Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue How to configure an exception mode of a TAC Xenta 121 device to use terminal load as the activation input. Environment TAC Xenta 121-HP TAC Xenta 121-FC ZBuilder Cause To use Terminal Load in an Exception mode both the version of ZBuilder as well as the version of the system program of the TAC Xenta 121 device must be taken into consideration.  Resolution TerminalLoad used as input to Exception mode in Xenta 121 ZBuilder version Firmware <1.14 Firmware 1.14 Firmware > 1.23 < 5.1.3 No Yes 1 No 5.1.3 No Yes 1 Yes 2 5.1.4 No Yes 1 Yes 2 5.1.5 or later No Yes 1 Yes 1 Only exception modes 7 and 8 can be used for this; this is done by selecting Space Temp as the activation input for the exception mode and also setting nciAppOption2.bit12 manually in the device (in Vista Workstation this point is Applic.UCPTappOptions2.bit12). These steps are described in TPA-MALR-09-0003.00. 2 Only exception modes 7 and 8 can be used for this; the activation input can be correctly set as Terminal Load in the exception mode in ZBuilder.

Issue How many time schedules (time objects, TSCH, TSCHI) can be added to TAC Xenta programmable devices? Environment TAC Xenta 301, 302, 401, 281, 282, 283 TAC Xenta 527, 511, 711, 721, 731, 701 Menta Cause The limits for schedules are not clearly documented for all types of TAC Xenta controllers. Resolution The TAC Xenta 7xx can handle 50 time objects with 50 week and 50 holiday schedules in each. The limit for the TAC Xenta 28x controllers are one TSCH block with max 16 week/holiday charts. There is no fixed limit of TSCH blocks you can add to a TAC Xenta 30x/40x. The limit is the available memory in the controller. The more times you allow for (max. week/holiday charts) in each block, the more memory it uses.

Issue Vista central time chart and TAC Xenta Server  time chart - what happens when communication between Vista server and TAC Xenta Server is lost When is TAC Xenta Server time chart updated from Central time chart? Central time chart overwritten from TAC XBuilder Environment TAC Xenta 731, TAC Xenta 721, TAC Xenta 711, TAC Xenta 701, TAC Xenta 511. TAC Xenta 527, TAC Xenta 555 TAC XBuilder  TAC Vista Cause The Xenta Server only knows about its own time objects that is defined in XBuilder (or TSCHI in Menta). There are no synch between the central chart and the local time object. If you download the project from XBuilder, times defined from the central chart will be overwritten. To avoid this you have to perform a Get from Target before download, or you have to open the central time chart again and click ok to update the local time object once again. Resolution When you change a time in a central time schedule the change gets written down to the TAC Xenta Server time object the same way as a manual update. After the correct time has been set in the TAC Xenta Server time object,  from the central time chart,  the controller will operate using these times until it gets new information. It does not matter if the connection to the TAC Vista Server is lost. To perform get from target: In TAC XBuilder go to Project > Get from target Select "Get online changes" Click OK

Issue What can be displayed in an OP7? Can signals from programmable Xenta (Xenta 401, Xenta 301, Xenta 302, Xenta 281, Xenta 282, Xenta 283) be monitored/changed from OP7? Environment TAC Xenta Server (Xenta 701, Xenta 711, Xenta 721, Xenta 731) TAC Xbuilder TAC Xenta 401, Xenta 301, Xenta 302, Xenta 281, Xenta 282, Xenta 283 Cause This is a way to display values from a Xenta server without using a PC Resolution The OP Tree contains all possible pages (not Graphics) and values that can be generated from the Xenta 700 web pages: • Values pages • Alarm pages • Time Object pages • Trend Log pages • Variables • System variables • I/O signals Any type of signal that can be displayed on either off these pages can be displayed in OP7

Issue Knowing which License to purchase when upgrading various scenarios. Environment TAC Vista License Cause Upgrade licenses are only available when a previous installation of Vista existed. Resolution When performing a major version upgrade to a Vista site, a new or upgrade license will need to be purchased depending on the scenario. While minor version upgrades are free. See below. For major revision changes, for example from 4.x.x to 5.x.x, Upgrade Licenses cannot be purchased. Need to purchase "Brand NEW" Vista Licenses. For minor revision changes, for example from 5.0.x to 5.1.x, Upgrade Licenses can be purchased. For minor updates, for example from 5.1.x to 5.1.8 no license upgrades are required. Note: When an upgrade license is used it can only be used for the same license type. An  example that is not available would be upgrading a Vista 5.0.x Standalone to a Vista 5.1.8 Manager license. The only upgrade license for this option would be Vista Standalone 5.0.x to Vista Standalone 5.1.8 Part numbers can be found in the Vista License Packages document.

Issue How to transfer values between Menta object within the same Xbuilder project Environment TAC Xbuilder Cause Sometimes there is a need to transfer values between Menta applications in the same Xbuilder. To do this you create an input in the receiving node. Resolution In Xbuilder open the Menta application that you want to read a signal from another Menta application Add a input block of the type the signal will be (II, RI or BI) save to  Xbuilder. Right click on the input in the system pane and select "select signal" Browse to the signal you want to transfer.

Issue  Is there a easy way to manage Vista user accounts in many TAC Vista servers at same time?   Environment TAC Vista 5.1.7 Cause A user is a global object so if the Vista servers is in the same Vista network they should all have the same users. If adding or deleting a user in one Vista server the user will be added or deleted in all Vista servers.   Resolution Connect the Vista servers in a Vista server network.

Issue How many LIPs can be used in Plug and Play mode when used in a Vista classic network Environment Loytec LIP's configured in plug and Play mode on a LNS network. Cause A limitation of 5 LIPs can be used on the Plug and Play mode on a single LNS network Resolution Select LIPs with the additional LON ports to allow your database to fit into 5 LIP limitation.  The options to enable a larger system than 5 LIPs are listed below: Use a network management tool like NL220 or LonMaker to configure the LIPs as routers. Purchase another NIC852 license and create another LNS network with a separate LIP as a config server.

Issue Why does only one Exception mode work in TAC Xenta 121-FC/HP, even if the conditions for more than one Exception mode is fulfilled? Environment TAC Xenta 121-FC, TAC Xenta 121-HP Cause In TAC Xenta 121-FC/HP, with system program version up to 1.25, only one Exception mode could be active at the time. It will always be the exception mode with the lowest number that will be activated. For devices with system program version 1.26 and above, more than one Exception mode could be active. Resolution If the conditions for more than one exception mode are fulfilled, only the exception mode with the lowest number will be activated, for system program version up to 1.25..

Issue Access denied Environment Vista Admin Root Cause If Vista user Everyone has no rights no user in the system will be able to add or modify root objects. Also, if the Vista server (or one of the Vista servers) is owned by someone else (eg. not $Administrators) you will get the same error. Resolution Change the user Everyone's rights to at least "read" In Vista right click Vista database Right click and choose authority Make sure the user Everyone at least have read right    If the Vista server is owned by someone else then $Administrator       1. Login as a user that belongs to the group $Administrator        2. Right click on the Vista database and choose authority       3. Click on take ownership

Issue When a Xenta Server alarm object generates and email, the email is accompanied by several emails showing alarms from objects that did not go into alarm. Environment Xenta Server 5.0.2 through 5.1.7 Cause When the system program in the Xenta server polls multiple point simultaneously it may interpret one alarm signal as multiple alarm signals from all polled points. Resolution Option 1 - Edit the Xenta Servers Xbuilder project Change the scan time on all alarm objects so that they are at different scan rates. Generate the project Send the project to target. Option 2 - Connect to the affected I/NET controllers Modify the points in Resident I/O Change the scan rate of each point so that all alarms have different scan rates.

Issue "!MBM Timeout receiving request" message is seen in the Xenta Server vx log every 10 seconds. Environment TAC Xenta 913 TAC Xenta 701/711/721/731 Cause When using the Xenta Server as a Modbus slave, "!MBM  Timeout receiving request" message" is seen every 10 seconds in the Xenta Server vx log if there is no connection with the Modbus master.   (Note that when using the Xenta Server as a Modbus master, you will see the message "!MBM  Timeout receiving response" when there is no communication with the Modbus device.) Resolution In XBuilder, check that the modbus slave connection parameters and the device address are correct. This is not necessarily an error. In some cases the Modbus master will poll the slave very rarely (for example once every hour), and during that time a lot of timeout messages will be generated. The 10 seconds interval is hard coded and can't be changed.

Issue Is it possible to run Vista Webstation on a Windows 2008 server foundation.  Environment TAC Vista 5.1.7 Cause Windows 2008 server foundation is not one of the tested Operation systems for Vista so we don't know if Webstation works or not on it.   Resolution Windows 2008 server foundation is not one of the tested Operation systems for Vista so we don't know if Webstation works or not on it.

Issue The alarm handling between TAC Vista and Xenta 913, 5XX, 7XX acting as Xenta Servers stop after 50 days Vista will stop to receive events from Xenta 913, 5XX, 7XX acting as Xenta Servers after 50 days Environment TAC Vista Xenta 511 Xenta 527 Xenta 555 Xenta 913 Xenta 701 Xenta 711 Xenta 721 Xenta 731 Cause The reason for this issue is that TAC Vista sets a time reference to the computer’s internal tick count just before it’s about to rollover (which will happen every 49.7 days).   Resolution This issue has been fixed in TAC Vista 5.1.7 and a hotfix for TAC Vista 5.0.3 is also available upon request from Product Support Services.   Note: Restarting the Vista Server or the PC will also solve the problem, but only temporarily.

Issue The Vista installation procedure completes with errors.  Vista Server and Workstation may appear to be installed but SQL Server Express is not installed. Environment Vista 5.1.7 SQL Server 2008 R2 Express VMWare Player 3,4 Cause The default hard disk space allocated to a guest OS in VMWare Player is 8GB.  When installing Vista 5.1.7 on Windows XP or above this may not be enough space for Vista to install properly.  The OS requires 5-6GB and SQL Server 2008 R2 Express requires 2.2GB Resolution Increase the disk space allocated to the guest OS in VMware Player 1.  Ensure that the virtual machine state is 'Powered Off'.  To change the state, play the virtual machine. Then go to the VMware player 'Virtual Machine' menu and select Power - Power Off. 2.  Choose 'Virtual Machine Settings...' from the 'Virtual Machine' menu. 3.  On the Hardware tab select 'Hard Disk (IDE)' in the device column. 4.  From the Utilities drop-down list select 'Expand...'.  You can then increase the hard disk size in 1GB increments.  I would suggest 10GB as a minimum. 5.  Please note that the additional space is not immediately available to the guest OS.  To claim this space you must run a disk management tool within the guest OS to increase the size of the existing partition on the virtual hard disk to match the expanded size.  Windows Vista and Windows 7 have built-in disk management tools, but on XP you can run third party tools such as Symantec/Norton PartitionMagic, EASEUS Partition Master, Acronis Disk Director and the open-source tool GParted.

Issue When an alarm in Xenta Server or a Xenta device under a Xenta server that are configured to send alarms via mail,  the mail receivers will get  an extra mail when that alarm is acknowledged. Environment TAC Vista TAC Xenta Server Cause This behaviour is due to a bug in earlier versions of the Vista Server software Resolution There is no known workaround to this issue, but it is fixed from Vista v5.1.3 (and later versions),  i.e. an upgrade will solve it. 

Issue The temperature readings from the space temperature sensor on the TAC Xenta 120 device is not stable, is it possible to damp the readings? Environment TAC Xenta 121-FC TAC Xenta 121-HP Cause In some application, it is not possible to get a stable reading from the temperature sensor. Resolution It is possible to activate a filter for the space temperature readings. Set the nciNodeAppOp2.bit14 to 1, this could be done from TAC Vista or from LonMaker. please note that the first bit is bit zero. This will make the device to use 80% of the old value and 20% of the new reading.

Issue Vista IV Error message 'unable to initialize license' when trying to start workstation. Environment Privilege Licensing Vista IV Cause Unknown corruption possibly due to premature or sudden shutdown of Vista and the Privilege Server, such as power loss to the PC. Resolution If this is accompanied by errors stating that a PSU of the specified family was not found or the PSU ID does not match, ensure the correct .PLF is installed. If the correct .PLF is active in the Privilege License Manager and you are still receiving the error, A reinstallation of Vista should correct the issue.     Note: Beginning 2012, PSS will no longer support the Privilege License System. The Tamfs26 Server will be retired along with TAC License Server software. It would be wise to inform the customer of this important information to plan for future upgrade in the event that their site license has issues.

Issue How to open a webpage in an new browser window from a OGC graphic. Environment TAC Vista OGC editor Internet Explorer Cause Want to access a web page with a button in an OGC graphic Resolution Create a command point Choose application browse in the path to internet Explorer  (C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe) After the path type in the URL/IP Address separated with a space form the path.

Issue Remote Alarm Manager running with TAC Vista loses the connection to the license file. Environment RAM pre 2.1 Remote Alarm Manager License file Cause Remote Alarm Manager fails to recover after its license management briefly loses a valid license from the TAC license server Resolution This issue is now corrected by installing the RAM Software Release 2.1 Then follow the upgrade options in the RAM Release 2.1 Release Notes documentation.