Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Multiple MP-Vs have SpaceLogic Sensors (formerly SmartX Sensors) connected, all with identical configurations.  Some are missing the Properties, Scene Configurations, Button and Scene Configuration tabs. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Room Controller (RPC)  Building Operation RP-V VAV Building Operation Multi-purpose Controller Building Operation Multi-purpose VAV Cause Delete the sensor and add it back, which takes a long time to execute for all sensors Resolution In WorkStation, in the System Tree pane, expand the BACnet Interface and the IP network. Click the BACnet/IP controller device. In the Actions menu, point to Device, Advanced, and then click Restore optional properties. In the Actions menu, point to Device and click Download all objects 

Issue Unable to back up the Automation Server Unable to retrieve a working backup from an Automation Server Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Enterprise Central Cause Corrupt configuration.db Network environment issues Power failure Resolution Database Corruption When the server backup process is initiated, the server tests the integrity of the configuration.db.  If the database does not pass the integrity test, the backup process is terminated, and no resulting backup is produced. In this case, an older backup will need to be used.  The backup should be bench tested for integrity before restoring to the production server.   Network Environment In some cases, the AS may produce a valid backup file, but when the backup is saved off of the server the file size is unusually small.  This can happen when network issues interfere with the backup save to disk process.   In such cases, Automation Server backups taken from the Enterprise server will usually be damaged as well.    You can work around this problem by connecting a Workstation laptop PC directly to the AS with an ethernet cable, thus eliminating the network from the process. Backups can also be retrieved in this way using most versions of Device Administrator.    Power Failure The power fails while the EcoStruxure BMS server is backing up and the system displays a “Failed backup” message in the Event view. The solution is to initiate a new backup when the power resumes and the EcoStruxure BMS server goes back online. Power Failure Occurs During Backup     

Issue STC300 terminal detail is different to Specification Sheet and Installation Sheet and there are several versions of the same device. Product Line Field Devices Environment STC300 Warning Hazard of Electric Shock: Remove all power from all devices before removing any covers or doors of the system. Disconnect power at the device and at the power source.   Cause STC300 terminal detail is different to Specification Sheet and Installation Sheet and there are several versions of the same device.   Example of incorrectly wired device. Two versions of the STC300 device are shown.   Resolution On each version of the devices, there is a printed termination legend adjacent to the terminals, follow this.   24Vdc from the power supply is wired to 24V Loop+ on the device. Signal to controller is wired to Loop- on the device.   On the controller, the RET is wired back to the 24Vdc supply using the GRD or RET terminal, see power supply specific wiring detail.    

Issue MP-V Air Flow is reading zero flow despite the Velocity Pressure having a positive value. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment MP-V-7A, MP-V-9A, RP-V-4A, RP-V-5A Variable Air Volume Data Cause The Air Flow value is an internally calculated value based on the Velocity Pressure. There are a number of values involved in that calculation that could result in no flow. Resolution Validate Variable Air Volume Data > Flow Balance Data > Rated box flow. The rated box flow defaults to 0 ft³/min in a new controller and must be replaced with the rated flow at 1.0inH₂O (provided by the box manufacturer). Compare Variable Air Volume Data > Velocity Pressure > Value to the Zero flow threshold. Any Velocity Pressure below the threshold will result in no flow. This threshold defaults to 0.008inH₂O. Check Variable Air Volume Data > Properties > Balanced k-factor and Balanced flow correction factor. If either of these values are at 0, there will be no flow. These values cannot be directly written to and are only the result of a flow balance calculation. To get them to update: Go to Variable Air Volume Data > Flow Balance Data and record all balancing data (you will need to manually re-enter it later). Set all 7 balancing values to 0 - Rated box flow, Box/Hood measured maximum/intermediate/minimum Right-click on Variable Air Volume Data and Download Re-enter the valid balancing data. The balanced k-factor should now show a value close to the rated box flow and the balanced flow correction factor should show a multiplier ideally between 0.5 and 2. If the box has not been balanced and no valid balancing data is available, leave the minimum flow readings at 0 and enter the same value into both the hood and box maximums (for example, 1000 and 1000). This will result in a balanced k-factor equal to the rated box flow and a balanced flow correction factor of 1.

Issue Delete Lonworks Device Templates Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server LonWorks devices Cause Some templates are preloaded with the software; if the particular device does not have a supplied template, you can upload an XIF file. This is done by selecting File/LonWorks import/Device Template and then importing the XIF from the manufacturer. An unused Device Template causes no harm to the system; however, there may be a desire to remove a Device Template. Resolution EBO 3.x and later Device Templates can be added and deleted in all device types using the Resource Manager - Device Templates tab SBO 1.x and  EBO 2.x Device Templates cannot be directly deleted from Building Operation WorkStation, however, they can manually be deleted from the  Enterprise Server file system. When a device template is imported, you should understand if the template should be located in the Enterprise Server or an Automation Server.   If the device template is located in an Automation Server, it can only be removed by upgrading the Automation Server using the Device Administrator (you can stay with the current release). If the device template is located in an Enterprise Server, it can be removed using the following process. Locate the template path in the Building Operation database (e.g., C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Schneider Electric StruxureWare\Building Operation 1.3\Enterprise Server\db\UDT\public\public\lon\devicetemplates) Note: in newer releases, the path has changed slightly, e.g., For V1.8.1: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Schneider Electric StruxureWare\Building Operation 1.8\Enterprise Server\db\UDT\pu\public\lon2\devicetemplates   Delete the two template files named Pidxxxxx, where xxxxx are the numbers or letters in parenthesis behind the device template's name visible in WorkStation. After deleting the templates, you may need to restart the Enterprise Server.

Issue There isn't enough documentation on how to disable the different connection protocols. I.e. TLS or SSH. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Central Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Automation Server Cause Increase the security of the system. Resolution SSL Communication Security Settings: You can edit SSL configuration in WorkStation Control Panel's Security Settings or in the Device Administrator SSL Security Settings tab. SSLv1,v2,v3 are all implicitly disabled. In EBO 2022 (4.0) or higher, TLS 1.3 is available and used as default when logging on with WebStation and for server-server communication with HTTPS. TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 are by default disabled but can be enabled in Control Panel. WorkStation is using TLS 1.2, disabling it would prevent logging on to WorkStation. In WorkStation, the only valid protocols are shown when you hover the mouse over disabled protocols. See below.   SSH Port: Port used for communication with Device Administrator can be disabled or changed so that the automation server communicates on another port using SSH. It is also possible to disable all SSH communication. SSH communication settings are available in Automation Server Properties – Network Tab, as shown below. Refer to Disabling Port 22 on SmartX Server and Adding an Additional SSH Port for a SmartX Server .  For more Security guidelines,  refer to EcoStruxure Building Management - System Hardening Guide, Security Overview, and Information Technology System Planning Guide 

Issue The Automation Server is constantly using 100% CPU causing a slow operation Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Automation Server Cause Check which process is taking the CPU. Cause 1: The cause was found to be a Function Block Program which was corrupt in some way. When trying to edit, open properties or do anything with this Function Block Program Workstation just hang. The root cause of the problem with the Function Block Program was never found. Cause 2: Some schedules have more than one entry for the same time stamp (likely if the process "CScanner" is taken the CPU) Resolution Solution 1: After deleting the particular Function Block Program (which took over 2 hours) the CPU usage was directly down to 20%. Another solution for an AS with the same symptoms: After downloading a new database to the automation server and then restoring a backup the CPU usage went down to normal levels.  Solution 2: Check all schedules for duplicate entries, especially around the time where the CPU goes to 100%. Also check out the SmartStruxure Quick Help - AS CPU and Memory Loading Quick-Help video on the Exchange.

Issue Can the AS Network 8000 ASD Interface directly override a block output (DO or AO) in a MicroZone II controller on the ASD bus? Environment SmartStruxure, Automation Server, I/A Series Network 8000, ASD Cause The driver is not currently designed to perform direct override of block outputs. Resolution There are a couple of methods to perform a block output override. Directly connect to the ASD bus with XPSI and perform a System - Override to force a MicroZone II block output to a particular value for a designated period of time. Add logic to the MicroZone II application to enable overrides using the devices network control EMS AI and EMS DI inputs.

Issue SmartStruxure integration with BMS, CRM, SQL, SCADA, PLC, HMI, TouchPanels, Citrix, or UNIX types of systems Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment SmartStruxure Site Cause Can SmartStruxure integrate or be used with other BMS, CRM, SQL, SCADA, PLC, HMI, TouchPanels, Citrix, or UNIX types of systems? Resolution Integration and use with third party systems is sometimes possible with SmartStruxure. The question is how much is the third party system willing to integrate or be used with SmartStruxure? OnQ, which is a proprietary CRM or Contact Resource Management built by the Hilton company and deployed to more than 2,100 hotels worldwide, is using the same communication protocol than Micros Fidelio/Opera so you can use a Bacnet to Fidelio gateway. Fingi Operational Services(FOS) All features of the Fingi Mobile Platform operate from within FOS server. There has not been an integration with FOS for an example. We have several references with these systems (Hilton Manchester, Hilton Copenhagen, Hilton America, ...) - some information are in the Solution Toolbox/Hotel under BMS to PMS integration. Some gateway examples are available: Hotels Gateway - Lonbox PFG4000 is a Fidelio Lonworks® hotel booking gateway The Lonbox PFG4000 Users Guide IntesisBox BACnet gateway catalogue - designed to allow supervision and bidirectional control of all the parameters and functionality of systems and equipment with KNX, ModBus, LonWorks and Fidelio systems from BACnet/IP networks IntesisBox BACnet Server – Fidelio IP - Datasheet Citrix - Building Operation is not Citrix verified, nor has it been put through the process of Citrix Ready. The Building Management WorkStation and WebStation have not been tested on a Citrix platform. One solution would be to inquire through your local sales/marketing channel to see if this is something they want to pursue with the business case which has been put together. Integration is a proposed TVDA for 2013 - to be confirmed depending on resources on StruxureLab.

Issue When trying to use WriteProperty to a 3rd Party BACnet device the following error is generated : "An attempt has been made to write to a property defined as inaccessible through the BACnet protocol write service" Product Line Andover Continuum Environment BACnet  Cause The error can be seen when using WriteProperty OR when attempting to Manually Command a BACnet Point on a 3rd Party Device Resolution The property that is being commanded, is not available to be written to in the 3rd party device. Many properties and object classes cannot be written to on BACnet devices, this is often defined in the devices PIC Statement which has hopefully also been BTL Tested. Some BACnet devices allow writing to be enabled/ disabled, but this must be set up on the 3rd Party device itself depending on the site requirements.  An example of this is in the Jace unit where there is a regular BACnet user that has no write capabilities from 3rd party devices, so to allow this requires a tick a box for "Super user".

Issue How can System Alarms be disabled? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Cause There are over 230 system alarms and at times they need to be turned off temporarily. There is no straight-forward method to gain access to the (intrinsic) system alarms, so an instruction on how to disable them is needed. Resolution You cannot stop system alarms from triggering. But if there are system alarms that trigger often, you might want to "turn these off". The way to do this is to disable the alarms, which would cause the alarms not to trigger again until they are enabled. An alarm has to trigger first in order for it to be disabled. To disable an alarm, right click on the alarm in the alarm list and choose Disable alarm. There is no menu or object to access the system alarms only. For a list of system alarms see What system alarms can occur in StruxureWare Building Operation?

Issue Can the damper feedback function be calculated using Plain English based on the drive time of the damper? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum i2866-V Controller Continuum b3866-V Controller Cause For this controller application, information about the vav damper position is required.   Resolution Only the i2866-v and the b3866-v provide integrated damper feedback.    When using other controller models such as the i2865 or the b3865, an approximation of the damper position can be calculated by adding the damper pulse value to the drive time.   Whenever the damper output is driven to the closed position, a pulse equal to the full damper drive time should be sent to the output and the damper position is reset to 0%.   Whenever the damper output is driven to the fully open position, a pulse equal to the full damper drive time is sent to the output and the damper position is reset to 100%.   Because this method of calculating the position of the damper is only an approximation, it should not be used for critical applications. 

Issue Depicting the differences between Bacnet points and Central IO points. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment SmartStruxure 1.3 and lower Cause Explanation of difference in points Resolution Creating Central IO points When you create inputs and outputs in a non-BACnet SmartStruxure system, you simply create the inputs and outputs and then provide programming to control the Requested value. Trends, alarms and graphics would monitor the value property. In a BACnet SmartStruxure system, the inputs and outputs are created under the IO Module in the same way; however an additional point is created in the Application folder under the BACnet Interface Device. On the property page of that point is a field designating the “Associated Value”. You should browse to the appropriate CIO point and select it. At this point all monitoring, display and control of the object should be accomplished with the BACnet point. (It is also possible to make the link between the associated value and the IO value by using the binding tool.) There is no other binding necessary to make the link between the CIO point and the BACnet “proxy” that is created in the application folder. For SmartStruxure versions prior to 1.4 please see the attached document for some implications and proper method of operation for using the IO associated value property: PSS Building Operation Attachment 14040rev2.pdf For SmartStruxure 1.4 and above see Associate AS BACnet Interface IO points with points on the IO bus in SmartStruxure 1.4 and above.

Issue Project specifications call for there to be no default administrator password in the BMS.  Can the ACC user in Andover Continuum be deleted? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Administrator password Continuum CyberStation Permissions Cause By default Andover Continuum always creates the ACC administrative user on all system but this is deemed unacceptable by some project specifications. Resolution The Andover Continuum default ACC admin user cannot be deleted, however it can be renamed and its permissions can be removed/amended.  

Issue What should be considered when prepairing for upgrading to Niagara 4.10? What known issues should I be aware of when upgrading to Niagara 4.10 and how can I prepair for them? Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series N4 Enterprise Server I/A Series N4 Jace 8000 Cause Define potential issues with an N4.10 upgrade Resolution The following details a set of upgrade considerations and known issues and their workarounds regarding Niagara 4.10. Please review prior to upgrading to Niagara 4.10. Niagara 4.10 and Default NRE Memory Changes: The increased size of some core libraries in Niagara 4.10 required changes to the default NRE Memory Pool settings for use on a JACE-8000. MetaSpace memory needed to be increased to allow applications to run without issue.   Note: any previous custom memory configuration applied to the JACE-8000 will be reset upon upgrade to 4.10. Prior to upgrading your JACE-8000, please review Default NRE Memory Pool Configuration Changes In 4.10.     Niagara 4.10 System DB Upgrade: In Niagara 4.10, we upgraded SystemDB from Orient v2 to v3, and as a result of that change, any customers that are utilizing SystemDB on their Supervisor stations will need to re-index accordingly upon upgrading to 4.10.   Please note, re-indexing can take a considerable time upon upgrade, and the DB will not have accurate information when queried until the index is complete accordingly. Prior to upgrading your Supervisor, please review System DB Must Be Re-indexed for Upgrades to Niagara 4.10+ from Earlier Niagara.     Niagara 4.10 and Third-Party Modules Keeping your Niagara installations safe and secure is our highest priority. In Niagara 4.10, ALL third-party modules must be signed with either a trusted valid certificate or a self-signed certificate to successfully run on a station. This new policy greatly increases the security posture of Niagara installations by making administrators aware of any modules that may have been tampered with, compromised or derived from untrustworthy sources.   Niagara's new signature enforcement feature is being rolled out over multiple Niagara releases. The first iteration was built into release 4.8 to give developers adequate time to make the transition to always signing any third-party modules.   Niagara 4.8 produced console and Security Dashboard warnings about unsigned modules but allowed them to run on a station. As of Niagara 4.10, unsigned modules will not execute.   For more information, please review the Niagara documentation on Third Party Module Signing   Niagara 4.10 Updated Operating Systems, Browsers, and Databases For the latest information on supported operating systems, please refer to Supported OS and other software in the Niagara 4 Framework Installation Guide.   Tridium remains focused on keeping pace with advancing IT infrastructure to enable more efficient, long-term support of each release version. This policy enhances the security posture of a Niagara installation by ensuring that only the most robust, secure operating systems and enterprise applications are compatible with the framework. The list below provides information on what we will be supporting with Niagara 4.10.   OS, Browser, Database Version Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.1 (64 bit), 7.7 Windows Server 2019 (64 bit), Server 2016 (64 bit), Windows 10 (64 bit) VMWare ESXi 6.7 Oracle Database 19.3, 18.3, ... 12.2/12.1 MySQL Database 8 MS SQL Database 2019, 2017, 2016 Browsers Chrome, FireFox, Microsoft Edge Mobile Browsers Safari (iOS 12, 13), Chrome (Android 8, 9, 10)   As with all software products, we must also deprecate support for some operating systems and enterprise applications.  Nevertheless, you can be confident that the above list will handle your needs moving forward.   Using Web Launcher with Niagara 4.10 Web Launcher 20.4.2 was recently revamped for Niagara 4.10 to include essential software dependencies updates along with critical defect fixes. This version of Web Launcher has Java version 8 update 275 and certificate management has been updated to work with Niagara 4.10 along with any legacy or prospective release.   Prior to using Web Launcher with Niagara 4.10, the customer should update Web Launcher accordingly (see steps below). Updating WebLauncher Web Launcher has a feature to check for updates over the internet and prompts the user when a new version is available in the cloud. However, the existing version of Web Launcher has a bug that prevents a smooth update. Users will be required to perform a fresh install by downloading the latest version from the cloud via the station web Login page.   Click on the Niagara Web Launcher Installer link on the station's Web Launcher Web Page, which can be reached via the link on the Login page itself. Once the download is successful, click on the msi file and follow the installation wizard. You do not have to uninstall the older version. The new installation will automatically update to the latest version.

Issue How can I streamline badge creation in Security Expert? Product Line EcoExpert Security Expert Environment Security Expert Server Security Expert Client   Cause There is no "Import/Export badge" feature available in Security Expert (unlike in Episuite/Continuum) Resolution This video demonstrates how to streamline badge creation in Security Expert.     Badge templates are normally provided by the customer.  They should be provided in bitmap (.bmp) or portable graphics format (.png) format. JPEG image format does not work well for resizing.     A new template can also be drawn though this is time-consuming.      Blank template from client 1. In Security Expert Client menu, go to Users--> Card Template Editor   Add and name new template, 2. Add blank template as image, go to right side Properties-->Images   Add blank template Adjust image to fit blue outline   3. Add dynamic user fields, go to right side Properties-->User Fields   Add and name fields ONE AT A TIME by dragging out items on to plan (drag one at a time to avoid confusion)     4. Name and place dynamic user fields over-top of blank template layout (Photo, Name, Dept, etc.)   Stretch, Align and Center Fields for uniform finish         5. Save template   6. Preview badge In Security Expert, go to Users--> Users-->Photo tab   Select a user:   Photo ID: Card template(drop-down menu)--> Choose your newly created template Hit the preview button Note: Do not choose Print & Read if no USB card reader is attached; this will cause an error and shut down Security Expert   Print Preview:

Issue After changing a controller's IP settings, it does not come online and cannot be accessed via its web interface. The controller can be accessed via its web interface by temporarily defaulting the IP address. Still, changes to its IP settings cannot be saved and are instead met with the following "Invalid Port" errors. Invalid Port – Module UDP Port Invalid Port – Touch Screen UDP Port Product Line Security Expert Environment Security Expert Controllers (SP-C, SP-ACX, SP-AC1, SP-C-WEB) Cause The controller's HTTP Port has been set to 0. If this field is set to no value, this is converted to an invalid 0 value, the controller will no longer be accessible via the web interface and will require defaulting the IP address to connect. Resolution Change the HTTP Port to a valid value. The default HTTP Port is 80, but it should be changed to another available port for increased security.

Issue Unable to send emails using Google's SMTP Server Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Server Security Expert Controllers (SP-C-WEB, SP-C) Google SMTP Server Cause SMTP server settings in Controller and/or Google account settings are incorrect. Resolution When configuring the Email SMTP settings under Global | Global settings confirm that the correct SMTP server address and settings are used: SMTP Mail Server: smtp.googlemail.com SMTP Port: 25 Use SSL: Enabled SMTP login: <your Google account> SMTP password: <the app password created in section below> Email SMTP settings Google has removed the "less secure app access" ability and replaced it with "app passwords" where you create a unique 16-digit passcode for each individual app requiring access. See details on how to Sign in with app passwords. To use app passwords Google requires the account to be setup for 2-Step Verification. If you do not see the App passwords item under your Google accounts Security section you can also find this by typing "app passwords" in the "Search Google Account" search bar at the top of the window, select the first item "App passwords". App passwords In App passwords press Select app and choose Other (Custom name). Add a descriptive name for the app and click GENERATE. Copy the resulting 16-digit passcode as this will be the passcode used for the SMTP server credentials. Add App password Ensure Firewall settings are not blocking access to the mail server, especially if the McAfee firewall is being used. If there is a Firewall try temporarily disabling this to test.

Issue In TAC Vista, we had a function for the OGC graphics called standard graphic. Do we have something similar in Building Operation? Product Line EcoStuxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation 2.0 and above Graphics  Cause All graphics connected to the standard graphic in TAC Vista changed if the standard graphic was changed. This is a very useful function when having many similar graphics.    In Building Operation, a new object was implemented in version 1.8 labeled shared Graphics, Custom Types superseded this in version 2.0, and this function is similar to shared Graphics but not identical. Resolution There is no direct function like this in Building Operation.  Custom Types is the only similar feature available in the currently supported versions of Building Operation. Additional information can be viewed in the online help topic Custom Types Overview.  

Issue Backup set file cannot be imported.   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Automation Server Enterprise Server Backup set file Cause Backup set file is very large so import of backup set file fails.   Resolution A current workaround is to manually copy the backup file set to the default backup location. Browse to C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric StruxureWare\Building Operation 1.x\Enterprise Server\db_backup or C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric EcoStruxure\Building Operation x.x\Enterprise Server\db_backup By default the ProgramData folder is hidden. To view the ProgramData folder follow the below steps: Select Organize>>Folder and Search options. In Folder options under view tab select "Show hidden files,folders and drives". Manually copy the Enterprise Server Backup set file and paste to the below location: C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric StruxureWare\Building Operation 1.x\Enterprise Server\db_backup\LocalBackup   Manually copy the Automation Server Backup set file and paste to the below location: C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric StruxureWare\Building Operation 1.x\Enterprise Server\db_backup\ASArchives