Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Configured a digital input on SXW-UI16, with nothing connected to the input used a volts meter to measure the voltage between RET and the input, the volts meter reads 20.3. Why? Environment SXW-UI16 Other modules Cause This is normal, what is being measured is the voltage across the pull up resistor on the input circuitry. Resolution Any sensor attached to the input must be able to handle the voltage.

Issue Which format will emails be transmitted in? Environment SmartStruxure Cause IT departments may need to know the format of system generated emails, especially if they use an internal mail server. Resolution The email is sent with text/plain;charset=utf-8 encoding with Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable.

Issue Have the ability in SBO to disable and enable the email delivery from a graphic with a simple switch Environment Automation Server (AS), Enterprise Server (ES) - all versions Cause - none - Resolution In order to enable / disable email delivery from a graphic, do the following: 1. Add a Switch component to a graphic. Save the graphic. 2. In Workstation, open the bindings window for the graphic. Bind the Status of the Email Notification to the Value of the Switch.

Issue When installing SQL server 2008 or SQL 2008 R2 to manually an instance for I/NET, Vista or Continuum, sometimes an error "Invoke or BeginInvoke cannot be called on a control until the window handle has been created" will show up. Environment SQL 2008 / SQL 2008 R2 Vista I/NET Continuum SmartStruxure Cause This issue is happening because of a behavior change in .NET that is exposing an issue with SQL Setup User Interface (UI). Resolution Generally, if you just rerun the installer, it won't hit the issue again. If this can't help, just manually create a C:\temp folder and it will work fine.

Issue When importing a file from TAC Menta into StruxureWare Building Operation Functional Block Editor, the import of the application file fails. Environment TAC Vista TAC Xenta StruxureWare Building Operation Cause The following characters are not allowed in object names in StruxureWare Building Operation. • / • " • ? • * • ~ • White space is not allowed in the beginning or the end of an objects name. • . (period) is not allowed in the beginning of an objects name. Colon (:) is not allowed either, but will automatically be replace by an underscore (_) when importing   In TAC Vista, signal names could contain the character "/". In SmartStruxure, this character is not allowed. Resolution Remove illegal characters from object names in the Function Block program.

Issue We want to be able to control the outputs on an I/O even if the I/O module is broken. Environment StruxureWare Building Operation I/O Modules   Cause The switches for manual override on the I/O modules needs power to be able to operate. Resolution The switches on the I/O modules that are used for manual override internally controls relays, that need to be powered to be able to operate.

Issue Graphics are not displaying values under certain user accounts Environment User Accounts Domains Cause Although the user account configuration appeared to be correct, something in the user accounts was broken. Resolution Once the User Accounts were deleted and recreated with exactly the same configuration the graphics began displaying the values. 

Issue Automation Server stuck in Reboot Cycle Environment Automation Server Cause This experience is not typical so below is a list of solutions that have worked in the past. Resolution ES - AS Communication Issue - This fix works when the boot cycle only occurs while the ES is online. You can prove this is the case by stopping the Enterprise Server through software administrator, then attempting to log into the AS Log into the Enterprise Server Click on the Root Server Object in the System Tree Pane Click on the Communications tab Verify that the listed IP address for the Enterprise Server matches the IP address of the machine In the System Tree Pane, expand the Servers folder Delete the Affected Automation Server. NOTE: This will break all binds to/from this server. Log out of the Enterprise Server and Log into the Automation Server to verify that it is stable. Log out of the Automation Server and back into the Enterprise Server Re-add the Automation Server to the Enterprise Server

Issue Schneider Electric MTN881001 or the SVEA LON I/O Module DR-N 3DIM 1-10V. Changing the SNVT nviLALampValue_? does not give the expected output. Environment MTN881001 SVEA 36237-552 Cause Changing the SNVT nviLALampValue[i] to the following values, shows the following VDC volt on the analog output: nviLALampValue Analog output 100.0 1 -  9,94 VDC 80.0 1 -  7.65 VDC 60.0 1 -  6,75 VDC 50.0 1 -  6.25 VDC 20.0 1 -  4.86 VDC 1.0 1 -  3.97 VDC When nviLALampValue is 50.0 1, the analog output is 6.25 VDC (not proportional) and the minimum analog output value is 3.97 VDC, which does not make sense.   Resolution The module is using a logarithmic behaviour for the 1-10V output as default. This is because the device is mostly used for fluorescent lamps. You can change the behaviour by using the UCPTadaptationTable in the lamp Actuator object. UCPTadaptationTable consists of 21 values representing the digits (from 0 to 255) for the output value in steps of 5%. This means:   first value: 0% second value: 5% third value: 10% ... 21st value: 100% To get a linear behaviour you should set as follows: first value: 0 second value: 13 third value: 26 ... 21st value: 255

Issue Reportserver does not delete the trend data when an extended trendlog is deleted in StruxureWare Building Operation. Environment StruxureWare Building Operation Webreport SQL Cause When an extended trendlog is deleted in StruxureWare Building Operation, its corresponding data in webreport server are not deleted. This means that when you want to look at a trend in the reportserver you will still see the deleted trendlog. No new data are collected but the previously collected data will be there. Resolution This is by design. The historical data are not deleted from SQL; however,  a side effect of this is that the webreport interface will still show the extended trendlog after it has been deleted in Workstation.

Issue Error: Failed to replace dbexporter when installing ES 1.5. The error appears when files are being copied to machine. Environment ES Cause Other instance of ES running. Resolution Go in Control Panel\Administrative Tools\Services and make sure there is no Enterprise Server service running.

Issue How update monitors work and how to make an alarm on one Environment StruxureWare Building Operation Cause Check if a LON variable is offline/online Resolution When you have a function block program with a nvo you can right click on it and choose "new - mirrored network variable" When this is done a NVI is created at the local node. You can only create an update monitor for nvi's and this is how you do it. Right click on the created nvi and choose "new - update monitor" Double left click on the nvi to see its attributes, it now has a update monitor. Right click on the variable for the nvi and choose " new - alarm " Choose "variable status alarm" Choose the criteria for the alarm and then create, make sure the  "Trigger when variable is offline" is checked You will now get an alarm when the variable gets offline

Issue Upgrading Reports Server to 1.5 and receiving notification that SQL2008 R2 SP2 is not installed Environment Reports Server Cause Web Reports 1.5 requires that the express version of SQL2008R2 be at SP2, prior to 1.5, the site could use SQL 2008 R2 SP1 or RTM. Resolution Download the update for SQL which installs 2008 R2 SP2 at this link: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30437 Use the File ending in -x64-ENU Run the executable file after it downloads Install StruxureWare WebReports 1.5 using the Upgrade Database option

Issue The SNVT bindings break after replacing a VT6700 Viconic thermostat with a VT7600r, VR76_PIR, SE7600, etc. Environment LonMaker NL220 Schneider Electric SE76XX stats Cause The older VT7600 Viconic thermostat includes the nvoOAT SNVT. On the newer models of the Viconic stats the nvoOAT variable is no longer available. The removal of the nvoOAT variable causes the SNVT table to become unaligned and breaks the existing bindings that had been created. Resolution When replacing a VT7600 thermostat with any new Viconics model the existing SNVT bindings will be broken. It is important to make note of all bindings made to the stat before performing a replace with a newer stat.

Issue A method of offline database engineering is needed for SmartStruxure.  Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment StruxureWare Building Operation Project Configuration Server (PCS) Cause System integrator wants to engineering expansions and new automation to the site offline. What is the procedure if the client already has the ES and AS devices onsite, but wants to engineer offsite? If not can we only add one AS per project then restore / deploy just the AS and how is point referencing managed on bindings to the original site server? Resolution Beginning with the release 1.5 version of Project Configuration Server(PCS) is a 'deploy once' version, meaning that it allows you to make the first configuration offline. It is a full deployment meaning it may only be the ES or AS or the ES with AS connected. There are no partial deployments with bindings intact with existing servers. For deployment to include bindings between the ES and AS or other devices, they must be added to the initial deployment, which will overwrite existing configuration. Note: the 64 AS limit is a performance issue. 64 fully loaded AS in a project takes a long time to open. Once a server in the PCS project is deployed on site, you cannot deploy it again without manually erasing the database in the online server using the Device Administrator or uninstall and re-install the Enterprise server. Consider the following scenario where an office wishes to use the PCS on a project with staged installation and an ES with 15 AS: Create the ES and all 15 AS in my project. You may not have the project’s communication information because none of the final IP addresses are available. So put them in with 192.168.1.x Configure all of what is needed in 5 of the AS (AS1 – AS5). Configure all of the IO and other objects in another 5 AS (AS6 – AS10) Do nothing with the last 5 AS (AS11-AS15). Create some read references in some of my programs in AS1-AS5 that are referencing objects from AS6 – AS15. Create extended trends and alarms categories at the ES. Create alarms in AS1 - AS5 that use the alarm categories. Go to the site and deploy AS 1 to AS5 (after modifying the communication parameters for those 5 so that you can bring them on line.) The alarm categories will be deployed to the AS in spite of the fact that the PCS would have had them configured as lead and shadows from the ES, which was not deployed. However, there would likely be an offline alarm generated because there was no ES and there might also be a lead/shadow alarm. The alarms will be correctly configured, however, and operational. The references to the objects from AS6 – AS15 will appear as unresolved in the AS1-AS5 reference managers. Go back to the office and finish everything needed in AS6 – AS10 Create graphics at the ES referencing objects from all 15 AS. Create trend charts showing log data from all AS. Create users, domains, workspaces, etc. Go back to the site and adjust the communication parameters for all the remaining 10 AS and for the ES Deploy AS6 - AS10 and the ES. Initially, the AS1-AS5 have empty/wrong communication settings to the ES. It requires a manual “Repair Com-settings” from the user logged on to ES (at the site). When the Com-settings are ok, then the bindings from AS1- AS5 to AS6-AS10 will be resolved after a few minutes. When the Communication settings in AS1-AS5 for the ES are correct, the synchronization for lead/shadow relationships starts updating the alarm categories that we discussed in step 8a. The graphics in the ES will have resolved bindings for objects from AS1 – AS10, but unresolved bindings from AS11-AS15. In fact, they will be resolved to AS1-AS5 even if you haven't corrected the Com-settings in AS1-AS5. The ES knows all the AS. Go back to the office and finish up my work on AS11-AS15. Part of this process is the creation of programs that reference objects in AS1 – AS10. Go to the site and deploy AS11 – AS15. All of the read references to objects from AS1 – AS10 will automatically fix up once the Com-settings for the ES in AS11-AS15 are correct. It might, however,  take a few minutes. All of the references in the ES graphics for AS will be operational.   Further information can be found on Building Operation WebHelp.

Issue When clicking on the Right Click Menu for I/NET Converted TGML Graphic on remote SmartStruxure Workstation, nothing happens even though I/NET has already been installed on this computer and I/O server has been registered as service. Environment SmartStruxure I/NET Seven 2.44a through to 2.48 Remote Workstation Cause On a 32 bit OS and a 64 bit OS machine, the I/NET Converted TGML Graphic are different because I/NET default software installation path is different: 32 bit OS: C:\Program Files\INET Seven\ 64 bit OS: C:\Program Files (x86) \INET Seven\ Since the Right Click Menu calls the I/NET program, if the graphic is converted on 64 bit OS machine on the Server, it will not work on the Client machine with 32 bit OS. And vice versa. Resolution NOTE: This right click menu option will only function when the graphics page is located on an Enterprise Server where a copy of I/NET is installed on the local Workstation. This feature provides access to graphic functions run using the installed I/NET software so will not work when that software is not locally available. It is therefore not available when using WebStation or when viewing graphics located within a SmartX Server. From I/NET version 2.49, this right click menu option will be removed from this editor and NO LONGER be available. there are mixed versions of 32 bit OS and 64 bit OS between ES and Remote Workstation, the I/NET graphics need to be converted on 64 bit OS machine. And then follow the steps below: 1. Manually create C:\Program Files (x86)\INET Seven\ folder on 32 bit OS machine. 2. Uninstall I/NET and reinstall it under the folder created instead of default one. Then the Right Click Menu should work now.

Issue PE Script editor crashes when a WebService is declared in a script program in 1.5 Environment Workstation Cause Product defect. Resolution Ask PSS for SE.SBO.WS-1.5.0.1703-Hotfix

Issue In SmartStruxure version 1.5, when editing a graphic or program while having the bindings view open adding, deleting or renaming binds, the bindings view doesn't update with the changes when the change is saved. Manually refreshing the view doesn't update the view either. You need to close the view and open it again. Environment SmartStruxure version 1.5 Workstation Cause This is a bug already reported to Product Support Resolution For the time being there's no fix for this. You need to close and reopen the bindings view after having made changes to the graphic or program.

Issue ALARM blocks can be added to an SBO Function Block application, but it is not possible to set delay, priority or alarm text parameters from within the Function Block Editor.  Also, the preceding block is assigned an auto-generated name and public status, if it did not already have a name. Environment SBO 1.5.0 and earlier. Function Block Editor Cause When an alarm block is added to a Function Block program an alarm object is automatically created in the SBO System Tree, below the FB program object.  By default, the alarm object is not visible until the filter 'Show non-presentation objects' is set The public block preceding the alarm block is required so that the alarm object in the System Tree can have a Monitored Variable reference.  The 'Function Block Editor and Menta Editor Difference Guide 04-15010-01' states that 'The function block programs still need the ALARM blocks, but the blocks only serve as inputs and outputs to the alarm functions..'.  This is misleading as you do not need to explicitly create an external alarm object - all the usual alarm properties are available in the automatically generated alarm object, once it is made visible. Resolution Set the System Tree filter to 'Show non-presentation objects'.  Then set the required alarm properties in the displayed alarm object below the FB program object.

Issue Not able to discover the MNB controllers on the MSTP trunk of an AS. However, all MNB controllers on the same AS trunk are discovered in WorkPlace Tech Commissioning Tool. Environment SmartStruxure, AS Cause The negative lead of the MS/TP AS network was shorted to ground. Resolution Examine all MS/TP wiring and correct any grounding issue.