embedded UNCs like the UNC-410 and UNC-5x0. Selecting the "nt" directory will prevent the error from appearing and allow continuation to the jar file summary review window.

Issue How can it be determined if a new Niagara G3 ENC or new Niagara R2 UNC has the new boot flash? Environment Niagara G3 ENC Niagara R2 UNC Cause Determine boot flash version. Resolution The best way to determine if the controller has the new or old boot flash is to compare the serial number on the printed circuit board with the numbers listed below: UNC New Boot Flash (requires 529) UNC-410:Serial number 36218 or greater, shipped 6/16/10 UNC-520:Serial number 36184 or greater, shipped 6/16/10 ENC New Boot Flash ENC-410:Serial number 263187 or greater, shipped 5/18/10 ENC-520:Serial number 263122 or greater, shipped 5/13/10 If the serial number was removed or is not legible, contact Product Support Services for assistance. There is additional information available that will assist in determining the new and old boot flash.