Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue In Andover Continuum, the model name of a field device (i2/b3) is always obtained from the SQL database as there is no direct way to retrieve the model directly from the controller. Consequently, discrepancies between the model stored in the SQL database and the actual controller may lead to uprev errors like "This Uprev file does not match this type of controller"     In the screenshot above, note that both the device's editor as well as the command line, report the controller's model as i2800, when in fact the hardware associated with the device is an i2920.   Note: In EcoStruxure Building Operations, where a distributed database design is employed, the device's model type is always obtained from the proxy representing the device in the Automation Server. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment All i2s All b3s Cause Frequent model mismatches for i2/b3 devices in Continuum installations often result in errors when attempting to upgrade the device's firmware. Resolution To obtain the device's model (controller type) from the Continuum controller hosting the device follow the steps below: In the master controller, create an InfinityNumeric, in this example we will name it 'DevModel' In the master controller, create an InfinityProgram, in this example we will name it 'GetDeviceModel' Enter the following lines of code in the program... DevModel = <device_name> CntrlType Stop ***Replace <device_name> with your i2/b3 device's name   Note in the screen capture above, that the program reports the actual device's model to be i2920. The mismatch needs to be corrected by either installing the correct hardware or adjusting the model in the device editor in Cyberstation to align with the hardware.   IMPORTANT If the program reports the model as 0 (zero) it means the proxy representing the device in the master controller has lost the model number, you will need to reload the whole master controller to recover, make sure to select the option to reload the controller but NOT its children.

Issue Continuum Cyberstation running on Windows 7 machine.  Cyberstation crashes unexpectedly.  Cyberstation crashes when an alarm come is reported. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum CyberStation WebClient Outlook Cause Event notification alarm delivery configured to send email alarms when Outlook is not installed on the workstation. Resolution Either remove the email option from the event notification, or install Outlook and set it up for alarm emailing. If enhanced alarm delivery is selected (Database Initialization> Server(Stand alone)> See check box for enhanced alarm delivery Ensure that recipient Cyberstations do not have page, log, forward options selected. Only use email if it is being used. Example: Ensure that if an object is selected in an event notification action (i.e display graphic) that the point that is being alarmed on has that object (graphic) selected. Related article:  https://community.se.com/t5/tkb/workflowpage/tkb-id/knowledge-base_public/article-id/6986 

Issue The ACCDataServices application is crashing on start up of CyberStation Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation Windows XP Cause Windows permissions issue Windows Firewall Configuration  Resolution Make sure when installing CyberStation the user has Local Admin rights to the computer Make sure Windows Firewall is turned off during the install Make sure all VirusScan software is turned off during the install. Check the event notifications and verify that none of them are set for the recipients to have pager, log, forward or any unused option which can create unnecessary traffic when using enhanced alarm delivery. To check if you are using enhanced alarm delivery Database Initialization > Server (or Stand Alone) > see check box for enhanced alarm delivery An example of possible unnecessary check box recipient options:  Check that each action in the event notification i.e. 'Display Graphic' has a corresponding object for the point alarming. If no object is selected it may cause accdataservices errors. Run acctrace and/or the Continuum error  log and wireshark to determine if there are errors. Cleaning up these issues can relieve the system and these errors. The Windows application/system logs and system.nfo/Belarc advisor can help gather info about the PC. See Top 10 Steps for Troubleshooting Cyberstation and webClient issues. If there is a 3rd party bacnet device, disable or unplug the device to see if the issue is related to the flooding of traffic into Continuum Liebert Sitelink- If you are on 1.93 and below, the Sitelink trendlogs could affect Continuum. Upgrade to 1.94 and disable trendlogs. Engineering is working on a hotfix for this issue. (Not released as of 11/29/12) Stand Alone Windows 7 system - A stand alone system can easily tax resources when extended logging, graphics, SQL Server, Cyber, etc. are all running on the same system. Eliminate any errors in the error log and disable certain functions to see if this helps. Consider a server class PC depending on what the system functions that are required by the site. Install Cyberstation 1.94 SP1 and related firmware updates as there are many fixes to address accdataservices.exe crashes (See Continuum 1.94 SP1 Service Pack to address accdataserices.exe crashes and other issues) Do not mix 1.94 and 1.94 SP1 Cyberstations on the same db, this could cause accdataservices crashes

Issue Can Cyberstation setup and configure 3rd party BACnet devices. Product Line TAC IA Series, Andover Continuum Environment Cyberstation BACnet I/A Series MNB-1000 Cause It is desirable to configure all products from the same software. Resolution Cyberstation and the BACnet protocol do not allow you to do basic setup and configuration of 3rd party devices, most products will have their own configuration software or local display/ keypads for setup. The I/A MNB-1000 BACnet controllers will require I/A Series Software to setup and configure the controllers, this can not be done through Cyberstation. Once setup and communicating Cyberstation will be able to make changes / adjustments depending upon the PIC's statement of the device.

Issue How to determine if the IOU modules neuron chip is manufactured by Toshiba or Motorola? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cyberstation I/O modules (All modules affected except the AC-1 Plus, VT-1, Infistat, and LC-1) Cause Up-revving I/O modules to new firmware and there are 3 types that have been used,  Motorola, Toshiba and the most recent Cypress neuron chips. The program ID can help determine which neuron is in the IOU module to select the correct firmware. Resolution To determine the chip type, look at the Program ID using the object editor or a list view. The second digit or position of the second number of the Program ID is the chip set indicator. If the second digit is 2, the I/O Module has a Toshiba chip. If the second digit is 1, the I/O Module has a Motorola or if shipped after 2014 a Cypress chip.  See example of object editor below:   ***** Note: The image above doesn't show the Cypress information. a 1 could be Motorola(old) or Cypress (new). If the flash revision is 21 the it is the most recent flash version for the Cypress chip. The IOU modules that could have the Cypress chip are AC-1(Not Plus), A0-4,DI-8,DM-20, D0-4, D0-6, MI-6, UI-8. Motorola or Cypress Ui8s that have an 11 in the second position of the ProgramID are either Motorola or Cypress chips. The modules with ProgramID 11 in position 2 and firmware version 11 in position 4 of the ProgramID are Motorola and 11 is the most up-to-date version. The modules with 11 in the 2nd position of ProgramID and firmware version 21 in position 4 of the ProgramID are Cypress chips.  I have not seen a separate firmware version 21 file for the Cypress chip on Exchange or anywhere. 21 is the most up-to-date version and was shipped with those modules. The email we found indicates that since the Cypress chip was a direct replacement for the Motorola chip they used the same number (1) in the 2nd position of the ProgramID (instead of using 3). To summarize the most up-to-date firmware versions for the Ui8: Motorola: 11 Toshiba: 20 Cypress: 21   There is an old TPA that describes this in detail. You can download the TPA Technical Bulletin 1041 - Continuum IO Modules Now Using the Toshiba Neuron Chip from The Exchange Download Center.

Issue Can the UPS option be added to an existing Continuum power supply? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Power Supply PS120/240-AC85 Cause Can the UPS option be added in the field to a Continuum PS120/240-AC85? Resolution No. There is no field upgrade kit to add the UPS option to a Continuum power supply.

Issue Will an i2 device work on an existing installation that uses a CMX241 controller? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum CMX241 Infinet Cause An installation that has a CMX controller with Infinet and the Infinet 1 controller needs to be replaced with an i2. Resolution The CMX241 controller will recognize an i2 controller, but it will handle it as if it is an infinet1 controller. Some infinity system variables and their functionality will not be recognized such as accrestart mode, accstatusflash, etc... The replacement for the CMX241 is the BCX9640

Issue What does Accuracy and Resolution mean when mentioned in the Datasheet of a controller with a airflow sensor Product Line Andover Continuum Environment B3-865 B3-866 B3-885 Cause Need definition of the meaning of Accuracy and Resolution when mentioned in the datasheet of a controller with an airflow sensor Resolution Accuracy is the amount that the measurement could be “off” from true reading, either above or below.  Resolution is the smallest change that can be detected. 

Issue Customer database server crashed with no backup. Customer needs to re-create the access control database. What data can be recovered from the acx781's? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Netcontroller ACX781 Hyperterminal Terminal mode Cause Customer database server crashed with no backup. Customer needs to re-create the access control database. What data can be recovered from the acx781's.? Resolution Using terminal mode into the NetController the customer can dump out from the controllers all the doors, numerics, inputs, outputs and PE code. The personnel records are not retrievable, however, as they are not stored in text format in the controller.

Issue With no CyberStation or network controller available, need to load application programs into controller. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment RoamIO2 Cause This item is not in the documentation. Resolution The RoamIO2 does not have the ability to load a dump file into a controller.

Issue The programs Run Times are running fast. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum 1.82 BCX-4040 Cause Internal Programming corruption Resolution Verify the System variable time on the controller Reload the controller

Issue In the download center there are up to four files for the same version of the IOU modules firmware, how do I know which is the right file for my IOU module? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum IOU Module Cause The Neuron chip used in the Continuum IOU modules can support two different transceivers which are FTT-10A and RS-485, each type requires a different FW file. Additionally, the IOU module originally used a Motorola Neuron Chip ***, in 2001 the Motorola Neuron chip had to be replaced with a Toshiba chip when Motorola ceased production of their Neuron chips. A 3rd chip was used after, the Cypress chip. *** The AC-1 Plus, VT-1, Infistat, and LC-1 were not affected by the chip change as they did not use the Motorola Neuron chip. So you will only find 2 FW files for the same version and model these modules. Resolution 1. When up revving Continuum IOU modules first determine if the module is FTT-10A or RS-485. To determine the type lift the door cover of the IOU module and check the model written on the label. FT appended at the end of the model is for FTT-10A, RS-485 will either have 485 appended or only the model name with nothing appended at the end. If the door cover is missing then remove the inner cover and take a look at the label on the chip itself. The picture below shows an AC1-Plus FTT-10A module indicated by the FT on the label. If the label is missing you can easily identify FTT versus 485 by removing the upper part of the enclosure and inspecting the components populated in the communication section of the circuit. On the Net Controller itself (99xx or 9680) there will be an ECHELON FT component similar to the one in the picture below located in the upper right corner of the board, the Net Controller's cover will need to be removed to see the component.  2. Verify which Neuron chip (Motorola or Toshiba) is installed in the IOU module. 3. Get the appropriate FW file from the download center. R&D had to recompile for the Toshiba chip. The 20 version is the same as the 10 version and the 21 version is the same as the 11 version. Download the IO module firmware Note:  Version 10,11 are the Motorola processors  Version 20 is the Toshiba processor  Version 21 is the Cypress processor

Issue How to be redundant with your intelligent Building Management System (iBMS) Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Field Devices, Satchwell Sigma, Security Expert, TAC INET Environment Existing intelligent Building Management System Open Mind High Availability Solutions (Deprecated by manufacturer) everRun MX ztC Edge Cause In engineering, redundancy is the duplication of critical components of a system with the intention of increasing the system's reliability. To be redundant with an intelligent Building Management System (iBMS) would take on two possibilities. Have an alarm on critical points alerting personnel who move into action quickly replacing control boards or devices in the event of failure. Have secondary backup controllers which upon failure, which are used to control devices resuming functionality. This is accomplished through programming the BAS with event sequences triggered from alarms or flags noting the failure. Redundancy capabilities and feasibility are site specific. Ascertaining failure in boards, points, or devices is crucial to creating secondary measures to keep seamless processes going and resume with functions.   Error detection and correction with maintenance is often the best practice for preventing failure. Worn components are the leading cause of failure, followed by a lack of planning and consideration in the protection of electrical components through power surges or failures.   For the database, backups including automated backups for MSDE, SQL Express, and Full SQL are available. For further information on database backups and options, take a look at Microsoft SQL Management Studio. For Host Computer backups, look at adding a secondary computer which replicates the database and can capture transactions and messages should a failure with the primary host computer take place. Also work with the local IT department to keep machines up to date, safe, and clean of 3rd party applications which may interfere with integrity. Schneider Electric’s building management systems are designed such that building control continues even when controller to server communication is disrupted. The BMS server is home to a database of alarm and historical data, as well as system parameters and programs. When a server or its network connection fails, the collection of data from building controllers halts until the problem is resolved. For data critical applications, this solution provides an environment capable of preventing the data loss that results from these types of failures.  Although we do support its use with EcoStruxure Building Operation, Security Expert, Continuum, I/NET, Vista, Sigma, and I/A Series as a disaster recovery solution, we do not provide direct support for EverRun. Resolution For Open Mind High Availability Solutions guide please look at the following link; Open Mind High Availability Solution guide For everRun MX solution guide please look at the following link; everRun MX guide For ztC Edge solution guide please look at the following link; ztC Edge guide   

Issue Continuum NetController fails when a port scanning tool runs a network port scan on the ethernet network where the controller is connected. Some of the controller failures that have been reported to Product Support Services include controller scan locked, controller resetting, hanged, stuck in bootloader etc. In some cases the controller may be running but exhibiting very strange symptoms due to its tasks scheduling being disturbed by the scanning traffic and/or due to memory corruption. Product Line  Andover Continuum   Environment Continuum CX Gen 1 Continuum Net Controller II Continuum ACX 2 Controller Continuum ACX 4 Controller Continuum bCX4040 (BACnet) Continuum bCX4000 (Router) Continuum bCX9640 (Infinet)   Cause The legacy Continuum controller's network stack is not able to handle some of the packets generated by network scanning tools, most such tools explicitly point out that older internal systems may not be able to handle the port scanning traffic and may fail during the process.  The controller error log may show some variation of the following errors...   219 I 08/10/2024 13:14:53.35 0xbadd0018 0x00002500 0x001783f0 0x40602004 0x0017eeb4 Reset (Spurious interrupt)   4914 I 09/14/2022 09:00:54.00 0xbadd0002 0x00002600 0x02001bd4 0x48082600 0x020ffbb8 Reset (access error) Resolution The Continuum NetControllers are now legacy systems no longer in active development, therefore, the only known solution is to add  the controller's IP address to the tools white list so that no port scanning packets are directed to the controller.   It is important to note that NONE of the Continuum NetControllers listed above use Windows or Linux based OS, this makes them less vulnerable to the typical hacker attacks.    Andover Continuum is a legacy Schneider Electric product. We strongly encourage upgrading your system to the more secure and feature-rich platform, EcoStruxure Building Operation. 

Issue Using a Security Expert SX-RK-XW reader to work with Continuum Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum 2.03 ACX 5740 CX9702 Cause It can be useful prior to a transition from Continuum to Security Expert to use Security Expert readers with Continuum Resolution Minimal functionality testing was done using the Security Expert reader model SX-RK-XW Continuum 2.03 ACX5740 with firmware: 1.100013 and 1.100052 CX9702 with firmware: 1.200036 Tested with Pin Only mode by setting up a door, a card holder and entering in the appropriate PIN code   5740 with SX Reader ACX 5740 PIN Only Active Event View CX 9702 with SX Reader CX 9702 PIN Only Active Event View

Issue Graphics updates are very slow, it takes over 1 minutes to load a graphic, Opening objects from Continuum Explorer is slow, sometimes it will failed to open an object if clicked too frequently. When using the BACnet path for objects on graphics it is fast. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment b4920 version 4.2000026 b3s version 4.5000035 Cyberstation 1.81 or above Cause For the old BACnet IP controller b4920, versions prior to 4.200029 could have some communication issue with b3s MSTP enhance mode not enabled on b4920, Resolution Upgrade b4920 to version 4.2000029 or above, preferably the latest version  Go to the webpage of b4920, check "MSTP Enhance Mode" and then click submit Wait for b4920 to go back online and test graphics operation

Issue Continuum operation unacceptably slow. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation All CXs, i2s and b3s Cause Wireshark capture shows lots of SMB traffic between the machine running CyberStation and the server. The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol is a network file sharing protocol, and as implemented in Microsoft Windows is known as Microsoft SMB Protocol. Resolution Identify the application/service responsible for generating this traffic and stop it or relocate it to a different machine where it will not interfere with CyberStation operation.

Issue When Continuum Explorer is launched it takes a very long time to update.  Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation WebClient Continuum Explorer Cause When Continuum Explorer is launched it must populate all objects that reside at the root.  When there are a very large number of Personnel objects or other object types in the root, Continuum Explorer will be slow or unresponsive until this population process is complete. Resolution Create a Folder under the Root of Continuum Explorer and move personnel objects to this folder. Consider doing this to other objects that exist in large numbers.

Warning Potential for Data Loss: The steps detailed in the resolution of this article may result in a loss of critical data if not performed properly. Before beginning these steps, make sure all important data is backed up in the event of data loss. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with any complex steps detailed in this article, please contact Product Support Services for assistance. Issue Active Event Viewer contents and column headers are blank.   Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation Cause Windows registry corruption. Resolution Method #1 Close Continuum and use Windows System Restore to put the system back at a point where the Event Viewer were fine. Method #2 NOTE: Any customization previously done to the event viewers such as column name changes etc  will be lost when this method is used Shut down CyberStation then backup the Windows registry as a precaution Edit the Windows registry and delete HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Andover Controls\Continuum\Access Event View Start CyberStation and open the event viewer which recreates the entry in the registry using default values.

Issue Do the light emitters in the I2-210 Fiber repeater use an LED or LASER light source Product Line Andover Continuum  Environment I2-210 Fiber repeater Cause Fiber optic modules light source type Resolution The transmitter in the B-LINK-F is LED; it is specified as an AEL Class 1 LED light source and is considered "eye safe"