Issue Vista server crashes several times every day. Error message written in Windows event viewer: Faulting application Tacos.exe, version 5.1.7.219, faulting module Tacdbi.dll, version 5.1.7.219, fault address 0x00075799. Environment TAC Vista 5.1.7 Cause When doing a backup and the option "Retrieve trendlog data" is marked Vista will do a search for all trendlogs in the server and then go out and retrieve the logdata. Vista crash when the search for the trendlogs is made.   Resolution In the backup object unmark the "Retrieve trendlog data" option.

Issue Get error message "bad quality" reading values from Vista OPC server with a OPC client. Environment Vista OPC server 1.x.x Cause The problem was that the LON license which is a part of the Vista server license was missing. Resolution Installed the Vista server license and the OPC client could read the values fine.

Issue Remote Alarm Manager running on a Vista server loses license. Environment RAM Remote Alarm Manager License entitlement Cause There are two issues here. Issue one: Remote alarm manager running with TAC Vista Occasionally (2- 4 weeks) the Remote alarm manager indicates a temporary read error of the TAC license server. This can be seen as: - Unable to check out a licence Dongle failure 30 day limited mode entered - expires **/**/**** *:**:** This in itself is a minor issue but when combined with the second issue has a major impact on the operation on site. Issue two: Remote alarm manager running with TAC Vista Remote alarm manager fails to recover after its license management briefly loses a valid license from the TAC license server. Remote alarm manager doesn't recover This can be seen repeated in RAMs database as: - Checking for TAC Licence Server. Checked out a single licence OK Licence state - 1 interface(s) in demo   Resolution Contact Product Support and provide the following information: To facilitate a quick solution for this issue please supply the following details: - Site company name and address Copy of the original Remote Alarm Manager registration form. Copy of TAC license entitlement form. Confirmation of Vista version installed. Confirmation of Remote Alarm Manager version installed. Type of installation (engine, interface and consul ((installed on Vista server or remote)  The computer operating system for the R.A.M./Vista installation.

Issue When an alarm is sent to an email alarm handler, no email is received. No email system alarms are indicated in Vista. An entry in the b0warlog.txt is created and will look like this: "Mon May 21 10:40:27 2012 alrdisp  >> Error while instantiating MAPI server: -2147221164" Environment Vista 5.x.x Windows 7 Norton 360 Cause It has been found that if using Norton 360 antivirus software, this prevents the mail handler file "tacalarmmailer.exe" from being installed. To check to see if this is the case, check for this file under the Vista 5.x.x default directory. For Windows 7 and Windows XP the default path is C:\Program Files\Schneider Electric\TAC Vista 5.x.x. Resolution Check for the file "tacalarmmailer.exe" in the TAC Vista installation folder, if this file is not installed the easiest solution is to disable the Norton 360 and reinstall Vista.

Issue Loytec NIC does not work Windows can not find driver for my Loytec NIC Environment Loytec NIC TAC Vista LOYTEC Network Interface Software Cause You have to install the LOYTEC Network Interface Software from Loytec. This will install the necessary drivers and the Lconfig that you need. Resolution Go to loytec.com Search for "LOYTEC Network Interface Software" Download and install, follow the instructions given.

Issue The ERR-block in Menta indicate that one or several switches on I/O modules are on manual control but they are not. Environment TAC Vista Tac Xenta 400 with I/O modules Cause When this problem occur it is very unlikely that is a software issue, therefore the I/O module need to be replaced. Resolution Replace the I/O module.

Issue Is it possible to view an Xenta server webpage from webstation without having to log in? Environment TAC Vista Webstation 5.1.X Cause A customer may wish to have a seamless integration of the Xenta server in Vista and in Vista webstation. In workstation it is not necessary to log in to the Xenta server when viewing pages from the Xenta server. Resolution Vista's webserver is unable to serve login details to webstation so at little work-around is required. Create a hyperlink in Workstation. Right-click in Workstation and select New-->Object-->Hyperlink. Create an HTML document which redirects to the desired Xenta server webpage. In a folder that Vista has access to create a new text document and name it redirect.html. Open the file in notepad (or similar) and write HTML code to redirect to the xenta server's web page. An example of this follows where a page called TimeObjectPage1.html is to be viewed in Vista: <.head> <.meta HTTP-EQUIV="REFRESH" content="0; url=https://xx.xx.xx.xx/www/index/index.html?UID=user,PW=password Replace with a valid user who has access to the page you wish to view. Replace with the user's password. Save the file. Edit the hyperlink in Workstation Right-click on the hyperlink object and select Properties. Under URL enter the path to the HTML document e.g. C:\Users\...\redirect.html Click OK.   Launch webstation and confirm that the hyperlink works.       In order to access a specific graphics page in a Xenta server without having to log in, do the following 1. Browse the Xenta server with a FTP client to check the exact path of the graphic 2. Create the URL like this: https://IP_address/www/info/path_to_graphic?UID=root,PW=root      Note that upper and lower case is important      In this example, if the IP address is 1.2.3.4 and the graphic is located in Navigation->Floor 1->Overview the URL will be like this:      https://1.2.3.4/www/info/Navigation/Floor+1/Overview.html?UID=root,PW=root

Issue Can I use a uninterruptible power supply for controllers? UPS Environment site requiring constant power supply or unstable power from grid and need to take into account power supplies Cause Can I use the CX99-PSU-BATT for an ACX5720 controller? If not, then what can I use if the customer wants a UPS for each controller. Should I use a big UPS for the system and supply the controllers from it?   Resolution The CX99-PSU-BATT is 70VA 120/240VAC and really designed for the CX9900 PSU. It is suggested to get one of our APC UPS and run the proper voltage transformer to the ACX5720. The ACX 57xx series is rated with a 24VAC 90VA or 12-28VDC 50W on the power supply which I recommend due to devices which connect to this controller and require power. i.e. door readers UPS or uninterruptible power supplies are available from APC by Schneider Electric.  Background The power drawn by computing equipment is expressed in Watts or Volt-Amps (VA). The power in Watts is the real power drawn by the equipment. Volt-Amps is called the "apparent power" and is the product of the voltage applied to the equipment times the current drawn by the equipment. Both Watt and VA ratings have a use and purpose. The Watt rating determines the actual power purchased from the utility company and the heat loading generated by the equipment. The VA rating is used for sizing wiring and circuit breakers. The VA and Watt ratings for some types of electrical loads, like incandescent light bulbs, are identical. However, for computer equipment the Watt and VA ratings can differ significantly, with the VA rating always being equal to or larger than the Watt rating. The ratio of the Watt to VA rating is called the "Power Factor" and is expressed either as a number (i.e. 0.7) or a percentage (i.e. 70%). The power rating of the UPS UPS have both Watt ratings and VA ratings. Neither the Watt nor the VA rating of a UPS may be exceeded. In most cases, UPS manufacturers only publish the VA rating of the UPS. However, it is a standard in the industry that the Watt rating is approximately 60% of the VA rating, this being the typical power factor of common loads. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the Watt rating of the UPS is 60% of the published VA rating. How to avoid sizing errors Using APC sizing guidelines or and APC Configuration can help avoid these problems, as the load power values are verified. Equipment nameplate ratings are often in VA, which makes it difficult to know the Watt ratings. If using equipment nameplate ratings for sizing, a user might configure a system which appears to be correctly sized based on VA ratings but actually exceeds the UPS Watt rating. By sizing the VA rating of a load to be no greater than 60% of the VA rating of the UPS, it is impossible to exceed the Watt rating of the UPS. Therefore, unless you have high certainty of the Watt ratings of the loads, the safest approach is to keep the sum of the load nameplate ratings below 60% of the UPS VA rating. Note that this conservative sizing approach will typically give rise to an oversized UPS and a larger run time than expected. If optimization of the system and an accurate run time are required, use APC sizing and Worldwide Web configuration tools.  

Issue Invalid parameter values. Product Line TAC Vista Environment NL220 LonMaker Vista LNS Cause The NS #44 error is a generic, catch all error. Most likely a parameter was changed in the device template and issued a Build (or a Build and Load) instead of a Build All (or Build All and Load). It can also indicate that NodeBuilder has received a bad parameter. This error often occurs when a device template has been changed. Whenever the device template is modified, the project must be rebuilt. Resolution If a change is made to the domain table entry in the reset clause, this error will occur. It's not really an error in this case. NodeBuilder will issue a reset command before putting it online. If the subnet / node address changes after the reset, NodeBuilder will no longer be able to talk to the node since the subnet / node address of the node will have changed. It will be using the wrong subnet / node address. For more information or help contact Echelon support here.

Issue While attempting to carry out certain operations on a device, you receive an Echelon error telling you that the device is in the wrong state for this operation. Environment Vista LonMaker NL220 Echelon Cause The node was in the wrong state for the attempted operation. To resolve this error, try setting the State property of the nodes AppDevice object to lcaStateCnfgOnline. Resolution Many operations will fail if the device is not in the expected state. For example, an applicationless device cannot be commissioned. If the device is applicationless, load the application image into the device (right-click the device, point to Commissioning, and then click Load on the shortcut menu). If the device is unconfigured, commission it (right-click the device, point to Commissioning, and then click Commission on the shortcut menu). A device in the wrong state is generally indicative of a hardware and/or software problem. In one case, an I/O module right out of the box failed to commission in the LonMaker drawing.  After going through a few replacement modules, the LonMaker drawing was found to be the problem.  Creating a new LonMaker drawing took care of the problem. One possible work around which sometimes works is to delete the I/O module from the LonMaker drawing and then copy and paste another working I/O module that is working. The device is in the wrong state for this operation. (Subsystem: NS, #86)

Issue Is it possible to download the Xenta 511 firmware to a Xenta 511-B? Environment TAC Xenta 511-B version 5.1.7 Cause The 511-B version became obsolete in Vista version 5.1.5 as all Xenta servers got support for Modbus and the B stands for Modbus support. After version 5.1.5 it is only one firmware for the 511 and that is possible to download also to a 511-B.   Resolution The 511-B version became obsolete in Vista version 5.1.5 as all Xenta servers got support for Modbus and the B stands for Modbus support. After version 5.1.5 it is only one firmware for the 511 and that is possible to download also to a 511-B.  

Issue No offline alarms No system messages Xenta offline Link alarms to event object Environment Vista Xenta Cause You cant directly trigger an alarm object located on another server by "Link alarms to Event object" This alarm object needs to be locally. Resolution You will have to configure a system alarm to trigger an alarm object located locally

Issue TAC Vista server crash when browsing between different TGML graphics. Environment TAC Vista 5.1.4 Cause This is a known bug which is fixed in hotfix 17 for Vista 5.1.4 and in later versions  Resolution Install hotfix 17 for Vista 5.1.4 or upgrade to a later version

Issue Many electrical power meters provide a high resolution Modbus or M-Bus output for cumulative parameters such as kWh, kVAh and kVARh.  This output can be displayed in Vista or on an Xenta Server web page, but the resolution can be degraded by inappropriate conversions in XBuilder and choice of display format.  This article shows how to maintain the full resolution of a meter reading from acquisition through to display on a Vista graphic or Xenta Server web page. Environment Xenta 511, 527, 555, 701, 711, 721 (5.1.5 up) Xenta 731, 913 (all versions) XBuilder PM710 Cause Applying scaling or connections in XBuilder, or processing in Menta, reduces the precision of a high resolution Modbus value to that of a Real or Float. Resolution The following comments refer to Modbus registers in the Schneider Electric PM710 energy meter, although many other meters deal with extended precision values in a similar manner.  Acquiring Data from the meter: 1. If you want to maintain the full precision of the meter 'Real Energy, Total' reading, use register 4000 which is a 32 bit signed integer, representing scaled kWh. The scale factor is stored in register 4108 as a 16 bit integer and the two registers should be used in conjunction for display purposes. The maximum full precision value that can be displayed this way is: 2147483647 - 10 decimal digits - before the scale factor is applied. 2. An alternative to register 4000 is provided in register 1000, which is of type 'Float'.  This equates to the REAL type in XBuilder, so it already has only 21 bit precision. However, there is no need to scale it as the exponent is built in to the Float type. Processing input in XBuilder: 3. For register 4000 in the device template, apply a gain of 1 and keep the converted value as INTEGER.  This will maintain the full 32 bit precision of the Modbus register.  If you apply any gain less than 1 or convert the value to a REAL, you will only end up with a 21 bit precision result.  This equates to a loss of 2 decimal digits approximately. 4. Avoid using Connection objects.  For example, a variable of type 'SNVT_elec_kwh_l' has theoretically the same precision as register 4000 in the PM710, so it would seem to be a direct conversion.  However, because you have to use a Connection object to link the two in XBuilder, the value is converted to a REAL internally and you end up with a 21 bit precision result. 5. Xenta Servers can provide full precision Modbus values for display in Vista. Create new Signal objects in the System pane in XBuilder and drag and drop the Modbus values from the Network pane onto the Signal objects.  The Signal objects will have the same precision as the original Modbus registers and are visible in Vista. Displaying values in Xenta Server and Vista: 6. Value pages in the Xenta Server and TGML graphics pages in Xenta Server and Vista can display a 10 digit integer. In the case of item 1 above, all 10 digits will be accurate. In the case of item 2 above, only the most significant 8 digits will be accurate. 7. A value page in the Xenta Server will display a real as 8 digits plus exponent. However, only the 7 most significant digits will be accurate. 8. The object view in Vista will display a real up to 8 significant digits, with only the most 7 significant digits being accurate.  Vista will attempt to show this as fixed point 6.2 and no exponent.  If the actual value is too big or small for this format it reverts to 3 significant digits plus 3 digit exponent.  

Issue .CFG error Cant download Xbuilder project Trendlog.CFG Alarm.CFG Environment Xbuilder Vista Xenta Cause First time a xbuilder project are downloaded / or changes has been made to Alarm and/or Trendlogs the Xenta may need some minutes to start this processes. If the project are downloaded again while this processes are starting up you may get some errors like Alarm.CFG error and/or Trendlog.CFG error Resolution Please wait a few minutes (Depending how many alarm object and/or Trendlog object you have this might take up to 30 min) before you download the project again. Note: Future revisions will give the user a message about why this occurred instead of a plain error.

Issue How to upload the application from a TAC Xenta 280/300/401 device? Environment TAC Xenta 280 TAC Xenta 281 TAC Xenta 282 TAC Xenta 283 TAC Xenta 300 TAC Xenta 301 TAC Xenta 302 TAC Xenta 401 TAC Menta Cause When the application file is generated and compiled, it does no longer contains any information about the layout, or the "yellow boxes". Therefore, it is not possible to extract a Menta file (.MTA) from the device. It is, however, possible to upload the compiled information, and download it to another device. This way, it is possible to replace a faulty device even if you no longer have access the original application. Resolution Always make sure that you have backup of your application files, as it is not possible to upload the graphical information from the device. To upload the complied application information from the device, you have to start TAC Menta, and connect to the actual device via a serial cable. In TAC Menta, select Options, and Simulate to go to simulate mode. Select Online. Select Upload. Select path and filename. The extension will be *.COD (compiled application file) Select Save, and the complied application file will be uploaded. It is not possible to open the *.COD file in edit mode in TAC Menta, you will always have to go to simulate mode before you can open up a stored *.COD file. To change TAC Menta from Tabular mode to normal mode, just press F5. This requires that you have open up an existing application file (*.MTA) or select to make a new application.

Issue When importing a Xenta server to another it is important that they have the same version but is it also important that the hotfixes(if installed) is the same? Environment Xenta server up to version 5.1.7 Cause In version 5.1.7 and prior versions hotfixes have not changed this part of the code so if the Xentas have the same version it should work. Resolution It is enough if the version of the Xenta servers is the same

Issue Is it possible to change the column size for the alarm window in Webstation? For some alarms it is not possible to see the whole alarm text for an alarm in the alarm window, he need to click on details to see the alarm text.   Environment TAC Vista Webstation 5.1.x Cause The size of the columns is decided when the Webpage is built up and this is nothing that is possible to change in the Websettings. Resolution No this is not possible to change in the Websettings.

Issue When upgrading a TAC Vista server from version 5.0.3 to version 5.1.7 it hangs for hours. Environment TAC Vista 5.0.3 TAC Vista 5.1.7 Cause In the Vista database, two Lon interfaces are using a Loytec NIC-IP. If both of these interfaces are disabled, the upgrade works like it should. Resolution In Vista 5.0.3 open Vista Workstation, open the properties for the Loytec Lon interface Take away the address to the Network interface. Do the same for all Loytec Lon network interfaces. Start the Vista database in Vista 5.1.7.  

Issue Is it possible to speed up the refresh rate of values in a TGML graphic? Environment Vista 5.1.X Cause A customer requires the values to be updated as often as possible. Resolution There is no setting to change the refresh rate in TGML but there are a number of things that can be done to create an efficient graphic. In Vista 5.1.7 and newer: On the view menu, there is an item called 'Statistics'. When testing the graphic it possible to see how efficient the graphic is. Items such as a script on document load are very costly, for example. There is a new property for binding called 'DynamicUpdates'. This can be used to activate a binding later instead of when the graphic is loaded. This can be useful if not all object are visible when the graphic is loaded. Use scripts only when absolutely necessary.