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 However, if an ASC has it's firmware updated, even an ASC EDE file will become outdated and useless.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 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 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 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 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

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.

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 License Administrator does not operate as expected Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Licenses Administrator Cause This program is not designed to operate as a 64-bit program.  In Windows, you have 2 folders for program installation. One is called Program Files and one is called Program Files(x86). The folder Program Files(x86) is used for 32-bit program. Resolution Make sure the license server is installed under Program Files (x86)

Issue TGML graphics to display "OFF" and "ON" instead of "0" and "1" Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC Vista Environment TGML Graphics Editor Cause Data in the Vista database is stored as 0,1 but may be displayed using paired texts. Those paired texts can be set to show up on the graphic, or a unique conversion can take place in TGML. Resolution If you use default snippets that come provided with the editor, you have the option of displaying a value with either NumericPresentation or TextPresentation. The only real difference between the two is that TextPresentation defines the binding's behavior format as "Presentation" rather than "None." This will only display built in presentation formats -- an alarm state will show up as "Alarm" or "Normal" -- or if you've defined paired text within a binary point in the Vista database, that will show up instead of (0,1). This does not, however, explicitly give you the option from within the Graphics Editor to convert decimal values into text. The example TGML code below describes how to take a value that is showing up as "0" and "1" and make it read instead as "OFF" and "ON." <Text>Value   <Bind Attribute="Content" Name="Value">     <ConvertValue SignalEqualTo="0" AttributeValue="OFF"/>     <ConvertValue SignalEqualTo="1" AttributeValue="ON"/>   </Bind> </Text> Cut and paste this TGML code into the editor's Source view to view it in the editor. Just be sure to paste it between the opening tag and closing tag. If all you see in the Source view is one self-closing tag, that is because the page is empty. Either add separate opening and closing tags, or go back to Design view and add one object to the page to automatically split them.You can see here that a Text object has a binding associated with it. That binding's target attribute is "Content" because this will alter the content of the Text. (We could also change the text's stroke color, background color, font size, position on the page, etc., by changing our binding's target attribute.) ConvertValues underneath the binding tell the binding how to alter the Text's content. A SignalEqualTo 0 will write "OFF" to the content and a SignalEqualTo 1 will write "ON" to the content. The number of ConvertValues is not limited to only two. There could be a third one to say that a value of 2 should read "STANDBY."

Issue BACnet String Value Object or BACnet DateTime Value Object in EcoStruxure Building Operation cannot be created. Only the EcoStruxure Object is created. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Multi-purpose Controller (MP-X) Building Operation Room Controller (RP-C) Building Operation IP-IO Cause Only EcoStruxure String Value Object or DateTime Value Objects can be created under the Servers, even if created under the BACnet/Application Folder. There are no current plans to change this. MP-X, RP-C are native BACnet devices so BACnet String Value Object and BACnet DateTime Value Object can be created. Resolution BACnet String Value Object or BACnet DateTime Value Object can be read and hosted by all versions of EcoStruxure Building Operation, but not created in the Server

Issue When a user logs on to Workstation and accesses the hyperlink, the website is displayed without prompt for login credentials Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Microsoft Internet Explorer Cause EcoStruxure Building Operation software uses Microsoft Internet Explorer to present web pages. How the page logs on is an IE function and not a function of EBO Workstation Resolution  Log off from the web site before logging off from Workstation  Configure Internet Explorer to delete browsing history on exit Go to Internet Explorer settings and then the Internet Options On the General tab, under the Browsing history, enable the checkbox for 'Delete browsing history on exit' (computer restart may be required)

Issue A temperature input on one device is referenced in an external binding, e.g. a consumer value, in another (BACnet) device. The value on the consumer side is incorrect and seems to have been converted from Fahrenheit to Celsius although the units all show Fahrenheit. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Automation Server (Premium) Building Operation Enterprise Server / Enterprise Central BACnet Device(s) supporting external binding (e.g. MP-X or IP-IO) Cause The probable cause is that the value of the temperature input is not configured to a specific unit. This means that the unit is decided by the electrical type of the thermistor. In most cases this is Temperature °C, which means that the values are stored in °C, and this is the value being transferred in the consumer binding. If the measurement system in Workstation is set to United States Customary Units (US), the input value will be displayed in Fahrenheit (°F) and one might think that the unit of the temperature input value is also configured to Fahrenheit, when in reality it is in Celsius. In this situation the value on the consumer side is in Celsius as it has no information about units. Furthermore, if the consumer value unit is configured to Fahrenheit, then we have the situation shown in the screenshot above. Resolution Start by changing measurement system in Workstation to As configured in object. (Refer to the Webhelp for more information about how to do this.) By doing this the values will be displayed unconverted. It is now clear that the temperature input in reality is in Celsius. The next step is to configure the input unit to Fahrenheit. Open up Properties for the Temperature input and click the gear wheel next to Value to configure. Check the box to the left of Unit and click the button with the three dots to the right. Select °F and click Select Click OK to confirm the changes in both open windows. Both the temperature input and the consumer value will now be displaying the correct value in Fahrenheit.

Issue Most systems have an Overview Graphic of the whole building.  The user then navigates from this graphic to specific floors and rooms of interest. If the Workspace is configured incorrectly, navigating to a newly selected graphic does not work as expected. The overview graphic does not disappear and the new graphic is forced to open very small at the edge of the screen. Product Line Building Operation Enterprise Server Environment Workspaces Cause The standard Administration and Engineering Workspaces used in EBO contain a Work Area Window (WAW) which is necessary 'space' to show a selected graphic/trend/schedule If an Overview Graphic Pane is created in a Customer Workspace and this graphic takes up most of the screen, there is no space left to show the new object which the customer wishes to see Note: The Overview Graphic 'Building' is now shown in a Graphic Viewer only   When the system tries to open a new graphic, there is not space to open it in, The graphic is forced to open at the very edge of the screen and is therefore very small. Resolution General information about creating and using Graphic Panes, Work Area Windows and Panel Components can be found in the EBO webhelp, But for specific information on how to prevent a graphic opening at the edge of the screen see below.  Rather than adding a Graphic Pane to the Workspace to show the Overview Graphic add a Work Area Window (WAW) instead. Next, define the required Overview graphic as the initial path for the WAW on startup so the Overview graphic opens at user log on. Note: The Overview graphic 'Building' is now shown in the WAW rather than the Graphic Viewer. Graphics will always close themselves on navigation to the next object by default when used with a WAW (this can be changed). As soon as the user needs to navigate away from the overview page to a new graphic/schedule/trend, the system can use the WAW which will then use most of the screen as the 'space' to show it. In this case, as soon as the link to the next graphic 'Floor' is pressed, the first graphic 'Building' closes according to its default and the new object is shown in its place.

Issue Cannot use the Hall Effect Sensor object under the Onboard IO of an MP-X   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Multi-purpose VAV Cause The object is an internal sensor for measuring the position of the actuator. Resolution The hall Effect Sensor Object is not an user configurable object.

Issue Clicking a graphic page link fails to open any graphic page, but when opening the path using the System Tree of the server that contains the graphic page, successfully allows the link to open the graphic page. When opening the same page using WebStation, the graphic pages all open successfully. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation WorkStation 1.9.x or below. Cause Typically having 'dead links' or unresolved binds in any graphic page is the reason for the issue. WorkStation pre-loads all objects of the references to the graphics. This call (CSP GetObjects) fails since (at least) one path of the objects points to a server that does not exist. Unfortunately the protocol can't return the objects that do exist and WorkStation then marks all these objects as non-existent and fails to open the respective binding. This operation cannot be corrected in this version of WorkStation and requires an upgrade to 2.x or above to correct this. Resolution Two options are available Correct/remove all link bindings that are shown with unresolved references to invalid server paths. Example showing an Unresolved Binding Upgrading to Building Operation 2.0 or higher will also resolve this issue.