Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Schindler have recently released version 1.3.370.1 of their Schindler PORT elevator system software. Product Line Security Expert Environment Security Expert SP-C Schindler PORT elevator system version 1.3.370.1 Cause Schindler have released an updated version of their Schindler PORT elevator system version 1.3.370.1 Resolution The SDK for Schindler PORT elevator system version 1.3.370.1 has no major changes when compared to the existing tested and supported version 1.3.369.1. So while it is 'likely' that this latter version will operate correctly, at this present time it is an untested and unqualified version for this integration. Please see AN 196 Security Expert - Schindler HLI - Integration Guide for more details of the integration.

Issue Power Monitoring Expert (PME) is able to make its data objects and alarms visible to EBO via EcoStruxure Web Services (EWS). But when viewed, the Alarms from these EWS objects only shows a number rather than its actual object name in PME. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server EWS Integration Cause There are two stages to bringing data via EWS into EBO.  The first is to create the EWS interface in EBO so that the EWS source (in this case PME) can be discovered.  However, if those discovered EWS objects are not then hosted in EBO, the Alarm Source details will be not complete. Resolution 1. First Identify an object in PME which is also in Alarm and will also be Alarming in EBO when hosted. The date and time of the actual Last Occurrence can be useful here. 2. Notice that the Source name and Source of the same Alarm in EBO is only a number. In this case 3 or EWS Client/3. 3. Now select Host EWS objects from the EBO Menu and host that point or controller onto the EWS interface 4. Note now that all Alarm references previously showing just a number now immediately update with the correct Source name and Source now that the point has been hosted in the EBO Database.  In this case PDU_2B_1_6A_ION9200 Note:At this point it would be very easy to simply decide to Host the entire PME Server onto the EBO Interface rather than a single object or controller as this would then update the sources of all alarmed objects.  However care must be taken that at this point not to overload the system.  Every hosted object will then be polled for value and alarm status periodically adding greatly to the comms between the PME and EBO systems and while the polling rate for Value and Alarm can be adjusted to sensible values there is an argument to only host those EWS objects that data is required from.

Issue The configuration in "License Setup" changes autonomously meaning that you open "License Setup", make a change, close "License Setup", open "License Setup" and the configuration has reverted to what is was before the change was made. It reverts back to what it was before making the change. Environment TAC Vista 5.1.9 Cause The cause of this is unknown. TAC Vista Server is supposed to set some values in the registry while running also regarding licensing, but not like described here. Resolution Make sure TAC Vista Server is stopped while changing the license setup: Stop TAC Vista Server Change the license setup Start TAC Vista Server

Issue As soon as a user logs in to Workstation, there is a bandwidth usage above 50%. When logged out, it goes down to 10%. When logged in to Webstation, there are no changes to the bandwidth usage; it stay at 10%. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Cause There are a lot of signals in the Watch Window. The system continuously asks for the watched values as long as the user is logged in. The system stops asking for the watched values when the user is logged out. Resolution Remove values from the Watch Window when they are no longer needed.

Issue Users or engineers may be unsure of how to obtain the Smart Connector itself, as they are not generally available for download from the Exchange Download Center or the Smart Connector Forum on the Community. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment SBO/EBO and general integration projects SXWSWSCDL100001 Cause Smart Connectors are not freely available and will require a license obtaining in order to download and use them. As Smart Connectors can be developed by a number of teams around the world that are not part of R&D, these teams will define the costs and requirements for using their software. Resolution A Product Announcement PA-00546 is available that details the concept and use of Smart Connectors. To order the Smart Connector Framework for a project, use part number: SXWSWSCDL100001  Then go to the Smart Connector Server licensing portal to obtain your required license for the specific Smart Connector you require. The URL for the License Portal is: https://www.smartconnectorserver.com/ A login is required for this portal which can can be obtained through the "Sign Up" button. Once logged in the user may browse through the available Smart Connectors and request to download a license. For support information on Smart Connectors, see the article "Support route for Smart Connector Framework issues".

Issue Windows reports that RAM services do not start or stop in a timely manner Environment RAM 2.1.025 Cause Windows reports that RAM services do not start or stop in a timely manner. Re-installing RAM does not resolve the issue Resolution The issue may be with the RAM configuration file (setup.mdb). Note: If possible, record the RAM setup by opening the RAM console. Uninstall RAM and locate and delete or save the Remote Alarm Manager folder to a different location. Reinstall RAM. RAM will need to be re-configured with the site setup.

Issue Tam32 error message appears when Editing a Function Block program. When editing the program, this error appears and elements are removed from the program. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Function Block/Menta Editor Found when files created in an older version are used in a newer version of StruxureWare Building Operation. Cause This error message is literal. The line indicated as an error is a corrupted part of the function block program. You can determine this line by editing the file in a text editor such as Notepad++ and viewing the indicated line. NOTE: These programs will continue to work as originally programmed. Resolution To identify the part of the program causing the error: Edit the Program that is in error When the message appears, note the line number and file before you press ok. Do not edit or attempt to save the program. Locate the file specified in the error message. In this case tempaut1 The AppData folder is usually hidden, so you will need to manually type the file path into Windows Explorer Edit the file with notepad++ or another text editor Find the indicated line and determine what type of object is in error. In this example, the line indicated in the error was 116. It is a comment. Method 1: Compare the error line to another other line of the same type in the document and correct any abnormalities. In this case, I removed an extra comma. If it is a Comment, note that @ = carriage return and should be left in, but remove any other symbols or uncommon characters from the comment. You may just want to replace all of the comment text between the : and } with filler text. DO NOT delete the line of code. Save the edited file to the desktop, be sure not to save it as a .txt If needed, right click>edit the program from the system tree and click OK when the error appears. Select File>Import Import the edited file saved on the desktop. Check to see if the changes you made have corrected the application and Save. Method 2: May be used if the build the file was created in is significantly different than the current build. Edit the program Copy the indicated tempaut file to the desktop Install the version of SmartStruxure which the function block was created on or locate a PC at an older revision Import the files to an AS or ES at the original build Edit the program Remove the objects in error. Export the edited files and re-import in the current build Add back any removed elements that are required for the program to function.

Issue The column labeled "Name" in the BACnet device discovery window is mislabeled. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation (All Versions) Cause BACnet device objects have two different names: An object display name that shows in WorkStation A BACnet name that represents the object in the device These names have different character and length restrictions. For example, when you create a point or value in a BACnet device, you are prompted to enter an object display name. You can enter more than 16 characters here and are not restricted to using only letters, digits, and underscores. For the BACnet name, you can enter up to 16 characters. The BACnet name specifies how an object is identified in a BACnet device and is composed solely of letters, digits, and underscores. If you leave the BACnet name box empty, the EcoStruxure Building Operation object name is truncated and spaces are removed for the name to fit in the box. The object display name and the BACnet name are not linked, so changing one does not modify the other. As a result, when you rename a BACnet device point or value, you need to change both the object display and BACnet names. You rename BACnet device points or values if you wish to change the name to something more specific, or if the point or value was initially named incorrectly. Because the binding templates require a naming convention, you may also need to rename a point or value to match a convention imposed after they were created. Instead of having to delete the point or value and configure a new one, you do a rename instead. Resolution The "Name" column within BACnet discovery actually reflects the BACnet Name and not the object display name.

Issue Resistance against temperature Product Line Field Devices Environment TC300 thermostat range TC900 thermostat range RS-03 remote sensor Cause Remote sensor compatibility Resolution The TC thermostat range use a 10K type 3 (3950) Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) thermistor. Whilst this is similar to the 10K type 3 thermistor used in the other BMS field device sensors such as the SpaceLogic SLA range, it has a different resistance curve and the temperature read will be different.   The table below shows that at typical room temperatures the error is 0.6°C or less. T(°C) RS-03 R(KΩ) SPA R(KΩ) Error % Error °C 0 31.77 29.575 6.91% 1.736 5 24.94 23.504 5.76% 1.366 10 19.68 18.809 4.43% 1.052 15 15.62 15.146 3.03% 0.812 20 12.47 12.271 1.60% 0.63 25 10 10 0.00% 0 30 8.064 8.195 -1.62% 0.3872 35 6.538 6.752 -3.27% 0.3052 40 5.327 5.592 -4.97% 0.2422 45 4.363 4.655 -6.69% 0.1928 50 3.592 3.893 -8.38% 0.1542   Click here to view the TC thermostat's RS-03 remote temperature against resistance chart. Click here to download the chart that provides the temperature against resistance reading for the TC thermostat's RS-03 remote temperature sensors.

Issue Cannot select new year when trying to add an Exception Event in a Digital Schedule. The new year is not listed in the drop-down list. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Webstation Cause The drop-down list does not contain any year past 2019 in Webstation 1.9 and 2.0 Resolution There are two ways to resolve this issue: Use the arrows (1) at the top of the Schedule, or the calendar (2) to the right, to select a date in the year the exception should be valid for. Click in the schedule to open up the properties window. It will now automatically have the selected year (3). Add the Exception in Workstation. The drop-down list in Workstation does not in fact contain more items than it does in Webstation, but there is the possibility to type in the year manually without using the drop-down list. In EBO version 2.0 the year in an Exception Event can be manually typed in the same way as in Workstation. This problem has been resolved in version 3.0 and later versions where the drop-down list contains later years.

Issue Status does not change. Environment CT current transformer H909HV-S6 Cause Although current flow is present, the current transformer status does not change. Resolution This issue was caused by the incorrect wiring between the Current Transformer and the DDC controller. To clarify this, please see below. The drawing shown as part of the installation instructions appears to show that four connections to the DDC controller are required, this is not connect, only two are required. The status output connections consist of two terminal sets, but only one connection is required from each. To download the H909HV-S6 datasheet please click HERE.

Issue All Facility/Card Number fields are blank in Users that were transitioned into Security Expert from Continuum Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Server Continuum Database Transition Tool Cause Expected site code and card numbers from transitioned Continuum personnel objects to populate in the Facility/Card Number fields of the user objects in Security Expert but find all those fields are blank Resolution The site code and card number of personnel objects transitioned from Continuum using the Continuum Transition Tool will show up as credentials on the Security Expert side, this is by design. There is no need for any further changes, the credentials will work when presented to the reader.

Issue Third party system can handle up to 14 user credentials. Is there a limit to the number of Credential Types that can be created, and used, in Security Expert? Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Custom Card Formats Cause There are no noted limits in current documentation on how many Credential Types can be used. Resolution There is no known maximum to the number of Credential Types that can be created in Security Expert and applied to a User object, however; Limited testing has confirmed that two hundred (200) Credential Types were able to be created, added to a User, and then successfully downloaded to the Controller. This is a rough guide only. Results will vary depending on how many Users are being downloaded to each Controller and the number of Credentials each of those Users has applied.

Issue Need sample PE program for control of access to a storage cage gate by forklift operators where the gate is required to stay open (up) until the forklift operator cards at the reader a second time on his/her way out of the cage. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Net Controller II Continuum ACX 2 Controller Continuum ACX 4 Controller Cause Continuum PE programming guidelines Resolution This sample program was provided as proof of concept only and not intended as a complete solution to the use case.   Object : StorageCageControl Type : InfinityProgram LastChange : 1/29/2020 11:29:14 AM DeviceId : PSS\ACX2.10 Alias : StorageCageContr CreateTime : 1/29/2020 9:59:56 AM CreatedBy : Root\Acc TimeLocked : 1/29/2020 11:29:14 AM InstanceId : 7003/7002 ByteCode : 'SAMPLE program for controlling access to a Storage Cage gate 1/29/2020 AM 'Program is LOOPING/AUTOSTART ' 'DESCRIPTION 'On valid access to the cage by forklift operator, program will unlock the gate using the ' PermanentUnlock property to keep it unlocked until the forklift operator indicates the gate 'can be closed by presenting his/her card at the card reader. ' 'REQUIREMENTS '1. ACX2 or NC2 controller only, program wont work in NC1 or old ACX7xx as they don't support the PermanentUnlock flag '2. Set the StrikeTime attribute of the door controlling the gate to ZERO '3. Create GateLeftOpenALM InfinityNumeric, and attach to an alarm (Optional) Numeric CloseTimeOut Line Init CloseTimeOut = 15 'Notify gate may have been left open after CloseTimeOut minutes. Goto WaitToOpen Line WaitToOpen GateLeftOpenALM = False If CageGate ValidAccess then CageGate PermanentUnlock = True Goto WaitToClose Endif Line WaitToClose If CageGate ValidAccess then CageGate PermanentUnlock = False Goto WaitToOpen Endif If TM >= CloseTimeOut then GateLeftOpenALM = True 'Gate may have been accidentally left open Line E 'oops, runtime error, wait a bit then try again If TS > 30 then Goto Init EndByteCode Status : Active EndObject

Issue The LON network is experiencing high bandwidth utilization identified by problems with commissioning devices and intermittent communication loss. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation LON devices Cause There can be many causes for high bandwidth utilization, including configuring change of value trend logs directly to points on the LON devices without using the local node. This causes Building Operation to poll the values constantly to see if there has been a change which in turns impacts the communication. Another cause can be graphics pages with a very large number of points. Even pages with many hidden layers will poll every point including the hidden layer points. It is important to bind any values coming into the Automation Server through the Local Node. Another cause can be the lack of proper LON interface configurations such as Bandwidth Throttling. Resolution The best option is to modify the Change of value logs to the type Interval logs. If it is a graphic causing the issue, then reduce the points on the graphics page. If these options are not suitable then using the local node option described below will help in reducing the bandwidth. Utilize the Local Node Create a Local Node underneath the LonWorks Network in the Enterprise or Automation Server. Create a SNVT underneath the Local Node that matches the one you want to log or bind. Make a SNVT binding from the Device to the SNVT created under the Local Node that triggers on change. For more information on Lon interface configuration settings, see LonWorks Interface Properties – Advanced Tab.

Issue Events are not showing up with configured text and background colors after configuring the specific Event Types. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Cause The Security Expert Data Service needs to be restarted after making changes to the Event Types. Resolution Navigate to Global | Event Types and change the display colors (background and /or text) for your required events. In the example below the operator login/logout events have been changed from the default colors to now be blue text on a yellow background. Note that you can click the column header to sort by name as well as use the search magnifying glass to filter the event list down to make it easier to find specific events. Figure 1 - Event Types After saving your Event Type changes either restart the PC or restart the Security Expert Data Service for your changes to take effect. Start up and log in to Security Expert Client to see the new event colors. Figure 2 - Example Status Page Events Figure 3 - Example Event Report Events

Issue Necessary steps to successfully install a "Stand Alone" versions of the Vista suite where a full Vista installation is not required. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Menta XBuilder Graphic Editor TGML MTA XBP Cause Sometimes a site may not require a full Vista package but will require the ability to edit associated Vista programs. This is the proper way to install only a portion of the Vista Software Suite. Resolution Create a account to the Download Center. Download the needed "stand alone" programs of the desired version, download here: Menta XBuilder Graphic Editor Download a matching version of the "stand alone" License Server, download here. Execute the downloaded programs on the host PC Order appropriate licenses using following program part numbers to validate the software (links to iPortal) Menta 000882401 XBuilder 000882411 Graphic Editor 000882221 (For an existing site requiring an upgrade from older Vista IV or Vista 5.0) Menta Upgrade Pricing 000883401 XBuilder Upgrade Pricing 000883411 Graphic Editor Upgrade Pricing 000883221 An Entitlement will be mailed which must first be Hosted to the PC. This is performed on the schneider-electric.flexnetoperations.com website by following How to Host a Vista Site License. License the Software on the License Server (Stand-alone Licensing for Vista 5 Applications)

Issue The Continuum Database Transition Tool does not transition the doors even though they are present in the Continuum database being transitioned   Product Line Security Expert Environment Security Expert Server Cause Incorrect configuration of the Continuum Transition Tool Resolution In the 'Record Types' tab of the Continuum Transition Tool, there is a checkbox labeled 'Include Anti passback Programming' If the doors on the Continuum system are configured for anti-pass-back then the checkbox has to be ticked to match the Continuum configuration of the doors.

Issue The SX-IPI-C documentation does not show how to stream video from the IP Intercom. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert SX-IPI-C Cause The currently available documentation does not adequately describe how the video stream can be viewed and that RTSP is the only streaming protocol that is supported. Resolution 1. Locate the video stream URL From the Intercoms web interface go to Intercom Settings > Video. The stream URL's can be viewed under the RTSP Information heading.   2. Configure Security Expert to use the video stream URL To view the Intercoms camera feed within Security Expert, follow the instructions on how to set up a direct camera outlined in the Security Expert Operator Reference Guide under the Direct Camera heading. The direct camera URL for the Intercom to be input here is the one found in Step 1 above.

Issue Installing a SE7652A5045P and want to add an outside air and supply air temperature sensor.  What type of sensor is accepted? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, EcoStruxure Building Expert Environment • Building Operation Workstation • Building Operation Automation Server • SSL SE7000 Cause Spec requirement Resolution The SE7000 series sensor can take any 10k ohm NTC thermistor (type 2). For a temperature/resistance chart, see page 6 in this guide. For a Schneider-Electric compatible sensor, see page 7.