Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue TAC Vista server keeps restarting itself. How can I make it stop? Environment TAC Vista 5.1.X Possibly remote Workstation Cause Incorrect DCOM settings Resolution This happens because the DSS writerservice that transfers log data to the SQL database uses DCOM to call TACOS (Vista server) and if TACOS is not running it will start it up. That�s why it starts over and over again. Here is the solution: - Start Component Services, either from the Start menu, or via Start -> Run... -> dcomcnfg. - Double-click the Component Services node in the tree on the left-hand side. - Expand the My Computer node, and click the DCOM Config folder. - Locate the TACOS package in the right-hand view. - Right-click and click Properties. - Switch to the Security tab. - Edit Launch and Activation permissions. If Use Default is selected, switch to Customize, and press Edit. - Make sure no one has Remote Launch.

Issue MSDE and the install of I/NET Seven and Vista 4.3.1 version software. Environment Single computer with both I/NET Seven and Vista software. Cause MSDE and instance Resolution MSDE does not allow an unnamed instance to overwrite a named instance of MSDE. I/NET Seven MSDE installs at this time an "Un-Named" instance. Vista 4.3.1 installs a "Named" instance. The work around: Install I/NET Seven first then install Vista 4.3.1. This will be corrected in future release of I/NET Seven.

Issue 'Program interface does not match previously defined interface' when downloading/commissioning a Xenta 400/300 controller. NS, #59 Environment Vista System Plugin TAC Xenta Programmable Controllers LonMaker/NL220 Cause You get this error if you have 2 controllers that are using the same device template (XIF file) and one is system program version <3.5 and one is >3.5. Typically you will get this when you are replacing an older controller or adding a new controller to an older network. Controllers can share device template even if they have different applications as long as the are using the same SNVTs. Different types of Xenta controllers can also share the same XIF file. Resolution To fix the problem you have to make sure that the new controller you are adding (replacing) gets a new XIF file and it’s own template. Open the application form System plug-in by right clicking on controller and select configure-edit. To give the application a new XIF either add a “dummy” SNVT or go to device configuration and uncheck the tick box for “XIF header generated according to LonMark standard” Hit F12, select commands and generate. F12 again and save the application to the hard drive by selecting File-save as. In system plug-in, browse in the application that you just saved on the hard drive. Update TAC Network and TAC Database. If you are asked to resynchronize, do so. In Menta create a new application with just one PVR block in it. Go to the controller, connect a serial cable and download the small application that you just created. Go back to the system plug-in and download the controller. Commission in LonMaker.

Issue LonMaker restore backup error message: "The operation failed because access was denied to the target drive or directory. Please verify that you have write access" Environment LonMaker Cause This will happen if the TAC Vista server is running and already using the database. Resolution Close TAC Vista server and try again. If that doesn't work, make sure that you have full write access to the folder you are restoring to and that you are an administrator on the PC.

Issue One of the properties for the LON object in the 511 is 'Use subnet node addressing' what does this do? Environment Xenta 511 LTA LON Network Cause If you import a LNS network into XBuilder and are going to use polled values from a LonWorks devices, you can choose if the Xenta 511 is going to use subnet/node or neuron ID to address the current LonWorks devices. Resolution The advantage to using subnet/node addressing is that importing the LNS network into XBuilder again if node is replaced in the LNS network is not necessary, provided that the node keeps the same subnet/node and the same application.  

Issue Order of Operations for Creating a New Detail in ProjectBuilder 2 Environment I/NET or Vista site Cause Desire for a Order of Operations for Creating a New Detail in ProjectBuilder 2 Resolution Drag and drop a blank Placeholder onto the page from the TAC Device or TAC Wiring Details stencil. Create the detail drawing on the paper space in Visio. Make sure the drawing is the appropriate size to fit in the blank Placeholder. Select all of the detail drawing and copy it to the clipboard. Select the blank Placeholder that has been dropped on the paper space in Visio. Select Open Placeholder from the Visio Edit Menu. After the blank Placeholder has been opened, select Paste Special from the Visio Edit Menu. While in the Paste Special window, select Picture (Enhanced Metafile) and select OK Position the detail drawing in the Placeholder. Close the group window. Once back in the Visio window, RMA on the new Detail and select Edit Detail Info. Enter the Detail Name in the Name field and the Detail Description (Manufacturer) in the Description field, select OK. RMA on the new Detail and select Format/Special. Change the Name field from “Placeholder” to the exact Detail Name used two steps earlier. RMA on the new Detail and select Shape/Custom Properties. This drop down box should be blank. Select the type of shape from the list that this detail can be associated to. It might be necessary to change this property during the course of the drawing to be able to associate the detail to more than one kind of shape. Select OK. If you wish to save this detail, put a stencil into the edit mode by left clicking on the stencil icon in the top left hand corner of the stencil window and choosing edit. Copy the new detail and paste it into the stencil in edit mode. In the stencil set, RMA on the new detail and select Master Properties. In the Name field, enter the same name as you did for Detail Name earlier. In the Prompt field, on the first line put the Manufacturer and on the second line put the Detail Description used earlier. Take the stencil out of the edit mode by left clicking on the stencil icon in the top left hand corner of the stencil window and choosing edit. When prompted whether or not to save changes, click yes.

Issue Is there a way that I can present date and time of the TAC Vista server and TAC Xenta controllers on a graphic page in TAC Vista? Environment Vista IV OGC Graphics Cause Display the PC's current time (which should also be the Vista Server's current time) on a customer's graphics page. Resolution Choose a digital presentation in the graphic editor. Browse in the server object or the controller that you want the local time from. Choose the attribute Local time and mark presentation format.

Issue Xenta 5/7/9xx locks up during boot up sequence. Plugged into the service terminal (RS-232-B) during the boot up sequence, it can be observed that it stops processing on the "InstallDrivers" command. In some situations the error log produces the 49154 error code. Environment Xenta Servers Xenta 511, 527, 555, 701, 711, 721, 731, 913 Cause In some situations the error log produces the 49154 error code. If the Xenta 511/527/913 is not booting correctly and stops processing on the "InstallDrivers" command, visible via a Hyperterminal connection, the cause typically is that the Xenta controller is underpowered. Resolution The Xenta controller can survive some drop in power after the initial boot up sequence, but it vulnerable to an insufficient power supply during the boot up sequence. To avoid this problem simply provide the Xenta controller with a stable power within the documented range. The 49154 error code is typically an issue with the power coming to the Xenta, the transformer or something, and a smaller chance of a short from the LAN which is causing this power instability. Mark said they can recycle the power, the Xenta comes back and works for a bit, then the same error. Check the transformer, then with a replacement Xenta in hand, upgrade firmware if possible. If not able, replace Xenta and if not to expensive, replace transformer at same time. 

Issue STR-350 will not send a service pin message. Environment STR-350 LNS Database Cause If the STR-350 has been commissioned previously then deleted from the LonMaker database it will not send out a service pin message until taking the steps below. Resolution Manually enter the Neuron ID of the STR-350 and commission it into the network. This will restore the service pin functionality.

Issue Need to examine an Xenta 28x or 30x but don't have the MTA file Environment Xenta Programmable controllers Xenta 281, 282, 283, 301, 302, 401, 401:B Menta Cause It is not possible to extract a Menta .MTA file from an existing controller. The function block diagram is not downloaded or stored in the Xenta unit itself. You must have a backup of the .MTA or the Vista database. It is, however, possible to extract the machine code file (.COD) and it is also possible to view live values in table format of any public value in the Menta file. Resolution Open Menta Connect to the controller via serial cable Hit F12, then connect. Select upload and enter a name for the .cod file that will be created. You'll get a list of all of the public signals (which will usually include the physical IO), will be able to see the values and control them if they're set to R/W. Keep in mind that the program will still be running and will change them again upon the next program cycle. You may also be able to detect that the program has failed if the signals are not changing.

Issue Can not browse graphic objects in the OGC Graphics Editor. Environment TAC Vista IV OGC Graphics Editor Cause If the Vista Server is not launched prior to opening the Graphics Editor from the TAC Tools in the Start menu, the editor will close on an attempt to browse an object into one of the graphic objects on the page. Resolution Always launch the graphic editor from Vista Workstation. If you must work on graphic pages offline, just remember not to hit the browse button.

Issue Upgraded to 4.4.0 but don't see the SCPTs on a LonWorks Unit yet? Environment Vista 4.4.0 Lonworks units Cause When you upgrade your Vista database, it doesn't automatically create new database objects.  Resolution From Vista Workstation, navigate to a LonWorks unit Right click and select Properties. Click on the "Xif file" tab Click on the browse button (the one next to the "source file" field with 2 dots on it). Browse to the xif file for that unit, e.g. C:\lonworks\import\tac\x100\102AX101.XIF for an Xenta 102-AX Click "Open" then "OK" When you refresh that unit in the tree, you'll see the available objects/function blocks for that unit and they will contain most of the SNVTs, SCPTs and UCPTs in them. Some of them will not show up, e.g. ucpt_vavselection in the 102-AX.

Issue Generating an XIF in XBuilder for a Xenta 5/7/9xx device.  Where is the XIF file located? Environment XBuilder Cause If you right click on the root object of the network pane of XBuilder (on the Xenta 5/7/9xx object) and choose "Generate XIF File," a window pops up that says "XIF File generated."  But it doesn't tell you where it put it. Resolution Find the XIF in \\your project\Target image\configdb\lon.   The file is named TAC_XENTA_527.xif (for example) Check the time stamp on the file to double check that it is the correct one that was just generated.

Issue Adding a special holiday time schedule entry causes the normal schedule to stop working. Environment Vista Workstation Cause The controller will only use the alternative schedule on the day for which it was added. Normal scheduling hours should be accounted for in the alternative schedule. Resolution In the Vista time schedule editor there are three types of events and they have different colors: Black - Off all day Grey - Alternative schedules White - Normal schedules Each day can only operate on one set of schedules at a time. This means that if you have a normal 7am - 6pm occupied schedule and want to extend it on a particular day by adding a 5:30am - 7am on event, then the occupied state will only happen between 5:30am -7am and will be off the rest of the day. The alternative schedule cannot work with the normal schedule, instead it can only replace it. To have a alternative schedule you will have to specify the entire day's schedule rather then just a part of it.

Issue Vista database has a Xenta group with only LonWorks devices in it. Environment TAC Vista System Plugin Cause Either due to operator error or software problems a LonWorks device can be added to a Xenta group in your Vista database. If you try to correct this in the System Plug In by removing the Xenta group and adding a new LonWorks group with the same name, an update Vista database command does not correct the problem. Resolution Delete the Xenta group or the new LonWorks group that shares the name Update the Vista Database. Once you have verified that the group no longer exists in the Vista database, add it again in the System Plug-in Update the Vista Database one more time  

Issue Write priority in XBuilder stops BACnet device from receiving a value from a Xenta 913 Environment Xenta 913 BACnet Cause BACnet has a feature in the communication called write priority. This feature allows multiple devices to write to a single address and allow the receiving device know which value it should use. By default the write priority in the Xenta 913 is "12". If you are trying to communicate with a BACnet device that uses a lower numerical write priority (higher logical priority) then the value being written to the BACnet device from the Xenta 913 will be ignored. For example if trying to communicate with an Andover bCX1 controller you will want to use a write priority of "10".   Resolution Find out the write priority of the BacNET device you are trying to communicate with Click on the BACnet MS-TP Master (or BACnet IP Client) in XBuilder Enter the write priority. 

Issue What is the network bandwidth caused by a 511/911 LTA? Environment Xenta 511, 911 911 Communication Port Cause While the maximum is rarely consumed this number should assist in conversations with IT departments for worst case scenarios and troubleshooting the Ethernet network. Resolution The Ethernet bandwidth consumed by a single Xenta 511/911 LTA can range from 0 - 80 kb/s depending on network load. 80kb/s is the fastest that the Neuron transceiver can communicate on the LON network.  

Issue When downloading a project to a Xenta Server, an error says, "The Target System is of an old version. This XBuilder project requires the domino platform version to be >= 2.6.0" Product Line TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment XBuilder version 1.5.0 Xenta Server Xenta 511, 527, 913 Cause This error is caused by trying to download to a Xenta 511/527/913 that is not running the compatible system program for XBuilder version 1.5.0. Resolution Upgrade the device according to the following chart to correct this: Xenta Unit Version 511 2.3.0 527 1.1.0 913 2.0

Issue Xenta 527 Alarm will not reset Environment I/NET Seven Site Cause Issue with Xenta 527 Alarm will not reset Resolution Check the configuration of the alarm object and the Hysteresis configured. The default is 0.50 which is appropriate for whole numbers, but if the signal you are monitoring has decimals the Hysteresis may not be small enough to detect a return to normal state. For example differential room pressure which has a range of 0.06 to 0.20. In these situations use a Hysteresis of 0 to trigger a clear as soon as the value returns to a non alarm value.  

Issue Error: "Error: Device does not refer to a COM port" when trying to download an application to a Xenta controller. Environment Vista Workstation LNS Network Cause This message is generated when the LonWorks network in the Vista database does not have a COM port (LNS port) defined. The problem occurs when Vista database has been "updated" with a second LNS database and is added to an existing database creates two LNS databases with only one communication port. The communication port in the Vista database can only be associated with a single LNS database. If trying to communicate to the first LNS database there will not be a communication port to use. Resolution Remove all objects added to the Vista database from the second LNS database Edit the properties for your existing LonWorks network. Browse the LNS port back into the "LTA Port" field. Using Vista Server Setup, create a new Vista database directory. Utilize the new database for your second LNS database. Note: Use a unique LNS database with each Vista database. Projects with multiple LNS databases must have a LTA, iLon, or L-IP configured for each LNS database.