Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Wrong XIF is used for device when updating from system plug-in. SNVTs are there but not the SCPS XIF has a name like TACCab6.xif instead of the real name if you look in the XIF tab in the device properties Environment TAC Vista System plug-in Cause This happens when the system plug-in can't find the XIF file in the directory it was when the device was created. Then the system plug in creates a XIF from the information it can get from LNS. If the device was created using a template then the path is C:\lonworks\import, you can see the path by clicking on the device in the LNS network pane in the system plug-in This is typical if you have moved the LonMaker database to a different PC that does not have  plug ins installed. Resolution There are two different steps you can take to try to correct this issue. Delete the device in TAC Vista, install the plug in (or copy the XIF to the correct location) and update from the system plug-in again. Manually browse in the correct XIF file into TAC Vista workstation under the XIF tab in properties of the controller. Sometimes this must be done twice in order to bring in all configuration points and SNVTs. Once the XIF is in the right place any new device added will get the right XIF

Issue Modbus TCP/IP Server is not an option when programming a Modbus Gateway in an Xenta Server. Environment Xenta 913 Xenta 7xx XBuilder Cause There are only 3 Modbus Interface configurations for Modbus in an Xenta Server. Modbus RTU Client ("Master"), Modbus serial line master on a network Server ("Slave"), Modbus serial line slave on a network Modbus TCP Client ("Master"), Modbus TCP client to a server or router on a network Modbus TCP Server is not possible. Resolution Modbus TCP/IP can only be configured to be a Client (Master) in an Xenta Server. A solution if TCP Server is absolutely necessary would be to use an IP to 485 converter, such as an EGX100, and use the RTU interface.

Issue Calibration requirement? Environment STD300: 006920121 STD300-300 -50/50 006920141 STD300-300 0/100 Cause Some sensors on the market requires calibration when connected to the controller, in order to function properly. Resolution No calibration is required when connecting the STD300 to a Xenta controller. The sensor is using a 4-20mA output signal, so the controller needs to be configured for this type of signal in order to work with this sensor.

Issue What is the BACnet address and BACnet object ID for the Xenta 913? Environment TAC Xenta 913 Cause The Xenta 913 does not have those features since it's not a BACnet device. Resolution The Xenta 913 is a gateway that translates the BACnet objects so that they can be read by for example Lonworks devices. It is not a native BACnet device itself, hence it doesn't have a BACnet address or a BACnet object ID.  

Issue Is it possible to monitor TAC Vista 5.1.x active alarms in some third party system? Environment TAC Vista 5.1.x Cause The alarms in Vista is saved in a text file in the Vista database. But reading this file is not a good way for a third party system to get the active alarms. A better way is to use OPC. Resolution Install the Vista OPC server and use a OPC client to get the alarms from Vista in to a third party system.

Issue Xenta 301XT/N/P is not available Environment Vista Xenta Cause Xenta 301XT/N/P is a Xenta unit made for the US market where some facilities needed some extra range of temperature. The XT stands for Extended Temperature. Resolution This unit is obsolete now and can no longer be ordered.

Issue Is there a limitation in number of lines in the TGML editor when running in source mode? Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista 5.1.8 TGML editor 5.1.8 Cause When a graphic is opened in the editor and Source mode is chosen it is possible to see the source code for the graphic and the number of lines in the source code. Resolution There is no known limitation on number of lines for a TGML graphic.

Issue Xenta programmable communication buffer size affected by the application size Environment TAC Xenta 301, TAC Xenta 302, TAC Xenta 281,TAC Xenta 282,TAC Xenta 283,TAC Xenta 401 Cause The communication is handled by the neuron chip and the application is handled by the host processor so there are no effects at all on the communication. Resolution No, there is no effect on the communication buffers

Issue MTA-File update Error, code = 4038 PVR block values changed from TAC Vista not saved in MTA file Environment TAC Vista TAC Menta TAC Xenta 401, TAC Xenta 301, TAC Xenta 302, TAC Xenta 281, TAC Xenta 282, TAC Xenta 283 Cause This could be because the changes made leads to a division by 0. Resolution Open the MTA file and check if the changed value can cause a division by 0.

Issue Unable to see dynamic values in TGML graphic on workstation remote. The graphics work fine on the local Vista server/workstation. Environment TAC Vista 5.1.X Workstation remote Cause A version mismatch between the Vista server and the workstation remote. Resolution Install the correct version of workstation remote on the remote PC

Issue Not all changes in a Notes file are saved. If opening and edit a Notes file, save and then continue writing only the changes before the save will be changed. Environment Vista 5.1.x Cause The Notes file will only be saved once then you need to close it and open it again. Resolution When editing a Notes file only save once then close the file. If you need to write some more close the file and open it again.

Issue Occasionally get a alarm in Vista that is connected to the bit 16 of the error block in Menta (Mainloop overrun. The application program can not execute within the specified cycle time) Environment Vista Menta Xenta Cause In Menta under Program Specification there is a parameter called cycle time. This parameter tells how often the program should be run in the Xenta. If the program take more time to execute then the specified value Vista will show a error connected to a error block in Menta, "Mainloop overrun. The application program can not execute within the specified cycle time" Vista will not show this specific text, Vista will show the text that you choose to show in the Alarm block connected to the Error block. I.e. In Menta you have a error block that leads to a XPR block (expression block) that have the expression A&16, when this expression is meet it goes to the alarm block that will generate an alarm text of your choice. (16 is the bit that tells a Mainloop overrun. The application program can not execute within the specified cycle time have occurred.) The Error block has several condition and work like this The output of this block is an integer value where each bit represents an internal signal or error from the system program. Each output bit is set as long as the error condition remains, remains. In the case of a restart after a power failure, the output bit is set during the first program cycle after the restart. The output value is zero when no error conditions are set. Conditions:   Bit no. Output value Description 0 1 Restart after power failure 1 2 Integer underflow/overflow 2 4 CNT block overflow 3 8 RT block overflow 4 16 Mainloop overrun. The application program can not execute within the specified cycle time 5 32 At least one of the switches on one of the I/O modules associated with the application, is in the position for manual override (ON, OFF, MAN) of the output 6 64 Indicates that an OP is connected, and the user is logged in at medium (yellow) or high level (red). 7 128   8 256 Dial-up modem line to TAC Xenta unit disabled 9 512 Update of a Network variable value was not received within the set Period 10 1024 There are tripped priority 1 alarms in the alarm list 11 2048 One or several I/O modules offline 12 4096 I/O in forced mode 13 8192 There are tripped and unacknowledged alarms in the alarm list 14 16384 There are tripped and not reset alarms in the alarm list Resolution To remedy this error change the cycle time to a higher value or make the Menta code lighter

Issue Every time the trendlog data should be viewed an alarm saying" The digital signature does not match, values might not be reliable". How can we avoid this? Environment Vista 4.4.2 Cause In old Vista versions like Vista 4.4.x we had something called Digital signature to check that the data in the SQL database had not been tampered with. This have been taken away in later Vista version as it slowed down and caused problems with trendlogs. The alarm indicates that someone have done something in the SQL database and the digital signature does not match.   Resolution It is possible to turn off the Digital signature in the Vista server setup under the SQL tab and then restart the Vista server. Then Vista will not do this check and the alarm should not appear.

Issue Database schema upgrade failed Environment Vista 5.1.X taclogdata database SQL 2005/2008 Cause The error message in the b0warlog suggests this is caused by the automatic database schema upgrade failing. Resolution See TAC Vista installation manual section 5.3

Issue When looking on a TGML graphic from Webstation on a PC the graphics is cached on the PC. In which folder on the PC is the TGML graphics cached? Environment TAC Vista Webstation 5.1.8 and later Cause The TGML graphics is cached on the Webstation client PC for faster access. The client don't need to download the graphic from the master every time the graphic is opened.   Resolution The graphics is cached on this location: XP: C:\Documents and Settings\xxx\Local Settings\Temp\Webstation WIN7: C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Local\Temp\Webstation xxxx=user

Issue When a value from a object in one Vista server should be transferred to a object in a value on another Vista server, Is it possible to use object transfer? Environment TAC Vista 5.1.x Cause In general a minimum of communication between the Vista servers should be used as it is much slower then internal communication within the server itself. But it is possible to do. Resolution Yes it is possible to have a object transfer between objects in different Vista server nodes.

Issue Is trend logs saved in the SQL server or Vista database? Environment TAC vista 4.3.0 and later versions. Cause All trend log values are sent from the Vista server to the $queue folder in the Vista database and then a service called TAC DSSwriter is taking the trend log from the $queue folder and transfer them in to the SQL database.  Resolution All trend logs and events are stored in a SQL database.

Issue How to change the domain on a lonworks network in classic scenario Environment TAC Vista Cause want to change the domain on the network Resolution Right click on the network and select properties Click on the domain tab Change the domain and click ok, NOTE you have to use capital letters.

Issue Is there a limit to how much CPU power the graphics editor can utilise? Environment Tac Vista 5.1.X Graphics Editor TGML  Cause The graphics editor appears to be limited to a maximum of 25% CPU usage, which means that some heavy operations take a long time. Resolution There is no limit to how much CPU graphics editor can utilise. However each thread can only use 100% of each CPU core, so a quad-core CPU would allow for a maxim of 25% total CPU usage per thread.

Issue Now the newest firmware version of Xenta server is 5.1.8, and the hardware version is 3. If a new Xenta server in an old project is needed to replace an old Xenta server with old version, it is not compatible with the old TAC Vista or I/NET software version of the project. So downgrade of the firmware is needed. Environment TAC Xenta 500/700/900 TAC Vista Cause Controller with new firmware is not compatible with the old TAC Vista or I/NET software. Resolution The controller with hardware 3 can be downgraded, but with only three versions: 5.1.6 SP1, 5.1.7 SP2 (or SP3 for X700) and 5.1.8 SP1. If any firmware other than these three versions is downloaded to the Xenta server, there will be no warning and it will be "bricked". Refer to TPA-VSTA-12-0029.00.