Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Browsing between different records in the Security Expert Client is slow. It takes a longer than normal amount of time to see records update. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Client Cause There are a large number of unacknowledged alarms being stored in the SecurityExpertEvents database. When the Security Expert Client starts up it will process all of these unacknowledged alarms which can impact browsing the database. Resolution To resolve the immediate problem: 1. Reduce the size of the SecurityExpertEvents database by reducing the overall number of events that will be stored. Setting up automatic event purging and backup helps keep this in check. Under Global | Global Settings | General change the Purge Events older than from the default setting of "Never" to another value from the drop down menu. To backup these events before being purged, ensure the Generate Differential Events Backup option is checked. This is the default setting. 2. If there are more alarms to be acknowledged than can be done manually then contact Product Support mentioning this Knowledge Base Article. Remote access to the site and SQL Server will be required.   To minimize this from happening again: 1. Reduce the amount of events that are setup as alarms. Remove any alarms that are setup for All Events and review any configured alarms to ensure those events are required to be generating alarms. Double check all Inputs and Trouble Inputs to see if they have the Log to Event Buffer option enabled. Not all inputs will require this for normal operation and in some cases having this enabled can result in a large number of unwanted events being logged. This, in addition to an alarm setup to monitor the All Events event filter, is a recipe for disaster resulting in a large number of alarms being generated in a short amount of time. 2. Ensure that a large number of unacknowledged alarms are not allowed to build up over time. Alarms are not able to automatically acknowledged and will stay in the active alarms list until an operator acknowledges them. Operators need to acknowledge alarms on a regular basis. Note that it is possible to batch acknowledge blocks of alarms at one time in the Security Expert Client by doing a multiple selection then right-click acknowledge alarm. Note: If your system has already built up a large number of unacknowledged alarms and you want to quickly acknowledge them all at once to get back to a manageable starting point, then please raise a Support Case with your local Customer Care Centre and Product Support can assist in doing this with a 'one time' SQL Query direct to the Security Expert Database.

Issue Is it possible to see how many simultaneous users are logged in via for example Webstation, Workstation and iPad to an ES? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation License Administrator Cause This information is not saved in any file or any object in the ES. Resolution Within the Enterprise Server this is not possible. An enhancement has been written for this function to be implemented in the future. However, it can be achieved by using the FlexNet Licensce Administrator, see Number-of-client-licenses-used Knowledge Base article.

Issue Maximum logon attempts: - If the maximum number of failed logon attempts is exceeded, the user is temporarily locked out for an undocumented period. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server (AS, AS-P or AS-B) Building Operation Enterprise server Cause Exceeding the maximum logon attempts configured for the domain. Resolution When the user is locked out the first time, the user needs to wait 1 minute before re-trying. Then the wait time is increased by 1 minute, for each new failed attempt, up to a maximum of 10 minutes. Restarting the server will clear the lock-out.

Issue These LED light sequences are not found in the documentation Solid White Flashing White Alternating Blue and Amber Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Room Controller (RPC) 24 V Cause Not yet added to current documentation Resolution Solid white forever is either no firmware in the controller or the controller is running UBoot and not launching the firmware. Solid white, transient, and followed by yellow/amber, is UBoot running. Perform a factory reset and attempt to upgrade the firmware to the latest revision allowed based on the version of EBO used on site Flashing white would indicate a defective board requiring RMA or a power supply problem (It was seen on one site the 24Vdc power supply had been damaged and was only supplying 12 to 14Vdc. Thus replacing the power supply solved the problem) Alternating Red/Blue happens during an up rev of the firmware. It specifically happens when the EFR32 (the Bluetooth chip) is being upgraded. Generally, power supply problems can cause various issues with RPx and MPx controllers, including partial corruption of the firmware/application. A recent case had transformer secondary circuits linked that cause Red/Blue flashing and 'untranslated BACnet errors’ following a site wide power cycle. Always ensure the RPx power supplies are within tolerance and fully compliant to Grounding and Power for Systems WebHelp has been updated to include more information see RP Controller Status LED

Issue Find New BACnet Device fails to find BACnet devices Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum CyberStation Cause Third Party BACnet software may interfere with the CyberStation Bacnet Find process. NOTE: There are other reasons that bacnet devices may not be found not covered within this document. See: Cannot find new BACnet devices. Could not learn in a new 3rd Party BACnet device Bacnet 3rd party controller will not respond to Find New Bacnet Devices (Who-Is/I-Am) Resolution Stop the BACnet service in Administrative Tools\ Services. One example would be Cimetrics service Bacstac Protocol Once the BACnet devices have been found the BACnet service can be restarted, although it may be best to uninstall any non-Continuum bacnet software from a CyberStation

Issue If the Automation Server (AS) starts up with its clock set to 1970, it is possible to create duplicate object Id's. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Automation Server, version 1.3.0.938 Cause If the clock in the AS is set before engineering the unit, the issue does not occur. However, if the clock is not set this problem occurs and the only was out is to re-engineer the AS. In addition, the BACnet interface will cease to function. Resolution This issue has been identified as a defect, and will be resolved in a future release.  In the meantime, be sure to configure the AS to the correct date and time prior to engineering the unit.

Issue What alternatives are available for accessing Continuum WebClient from browsers other than Internet Explorer? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum WebClient Server Cause While Internet Explorer is the only officially supported browser for Continuum WebClient, Microsoft has announced that support for Internet Explorer will end in June 2022.   When accessing WebClient sites using Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode. WebClient server returns an error, indicating that Internet Explorer is needed to access WebClient. Resolution It is possible to access WebClient using Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer Mode. 1. In Edge click on the ellipses (...) top right then select Settings and set like the snapshot below. a. Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer Mode(Allow) b. Add the webclient machine's login page (http://webclientservername/webclient/logon.aspx) 2. Setting Internet Explorer compatibility mode and Internet Explorer mode for future use. Navigate to the webclient URL with Edge and select Reload in Internet Explorer mode By default, these settings will be Disabled, Set both of the buttons to Enable as shown below. Note: you may have to go through the process twice to enable both buttons   A snapshot of a successful login to webclient with Edge and also the selection in yellow to Exit Internet Explorer Mode if necessary to run other web applications.   The method of specifying Internet Explorer Mode for a site’s webClient URL will depend on how the customer treats the configuration of Edge – either settings at the individual Edge level or via group policy settings.

Issue The Enterprise Server shows that licenses are not available on the license server which is installed on the local host machine. The Flexnet server webpage shows that licenses are available but have not been used by the Enterprise Server.   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Cause In some cases, the Enterprise Server may have trouble resolving the @LocalHost address. It is not known why this affects only some licenses. Resolution On the License Server Address page of the License Administrator enter the IP address or computer name of the local host machine instead of @localhost.      

Issue When changing IP settings, the change needs to be activated, before the RP-C uses the new settings. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Room Controller (RP-C) Cause RP-C configured with static IP goes off-line or has an unexpected IP address after restart. Resolution If the RP-C is hosted as Dynamic but it is required to be provided with a static IP address. RP-C IP settings can be changed to Static and saved. However, this doesn’t save the new settings to the RP-C controller, they are only saved at the automation server level. Therefore, if a power cycle is carried out, the RP-C is still set to Dynamic and gets an IP from the router, although it shows as static in workstation and the Ecommissioning tool. Note: If the router is not setup as a DHCP server, the RP-C may not come back on-line, because the RP-C is looking to be provided with an IP address by the DHCP server.   Any changes to the IP settings of an RP-C made in the workstation, need to also be activated in the RP-C controller. This is done by right mouse clicking on “IP Network Settings” selecting “IP Commands” then “Activate changes” Now when seen in device discovery window the IP address is the static IP address configured and not the one collected from the DHCP server. If changes are made to the IP settings using the Ecommissioning tool, prior to hosting the RP=C, the same applies, activating the changes must be done by selecting “Device restart” and selecting “Activate IP Changes” followed by “restart”.   Additional information is available by logging into the Ecostruxure Building Help page. https://ecostruxure-building-help.se.com/bms/Topics/show.castle?id=12275&locale=en-US&productversion=3.0&a=1

Issue Clarity is needed around exactly what additional Licensing is needed when using Secondary Download Servers in Security Expert. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Secondary Download Servers Licensing Cause With reference to AN-290 - Setting up a Secondary Security Expert Download Server:   The list of prerequisites includes: "One newly issued Security Expert Software Serial Number (SSN) with licensed items matching the existing installation"   This statement suggests that any additional Download Sever will require a new purchased SX-SRVR License in addition to the one originally bought for the SX Server, and that this new License will need to include ALL of the additional licensed features included in that original (i.e. Door licenses, Cameras, HLIs etc.)? Resolution Additional Download Servers do require the purchase of an additional SX-SRVR License (ONE PER SERVER), but additional Licenses only need to replicate the number of Doors licensed on the original. All the other add-ons such as Lift Integration etc. on the original SX Server License, will NOT be needed on Secondary Servers   It is also worth asking why the site is moving toward Multiple Download Servers at this time. The Latest SX Release (4.3.308.5) now offers the option of a 'Single Record Download Service' specifically designed to speed up new user data entry in the SX system. This should greatly reduce the need for additional Download Servers going forward.

Issue Need to use Mobile Apps to access EBO. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Webstation Building Operation Commission mobile application Building Operation Engage mobile application Cause What are the mobile apps available to use with EcoStruxure Building Operation sites? Resolution WebStation: WebStation is a web-based user interface for day-to-day operation in an EcoStruxure BMS. WebStation, V2.0 or higer, improves user experience by automatically adapting the user interface to the resolution of the device being used: desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, using Windows, Linux, Android or iOS, out-of-the-box using standard web browsers, without the need to install additional applications.  WebStation replaces the obselete Technician Tool app. Refer to: WebStation Overview Building Commision: EcoStruxure Building Commission mobile application (requires EBO V2 or higher, formerly eCommission) is designed to help airflow balancers, electricians, and technicians carefully and quickly pre-commission and commission SpaceLogic BACnet/IP devices and RP controller expansion modules. The Commission mobile application does not require a license for activation and is available at no cost to the user. It is designed for use with Android, iOS (Apple), and Microsoft Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices, and is available for download from Google Play, Apple App Store, and Microsoft Store. Refer to: Commission Mobile Application Engage: The Engage mobile application (requires EBO V3.1.2 or higer) enables control of room temperature, fan speed, lights, and blinds/shades directly from a smartphone. A user can manage these settings when the application is connected to the RP-C controller. The Engage mobile application connects easily via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) to the RP-C controller. The application is compatible with RP-C (HVAC) and RP controller expansion modules (lights and blinds). The Engage mobile application is free and available for download from Google Play and Apple App Store.  

Issue What is the limit of the number of Controllers that can be in a Continuum System? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cause Want to know the theoretical and practical limits to how many controllers can be on one system. Resolution There are certainly some logical limits to how your Netcontrollers are addressed and identified in the system but for all intents and purposes you are only restricted by the IP Address. Netcontrollers Logically, you can have Netcontrollers addressed from 1 - 190 - so the maximum you can have in a "logical" Network is 190 Netcontrollers. However, the number of Networks you can have in a Continuum Database is only restricted by the Database itself - effectively infinite. See the article below on logical Networks. How many logical networks can be created on a Continuum system? This restriction is only for Netcontrollers defined within the Infinity side of the Continuum Database and does not apply to third-party BACnet controllers. Field Controllers (b3 / i2) There is a definite limit to the number of subnet (Infinet or MSTP) controllers that can be strung off of a given bCX or Netcontroller. As a general rule, each comm port can support up to a maximum of 127 subnet devices. Of course this does depend on the device being used, the amount of nodes it is enabled for, and the physical installation. The number of nodes purchased does correspond to the total number of i2 or MSTP controllers that can be on that bus. Example: If you have a bCX1 with 32 MSTP nodes this means that a total of 32 MSTP devices can be on this MSTP network and the following architecture is valid. bCX1 with bLink; (segment1) node1 to node16. (segment2) node17 to node32. If we look at a Netcontroller or Netcontroller II, these controllers have two RS-485 comm ports that can be used to support Infinet subnet controllers, up to 127 on each port and a maximum of 254 off the one controller. Now the controller would need to have both ports enabled for 127 nodes and considerations made for the amount of traffic this number of controllers would require. Similarly, the bCX1 (BACnet) will support up to 127 nodes. One thing to note is that this also includes repeaters if they are used to extend your network or star the MSTP. The general rule for the number of devices on an MSTP segment is a maximum of 32 nodes, this dependent on the network complying with MSTP installation guidelines for termination, distance, cable type, and that each node is a full load RS-485 transceiver. In the case of our BACnet controllers, they use a 1/4 load transceiver so given perfect network conditions it is possible to have 127 b3 devices on the same MSTP network segment. Even though this is possible, it is always good practice to use a b-Link repeater and a max of 32 devices per network segment - this also helps to segregate the devices for troubleshooting as well. Total Point Limits Other than with a Cyberstation with an I/O limited Security Key, I'm not aware of any limits to the number of points that can be created in a Continuum Database; this would be limited to the size and resources of the Continuum SQL Database. Consult the following article that has a spreadsheet to help estimate the size of your Continuum Database. It could also help to estimate your SQL requirements: Continuum Database Sizing and SQL Server selection

Issue bCX going offline and logging multiple 0x1408s in its error log. Environment bCX4040 ALL CX master controllers. Cause Excessive traffic on the network causes controller to run out of message buffers. Every time a controller receives a communication packet it has to allocate a block of memory (a buffer) to place the packet until it can be processed. Under normal network conditions the packets are processed at a rate that exceeds the rate at which they are coming in, in some cases typically associated with network configuration issues or malfunctioning nodes on the network, (i.e. broadcast storms) the firmware in the controller is unable to keep up with the amount of packets being received which exhausts message buffers available and renders the controller unable to communicate properly. In many cases the condition is temporary and does not result in a major problem, it is not unusual to see sporadic 0x1408s in the error log but when the condition persists for longer periods it will have an impact on the ability of the controller to communicate properly on the network. Resolution Identify and remove the root cause of the excessive traffic.   In the WireShark capture above, a constant WHO-IS sent out by BBMD devices due to part of the network being disconnected was causing a "WHO-IS storm" resulting in the bCX controller on the subnet to go offline and register several 0x1408 errors per minute.

Issue Procedure to Install and Configure Continuum Reports Suite Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Reports Suite Cyberstation 1.81 and above Cause Need to generate Continuum Reports using the Continuum Reports suite package Resolution

Issue What is the resistance for the DOC, DRC, DSC and DLC sensors for a Drayton Theta II EC Environment DOC, DRC, DSC and DLC sensors Drayton Theta II EC Cause Information Resolution DOC and DRC   DSC and DLC °C Ω   °C Ω           0 2339   0 6760 1 2235   5 5830 2 2137   10 4901 3 2043   15 3978 4 1943   20 3252 5 1870   25 2677 6 1790   30 2217 7 1713   35 1848 8 1641   40 1549 9 1572   45 1306 10 1506   50 1107 11 1444   55 943 12 1385   60 807 13 1328   65 694 14 1274   70 599 15 1223   75 520 16 1174   80 452 17 1127   85 396 18 1083   90 347 19 1040   95 303 20 1000   100 260 21 961   105 230 22 924   110 200 23 880   115 190 24 855   120 180 25 823       26 792       27 762       28 734       29 707       30 681       31 657       32 633       33 610       34 589       35 568      

Issue Is it possible to upgrade TAC Xenta 401 and TAC Xenta 300 HW1 to latest system version? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation  Environment TAC Xenta 401 TAC Xenta 301 TAC Xenta 302 Cause Whenever possible, upgrading to the latest system version will give you all of the latest product fixes and enhancements. Resolution You can upgrade TAC Xenta 300 as well as TAC Xenta 401 to any system version BUT you cannot use HW1 in EcoStruxure Building Operation. All HW versions can be upgraded for use in TAC Vista Classic system.

Issue Unable to login to Workstation. Getting error "Requested license is not available on the license Server" even though the license for the StruxureWare Enterprise Server is valid. License server does not support this feature (Error code: -18) Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment StruxureWare Building Operation v1.3/1.4 WorkStation Enterprise Server License Server Cause When using Network Licenses this possibly indicates there was no valid WorkStation license. The Enterprise Server license does not also provide a Workstation license to run Workstation. If using Local Licenses, such as the Evaluation / Demo license and you are attempting to connect to an Enterprise Server from a separate WorkStation, the License server and the demo license file must be installed on both the Enterprise Server and each Workstation since the local license can not be shared between computers. Check Online help for additional detail. Resolution Network License: A new WorkStation license is required to use WorkStation. This would need to be acquired and added to the license Server. The part numbers for these are below. WorkStation software (including editors) Part number Product name Description SXWSWWORK00001 SW-STATION-STD-0 WorkStation Standard, 1 concurrent user license, (no maintenance subscription included) SXWSWWORK00002 SW-STATION-PRO-0 WorkStation Professional, 1 concurrent user license, Professional WorkStation version includes Editor licensing, (includes TGML Graphics editor, Function Block & Script Programming, no maintenance subscription included) Depending on what your requirements are, it may be possible to use the WebStation instead of a dedicated WorkStation for light monitoring duties. There is no part number for WebStation; it is a default feature of the Automation Server and Enterprise Server (with no need for additional licensing) in v1.3. Details on the WebStation and WorkStation can be found at the below links. WorkStation WebStation Local License: If using Local Licenses, such the Evaluation/Demo license and you are attempting to connect to an Enterprise Server from a separate WorkStation, the License server and the demo license file must be installed on both the Enterprise Server and each Workstation since the local license can not be shared between computers. Check Online help for additional detail.

Issue Is it possible for multiple Automation Servers to be placed on the same backplane and use one power supply? Some known issues in this unsupported configuration: Automation Server only partially discover the IO Modules Function Block Programs (FBP) remain in an unloaded state (see FBP Unloaded) EBO 2022 (v4.0) and higher, Alarm: IO Driver unexpectedly timed out Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Automation Server Power Supply SmartStruxure IO Modules Cause The terminal bases provides a path for communication between all connected units on the same backplane, as such the connection of two or more Automation Servers will cause communication issues between all connected units on that same backplane. Resolution From EBO 2022 (v4.0.1) due to changes in the Central I/O (CIO), checks are now made in the Automation Server to verify that the server is physically in SLOT 2, if this is not the case, then all Tasks are disabled, and will not run.    You cannot connect more than one Automation Server to the backplane. Only one Automation Server is allowed per power supply, the architecture is always "PS-AS-....." and after that I/O modules with additional PS units as needed, but only one Automation Server can exist on the same backplane.   Note that an alarm will also generate if you have the following configuration is attempted (also not supported)  PS-AS-PS-AS  Alarms will only clear after a restart (warm) of the server 

Issue There is a need for Xenta I/O modules to be added as standalone devices on a Lon network. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Xenta I/O modules Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Cause The Building Operation ES/AS structure allows I/O modules to operate without a Xenta programmable base unit. Resolution The following Xenta I/O modules can be added directly once the Lon interface and network have been created: I/O Module DI DI status DO DO override UI TI AO AO override Xenta 421A  - - 5 - 4* - - - Xenta 422A - 4** 5 5 4* - - - Xenta 451A - - - - 8* - 2 - Xenta 452A - 8** - - 8* - 2 2                   * - DI, 0–10 V DC or 0–20 mA, 1.8/10 kohm TI         ** - Status indication only when the corresponding universal inputs (UI) are being used as digital inputs. Once the I/O module is set up for SNVT communication the green LED will flash once every 10 seconds. For more information see Configuring Xenta I/O module inputs when used as stand-alone Lonworks devices.

Issue The extended trend log contains approximately 50% of the configured storage capacity. For example, only 250 entries are in the Trend log view even though the ETL is configured for 500 entries.   After the ETL runs long enough to fill up the 500 entry capacity, ONLY 250 entries are shown in a Trend log list view. (see below)   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Cause An extended trend log (ETL) includes an equal number of internal entries hidden from view; these entries are overhead incurred in the operation of the ETL. For example, each time a transfer takes place, an internal entry is added. Depending on the specifics of the configuration (i.e., Maximum Transfer Interval), the percentage of internal entries for a given ETL relative to its full size varies. From EBO 3.2.3, the internal entries of an ETL are hidden, and no information is provided to give any visibility into how much storage is being used by internal entries. Resolution The solution is to increase the size of the ETL to ensure there is enough storage capacity for data and overhead. Typically, the size must be doubled (in this case, 1000) in the particular ETL to make sure 500 entries of data can be stored.  Although these transfer events are hidden, it is possible to identify these events by adding the Sequence number column in the trend log list.  It is also possible to decrease the overhead amount stored in the ETL by increasing the "Maximum transfer interval" in the ETL properties, as shown in the screenshots.  Here it can be seen that by increasing the Maximum transfer interval to 1 hour for an interval log of 5 minutes that ONLY 1 'overhead' record (sequence # 565) is added per 10 entries.   Using this or a similar setting will allow to reduce the storage requirement of the ETL.