Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue When evaluating Inet Transition sites, a common error seen when uploading I/NET controllers under the  Inet Interface is an upload failure.  The Background Status and trace log will contain a changeset error as shown below: UploadDevice failed to process changeset on link: 93 station: 10, type index: 17 cannot continue upload Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC INET Environment Ecostruxure Building Operation Inet Interface  Cause Understanding the ChangeSet Indices used by the developers will help pinpoint where the issue is originating from.  The message typically isolates the Link and Station but does not identify where within this controller the problem may lie.  Resolution The current list of ChangeSet Indices are listed below and attached Changeset_index.txt Index Affected 9 DCU passwords, States, Eng units, Conversion Coeff., Controls, Holidays, DDC history, Override access, Sunrise/Sunset 11 Points 15 Action message, DCU DDC, Event sequences 17 Calculation 19 Event extension 21 Extension general (can be one of: Runtime, Consumption, or Alarm inhibit - depends on DCU type) 23 ATS 25 ATC 27 Extension application (can be one of: Demand, ORB, ORBEM, UC, LZ, LC, Elevator - depends on DCU type) 29 Trend 31 Lookup table (raw data) 33 Demand load (raw data) 35 MCU 37 MR DDC 39 AIC sequence (raw data) 43 LCD page, Istat param, IAS (raw data) 45 Access control (raw data) Note: "raw data" indicates user cannot manipulate in EBO but it is uploaded and save in raw form to allow for a download/restore Working with the example shown in the Issue, the message indicates a changeset value of Index: 17.  Using the attached list, Index 17 indicates that the issue is within the Calculation Editor. Using the SAV file from the site and working offline within I/NET open this SAV file and check each of the editors, in this case, calculations. In most cases, it will either be an invalid character or invalid point address - which will be shown as 'blank' as seen below: Correcting this and updating the SAV file to the controller (Station Restore) will typically correct this issue. If the same error persists then please provide an Export of the Inet Interface and the SAV files of the controllers having this problem through your local support channel.   

Issue Define I/A Series AX/G3/N4 software compatible with a specific version of Windows Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series (Niagara) AX/G3/N4 software Windows 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems Cause Only specific releases of the I/A Series AX/G3/N4 software have been certified compliant with specific versions of the Microsoft Windows software.  Resolution The following chart details the version compatibility between the releases of the I/A Series G3/N4 software and various versions of the Microsoft Windows Operating System software.   Refer to Supported Operating Systems for Niagara 3.7 and earlier (June 2016) Refer to Supported Operating Systems for Niagara 3.8 (July 2020) Refer to Supported Operating Systems for Niagara 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 (September 2019) Refer to  Supported Operating Systems for Niagara 4.4 and higher (October 2022)   For the larger Schneider Electric BMS offering please refer to Software and Firmware compatibility matrix for older versions of I/NET, Vista, Andover Continuum, Satchwell Sigma, I/A Series, and StruxureWare Building Operation

Warning Potential for Data Loss: The steps detailed in the resolution of this article may result in a loss of critical data if not performed properly. Before beginning these steps, make sure all important data is backed up in the event of data loss. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with any complex steps detailed in this article, please contact Product Support for assistance. Issue How to bring a BACnet controller online after restoring a backup Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment EcoStruxure Building Operation Cause Customers may want to take a backup from a site and use it on other setups. If there would be any BACnet controller under the Backup, they may need to know the process of hosting the BACnet controllers under the restored backup on the physical BACnet controllers.   Resolution This video will demonstrate how to bring a BACnet controller online after restoring a backup. NOTE After matching up the Device ID of the BACnet controller under the restored server and the Object ID of the physical BACnet controller, if the hosting status shows “Not hosted”, users need to perform a "Repair Hosting". Please refer to Repair Hosting a BACnet/IP controller 

Issue Configuring Security Expert Readers Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Smart Card Readers Cause Security Expert Smart Card Readers have options such as Mifare Reading Mode, LED colors, etc. that can be configured. How the readers are configured will depend on the reader's firmware. Resolution The method used to configure a Security Expert Smart Card Reader depends on the firmware version it is using. There is no way to visually determine the firmware version. To identify what firmware the reader was shipped with from the factory refer to Knowledge Base article Identifying Security Expert Smart Card Readers Firmware. 1. Smart Card Readers with firmware below build 200 - (I.e. 1.04.64) These are older readers which were configured with a serial terminal program by connecting to the reader using a USB-RS485 converter. Please refer to the 'Installer Programming' section of the attached Smart Card Reader Installation Manual - Feb 2017. This has been replaced by a newer version of the manual on Exchange which no longer includes this information. 2. Smart Card Readers with firmware build 200 or above (I.e. 1.04.229) These newer readers do not have a serial interface and will require a configuration card to change reader options. The configuration card (SX-ISO-CONFIG) is ordered from Schneider Electric, see the Security Expert Credentials Order Form for details.

Issue How can the firmware version of Security Expert Smart Card Readers be determined. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Smart Card Readers Cause It is not possible to easily identify the firmware which a reader has been shipped with. Serial Numbers are not sequential and cannot be used as general guide. Resolution To find out a reader's original shipped firmware version raise a case with Product Support including the Reader's Serial Number and they will be able to check with manufacturing to determine which firmware version was loaded at the time.

Issue If more than 3 Operators are created in Security Expert, the License page of the Thick Client will show more Licenses in use than the maximum three (3) clients provided with the standard  SX-SRVR License. To see what the site is using, select About > License and scroll down to the Feature: Web Operators. As shown below, there are four web operators active out of the three (4/3) allowed. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Licensing Cause A Web Operator is defined as any Operator who can log onto the Security Expert Server using a browser.                           In the example shown below there are four Operators: admin 2nd Operator 3rd Operator 4th Operator The system allows each to log in successfully: The License option SX-WEB-OPR  enables 'x' number of browser connections depending on customer needs and should effectively ensure that the correct number of Operators are purchased. However, the feature is currently in development and is not yet enforcing limits on the number of web operator connections.  This allows the number of connections to exceed the maximum limit (I.e.4/3) for the time being. Resolution Note: The Operator does NOT even need to be logged on for the count to register 4/3, the fact that 4 operators have been created is enough. The restriction of operators via Web Client could be enabled/enforced at any time in the next release of the software, so it is strongly advised to purchase the correct number of Licenses required at the time of installation, to prevent a loss of user connectivity going forward.

Issue Request for database schemas for SecurityExpert and SecurityExpertEvents databases. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Client, Security ExpertServer Cause Various entities request database schemas for SecurityExpert and SecurityExpertEvents databases for reasons like access to the stored data for third party reporting packages. Resolution Schneider Electric does not publish or provide the Security Expert database schemas. Database schemas change over time with new revisions which may result in broken tables. Anything required should be available using the Security Expert SOAP Web Service Software Development Kit (SX-SOAP-SDK). The SDK will allow the extracting, transforming and storing of data into a separate database. Third-party applications/tools can then report on that data stored in a separate database. This allows the integrity of the Security Expert databases to remain intact. The Security Expert SOAP SDK can be purchased as part number SX-SOAP-SDK.

Issue Is it possible to setup more than one custom card format in Security Expert? Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Custom Card Formats Cause Have a requirement for two or more custom card formats. Resolution Currently, only one Custom Format can be configured.   It is possible to add a Secondary Format to a Reader port in Reader-Expanders, but only one port can be setup as a Custom Format.    However, Credentials Types have now been introduced with the release of Security Expert 4.3, which largely supersedes Custom Formats going forward and allows multiple custom card formats and even QR codes where required.  Please see AN 276 Security Expert - Configuring Credential Types - Integration Guide for more information on setting up Credential Types and Maximum number of Credential Types for more info on how many can be used.

Issue Does Security Expert meet "FIPS Compliance"  Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Cause Unable to locate documentation for the FIPS compliance. Need to verify before Continuum access control system is migrated to Security Expert. Resolution Security Expert Software  is currently not FIPS compliant. See Transition Guide Security Expert - Continuum Access Control to Security Expert - Reference Guide for more more details on what is, and is not, supported with a Continuum Transition to Security Expert.

Issue How to estimate the disk space required to accommodate a given Security Expert installation. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Microsoft SQL Server Cause The Security Expert databases will grow in size depending on the configuration and logging requirements. Therefore, estimating how much a database will grow over time should be done to determine which Microsoft Database solution and hard drive requirements. Resolution The Installation Guide does have some hardware recommendations under the System Requirements section, and these should be used as a baseline for allowing appropriate database storage. 10 controllers w/ 16 modules each - 40GB More than 10 controllers w/ any number of modules each - 100GB. The configuration database (SecurityExpert) is relatively small and will typically not grow much. The events database (SecurityExpertEvents) is what logs all events and alarms, and it will grow over time, rapidly depending on what is being logged and how often. There are many variables in play from one site to another. The space required for a standard Security Expert Database is dependent on, but not exclusive to: The amount of Inputs/Outputs/Readers you have with Log Events enabled. The amount of traffic through the site. The number of Expanders and other Records. The frequency of backups and purging of events from the SecurityExpertEvents database. As a guideline, we can broadly calculate storage requirements based on the size of each event being logged. Typically this will be 564 bytes per event. If you have 2000 Events per day, here is the calculation for how many MB will be used per day: 564 B x 2000 = 1128000 B = 1.07 MB per day If those events that are being logged are alarms as well, then this total would be doubled. Another way to calculate this is to take what a typical usage requirement would be for a site or monitor a live site over a week/month to calculate the sites' average usage and extrapolate that to fit. For example, a site with 130 doors being used 8 hours a day and with door openings and closings 10 times an hour would equate to just under 1GB a month. Please note these are very rough guesses; individual sites might be busier/quieter. Performing regular SecurityExpertEvents database backups and purges will ensure that the database size does not get too large for the installation. For instructions, see the System Backups section in the Installation Guide and AN 279 Security Expert Differential Backups.

Issue Activation of the Security Expert SSN with a new installation of the client software, software extensions (e.g. SX-VIM, SX-DOR-50) and integration licenses (e.g. SX-NVR, SX-CAM-10) need to be completed manually because there is no Interne access. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Licensing Cause The computer which the Security Expert client is installed on, does not have Internet access to use the 'Automatic License Update' method to activate the license. The manual method must be used to register and obtain the new license. Resolution In the Security Expert client go to About | License | information make a note of your system's SSN In the Security Expert client go to About | License | License Update and select Generate a License Request File for this System Copy the 'ICT_LicenceRequest.req' license request file produced onto a machine that has Internet access. Navigate to https://se.ict.co/license/ and enter your details on this web page. Enter the SSN for your system Upload the 'ICT_LicenceRequest.req' license request file generated previously and Submit. You should then be able to download a 'Security Expert YJWB...............O4PJ5W License.lic' file. Return to your offline Security Expert Client and go to About | License | License Update , Select Browse for your Downloaded License file Select the 'Security Expert YJWB...............O4PJ5W License.lic' file downloaded previously. Once the license update is complete shut down the client and restart the services   Support for manual activation: v4.2.194 - Manual activation is supported. v4.2.216 - Manual license activation's are no longer supported and an Internet connection is required on the Security Expert installation to be able to perform a new activation or update a license. v4.2.243 - Manual activation is supported. v4.3.x - Manual activation is supported.

Issue A previous version of the client software badged SecureStruxure is installed, and needs to be upgraded to Security Expert. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert SecureStruxure Cause The offer had the name changed between versions and it's not straight forward how to update the software, and databases, to the newer version. Resolution SecureStruxure can be upgraded to Security Expert by following these steps: Contact Product Support to upgrade the site license to Security Expert.. Backup the SecureStruxureOperations and SecureStruxureOperationsEvents databases via SQL Server Management Studio. Uninstall SecureStruxure. Rename the SecureStruxureOperations and SecureStruxureOperationsEvents databases to SecurityExpert and SecurityExpertEvents When you run the Security Expert installer, use the new Security Expert SSN. You will need to point Security Expert at the MS SQL database instance you were previously using for SecureStruxure (this is likely "localhost\SECURESTRUXURE"). The installation wizard should pick up the databases and upgrade them, retaining all the SecureStruxure programming. Log into Security Expert and re-license the software by going to the About | License menu option.. If you are unable to connect to the license server (no internet connection), you can use the manual method for registering a license.

Issue Require details on how to setup multiple inputs to popup the same camera window if any of them are true. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Client Cause Unsure how to setup program for multiple inputs to display video from one camera when any of them are set to true Resolution 1. Under Events | Event Filters create a new Event filter 2. On the Event Types tab untick "Include All Event types" and select the Add button  3. Browse for "All Input Events", select "Input <ZONE_NAME> Opened" and click OK 4. On the Records tab select the Add button, select Device Type "Input" and your Controller, then the inputs that you want to popup this video 5. Save the Event Filter 6. Under Events | Actions create a new Action 7. Select the Type "Popup Camera Window", select the Event Filter you created in step 1, select the camera you want 8. Save the changes and test the scenario.

Issue Error messages in Workstation saying "No valid license to add AS found", when trying to add one more AS-P to the ES. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Automation Server Premium (AS-P) Demo License file Cause The error message is caused by an expired demo license. When using the Demo License file, the ES checks the Licence at startup, and when doing some operations, like adding AS-Ps. If the Demo license expires, the ES may still work, but you cannot add any more AS-Ps. Resolution Download a new demo license file from EcoXpert Extranet – The Exchange, and upload it to License Administrator. After the new Demo license file has been added to the License server, you may also need to restart the ES to make sure the new license file will be in use. For more information about the Demo license, please refer to the article EcoStruxure Building Operation Evaluation License for 2.0 and up.   When using EBO 2022 v4.0.x and later, the error message (No Valid License to add AS found) can also be displayed if the attached AS-x embedded demo license has expired. Add a current embedded demo license to the device administrator and then re-activate the license to all AS-x servers that require it. Please refer to the article How to activate a demo license on an Automation Server at EBO 2022 

Issue How to configure and test RP controller web service Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Room Controller (RPC) 24 V Building Operation Room Controller (RPC) 230 V Cause In the RP application, a REST (Representational State Transfer) Web Service API is available to facilitate secure HTTPS communications and allow you to obtain BACnet objects and properties from the controller. Resolution The following video will illustrate how to: Use SpaceLogic certificate configuration tool to configure keys and certificates in the RP controller. Configure RP controller Web Service settings. Use SoapUI to test RP ontroller Web Service. Things you need: Software EBO 2022 or later server (Enterprise Server, AS-P or AS-B) and WorkStation. RP controller with firmware V4.00.01 or later. SpaceLogic Certificate Configuration Tool, can be downloaded from Exchange. Tools SoapUI (to be used for testing) For more information, please check RP Controller | Developer Portal. Note: For EcoStruxure Building Operation version 4.0.3 or later,  a new EBO Workstation command named Export device identifying information. It is found in the main context menu of SpaceLogic RP Series controllers and allows the user to save a .xml file that can later be imported into the SpaceLogic Certificate Configure Tool to aid in the efficient configuration of SpaceLogic controllers within the tool. The user may select one or more RP Series controllers when executing the command. Refer to: Exporting Device Information to the SpaceLogic Certificate Configuration Tool  

Warning Potential for Data Loss: The steps detailed in the resolution of this article may result in a loss of critical data if not performed properly. Before beginning these steps, make sure all important data is backed up in the event of data loss. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with any complex steps detailed in this article, please contact Product Support for assistance. Issue When adding a new Domain an error shows “Object does not exist – The domain “your Domain Name” does not exist, and the Domain is not created.   Using control panel Or using System/Domains folder Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Enterprise Central Cause A Content Type rule could be incorrectly configured Resolution Navigate to /Your Server Name/System/Content Types/Rules/ If there is a “*” in the “Container Name Pattern” of any of the rules, correct this or delete the rule.     Once completed, new domains can be added.

Issue Wire colour coding for the SPP110 Product Line Field Devices Environment SPP110: 004702020 004702040 004702060 004702080 004702100 004702120 004702140 Cause Wire colour coding SPP110 required. Resolution Dues to supply problems, between week 23 to week 32, there was a change to the sensor's cable and the wire colours.                      Original       Week 23 to Week 32 No. Function Colour                Colour 1     Y            Brown                Green 2    GO         Black                  White 3    G            Red                    Brown   Standard                                                                                           Week 23 to Week 32   Refer to the SPP110 Pressure Transmitter Wet Media Specification Sheet for more information.   The SPP110 installation sheet showing the standard wire colouring is available here The SPP110 installation sheet showing the wire wire colouring is attached.

Issue Trouble synchronizing the time of the Automation Server or Enterprise Server to a NTP server or between each other Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment EcoStruxure Building Operation Enterprise Server EcoStruxure Building Operation Automation Server Cause The Enterprise Server and the Automation Server (ASP/ASB) do not synchronize time to each other, they must use an NTP server for synchronization Resolution The information below is mainly concerned with synchronizing the time setting but not the actual time.   Overview To synchronize the server times an NTP Server will be required, they do not synchronize time between each other To find an external NTP server consult support.ntp.org . Alternatively an existing internal NTP server can be used or consult Setting up a Local / Internal NTP Server to configure the Enterprise Server computer as a time server The time settings on the Enterprise Server are configured through the operating system settings on the computer where Enterprise Central is installed.  EcoStruxure Building Operation cannot be used to configure the NTP server for the Enterprise Server. Please refer to Network Time on WorkStation, Enterprise Server, and Enterprise Central To find the Network Time Protocol (NTP) configured on a WorkStation, Enterprise Server, or Enterprise Central computer open a command prompt and enter w32tm /query /peers. If configured the peer NTP server(s) will be listed The time settings on the Automation Servers can only be configured via the Workstation. As per the image they can be configured to look at an NTP server (1) or set manually (2). For synchronization they must use an NTP Server. Please refer to  Network Time Server on an Automation Server on Webhelp Starting in version 1.5, the time adjustment depends on how much the Automation Server drifts from the NTP server. The faster the Automation Server drifts, the more frequently the time is updated.  Please refer to How often will an Automation Server ask the NTP server for the time?  If the time server is a URL, such as time.nist.gov, then it is critical that a Primary DNS is set for each Automation Server, and possibly a Secondary DNS via Device Administrator. Without a DNS, the Automation Server will be unable to resolve the URL to an IP address. Please refer to Configuring the Automation Server IP Address on Webhelp The time displayed for a server in Workstation (Properties -> Basic) will reflect the time zone of the local computer that Workstation is installed on. All events and alarms will be automatically modified to match the time of the workstation that was used to log into the server. The "Server time" will represent the date and time of the server adjusted to client local time zone, while the fields below "Server time" represent the settings of the Automation Server.   How to synchronize date and time settings on multiple Automation Servers   IMPORTANT: Only the time settings are synchronized via the Lead/Shadow configuration, the time itself IS NOT synchronized via the Lead/Shadow but rather by all servers synchronizing with the configured timer server.   The synchronizing of multiple Automation servers can be achieved with a lead/shadow relationship. The primary and secondary network time server settings for connected shadow Automation servers are defined on the Enterprise server. Setting up the Primary and secondary time servers in the Enterprise Server only passes those configuration settings to the AS controllers, it does not send the actual time and date value.   Select the Enterprise server (1), click the Date & Time tab (2), select Enable (3) and enter the Primary time server (4) and, if used, the Secondary time server (5) the Automations Servers will use. Ensutre the time zone for the Enterprise Server is set correctly (6).   Save the settings  From EBO version 2.0 all Automations Servers are automatically configured to shadow the date and time settings configured in the Enterprise Server. To verify this expand the System folder of an Automation Server and select Time Settings -> Date and Time (1). Observe the Date and Time are Shadowed and Read only (2), replicating the Enterprise Server settings. Attempting to change any of the settings, other than the Lead object (3), will result in an error. All the Automation Servers will be 'looking' to the same Primary (4) and Secondary time servers, i.e. they will all receive the same time and be synchronized In a similar manner select the Time Zone (1) of the Automation Server in the System Tree and this will also be shadow read only (2). The lead object is set to the Time Zone on the Enterprise Server (3) Prior to EBO version 2.0 the Automation Servers were not automatically set to shadow the Enterprise Server settings but this could easily be achieved en masse using Search . In the Search box in the top right corner of the Workstation, type "Date and Time" and click Search (1) to find the date and time object of all connected servers. In the Search view select the servers (2) that require their Date and Time settings synchronized to the Enterprise Server, the Enterprise Server does not need selecting. Select the Time tab (3) and then click the triple dots (4) to navigate to and select the Date and Time object on the Enterprise Server (5)   You may need to stop and start the Enterprise server to get the configuration settings to pass down to the shadow Automation servers Note: In order to set up synchronization of the time zone settings follow the above search steps for date and time but search on Time Zone Tip/Tricks To see the time of on the Enterprise Server as well as multiple Automation Servers use the Search to find the Date and Time object (1). Individually select each server (2) and then drag the Date and Time object (3) into the Watch Window (4) It is the Automation Server that is initiating the synchronization. To check the Automation Server communication settings select the Automation Server (1) and in the Communication tab (2) select the Enterprise Server (3) and make sure the Automation Server has the correct IP address (4) To check the Enterprise Server communication settings select the Enterprise Server (1) and in the Communication tab (2) select each Automation Server (3) and make sure the correct IP address is specified for each Automation Server (4).  If a firewall exists ensure that the ports is open so the Automation Server can connect to the Enterprise Server. Please search for the EcoStruxure Building Operation IT Reference Guide on Exchange for details Further Information Release 1.2.0 and higher Until the time is set, b3 data will not update in the Watch Window Until the time is set, BACnet COV will not be functional Automation Server time does not synchronize directly with the Enterprise Server. Instead, all servers can synchronize to the same accessible time server To adjust the Automation Server time, time zone, and DST, access to the Automation Server is through a WorkStation

Issue If the AS is configured to get the time from an NTP server the customer need to know how often the AS will ask the NTP server for the time.    Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment EcoStruxure Building Operation Enterprise Central  EcoStruxure Building Operation Enterprise Server EcoStruxure Building Operation Automation Server (AS/ASB/ASP) Cause In version 1.4, the AS asked the NTP server 1 time per minute. Starting in version 1.5, this was changed so the AS is using the standard solution for the NPT protocol. Resolution When using the standard solution in the NTP protocol as the AS does starting in version 1.5, it depends on how much the AS drifts from the NTP server. The faster the AS drifts, the more frequently the time is updated.   For more information regarding Network Time, please see WebHelp article 6370 and corresponding articles. 

Issue When a local user belonging to the administrator group on an AS-P is logged in to the AS-P using Workstation the user can for example via a Link in a graphic access the system folder in the ES the AS-P is connected to.  The local user in the AS-P can even change the admin password on the ES. How can this be avoided? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Enterprise Server Cause In EBO v3.2.1 and later versions, it is possible to restrict access of the logged-in user to only the server that they are logged into, i.e. it is possible to prevent access to the ES\Servers folder when logged directly into an AS-P that is a sub server of the ES, thus preventing access to the whole system. Resolution In the ES Control Panel open Security Settings: Mark the option "Restrict root permission to logged in server"