Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue bCX shows BACnet Network Number zero in the Continuum Explorer Device Editor even though the BACnet Network Id - Comm2 shows value such as 2765 in the bCX configuration web page. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation bCX4040 bCX4000 b4920 b3 devices Cause bCX sits on IP level network which Cyberstation identifies as network 0. Resolution The value entered in the bCX's BACnet Network Id - Comm2 from the configuration webpage is the number of the network the bCX will host on its MSTP port.  The bCX itself is located on the IP level network that CyberStation identifies as Network 0. BACnet devices located in the MSTP field bus of the bCX will show their BACnet Network Number as the value configured in the bCX's BACnet Network Id - Comm2 (default value 2765)

Issue Update OS, changing a controller, BACnet to Infinet or Infinet to BACnet Can b3 controllers be converted to i2 controllers? Can i2 controllers be converted to b3 controllers? Converting between bCX4040 and bCX9640   Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment i2 b3 Controllers - See Compatibility Matrix bCX Controllers - Continuum 1.7 onwards Cause Only a limited number of controllers can be converted, BACnet to/from Infinet, using Update OS. Resolution The following controllers can be converted between Infinet and BACnet, using the appropriate firmware files: bCX (bCX4040 to/from bCX9640) (options like Xdrivers, node count, IO modules and expansion IO modules are not effected) i28xx-V - b38xx-V (i2865-V to/from b3865-V, i2866-V to/from b3866-V, i2885-V to/from b3885-V) Please see link for swapping the firmware of non -V model i2/b3 Attempting to flash (Update OS) any other controllers BACnet to/from Infinity is not recommended. In nearly every instance, the result will be a non-functioning controller.   UPDATE: A procedure is now available to convert the non -V i2s to b3s in the field https://community.se.com/t5/Building-Automation-Knowledge/Conversion-of-Continuum-devices-from-i2-to-b3-and-vice-versa-in/ta-p/416712    (Note: In the bCX controllers, the ACCNetID will revert back to the default of "1", you may need to change this in the Controllers configuration webpage back to what it should be.  See Will IP settings persist when flashing a bCX4040 (BACnet) to a bCX9640 (Infinet)? for details.)   Please refer to Exchange for specific firmware: BACnet Firmware Infinet Firmware The following can be used as a general rule to determine which OS is currently running in the controller. bCX only. (b3 & i2 CPU is green) CPU LED is Green = BACnet OS CPU LED is Yellow = Infinet OS

Issue How to reset an ACX 57xx model controller Product Line Andover Continuum Environment ACX 57xx Cause While upgrading/downgrading the controller firmware, communications were lost and the controller is not communicating afterwards. Resolution Consult How to reset a ACX 57xx controller to reset the controller and then re-commission.

Issue Seeing "An Object_Identifier has been specified for an object that does not exist in the object database of the addressed BACnet device", when trying to open a BACnet Device in Continuum Product Line Andover Continuum Environment bCX 4040 BACnet Cause When trying to send a controller's obejcts to the Database on the BACnet side the following messages are seen in the Distribution Properties window. 10/10/2013 12:50:07 PM The operation 'Save to Database' is finished. 10/10/2013 12:50:07 PM Unable to save objects to the database from Id:36922175.           An Object_Identifier has been specified for an object that does not exist in the object database of the addressed BACnet device. 10/10/2013 12:50:07 PM The operation 'Save to Database' is starting.   In the case of the affected controller being a bCX, all b3's underneath the bCX are able to be seen and their objects opened, but a user is unable to open any of the objects in the bCX itself on the BACnet side of the Continuum system tree.  Some/all objects are either not located in the BACnet side of the bCX Device or they have been malformed as they were initially created. Resolution The Device needs to be removed and re-discovered Delete the BACnet side of the bCX Device. Perform a "Find new BACnet Devices" from the Root. Then "Send to Database" on the BACnet side to upload all of the BACnet objects back into the Database.  

Issue How can a BACnet b4920 be reset back to its factory default IP address? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment BACnet b4920 Cause There is no Reset IP switch on the b4920 Resolution There are 2 ways of accomplishing this.   Method One - The first method resets the controller to factory default address settings: IP Address: 169.254.1.1 Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0 Gateway: 0.0.0.0 Webserver Port: 80 Web User Name: acc Web User pwd: acc EnergyNet ID: 1 BacNetMstpNetId: 2764 BacNetUDPNetId: 2765 During controller startup, there is a 2 minute window in which the controller will be restored to factory defaults based on the following: Seconds since startup is < 120 A Ping packet is received by the controller with a matching Ethernet address but unmatched IP address. Ping payload size of 255 bytes. Prior to running the procedure, the controller must be on the same network as the PC that that is used to issue commands.  The engineer will need to have on hand (1) IP address that is both valid and NOT in use on the network that the PC and Controller are connected to.   Get the Controller's MAC Address Each controller has a 6 byte hardware address, also known as the MAC address or Ethernet address. The address is represented in HEX. The first three bytes of the MAC address are constant and represent Andover Controls vendor ID : 00-40-11 The last 3 bytes of the MAC address are derived from your controller’s serial number. The controller’s serial number is printed on the board and is represented as an Integer value. You must convert this value to HEX in order to obtain the last 3 bytes of your controllers MAC address. Ex. Integer Serial Number: 1033394 Converted to Hex: FC4B2 Controller’s MAC: 00-40-11-0F-C4-B2   Create a batch file Create a batch file named Acc.bat with the following content: arp -s %1 %2 ping -l %3 %1 arp -d %1   Restart the b4920 Controller Within 2 Minutes of restarting, run the batch file with the 3 arguments: Acc.bat IP_Address 00-40-11-XX-XX-XX 255 Where IP_Address = valid IP on the network Where XX-XX-XX = last 3 bytes of controller’s MAC Where 255 = Ping Payload size   After Issuing the command, the controller should restart, and the factory default address settings are restored.    Method Two - Capture the Controllers Currently Configured IP Address This second method is easier to do and is currently recommended because of its ease. Download and install a network sniffing application, such as Wireshark which can be downloaded from their website here. Connect a Cross over Ethernet cable between the b4920 and a PC running the network sniffing application. Start up the network sniffing application and then reset the b4920 by hitting the reset button on the controller. On start up, the controller will send out the IP address (Gratuitous ARP Packet) which it currently has assigned to it.  Once this IP address is captured with Wireshark etc the IP of the Workstation can then be changed to allow connection to the controller's web configuration page to change its IP address as required.  

Issue What has to happen for CyberStation to generate an offline controller alarm. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation Infinity Controller Offline alarms Cause Receiving offline controller alarms yet controller appears to be online. Resolution Controllers can be offline for many reasons, such as a broadcast storm or will not come online, but consider the following points: In order to determine whether a controller is offline, a CyberStation will send out a probe to the controller.   The frequency with which CyberStation sends out the probe is determined by the value of the Probe Time field on the General Page of the workstation configuration. If an Infinity Controller does not respond to a probe, CyberStation will wait until a probe can be sent to all other Infinity Controller nodes in the system.  If the controller fails to respond to a second probe the controller is designated as Offline by CyberStation. Each CyberStation evaluates the commstatus of all controllers and reports alarms to the database.  Occasionally a CyberStation will show a controller as being offline while another CyberStation will show the same controller in an online state. When more that one workstation detects that the same controller is offline, this information is negotiated so that there will normally not be multiple offline alarms for the same controller.  Some versions of Continuum handle this better than others.  When an offline controller responds to a probe it is marked as Return to Normal. The controller may also be marked as Return to Normal if the workstation receives some other communication from the controller.

Issue NC2 and ACX57xx controllers with network security applied will no longer respond to a ping command after upgrading to newest firmware. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Network Security ACX5740 ACX5720 NC2 CX9680 Cause The ping command was used to monitor controllers offline/online status.  CX9680 and ACX57xx controllers (with network security applied) stopped responding to  a ping command after respective firmware versions  v2.100048 and v1.100052 were applied. Resolution This is functioning as designed due to the hardening of the controller's firmware for security reasons when network security has been applied.

Issue As of Continuum version 1.82 the standalone Database Engine is SQL Express, which offers inbuilt backup and restore functionality via Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). What is the process for backing up and restoring Databases prior to 1.82? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Standalone CyberStation v1.81 and below. Backup/Restore  Cause As of Continuum version 1.82 the standalone Database Engine is SQL Express. Prior to that it was MSDE. What is the procedure to backup/restore an MSDE database? Resolution Visit the Download Center for MSDE Database Utilities:  MSDE Database Utilities Move SQL DB to a different hard drive

Issue Which Continuum controllers support a terminal RS-232 interface using a terminal emulation application such as Hyper Terminal? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment HyperTerminal CX9900 CX9940 CX9200 CX9400 Cause Documentation Resolution ONLY the following range of controllers support a terminal interface. CX99xx CX92xx CX94xx Please consult Logging into CX9900 controller using HyperTerminal for additional information.

Issue When swiping / presenting a card to a Wiegand card reader in Continuum it does not open the door..  When opening a Listview of Events the log shows "Card Bad Parity" or it reads an incorrect card number using Custom Wiegand. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation all versions, with any of the Access Controllers - ACX700, ACX780, ACX57xx, NetControllers with any of the AC1 module range. Cause This fault is caused by incorrect wiring to the reader or choice of a 3rd party reader that is not compatible with Continuum. Resolution When wiring between a controller and a Wiegand card reader, all wires must be connected straight through to the corresponding terminal. Data1 to Data1 Data0 to Data0, Gnd to Gnd ..............etc. See relevant controller installation guide for further details on reader wiring and cable types. On HID readers be sure to wire between the two Data 1 terminals and the two Data 0 terminals. Do not refer to the Clock and Data legend that is also on the controllers and many readers, as this is only used for ABA data connections. When using a separate Power supply for the reader, the 0V (Ground) terminal must still be connected back to the controller GND terminal to ensure both devices are working from a common ground potential. When testing out cards and readers always use a Listview showing a relevant Event log, as this will provide more information than the event view from the Door editor itself. To assist with troubleshooting data reads by the controller especially when using Custom Wiegand for non standard Continuum formats: Select only Custom Wiegand in the Door configuration. Rename the "AccessFormat" array if one has been created. Present a card to the reader. Check the Listview for Events as this will show the raw binary data string the controller is receiving. Compare raw binary data against the expected data from the reader used.

Issue During communication issues with a Continuum BACnet controller, a large amount of the following error messages are seen in the controllers' error log. 0x8000001e 0x00236400 0x08023a50 0x4c000000 0x00000000 BACnet request timeout 0x00001408 0x0023a600 0x080af632 0x000000bc 0x00000284 Not enough memory Product Line Andover Continuum Environment BACnet Controllers Cause Most likely due to incorrect configuration or excessive BACnet traffic..... or both. Resolution Check the following: What is the version of Controller Firmware being used in each controller? This needs to be checked against the Continuum Compatibility Matrix to ensure that it is compliant with the version of Continuum being used on the SQL Server Are BBMDs configured on this site? If so, where are they located and how are they configured? Confirm the "maxinfoframes" value currently set for all controllers. By default, a bCX for example should be set to 8 By default, b3 controller should be set to 2. If these are different from the default then why this has been changed? Confirm the BACtMaxMaster value in each is set to the maximum b3 NodeID + 1. This defaults to 127 but can cause comms delays on a smaller network. Confirm that all controllers on the MSTP are configured for the same Baud Rate. Any talking at a different baud rate would seem like noise on the network and disrupt communications, resulting in many 1408 error messages. Check the COV increment on points. The default of 0 can cause too much traffic on the bus and should never be left at Zero

Issue How does the controller determine which workstation will log the alarm into the SQL database when using "Enhanced Alarm logging"? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Workstation Enhanced Alarm Logging Cause Alarms will be delivered by a NetController to all Workstations that have Ids between 191 and 254 assuming a teach was done. The first Workstation to receive the Alarm will log it in the Database. There is a ratcheting algorithm that is used by the NetController to determine which Workstation will be the first one to receive Alarms. In many applications, it is necessary to control which workstation will be the first to receive the alarm and log it in the Database. Knowing how the algorithm works provides the ability to design a system with a designated alarm logging workstation. Resolution The algorithm is as follows: The Netcontroller will take its own AccNetid and mask it with 63 stripping off the 2 high bits of its id leaving a result in the range of 1 to 63. Further explanation of the binary masking: NetControllers with Ids between 1 and 63, result is their ID. NetControllers with Ids between 64 and 127, result is their ID - 64 (ID range of 0 to 63). NetControllers with Ids between 128 and 190, result is their ID - 128 (ID range of 0 to 62). That result is then added to 190 and that is the ID of the first Workstation to get the Alarm and Log it in the Database. If there is not a Workstation with that ID (or the workstation with that ID is offline), the NetController will send the alarm to the Workstation with the next highest ID above the one calculated by the ratcheting algorithm. If none of the Workstation Ids are higher than the one calculated, the routine will loop around and use the lowest Workstation ID to send to the first. Example 1: NC1, id1 NC2, id2 NC3, id3 WS1, id191 WS2, id192 WS3, id193 Result of ratcheting routine: NC1 sends to WS1 first NC2 sends to WS2 first NC3 sends to WS3 first Example 2: NC1, id1 1+190=191 NC2, id2 2+190=192 NC3, id3 3+190+193 WS1, id201 WS2, id202 WS3, id203 Result of ratcheting routine: NC1 sends to WS1 first NC2 sends to WS1 first NC3 sends to WS1 first Example 3: NC1, id101 101-64=37, 37+190=227 NC2, id102 102-64=38, 38+190=228 NC3, id103 103-64=39, 39+190=229 WS1, id191 WS2, id192 WS3, id193 Result of ratcheting routine: NC1 sends to WS1 first NC2 sends to WS1 first NC3 sends to WS1 first

Issue All inputs on an Continuum Infinet controller read 999.99 when viewing the electrical value "elecvalue" Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Infinet Controller Cause This indicates that the internal voltage reference is "out of range". Resolution Verify that inputs coming from external transducers are not exceeding the voltage input range, either 5 or 10 volts depending on model, if so use a voltage divider on the input.  Verify that any input wiring is not run in the same conduit as high voltage cable, or is properly shielded and grounded.  If there is voltage getting coupled into the input wiring, separate the input wiring from the interference, or shield the cables.  If the interference is being caused by the end device such as an auxiliary contact from a high voltage device, a cap between .01 and 1 microfarads across the input terminal to earth ground may alleviate the problem. Remove field I/O wiring from the controller and recheck operation.  If the problem goes away determine which I/O wire is the culprit and correct it. Power down the Infinet controller and restart while connected to network.  This will eliminate this unit having a duplicate ID on the network and it will also run the power up diagnostics.  Verify proper grounding at the Infinet controller on the AC power terminals, poor grounding can cause erratic operation and communication problems.  The easiest method to verify ground is to connect a digital voltmeter between the earth ground terminal on the powerstrip of the controller and the shield of the Infinet.  This method will only work if you have connected your shields all through the network back to the Infilink and CX controller. Lastly, a board or controller replacement may be necessary

Issue Active alarms are appear stuck in the alarm viewer for objects that are no longer in alarm.   Alarm notifications will not clear from Active Alarm View. How can obsolete alarms be removed from the Active Alarm View Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation WebClient Cause When a Return to Normal (RtoN) notification is reported by a controller, if Cyberstation is unable to receive the notification due to a loss of communication, the status of the alarm notification will not be updated and the alarm will continue to be displayed as though it were active even though the point alarm state is now inactive. Resolution Method 1 Disable the object and change it's value so that a new alarm is induced. Refresh the object editor until it indicates that the alarm state is active. Enable the object so that it returns to a normal value. If necessary, acknowledge the alarm so that it can be removed from the alarm list. Method 2 Backup the Continuum Database. Edit the object to confirm that it is no longer in an active alarm state. From the Root/ListView folder, open the Alarms_AllActive Listview. Locate the alarm entry associated with the object. Right click on the line and select Delete. Restart Cyberstation to update the Active Alarm View from the alarm log.

Issue BACnet 3rd party controller will not respond to Find New BACnet Devices (Who-Is/I-Am), so will not come online to Continuum or EBO Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, Andover Continuum Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Building Operation Edge Server - Standard Continuum Cyberstation Continuum bCX4040 (BACnet) Cause BACnet MSTP device can be master or slave. BACnet MSTP slave will only respond to a request from a master device, and will not respond to the Who-Is broadcast so it can not be discovered. EBO: EBO does not support slave devices. EBO does not currently have a way to statically configure MAC addresses as it relies on dynamic discovery.   Continuum: Slave only devices cannot come online. Resolution Check 3rd party device documentation or contact 3rd party device vendor for Master/Slave settings and configure for Master to communicate on a MSTP network. Use 3rd party interface to convert to a protocol that can be directly supported by EBO or Continuum. Examples of BACnet MSTP Slaves that are known not to respond to EBO or Continuum Who-Is request and so not come online are: - The Babel Buster 485XM from Control Solutions Inc is BTL listed as a BACnet Slave device , their PICs statement can be seen Here. - Wilo pumps Interface Modules: IF-Modul BACnet & IF-Modul Stratos BACnet, their PICs statement can be seen Here.  

Issue What process do the bCX and b3 controllers use to automatically establish their communication bus speed. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment bCX b3 Auto Baud MSTP Cause Having issues with b3 controllers selecting the wrong bus speed. Resolution The process by which the b3 controllers establish their communication speed is as follows. When the b3 controllers power up, they listen to the network for 2.5 seconds If they hear communication at their last known Baud rate, they start talking when they hear the poll for master. If they hear no communication after 2.5 seconds, they start their own poll for master at their last known Baud Rate. If they hear garbled communication during the 2.5 second listen mode, they begin hunting different Baud Rates while listening until they have synced to the Baud Rate they are listening to. Then they join the token passing when they receive the Poll for Master. Note:  There was a issue with the autobaud process in earlier versions of the b3 and BCX40xx controllers which would cause them to set the communication speed incorrectly.  This issue was corrected in the following firmware versions. BCX40xx ==> 4.500053 b3xxx      ==> 4.500064 b-3xxx-V ==> 4.501064

Issue What are the fields in the FIPS-201 PIV FASC-N? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation NC2 (9680) ACX2 (ACX5720, ACX5740) Cause Documentation Resolution The Federal Agency Smart Credential Number (FASC-N) consists of 40 total characters encoded as Packed Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) format with odd parity creating a 200 bit (25 byte) record.

Issue When a Netcontroller is powered off, resets or loses communication to the AC-1 IOU modules, the modules become stand alone. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Netcontroller II (CX9680), Netcontroller (CX9900, CX9940) IOU Modules AC-1, AC-1A, AC-1Plus Custom Wiegand Events Cause Need to understand what functionality AC-1 IOU modules provide without a Netcontroller Resolution If using one of the standard Wiegand data formats i.e. Continuum 37 bit, 26 bit etc then the AC-1 module will operate in site code only: This is known as degrade mode and means any card from that site will be granted access to the door. The module verifies the presented card is of the correct data format and has the correct parity, The module checks the site code against one of the 4 possible site codes stored in NVRAM. The AC1 and AC-1A only support the first two site codes in degrade mode. The AC-1Plus can support all four site codes in degrade mode. There is no recording of events when the Netcontroller comms are lost. Programs that are controlling the module no longer work This is different to normal operation where both the card number and the site code are verified to ensure that the individual person has access to the specific area.   When using custom card formats and the module is operating in degrade mode: Refer to Setting Up a Custom Wiegand Format for information on the behavior of the AC-1, AC1-A and AC1Plus. Refer to Multi Custom Card Formats as the site codes also need to be saved in the AC1 module using a Plain English program, 

Issue Time stamps in interval Trend logs of bCX4040 and b3 controllers gradually drift starting in hundredths of a second and eventually accumulating into seconds. In the screen shot below, a Trend log with 15 minute interval was started at 11:00:00 and the entries start correctly aligned at the 15,30,45 and 00 minutes of the hour. After a while, the time stamps experience a drift as seen below Over time the time drift accumulates into seconds and minutes if not corrected Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum bCX4040 Continuum b3s Cause The cause of the drift is unknown, at this time but it is assumed to be a firmware defect. Resolution A PE program can be configured in CyberStation to periodically remove the drift. Note that the program accomplishes this by setting the trend log Start Time to re-align the log entries on the HH, 00(minutes) 00(seconds), also note that this causes the trend log to stop for a brief moment, in this example for a minute.   The following program is provided as a sample and guidelines of how to implement the workaround, significant modifications to the program may be needed to make it suitable for specific site/application.     See attached dump file with program code. This is the result after program execution 1. Program sets the trend log's start time to 0:00:00 at around one minute before mid-night, this shows up as log-disabled event in the screen shot above. 2. At mid-night (0:00:00) the trend log starts, this shows as log-enabled event in the screen shot above. 3. New entries can be seen with time stamp drift removed

Issue There are a number of difference between CyberStation and web.Client Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum CyberStation Continuum web.Client Server Cause There are different features and abilities in web.Client and CyberStation and it's necessary to understand those differences. Resolution The web.Client Planning and Installation Guide (Chapter 1) describes the main differences.    You generally use web.Client to view and monitor objects that were defined in CyberStation. The following table lists the levels of support offered with each major web.Client feature. For information on web.Client features, see the web.Client online help. LEVELS OF web.Client SUPPORT  Feature  View  Modify  Delete  Create  Personnel  X  X  X  X  Schedules and Calendars  X  X  X Events within schedules only  Events within schedules only  Reports  X  X    X  Areas  X        Groups  X        Loops  X  X      Graphics  X        Alarms  X  X      Events  X        Distribution Events  X  X  X    Points and objects  X  X  X Except: BACnet objects cannot be deleted.    TrendLogs  X  X      Video  X  1     Doors  X  X      Controller Web Pages  X          Video can be modified, but not saved. For example, you can change cameras, show/hide time, change focus, zoom, but you will lose these changes if the page is refreshed or you open another editor.  ** Graphics are slower through webpinpoint. Higher availability graphics may require a CyberStation.