Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue During reload Continuum throws a 1401 error - item cannot be found. Environment All Controllers Cause There is an problem with an object link (such as an alarm link to an alarm enrollment object) that is attached to an object within the controller. Resolution Reload the contents of the controller by class to determine which object class is causing the error. Once the object class has been determined reload each object in that class separately until the problem objects are found. Either delete and rebuild the objects, or clear each object link and reestablish that link.  Reload to verify that error is no longer occurring.

Issue Clicking an Area control in pinpoint will only put the area into a lockdown state instead of cycling its lockdown state Environment Cyberstation Pinpoint (Graphic) Cause The Area control on a graphic panel will only activate the lockdown. Resolution In order to remove a lockdown activation that was selected by an area control on a graphic, editing of the area object itself will need to be performed in order to remove the lockdown. This is as designed since for a security feature of locking down entire areas, there should be no mistake of double clicking on the graphics area control to accidently disable the lockdown.

Issue What is the difference between Continuum  HVAC Programmers Edition, Security Programmers Edition and Integrated Programmers Edition?  Environment Continuum CyberStation  Cause Do not know the difference between Continuum  HVAC Programmers Edition, Security Programmers Edition and Integrated Programmers Edition?  Resolution HVAC Programmers Edition is for configuring, programming and administering HVAC systems. Security Programmers Edition is for configuring, programming and administering Security systems. Integrated Programmers Edition is for configuring, programming and administering HVAC and Security systems.

Issue While trying to create a point mirroring program with multiple lines. Several (but not all) lines with references to remote Infinet points indicate the above error.  Environment CyberStation v1.93 Plain English IDE Net2 with Infinet2's Cause The following error occurs on several lines of a program being saved: "The specified directory service attribute or value does not exist" Resolution Reload the remote controllers (the Infinet controllers with the points creating the errors in the PE program) Delete the mirroring point program in the Net2. Reload the Net2. Recreate the program in the Net2 and save successfully.

Issue Change of Value updates fail to re-establish after referenced controller comes back from a power failure. The referencing program goes to Disabled. Environment Continuum BACnet Cause Remote point mapping program goes to Disabled when the referenced control is offline. With the program disabled, the COV subscriptions are not re-established until the program is re-enabled manually or is reloaded to the controller. Resolution Setup a Line E at the end of your program. When an error occurs, and before the program disables, the program will cycle to line E and the below code will be executed.    Fallthru Program . . . Line E   ErrorCount = ErrorCount +1  'numeric created to store number of times it hits this line.   stop   Looping Program . . . Line E   ErrorCount = ErrorCount +1  'numeric created to store number of times it hits this line.   goto wait30 Line wait30 If ts > 30 then goto xxx 'goto top of program for another attempt                

Issue Continuum displays Reason Code 12 error During Send to Database on BACnet/IP device. Environment 3rd party BACnet Continuum BCX4040 BACnet over IP Cause Third party device is not accessible to Continuum following configuration change by vendor. Resolution Restore communication to 3rd party device.

Issue Following a reboot of CyberStation, alarms continue to be logged but are not displayed in Active Alarm View. Environment CyberStation Active Alarm View Continuum Database Initialization Cause Alarms not being displayed in Active Alarm View. Resolution Performed a Database Initialization with Enhanced Alarm Logging and Enhanced Alarm Delivery selected on the workstation.

Issue Need to know the smallest change that an Input can measure or that an Output can provide. Environment All Continuum controllers. Cause Need to know for specification compliance or to determine the smallest measurable change in an Input. Resolution Some of our controllers support inputs with a 10 bit resolution and some support 12 bit resolution. As a rule, all 5.115v inputs are 10 bit and all 10v inputs are 12 bit. You can see which resolution each controller supports by viewing the Datasheet for each controller and noting the value of the "Input Resolution" and voltage range of the inputs (normally 0-10VDC). As an example, the b3920 shows an input resolution of 2.5mV on its 0-10VDC inputs. This equates to a 12 bit resolution as shown below.      2 x = 10VDC / 0.0025 VDC      2 x = 4000      x * log(2) = log(4000)      x = log(4000) / log(2)      x = 11.96578 or 12 bit   Further, a b3800 has an input resolution of 10 bits on its 0-5.115VDC inputs.      5VDC / 2 10 = 0.00499V or 5 mV You can find the individual controller Datasheets on Ecobuildings. Navigate to the Download Center and search the controller model number. Then narrow results by Asset Type = 'Specification Sheet'.  Most of the new Datasheets now note both the Input and Output resolutions.

Issue Continuum Cyberstations maintain system logs such as activity log for tracking purposes, are there any similar system logs in the controllers? For example, when a user logs into the controller's configuration web page, is this recorded in an activity log inside the controller? Environment All CX controllers Cause System design Resolution All system logs such as activity log of user actions are managed by Cyberstation. Continuum controllers do not locally maintain any system logs such as activity log.

Issue Need to execute a special sequence within an Infinet controller when it loses communication with its parent controller. Environment Infinet Controller i2 Comm failure Communication failure Plain English Cause Need to commence a special control sequence when controller loses communication. Resolution In the Infinet controller create the following objects. DateTime: TestTime Numeric: CommFail InfinityProgram ImportTime.Pr InfinityProgram CommTest.Pr In the ImportTime.Pr Program Create a line named CALCULATE On the CALCULATE line add a line that calculates the TestTime to be equal to the Date System Variable in the parent controller + 60 seconds. Create an E line In the CommTest.Pr Create a WATCH line. Create a COMMLOSS line. On the WATCH line set COMMFAIL to OFF, then compare the local Date system variable to TestTime .  When Date is greater then TestTime goto COMMLOSS On the COMMLOSS line Switch COMMFAIL On.  Then add a goto statement that sends the program to WATCH when Date is greater then TestTime and TS > 180 All relevant programs should monitor the COMMFAIL numeric.

Issue Need to know the rules and limitations of Continuum login user's password.  Environment Continuum Cyberstation Cause Need to know the rules and limitations of setting the password when creating Continuum login users. Resolution Continuum login passwords are used to secure the User account. A password is a case-sensitive character string that may contain letters, numbers, symbols, and spaces. Control characters, Alt-modified characters, and function keys are not allowed. Passwords can be a maximum of 16 characters. Note: When logging onto a Continuum workstation, the user must enter the alias of the User object that has been created for him (not Full Name) and a password. The alias is created when you name an object in the New dialog box. If the user fails to provide the correct alias/password combination, Continuum denies access.

Issue How to read a controller error log Environment CX 9680 ACX 57xx BCX 9640 BCX 4040 i2 controllers B3 controllers Cause Need to decipher a controller error log Resolution Deciphering the controller error log can be accomplished by using a few of the fields of the error log. There is one field that is able to be deciphered very easily. The Error Code column of the error log is a code that can be matched to its text description. The other fields are used internally by PSS and engineering. To find out what one of the entries in an Error Code column means, open up the Continuum online help file. The Continuum online help file can be found by in the Continuum Explorer by selecting the menu item Help/Contents. From there select the Index tab and type in the keyword Error. A selection will be available for Error messages, Cyberstation. On this page you will be able to take the last 4 digits of the Error Code from the controller error log and match it up to its description. Example: Error Code  0x00001401 translated into decimal form would be 5121 The error code will be listed by both the hex and decimal format. Not all codes will be in the online Error description fields. Some of these codes are internal use only. If you find that you need a code deciphered, please open a case with Product Support.

Issue Can ping the controller and access the controllers configuration webpage but cannot bring the controller online in Continuum. Environment BCX9640 Cause Windows Firewall is on Resolution Disable firewall.

Issue Some modbus device documentation indicate that there are 6 digits in a register to obtain certain information Environment Continuum Xdriver Modbus Cause The Modbus xdriver only allows for 5 digits  Resolution The modbus range is from 0-65535, so 6 digits is too large Some PLCs used the 40,000 and 30,000 notation which embeds the function code in the address. For example: 30,001= function code 4 start address 0 30,234= function code 4 start address 233 40,001= function code 3 start address 0

Issue Running a trend report on extended log data, only the first objects trend data is displayed. Environment Continuum CyberStation Trend Report Cause The default of the maximum number of values is 100 when a trend report is selected. . Resolution  Make the maximum number of values 10000 and it should bring in all the data when selecting trend.

Issue Need to connect xPModule away from the b3/i2 controllers. Need to know what is the maximum distance it can be installed using a ribbon cables. Environment Infinet II (i2) or BACnet (b3) families: i2/b3 920, i2/b3 810, i2/b3 814, i2/b3 850, i2/b3 851, or i2/b3 853. The bCX1 Controller/Router models. Cause There is a limitation of the length of the cable being used. Resolution Either the 3-foot or 10-foot ribbon cable can be used.  A total of 10 feet of cable may be used for all Expansion Modules.

Issue The PIN attribute of personnel objects has some limitations on visibility since it is considered sensitive information, this is the reason why Personnel PINs  do not show up in the personnel editor (it shows as ****) or List views. Environment CyberStation Cause Function as designed. Resolution One way to generate a report that shows all personnel objects PIN is to create a CyberStation program that prints the PIN to a file (or some other print destination) The following is a sample of a Looping CyberStation program that accomplishes the above. -------------------------------- Numeric CNT, OK File NEWDATA Object thePerson OPENINGFILE:   OK = OpenFile("C:\Temp\ALLPINS2.TXT", WriteOnly, NEWDATA)   If OK = Failure then Goto ENDING Else Goto PRINTTOFILE PRINTTOFILE:   OpenList("Personnel", thePerson, Root)   While GetObject(thePerson) is Success     Print thePerson PIN to NEWDATA   Endwhile CloseList(thePerson)   Goto CLOSINGFILE CLOSINGFILE:   OK = CloseFile(NEWDATA)   If OK = Failure then Print "CANNOT CLOSE TEXT FILE" else goto ENDING ENDING:   Stop --------------------------------

Issue Where is the information on LVIS Display/Screen Environment Lon Bacnet Loytec LVIS L-VIS L-VIS Touch Panel for BACnet networks   Cause Information on Loytec L-VIS Resolution The L-VIS from Loytec uses bacnet MSTP or LON. See Product Announcement - LonWorks and BACnet Touch Panels release for more information. All support for this product is via Loytec

Issue What personnel attribute allows a card to only start working at a future time/ date? Is it ActivationDate or StartDate? Environment Access Controllers: ACX5720, ACX5740, NetcontrollerII, ACX780, ACX700, AC1, AC1-A, AC1-Plus, CX9900, ACX57xx, NCII Cyberstation, Access Control, Personnel StartDate, ActivationDate, ExpirationDate. Cause After setting the StartDate or Activation date on some systems, the card still operates even if the date is in the future. Resolution The ActivationDate attribute was added to Continuum V1.82 and above, it is only supported in the Netcontroller II & the ACX57xx controllers. So systems with Cyberstations older than V1.82 or that use CX9900 (Netcontroller 1) with AC1 series modules, ACX780 or ACX700 do not support an Activation date and will start to operate as soon as the personnel has been saved and distributed to the controller. The ExpirationDate is when a card will stop working and operates on all products / versions of Continuum. The StartDate is just a personnel information field to define when an individual started with the company.  

Issue When backing up the Continuum Database using SQL Server Management Studio the backup fails.  SQL indicates Status = 112  Environment Continuum SQL SQL Server Management Studio DB Backup Cause Insufficient disk space to hold backup file. Resolution Remove files from hard drive to free up a sufficient amount of storage space.