Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Most of the xDriver points provide bit (binary) information in a word(integer) point in order to save register address. In order to interpret/decrypt the bit information out of the word(integer) value, PE programming is required. Environment Net Controller (CX99xx, CX96xx) bCX controller (bCX4040) ACX5740/5720 Cause Bit information is displayed as a number in the controller when read in to.  Need to have PE function to decrypt the number in to each bit information. Resolution Create InfinityProgram in the Controller as below; ' = = = = = = = = = Numeric locNum1 Numeric nBit0, nBit1, nBit2, nBit3, nBit4, nBit5, nBit6, nBit7, Numeric nBit8, nBit9, nBit10, nBit11, nBit12, nBit13, nBit14, nBit15 Line ReadAndSet   locNum1 = CIAlarms ' Read the xDriver point and set to local point.   Goto AAA Line AAA   ' Decrypt each bit information from the locally mirrored point.   nBit0 = (locNum1 bitand 2 ^ 0) > 0     nBit1 = (locNum1 bitand 2 ^ 1) > 0    nBit2 = (locNum1 bitand 2 ^ 2) > 0  . . . . .    nBit15 = (locNum1 bitand 2 ^ 15) > 0    Goto BBB Line BBB   ' Do something here for each nBit0~nBit15 such as below   ' If nBit0 then   ' set InverterTempAlarm = On   'Set the global point to ON   ' Else   ' set InverterTempAlarm = Off   'Set the global point to OFF   ' Endif   . . . . . .    Goto CCC Line CCC   ' Wait for 15 seconds and send to the first line to read the xDriver point again.   If TS < 15 then Goto CCC   Goto ReadAndSet Line E   If TS < 30 then Goto E   Goto ReadAndSet ' = = = = = = = = =

Issue What is the format of the SNMP alarm traps and where can I obtain the MIB's Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Netcontroller II CX9680, bCX1 & ACX57xx with SNMP alarming enabled. Cause Documentation on the SNMP Alarming is required. Resolution The Configuration guide for SNMP Alarming can be downloaded from The Exchange Download Center, link: Andover Continuum v1.9 SNMP Configuration Guide This will detail how the SNMP alarming is configured and operates. The SNMP Alarming sends the same alarm messages as shown in the Continuum alarm viewer out to the third party system via SNMP traps. The format of the traps is defined by Management Information Blocks (MIB's) these can also be downloaded from The Exchange Download Center, click on the following link: SNMP MIBs There is no facility to change these formats within the controllers or Continuum

Issue Getting modbus devices to communicate to Continuum may require some trial and error. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Modbus RTU, ModbusRTU Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause Manufacturers of modbus devices may have an offset for their register values and addressing these values requires trial an error. Resolution This article was created as a starting point. There are a lot of tools and methods to get values from modbus devices communicating. This resolution discusses some important concepts as well methods for trying to bring values in. The Modbus RTU protocol is a Master/Slave style of protocol. The Andover Controls CX will be the master on the Modbus RTU network. There can be only one (1) master at a time on the Network. The Slave number is always set in the third party device. This could be either a hardware setting such as dip switches or a software setting. Modbus-IDA (also known as Modbus.org) has set the limit that the slave address can be between 1 and 247. Address 0 is allocated as a broadcast message. The Andover Controls x-driver can support addresses in the range of 0-255. The third party manufacturer should be able to tell you what the expected function codes are for the points that you are interested in. Modbus.org has defined the function codes in a very loose manner and leaves it up to individual interpretation. Andover controls supports the following standard function codes: 1-8 15,16. Since when you request information from a Modbus RTU device you receive the exact value that is in the register Andover Controls has provided some special function codes that will help to convert some of the common engineering values into usable values. The listing in the x-driver documentation shows the special function code, what is expected from the third party and the equivalent function code that is truly sent to the device. For instance if a point is a Intel float and resides in the 40,000 range then function code 245 would be used in the Andover Controls x-driver. This will still send out a function code 3 in the Modbus message but the x-driver will take the value sent in from the third party device and convert it into a usable float. Most confusion occurs when talking about the data registers, (also known as addresses or channels). Modbus.org has the following statements about the addresses in the protocol document. All data addresses in Modbus messages are referenced to zero. The first occurrence of a data item is addressed as item number zero. For example: The coil known as ‘coil 1’ in a programmable controller is addressed as coil 0000 in the data address field of a Modbus message. Coil 127 decimal is addressed as coil 007E hex (126 decimal). Holding register 40001 is addressed as register 0000 in the data address field of the message. The function code field already specifies a ‘holding register’ operation. Therefore the ‘4XXXX’ reference is implicit. Holding register 40108 is addressed as register 006B hex (107 decimal). Register number also known as address. When setting the start channel number parameter on the x-driver tab the x-driver is expecting the exact decimal address that you are looking to obtain. For instance: if a device shows a listing for the first point to occur at 40,001 then the start channel number is typically 0. This can be confusing since some manufacturers have decided to have 40,001 as being 1 and not zero while others manufacturer have decided that 40,001 is 0. There are two ways of determining how the manufacturer has started the numbering system for the device if it is not documented: Method 1 is a trial and error method. Where you set the value to minus 1 of the register address, the actual register address and plus 1 of the register address and see which one you a response from. Method 2 uses a third party software to poll all the points to see what addresses are populated. There are many shareware Modbus RTU software packages on the Web. One such program is called ModScan32 by Win-Tech. www.win-tech.com Number of channels. The least amount of channels that will be requested is 1 so number of channels should always be 1 or greater. If the data is stored in multiple channels then you will need to set the number of channels equal to the number of registers. If you are not using a special function code you will need to set up a separate numeric with a manual log with the number of entries equal to the number of channels. When you poll for the value of the channels the data will then be stored in the manual log of this second numeric. The first element of the log will be the first channel that is requested. For instance if a value is stored in registers 40,000 through 40,003 then the start channel number will be set to 0 and the number of channels would be 4. Another numeric with a manual log of 4 would be created and linked in the x-driver numeric by placing the name of the new numeric in the annex point parameter. Once the x-driver point is polled the returning information will be stored in the annex point. The manual log of the annex point will contain the data for the 40,000 register in location 1. The data for each subsequent register location will be in the next manual log location. I.E. annexpoint[4] will contain the data for register 40,003 The Modbus RTU x-driver is a poll on demand x-driver. What this means to the user is that either a Plain English (PE) program, graphic or editing the x-driver numeric will cause a poll to occur. It is best to mirror the x-driver point and use PE to poll the x-driver points. A simple program would loop through and perform a simple line of mirroredpoint = x-driverpoint. This will avoid multiple polls to the same point tying up more CX resources then necessary. Then you can use the mirrored point in programs and graphics. If you try to get values from a slave device that is offline (not responding) the x-driver will poll each point three times before it moves on to the next point. This will cause the CX scan time to rise to seconds instead of tenths of a second. It is helpful to have a single x-driver point in the third party slave device that will return a known value, (Product ID or serial number for example). This can be used to avoid running the scan time of the CX up if the slave device can not communicate. Inside of the polling program try to poll for the value of this point. If the value does not come back then skip the polling for the rest of the points for this slave device. This point can also be used as an alarm for the offline device as well. For example: 1: If ProductID1 = 15 then Mirroredpoint1 = x-driverpoint1 Goto 2 else Goto 2 endif 2: If ProductID2 = 15 then Mirroredpoint2 = x-driverpoint2 Goto 1 else Goto 1 endif Some data may come back as a value when you need only a bit of information. In this case you will need to use the Bitand operator in PE to extract the exact bit that you are looking for. As seen below the PE code will take an alarm point from a Liebert AC unit and break out the individual bits of information. AC9_Alarm1 = x_ac9alarm1 'setting the mirrored point AC9_CommFail = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 1 'extracting bit 1 AC9_LocalOff = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 2 'extracting bit 2 AC9_RemoteOff = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 4 'extracting bit 3 AC9_HiHeadPrs1 = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 8 'extracting bit 4 AC9_HiHeadPrs2 = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 16 'extracting bit 5 AC9_LossAirFlow = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 32 'extracting bit 6 AC9_StbyGlycolOn = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 64 'extracting bit 7 AC9_LiquidDet = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 128 'extracting bit 8 AC9_ChangeFltr = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 256 'extracting bit 9 AC9_HighTemp = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 512 'extracting bit 10 AC9_LowTemp = AC9_Alarm1 bitand 1024 'extracting bit 11

Issue How to retain an AccessEvent history of visitor names when using a generic pool of visitor access cards? (personnel)  Environment Continuum Cyberstation Cause Need to record a history of access events for visitor cards with the visitor name and the card number assigned to them at the time. Resolution Using the Personnel Manager. Setup a Personnel Profile for Visitors with default areas assigned. For example, use the existing "Visitor" profile. Setup a Personnel Profile for Visitors with no areas assigned. For example create a new one called "Visitor No Access". This will allow just the required distributions to be sent down to access controllers when they are required. Create a new personnel object for each visitor assigning a dummy card number to them with the "Visitor No Access" profile you created in step 1. Save the object. Issue a temporary card for that personnel with the "Issue Tmp Card" button; using one of your visitor cards and add area access by using the "Reset Access Rights" button to assign the "Visitor" profile created in step 1. After applying the changes to the Personnel object they will then distribute access down to the controllers. When the card comes back, restore the original dummy permanent card with the Restore Tmp Card" button and reset the access rights back to "Visitor No Access"; freeing up the visitor card to be used again. Save the object.   This will provide you with an AccessEvent audit trail of the visitor card number and the personnel name associated with it at the time it was being used.

Issue Infinity schedule randomly fails to turn on occupancy flag for a given day. Environment Cyberstation All IP level Infinity Controllers All i2 Infinet devices Cause Empty Holiday schedule can cause schedule issues, if you have not entered any events in your holiday schedule you need to add and inactive event at mid-night, adding this event does not have any effect in terms of changing the value of the schedule but solves a series of potential issues caused by the holiday schedule having no events at all in its event list. Resolution Add one event to Holiday schedule as follows: 12:00:00 AM - Inactive

Issue Trying to find all BACnet devices under a bCX by right clicking the device in the Continuum Explorer and selecting 'Find BACnet Device', no error is received but no devices are found even though there are BACnet devices on the bCX's MSTP port. Furthermore, a Wireshark capture shows who-Is message was qualified with bCX's device id. (example, who-Is, 2587214-2587214) Environment Cyberstation bCX4040 b3s Cause When a 'Find BACnet Device' is issued from a specific bCX device, Cyberstation direct the who-Is message to the particular device. Resolution To find all BACnet devices right click the root folder and select 'Find BACnet Device' from the root.

Issue Unsure how to enable Demo Mode and what features are available in this mode. Environment Cyberstation webClient Cause Need to know what features are supported and how to use demo mode. Resolution Demo mode will only work on a single PC (Single User mode not LAN mode) if there is no Continuum Security Key plugged into the Cyberstation. Make sure that you have never plugged in a Continuum Security Key to the workstation that you want to use in demo mode. (If you have and it is not working then go here.)   The demo mode gives you access to the following Continuum Security Key options: -B Badging Option -D Data Exchange Option – includes Personnel Import Utility -E Endura integration option -F FIPS 201 option -WCxPRO Option to add web.Client Pro to Single User CyberStation (SU), x user connections = 1, 2 With some limitations: Demo mode lasts for 4 hours and then the Cyberstation will pop a warning message before shutting down "Demonstration Mode" shows on the Continuum splash when starting Continuum. Only one network controller can be used and it must be ACCNetID = 1.   Note: When using Continuum v1.94, or greater, in Demo mode you might experience it being very slow to start, possibly taking up to two minutes to initially startup. See article here for further details.

Issue When attempting to follow the instructions for setting up RAS communication with a Windows Vista or Windows 7 PC, there are instructions that do no apply or RAS will not work. Environment Continuum Windows Vista Windows 7 Cause Microsoft changed the way that RAS is used to communicate in Windows Vista and Windows 7. Resolution RAS is not supported in Microsoft Vista and Windows 7 with Continuum 1.9x or 2.x. This is indicated in the notes on the compatibility matrix when Windows Vista was added as an OS. It's also indicated in 1.93 matrix and now includes this note for Windows 7.  It would require an  additional code revision to allow Windows 7 to work with future revisions of Cyberstation and since demand of RAS has slowed it is not in the roadmap.

Issue System generates error "No designated List View for class name" when right clicking a class and selecting view in the Continuum Explorer. Environment Cyberstation Cause This can happen after the default list views have been moved Resolution 1. Delete the default list view objects. 2. Run the Continuum Database Initialization utility. 3. Check the "Create Default List Views" box and update the database.

Issue Some actions selected in the event notification repeat each time an alarm is repeated and others do not Environment Continuum Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause Some actions can be repeated when using repeat alarms and others are not Resolution Actions that will repeat are:  Display alarm view- time stamp may be the only change Display Graphic Run Program Display Video All these items are listed in the points alarm tab with specific object links at the bottom   Actions that will NOT repeat are:  email pages beep blink print etc

Issue An  active video event will appear on the top of Video Monitor interface when there is an alarm triggered the video. But all the video events will  be gone when close the Video Monitor and you can't find any of the video events forever. Where does the video event list save? How can I find it to search and replay. Environment Continuum 1.91 above Cause It is a design Resolution For the video event list,  we never save it anywhere in the system, you can do search and replay with the active events only, not history events. there maybe some improvement about this  in the future version. By now, you can use an add-on application software, Continuum Video Inquiry to search the recorded videos according to the alarm event etc.

Issue  Setting the values of the X Driver points that is set up for Function code 15 (Force Multiple Coils) does not send out data. Environment bCX1 4040, 9640 Netcontroller II with X Driver, XDriver, X-Driver. Cause As an array of bits has to be transmitted to the 3rd party system it has to come from the Annex point not the X Driver point itself. Resolution The data to be sent to the 3rd party Modbus device is held in a manual array in the AnnexPoint not the X Driver point itself. Create an X Driver point on the required Comm port and define: The correct slave number Function code 15. Define the Start channel address Enter the number of Bits to be written in the "Number Of Channels" In the AnnexPointName enter the name of the separate Numeric point that will hold the data to be written. Ensure that the Annex point has a manual array of at least the size of the number of channels (bits) to be written. Fill each of the array entries with 0 or 1 as required to be sent. This can be done through Command line or Plain English: For example if the system is writing to 4 relay outputs, through command line you would enter the data as: Annexpt = 1      'Relay 1 = On Annexpt[1] = 1 'Relay 2 = On Annexpt[2] = 1 'Relay 3 = On Annexpt[3] = 0 'Relay 4 = Off   Then change the value of the X Driver point to force the data to be sent.

Issue Using a repeater to extend ACC LON bus. Environment CX9900 CX9940 CX9680 IOU Modules Cause Infilink repeater is designed for the Infinet field bus. Resolution The Infilink repeaters CAN NOT be used to extend ACC LON.

Issue Create a schedule and attach a numeric to the occupancy point. Receiving error: "Cannot resolve object: in Object Property List. Please save BACnet device to database or make sure the object still exists." Click OK. Schedule opens up, but the occupancy point is empty under the configuration. However, the occupancy point that was attached is being controlled by the schedule. Environment CyberStation v1.74 SP2, 1.74SP2, 1.74 Cause Received error when editing schedule. Resolution For CyberStation v1.74 SP2, 1.74SP2, 1.74 Download Hotfix: CyberStation v1.74 TPA-BOST-08-0005.00 Hotfix For Cyberstation Above 1.74 Make sure there is no object created in the controller using a name that is the same as the name of the Network under which the controller reside. For example: If you have a controller - Root\BOC\MainCX which contains a controller user object named BOC you will see the schedule issue.

Issue Continuum analyzer reports errors in the IE Table Check. Environment Cyberstation Cause Errors need to be cleaned up using the Continuum analyzer. Resolution Clean up the errors using the Continuum analyzer then run the tests again to verify errors where corrected. If everything appears to work correctly then there is no need to reload the IE table to the controllers, otherwise: Send the IE table to CX level controllers. To send only the IE table select the 'Do not reload attached objects' in the 'Send To Controller Options' dialog window.

Issue What resources are available to get more information on the M-Bus protocol? Product Line Andover Continuum, Field Devices, Other, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment M-Bus Cause The M-Bus protocol information is available on www.m-bus.com. Select The M-Bus: A Documentation Rev 4.8 Resolution The M-Bus protocol specifications is broken down in multiple chapters. Basics of Serial Bus System Overview of the M-Bus Physical Layer Data Link Layer Telegram Format, Meaning of Fields, Communication Process Application Layer Structure of fixed and variable data blocks. Network Layer Appendix Table of units, medium, data field codes, VIF extensions.

Issue A power failure at the site causes all CyberStations to shut down, will the CX controllers buffer access events? what happens if the controller resets as a result of power glitch? Environment Cyberstation CX9702 CX9900, CX9940 CX9680 ACX5740, ACX5720 Cause -Power failure or controller reset due to electrical noise during thunder storm. Resolution 1. All controllers will buffer access events when they lose communication with the primary and secondary access server. 2. If the controller resets as a result of a power loss that exceeds the UPS capacity or due to a glitch or spike in the power line then whether the events will persists or not depends on the controller type. CX9702, CX9900 and CX9940 Access events in controller buffer will be lost CX9680, ACX5740 and ACX5720 Internal battery will keep RAM intact for up to 30 days Controller will warm start after a glitch or spike in the power line and maintain the events in its buffer. *** NOTE If controller has to cool start (restore its objects from flash memory) then the access events in the buffer WILL BE LOST. 

Issue Receive AccDataservice errors on startup. Environment Windows 7 Windows 2008 Server Continuum 1.93 Cause Security enhancements needs to be disabled during the install of Continuum. Resolution The list of services needs to be disabled before installing Continuum. These services can be re-enabled after the install completes. Windows Firewall.   Private, Domain and Public Windows Defender. Windows Software Protection Service. Antivirus Protection.

Issue InfinityInput (digital) not changing value when dry contact on relay changes state. Tried disabling and changing value but will not change. On bacnet side the point is set to out of service and will not change. New input points created on the UI4 are also out of service on bacnet side and will not change. Tried powering down expansion module - no luck. Tried deleting point on Infinity side and saving to database on bacnet - works fine. But when recreating the input, comes up the same way.   Environment bCX, 4040, bCX4040,  XP Expansion Module UI4, UI-4  Cause InfinityInput (digital) not changing value when dry contact on relay changes state. Resolution Replace UI4 with bCX powered off. Delete the point on Infinity side, save controller to database on Bacnet side. Drag & drop input from another bCX on Infinity side.  Save to database on Bacnet side. Point starts updating and is no longer out of service.  See also

Issue When a user logs off a Continuum workstation, they would like the workstation to login itself maybe via a program as a Guest so that the systems can be viewed (Guest Mode).   Environment Continuum Cyberstation and webClient (all versions) Cause Continuum is a security system, and as such, it requires a login for auditing purposes. Resolution There are no supported applications or features to provide auto-logins to Continuum.  Continuum is a security system, and as such, it requires a login for auditing purposes.