Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Can not import double-byte (2-byte) character from third party BACnet device receive error "Property invalid datatype" Character support in Building Operation Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment StruxureWare Building Operation 1.2 and above Cause Building Operation supports various language characters as part of Unicode. These characters are usually received in UCS-4, UCS-2 or UTF-8 and sent in either UCS-2 or UCS-4. Double-byte format such as JIS X 0208 character set is not supported. Here is a reference posted on Microsoft Developers Website: Double Byte Character Sets. The note (second paragraph) of this reference indicates that new applications should use Unicode and that DBCS is a legacy protocol. Resolution There are no plans to support double-byte characters. It is recommended that a Unicode standard (UCS-4, UCS-2 or UTF-8) be used.

Issue Capability to import a BACnet device objects via an EDE file? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment StruxureWare Building Operation site with BACnet Cause Questioning if StruxureWare Building Operation has the capacity to import a BACnet device objects via an EDE file? Resolution We do not support importing from EDE files. We would like to have a good solution for pre-engineering 3rd-party BACnet devices. This is a problem that R&D has looked at on several occasions. The Engineering Data Exchange (EDE) concept is one way to address this issue. Although the BACnet community is in favor of solving this problem, they are not aligned on using EDE files as the solution. The EDE file concept was introduced through the BACnet Interest Group Europe (BIG-EU) by Siemens as an attempt to mimic LonWorks functionality. For worldwide adoption it must become an official extension to the BACnet standard as an approved addendum via the ASHRAE BACnet committee SSPC 135. The BACnet committee has reviewed the EDE file concept and feels that the solution does not fit in with the BACnet roadmap and is not technically ideal. The EDE file is a CSV format and the BACnet committee favors a more modern standard that has extensive self-describing features such as with XML or JSON. For example, BACnet Electronic PICS (EPICS) and BACnet Web Services is XML based and their is an active XML Working Group within the BACnet committee. We understand the BIG-EU is looking to ASHRAE for guidance on this issue and would like to be aligned with the standard going forward. There is a deeper issue beyond adoption by ASHRAE and the technology choice. The reliability of the EDE file cannot be guaranteed. The BACnet Device and Network IDs and objects contained within must be set exactly in the EDE file or configured offline to match the actual device in the field. If these BACnet addresses and objects don't match you will most likely end up with major problems when the database is brought online. Packet captures will reveal duplicate messages and excessive network traffic and references will fail to work. EDE Files for application specific (ASC) devices are likely to have a longer shelf life then EDE files for free-programmable building controllers. However, if an ASC has it's firmware updated, even an ASC EDE file will become outdated and useless. It is rumored that EDE files have been used successfully in the field but want to point out that this is not a fail-safe method nor is it tested and supported. As we continue to participate in the ASHRAE BACnet working groups, we will activity engage ourselves in the pre-engineering solution discussions. Our hope is that a universally accepted solution that can address most of the concerns can become an approved addendum to the ASHRAE BACnet standard.  It turns out that the ASHRAE BACnet committee is further along than reported above. ASHRAE 135-2008 Addendum which added the XML file formats to the standard addresses this application: http://www.bacnet.org/Addenda/Add-135-2008t.pdf Looking at the rational section of this addendum you will see a list of the intended applications: This syntax is intended to be the core data representation for the following use cases: An electronic version of a PICS document, consumable by workstations and other tools, to describe the capabilities of a device. An XML version of an EPICS, defining not only the capabilities of the device, but also including the complete test database and other test-oriented data. An "as built" description of a deployed device, distributed either as a separate file or as a File Object resident in the device itself. Descriptions of proprietary objects and properties and datatypes (in any of the above three uses). These descriptions may be minimalistic, providing basic data sharing capabilities, or extremely rich, providing complete descriptions of the meaning and usage of the data to enable a comprehensive user interface, including the capability of providing such descriptions in multiple human languages. An export format for tools and workstations to export or publish their knowledge of the arrangement and configuration of a device or a complete system of devices and networks. Web services that exchange complex or constructed data With an official ASHRAE BACnet solution it is just a matter of determining which method to go with. Despite the format, it is possible to have a utility application that can automatically generate an export file. It would even be possible to convert an EDE file to XML. Albeit, I believe the EDE file would be less descriptive then an XML file generated from the actual device. It may be better to natively import via XML. We would then either get a BACnet XML file from the vendor or have a small external utility gather from the live device or convert an EDE file.

Issue Collecting String data from third party BACnet systems where they do not support BACnet String Objects Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Third Party BACnet systems Continuum Text/Strings Datetime Cause BACnet String and Date (characterstring-value and datetime-value) objects are not included in some BACnet systems eg. Continuum. Continuum supports these objects types in a proprietary manor but not as BACnet objects, therefore these values cannot be simply collected by EBO Resolution A simple method of collecting text strings from Continuum is to convert each character to its ASCII equivalent number, then pass these values via BACnet Analog Values, then convert back to a string in EBO The simplistic PE program below shows conversion of the first 8 characters of "String8Character" Object to 8 Analog Values "StringChr01-08", these are collected by EBO The Script Program below converts the Analog Values back to a Text String  

Issue Desire to create a Panel in a subfolder, such as BACnet Application folder. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment StruxureWare Building Operation 1.0 and higher Cause For navigability from the Workstation, it may be desirable to nest a Panel graphic display directly underneath the BACnet controller it is displaying information for. Resolution Panel(s) and inability for creation in the BACnet Application folder is intentional. The BACnet Application is mostly reserved objects which are visible to BACnet (Points, Values, Alarms, Trends, Schedules, etc), and also non-BACnet objects that you might use with BACnet objects (Graphics, Extended Trend Logs, Charts and Lists). Things that are related to applications. The Panel object is related to the Workstation and its layout, not the application. Panel objects also cannot be created inside of any other communication protocol interfaces (LonWorks or ModBus, for example).  

Issue There is no quick and efficient way to configure a TAC Xenta 102-AX controller after adding it to a LonWorks Network in Building Operation. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Cause The TAC Xenta 102-AX controller is typically configured using the LNS plug-in that is currently not available in version 1.4.0 and newer. Resolution As an alternative to the LNS plug-in, the graphic page available on the Community [1] can be used. This zip file contains the TGML graphic, binding template, and a full import file with a Xenta 102-AX that is already bound. [1] Xenta 102-AX SXW TGML Plugin v1.6.1 (SBO 1.8.0 to 1.9.3) Example Plug-in TGML Graphic Page

Issue Failed to reload b3 controllers, The information for device commission detail indicates "the Object Identifier already existed". Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, Andover Continuum Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Continuum b3 Controllers Cause There are one or more database conflicts in the AS. Resolution Right Click AS and select "cold restart" Wait for AS come back online and try to reload the b3 controllers. The issue may return, but the solution can help you download the b3 controller and will not impact the b3s' performance.

Issue Where can I download SmartStruxure V1.5 software and manuals? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment SBO version 1.50 software Cause Download location required. Resolution The following link is to all documents and software associated with V1.50 release. Or go to The Exchange Download Center and search on the tag: relsbov1.5 (short for: Release SBO V1.5).

Issue The LON network is experiencing high bandwidth utilization identified by problems with commissioning devices and intermittent communication loss. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation LON devices Cause There can be many causes for high bandwidth utilization, including configuring change of value trend logs directly to points on the LON devices without using the local node. This causes Building Operation to poll the values constantly to see if there has been a change which in turns impacts the communication. Another cause can be graphics pages with a very large number of points. Even pages with many hidden layers will poll every point including the hidden layer points. It is important to bind any values coming into the Automation Server through the Local Node. Another cause can be the lack of proper LON interface configurations such as Bandwidth Throttling. Resolution The best option is to modify the Change of value logs to the type Interval logs. If it is a graphic causing the issue, then reduce the points on the graphics page. If these options are not suitable then using the local node option described below will help in reducing the bandwidth. Utilize the Local Node Create a Local Node underneath the LonWorks Network in the Enterprise or Automation Server. Create a SNVT underneath the Local Node that matches the one you want to log or bind. Make a SNVT binding from the Device to the SNVT created under the Local Node that triggers on change. For more information on Lon interface configuration settings, see LonWorks Interface Properties – Advanced Tab.

Issue Can the XIF be generated for an AS? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Automation Server Cause Want to add AS into another system and need XIF Resolution In version 1.4.0 and below the Automation Server can not be integrated into other systems using LonWorks. From version 1.4.1 and up, you can configure an "Externally Managed LonWorks Network" to the Automation Server, and as a result use the Automation Server in e.g. LonMaker or NL220. The Automation Server supports "Upload from device", but if you need the xif file, you can refer to the following guides available on the Community. Generate XIF file from SmartStruxure AS - LonMaker Generate XIF file from SmartStruxure AS - NL220.

Issue When TAC Xenta 421-A is used as stand alone LonWorks node, a value read from an 0-10 VDC or 4-20 mA is sent only as 0-100%. Is it possible to send as engineering values? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation,TAC Vista Environment TAC Xenta 421-A Cause Then the TAC Xenta 421-A is used as a stand alone LonWorks nodes, the values from an analog input is always sent as nvoAnalog1-4, in 0-100%. Only exception is then using thermistor inputs, when the measured temperature is sent out as nvoTemp1-4. Resolution TAC Xenta 421-A used as stand alone LonWorks node, the values from an analog input is always sent as nvoAnalog1-4, in 0-100%, unless the input is configured from 1.8 kOhm or 10 kOhm thermistors..

Issue Script programs in b3 controllers will not autostart after reboot of the controller Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment StruxureWare Building Operation AS-B Cause The program is not configured to autostart in StruxureWare Building Operation. Resolution In the Properties of the program object, ensure that the Autostart field is set to True. For further information on these properties please refer to Webhelp

Issue A Xenta 102-AX accepts a 0-5V input on all external inputs. If Universal Input 3 is designated as CO 2 , the range of the input needs to match the range of the sensor. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC Vista Environment Xenta 102-AX Universal Input 3 CO 2 sensor Cause The default setting (a gain of 1/1) results in 0V = 0ppm 5V = 1023ppm (1023 is a resolution of the onboard analog to digital converter.) Resolution Refer to page 3-66 of the TAC Xenta 102-AX Software & Hardware Manual for more detail. Calculate the required gain for the range of the CO 2 sensor. Ensure the sensor outputs a 0-5V signal. Note the CO 2 level at 5V. In this example, 2000ppm. Divide the maximum CO 2 reading by the analog to digital converter bit resolution (1023). Multiply the result by 1000. (2000 / 1023) * 1000 = 1955 Locate the value for Universal Input 3 SCPTgain. There are four locations to alter this value: Xenta 102-AX Plug-in Go to the Browser Tab > Xenta102AX > UnivIn3 Sense > SCPTgain > multiplier. Over on the right, enter in 1955/1000 and hit Set Value. LonMaker or LNS browser Open the browser window by right clicking on the 102-AX in the drawing and selecting Browser. Look in the Functional Block column for UnivIn3Sense. In that category is a point called SCPTgain. Click on it and then enter up top 1955/1000. Hit the red down arrow to download the value to the device. Enable monitoring on the nvoCO2sensor value or reopen the browser to view the new CO 2 value. Vista Workstation Go to the 102-AX.UnivIn3_Sense module and locate the SCPTgain point. Double click it. By Multiplier enter 1955 and by Divisor enter 1000. StruxureWare WorkStation Go to the 102-AX and click on UnivIn3Sense module and in the Variables tab locate the nciGainUIx point and expand it. For Multiplier, enter 1955 and save. For Divisor, enter 1000 and save.

Issue StatusBackup "State" system variable is not able to be manually changed and attempting to set this variable to Enabled produces a script error instead of resetting the flash circuit breaker. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation v1.8 and below. b3/i2 Controllers Cause Feature to reset flash circuit breaker was not implemented in the earlier versions of Building Operation Resolution A new feature to reset the flash circuit breaker was implemented in Building Operation v1.9 to address this issue. The b3 BACnet Device Memory on-line help topic shows how this is manually reset from the WorkStation in the Device menu.

Issue Point under the Application folder of MP-x device shows error "Contains unresolved BACnet reference" Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Multi-purpose Controller Building Operation Multi-purpose VAV Building Operation IP-IO Cause Incomplete entry in point's BACnet priority array. The screenshot below shows the XML file obtained from exporting the point, as it can be seen, 'Priority16' is missing the 'Type' section. Resolution Perform the following steps to correct the problem: Export the point out to a file. Delete the point. Import the file created at step 1, once the point has been re-created via import the unresolved error is gone. NOTE: There is no need to make any modifications to the XML file, it can be imported as is, the system will automatically correct the incomplete entry for priority16.

Issue The path to the templates and libraries is not documented Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC Vista Environment Graphics editor Cause In order to use your own color and gradient templates and to copy component and snippet libraries you need to know the path to these files and folders. Components and snippets can preferably be managed directly through the graphics editor. Resolution In TAC Vista The libraries and templates are one and the same for all users: Colors and gradients: C:\ProgramData\TAC Graphics Editor\Brushes Components: C:\ProgramData\TAC Graphics Editor\Components Snippets: C:\ProgramData\TAC Graphics Editor\Snippets In SmartStruxure Each user has their own set of libraries and templates: Colors and gradients: C:\Users\%username%\Documents\StruxureWare\Graphics Editor\Brushes Components: C:\Users\%username%\Documents\StruxureWare\Graphics Editor\Components Snippets: C:\Users\%username%\Documents\StruxureWare\Graphics Editor\Snippets

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 The database files used by the WebReports SQL database need to be moved to another location. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment WebReports SQL Server Cause There are numerous reason for wanting to do this, but the most common reason is that there is not enough space on the disk where the WebReports databases are located. By moving to another disk this will allow space for future expansion. Note that this article only describes how to move the database files to another harddrive. The SQL server and database files must still be on the same PC where WebReports is installed. Resolution To move the database files, follow this process: Start by backing up everything. Stop the reporting agent service (name: ReportingAgentService). Open SQL Server Management Studio and locate the database. Right-click on the database and select Tasks-->Detach. Locate the SQL database files (*.mdf and *.ldf) in Windows explorer. Cut or copy these files and move them to the desired location. Go back to SQL Management Studio and select the Databases folder. Right-click and select Tasks-->Attach database. When the dialogue opens up, locate the 'ADD' button and click on it. Browse to the database files' new location and click on OK. Restart the reporting agent service.

Issue When attempting to add an Automation Server to an Enterprise Server, an error message "Log on temporarily disabled' is displayed. The operation fails and the Automation Server is not added to the ES. Error message displayed on version 1.8 Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Automation Server (AS, AS-P or AS-B) All of the above version 1.9 or earlier Cause This only occurs after an initial failed attempt to add a server to the Enterprise Server. On each subsequent attempt to add the server, it always tries to authorize to the server with the admin account's default credentials, which in most cases are no longer valid. This locks the admin account. So when the admin account has been locked initially, it will not be unlocked, as every time an attempt is made to add the server, the default admin credentials are being used, and therefore it fails. Normally a locked account is a temporary condition, but in this case it is never recovered. This problem occurs on version 1.9 or earlier. It was fixed in version 2.0. Resolution The current workaround to allow the SmartStruxure Server Device to be added to the Enterprise Server is to perform a Warm Start or by cycling the power on the device. Upgrade to version 2.0 or later to resolve the issue permanently.

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 for assistance. Issue When trying to add a SmartX server to an ES, or when trying to rename an ES, you see the following error message: "All subserver must be online at least once before adding" Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server (version 2.0 or later) Cause This issue is caused by a mismatch between the content in the folders called MountPoints and Versions in the ES database folder. Resolution Before doing this make sure you have a good backup of the ES database. Identify and delete the files in the ES database folder called Versions which don't have representation in the ES database folder called MountPoints. The files have the same GUID-name in both folders, but not the same content, so you cannot copy paste between the folders. It requires a manual comparison. Procedure to identify files to remove (for version 2.0): 1. Check files in C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric EcoStruxure\Building Operation 2.0\Enterprise Server\db\System\MountPoints 2. Check files in C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric EcoStruxure\Building Operation 2.0\Enterprise Server\db\System\Versions 3. In Versions only remove the files which don't have a representation in MountPoints. Comparing the files in MountPoints (1) to the ones in Versions (2 & 3). Here they are identical and all is OK.

Issue There is a performance issue affecting the Infinet bus under an AS-P. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Automation Server Premium Cause Product Support has requested a Trace log with increased reporting for use in troubleshooting the Infinet bus.  Resolution 1. Under the System Tree in Workstation, expand the Modules folder.        2. In the Module folder, under the Trace folder expand the Loggers folder.   3. Under Loggers, navigate to the following modules. nsp.pin.BACnet.Continuum nsp.BACnet.Continuum (EBO versions 2.0 and below only). 4.  Right click on each module to expose the module Properties and increase the reporting level to Trace.     5. Just below the Loggers folder, right click on the Trace Settings folder.   6. In the context menu under Trace Settings, select Get trace log.     The Trace log will appear as a text file in a text editor.  Save the log to an appropriate folder.   Be sure to return the reporting level on all modules to Information once you are finished gathering the logs.   Leaving the reporting level at Trace will fill up the Trace logs with Infinet log entries leaving very little room for anything else. 

Issue Example graphics components required Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment TGML - Building Operation Graphics Editor Cause No standard graphics or components are supplied within the product. Resolution A Standard graphic component library can be downloaded from the Buildings Download Center. This consists of a number of Component Libraries that can be installed on a Workstation by double clicking on each one. In your TGML Editor, Right click in the Components window and select "Categories" you can then select the categories you require to see in your components section. There are also a lot of standard Snippets that have been developed by users around the world, these are available to download from the EcoStruxure Building Operation Forum - Graphics Exchange.