Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue BACnet MSTP Capture Application Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC IA Series, TAC Vista Environment Any Bacnet MSTP Network Cause The BACnet MSTP capture application provides the ability to analyze data communications between devices anytime issues are suspected on the network. Resolution Download the latest version. Browse to Steve Karg's  BACnet Protocol Stack - Browse /bacnet-tools at SourceForge.net Select the version folder Select bacnet-tools-[n.n.n].zip file to download it From the zip file, extract mstpcap.exe Now you can use it via command prompt as described below or install it in C:\Program Files\Wireshark\extcap if want to use with modern Wireshark version.   To capture data follow these steps: Unzip file Open command prompt with window pointing at location of mstpcap.exe file.  For example:  c:\MSTP Tool> Daisy chain RS-485 adapter to trunk or connect Roam I/A to jack on MNB device. Command syntax is as follows:  mstpcap comx baudrate# do not type baudrate just speed. Control C to stop Example: If Using Roam I/A it requires highest baudrate available on the interface. ROAM I/A Serial port mstpcap comx 115200 If using Roam I/A Bluetooth mstpcap comx 76800 If using an RS-485 adapter it will not support 76,800. This is a PC hardware limitation not a software limitation for further information or instructions on how to use baudrate 76,800 consult text file titled mstpcap.txt or Steve Karg's website: http://steve.kargs.net/bacnet/wireshark-and-bacnet-mstp .  Example: mstpcap comx baudrate speed The capture file can be analyzed with WireShark Protocol Analyzer.  WireShark software is available at: http://www.wireshark.org

Issue How to backup and restore Vista databases Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Server Cause There are three different ways to backup/restore a Vista database. Each method has its own unique procedures. Resolution Vista database backup methods: Copy the database folder, you can compress the database into a ZIP or RAR file (ZIP preferred method of Product Support) Use the built in database backup feature (this is commonly used for scheduling an automatic database backup) Use the built in export feature (this is commonly used for partial database backup) Vista database restore methods (referring to backup methods accordingly): Restore from a copy of the database folder: Change the database path in Vista Server setup to the copy of the database folder. Restore from the .fvb file Use Vista restore database feature Restore from the exported filed Use Vista import feature

Issue Java 8 is only supported together with TAC Vista 5.1.9 Product Line TAC Vista Environment Webstation Xenta Server web Cause The current version was developed and tested together with Java version 7, but not Java version 8 as Java 8 was released subsequently After the latest update of Java (Java 8u31) SSLv3 has been disabled by default in Java. If updating to that version of Java, the Xenta Server web (graphics and schedules) will not work, as the Xenta Server relies on SSLv3. Resolution Making the proper configurations has enabled a number of sites to use Java 8 with the TAC Vista product range. Java 8 is supported for TAC Vista 5.1.9 according to TPA-VSTA-15-0000.03 Refer to this video for settings required: Download video - View on YouTube   The proper settings in Java are: [1] Install the newest version of Java. If you are working on a 64 bit operating system, it's crucial that you install both the x86 and the x64 versions: https://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp [2] Make sure all older versions are removed: https://java.com/en/download/uninstallapplet.jsp [3] Make sure Java is enabled in your browser: https://java.com/en/download/help/enable_browser.xml [4] Add all addresses to the site exception list in the "Security" tab. Both http and https addresses are needed for Xenta Servers. If a special port is used (not 80 for http and 443 for https), the port needs to be entered, e.g. http://IP_ADDRESS:81 if port 81 is used for HTTP communication. [5] Click "Restore Security Prompts" in the "Security" tab. [6] In some cases you might need to add the IP address of the PC or Xenta Server to trusted sites in Internet Explorer   TAC Xenta Server web uses SSLv3 for Java if high security is set in XBuilder. The workaround for SSLv3 being disabled in Java 8u31 and above is: (read Java's own release note) [1] Edit the following two files: C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_31\lib\security\java.security C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_31\lib\security\java.security [2] Scroll down to the last line where it says: jdk.tls.disabledAlgorithms=SSLv3 In both files, comment that line so it says: #jdk.tls.disabledAlgorithms=SSLv3 [3] Edit the file: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\LocalLow\Sun\Java\Deployment\deployment.properties [4] Add the following line: deployment.security.SSLv3=true

Issue Using a USB to Parallel converter for the dongle. Product Line Satchwell BAS & Sigma Environment BAS2800+ BAS 2800+ BAS Dongle Parallel USB converter Cause The dongle is not seen when using a USB to Parallel port converter. Resolution In spite of investigations into the use of a USB to Parallel port converter, the BAS dongle cannot be successfully read. It is recommended, that should the BAS 2800+ terminal require replacing, then the new PC is purchased with an additional Parallel port card.. If the PC is acquired from another source, then the appropriate type of Parallel port card should be purchased and fitted. Using "Google" and searching for Parallel port cards, will provide a large selection.

Issue What are termination (end of line) resistors and why use them? A LAN of any type has a node or two somewhere in the middle having problems but the rest seem stable Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET Site Controller LAN 7808 Repeater Cause Termination resistors (also called clamping or end-of line resistors) are to be installed between lan+ and lan -, not to ground. Their purpose is to prevent the characteristic impedance of the wire from increasing to infinity at the end of the cable. Resolution Since most wire's characteristic impedance is between 80 and 150 ohms, use 100 to 120 ohms on an unbiased controller or host lan. This will "clamp" reflections from the end of the wire which are seen as noise by the controllers. If a 7808 repeater is used, it requires bias. Using 100 ohm termination resistors would kill that lan's communication; therefore, use 620 ohms instead. As cheap as resistors are and as easy as this installation is, they can only help. Typically they help more on a longer LAN, so anything longer than 1000 feet (about 300 meters) should definitely have terminations.

Issue When comparing values of Modbus registers within WorkStation and Modscan the values do not match. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation. Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server. Building Operation Automation Server. Cause The third-party Modbus device does not support single register requests. Modscan was set to poll 10 registers as a group poll and giving the correct responses. The Modbus request in the Enterprise Server or Automation Server was polling individual register one at a time. This resulted in incorrect responses from the third party device Resolution Add a Modbus register group to the Server then add the Modbus points to this group. This will cause the Server to poll multiple registers in 1 request and get the correct response from the third party Modbus device

Issue How to reset an existing EBO Licensing installation Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Licensing Cause Most of the time, issues with damaged or corrupted EBO Licenses can be resolved by simply returning and re-registering the affected License, either manually or with the help of Product Support. However, on some occasions, this is not enough, as the actual Licensing installation is affected.  Even re-installing the License Server does not fix the issue because of unwanted data left over in the registry. Resolution A License Server Reset Tool capable of partial or complete reset of an EBO License Server installation has been developed and available for download from the Community: SBO License Server Reset.

Issue An error is received 'Error connecting to server' while testing a Digital Sentry DVR connection with Cyberstation 1.90 or 1.91. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum 1.90 Continuum 1.91 Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause The DS Connex version of newer Digital Sentry DVRs are not compatible with Continuum 1.90 or 1.91 Resolution The DSConnex version of newer Digital Sentry DVRs are not compatible with Continuum 1.90 or 1.91 unless the following hotfix is applied. Click here to download the hotfix

Issue General Continuum instability is followed by the following error when viewing Graphic panels. "Pinpoint: Failed to call pILiveData->GetLiveData(). ACDataServices has an error." Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cyberstation Cause Continuum has become unstable due to modules not starting up properly. This can be evidenced by looking at the Windows Application Event Logs for "Send Email" errors when alarms occur. This may then be followed by Continuum applications starting to crash and post errors. Resolution Remove the "email" and "page" entries in Event Notifications if there has not been an Email client installed and configured to email alarms.   Other things that could help correct this issue:  Set Windows virtual memory settings to 4096 Make sure that time is synched between Cyber and CX In Continuum General preferences set the Time Interval Between Requests to 100, default 30 Set COV increment for noncritical points to non-zero numbers, default is 0 Upgrade to 2.03   Also see the Lessons Learned article: https://community.se.com/t5/Building-Automation-Knowledge/Crash-of-ACCDataServices-on-start-up-or-running-Continuum/ta-p/8174

Issue Cannot Delete Personnel  Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum  1.8X & 1.9X Windows XP Windows 2003 Server Continuum ACX5740 Microsoft SQL 2005 Cause Stored Procedure packPersonneldeletion failed to run Resolution Duplicate personnel.   Remove Areas from the personnel object. Delete duplicate personnel objects.

Issue Want a method to show all the Access Events that a Personnel has had during a specific period of time. Environment Continuum Access Control Cause A method to search Access Events for a specific Personnel during a specific period of time. Resolution One method to do this would be to use Listviews. There are a number of default Listviews already available in a default ContinuumDB, one of these can be used as a basis for our new Listview. This is done by adding a database qualifier to a copy of the default Events_Today Listview. Make a copy the Events_Today Listview  Add the prompt for a card number search using: DBQualifier : (CardNumber is Prompt("Please Enter a Card number", 0) and Template = False) This will return all the events today for the card number that the user inputs in the prompt box when running the Listview.  

Issue An AS-P (SpaceLogic Server) is crashing; just before the crash, the memory usage in the AS-P increases until it reaches a level where the AS-P crash.  Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation  Environment Building Operation Automation Server Premium (AS-P) Cause The issue was caused by a Notification report which was located in the ES to which the AS-P was connected, Every time this report was run, the AS-P crashed after a while.  This report included a search of all Modbus points in the system and all properties of the Modbus points. When running the report, the ES was setting up a lot of subscriptions to the AS-P in a very short time period. The AS-P could not handle this huge amount of subscriptions and crashed after a while when trying to process all subscriptions from the ES. Resolution In this particular case, the AS-P had around 2000 Modbus points. When the Notification report was running, the search for these 2000 Modbus points and all properties, which were around 20 per Modbus point, caused the ES to set up around 40 000 (2000*20) subscriptions to the AS-P in a very short time period, and it crashed. To solve this issue, the number of Modbus points in the AS-P was reduced to below 1000, and then the AS-P could handle the number of subscriptions (1000*20=20000) with no crash.   When running a Notification report, including a search, be careful not to search for too many objects and properties in the same report, like in the example above when a search was done for all Modbus objects and properties in an Automation Server.   This is only a problem when a search is done via a Notification report if doing a search from Workstation that is made differently and will not set up a subscription in the same way.

Issue Site upgrade Product Line Satchwell Sigma Environment Sigma Flash Cause Upgrading site from BAS to Sigma Resolution Order specification number S-DNN-FLASH BAS to Sigma Upgrade Strategy - Marketing information Bulletin available here.

Issue Setting up live alarm printers Product Line Satchwell Sigma Environment Live Alarm Printers Filters Cause The need to print alarms off Resolution Set up the alarm criteria you require to print in the "Printer Filters" setup area. The printer filters setup area can be found on the "System Alarm Manager" Window, under the menu bar heading "Configure." In this example four printer filters have been created. Filter P1 Alarms Only (Priority 1 alarms) Filter P2 Alarms Only (Priority 2 alarms) Filter P3 Alarms Only (Priority 3 alarms) Filter All Alarms The "Live printer" setup area can be found on the "System Alarm Manager" Window, under the menu bar heading "Configure" (just below "Printer Filters"). There are two stages to setting the “Live Alarm Printer Routing”: Enabling the printer for use Configuring the particular filter to the required printer Example single printer: Enable the required printer by ticking the enable box for the printer. Select the printer (highlighted). Select the filters you would like to use for this printer. Select OK. The "Live Alarm Printer Routing" is now configured to print all alarms to network printer "Xerox03." Example multiple printer: Enable the required printers by ticking the enable boxes for the printers. Select the filters you would like to use for each printer in turn. As you select the various printers the lower box show the specific printer filter the printer will use. Select OK. The "Live Alarm Printer Routing" is now configured to print: All priority 1 alarms to network printer "Xerox01" All priority 2 alarms to network printer "Xerox02" All priority 3 alarms to network printer "Xerox03" Note: Only one filter can be referenced to a printer. If you wanted to send just priority 1, 2 and 3 alarms to Xerox03, you would need to create a new "Printer Filter" and configure it for the priority 1, 2 and 3 requirements, then configure the required printer to use this new filter. The image below has been set up to send all priority 1, 2 and 3 alarms to printer Xerox03. Selecting a printer in the printer selection window, shows the configured filter in the filter box below. Selecting a filter in the filter selection window, changes the filter for the selected printer. Further information regarding this object can be found in the VisiSat help file and engineering guide. Filter Configuration section of the Sigma Help file Printer Configuration of the Sigma help file Sigma complete help file

Issue The controller does not follow the programmed on/off times. Product Line Field Devices Environment CSC 5252 5352 Discrete Compensators Cause The flow temperature sensor has failed and is causing the controller to remain on. Resolution As part of it's "Out of Hours" operation, the controller will monitor the flow temperature and if it falls below 5'C, the controller will act to remove the risk of frost by starting the pump and opening the control valve. For a full description of this function, please refer to the CSC User Guide.

Issue Error in Xenta 527 HyperTerminal     This happens over and over (with different file sizes each time) and the controller essentially is locked up. Restart is required. Product Line TAC Vista TAC INET Environment TAC Vista  <5.15 Xenta 527 to RS-485 I/NET Cause Vista will poll I/NET for the past 1000 entries at a time. Normal internal events consist of a lot less data than the I/NET events, So 1000 I/NET events in one message makes the message to large. VSD Response too large error indicates Xentas max message size has been reached. Vista ignores the error and continues to try again and again. So the Xenta 527 essentially is stuck in a loop. Resolution Polling I/NET for less events fixes this problem. The max number of events in one message has been adjusted down to 400. This change is included in TAC Vista revisions 5.1.5 HotFix 16 and later.

Issue  A lot of nuisance alarms are being received at the Sigma server which are slowing down the system Product Line Satchwell Sigma Environment Sigma Alarms Comms Stats Contents SSAT 3.11 Cause Sigma system performance can be degraded by excessive unwanted data broadcasts. Resolution The Sigma Statistical Analyser Tool (SSAT) is used to present Sigma controller and alarm data in a way to help in identify issues with Sigma systems. See release note for details. To view SSAT release note click here (Opens in new window) To download SSAT release note click here (Opens direct link) For Sigma Statistics Analyser Tool.xls (original Excel 2003 version) in zip format click here (Opens direct link) For Sigma Statistics Analyser Tool.xls (updated for Excel 2007) in zip format click here (Opens direct link) Example reports; 1. Pie Chart of Alarm Types 2. Alarm count chart 3. Alarm count list

Issue This is the error message that is displayed when you attempt a connection. You get a LonMaker Error message when applying a connection. "this connection would violate a network variable selector constraint, which limits the number and type of NVs a device that may use the same selector. The automatic use of NV aliases was unable to avoid this) there may be no aliases available). Product Line TAC Vista Environment LonMaker Cause One NVO is attempting to be connected to multiple NVI's in one device. LonMaker does not allow the same NVO to be connected to the same receiving device more than once. Resolution Add extra NVO's in the sending device to allow for a one-to-one binding with the receiving NVI's.

Issue Where can I find information on LCX89x controllers. Environment LCX89x LCX890, LCX898 Cause While LCX89x controllers are being sold by Schneider Electric as of April 19, 2013, there is not a lot of information on the LCX line at the Extranet website. Resolution Series LCX 890 Infinet Controllers       Part Number Description     01-0008-036 LCX 890 Lighting Controller, 8 outputs w/RR9 relays     01-0008-037 LCX 890 Lighting Controller, 8 outputs no relays     01-0008-039 LCX 891 Lighting Controller, 16 outputs w/RR9 relays     01-0008-040 LCX 891 Lighting Controller, 16 outputs no relays     01-0008-042 LCX 892 Lighting Controller, 24 outputs w/RR9 relays     01-0008-034 LCX 892 Lighting Controller, 24 outputs no relays     01-0008-081 LCX 898 Lighting Controller, 48 outputs no relays     01-0008-083 LCX 898 Lighting Controller, 48 outputs w/RR9 relays   LCX890 Series Controller Installation Guide

Issue Micronet LCD Connections   Product Line Satchwell MicroNet Environment Micronet LCD / Micronet 50 series LCD Micronet 300 / 350 series controllers Micronet 440 / 450 series controllers Micronet 500 / 550 series controllers Micronet 620 / 650 series controllers   Cause There are various wiring connections options for Micronet LCD depending on the controllers used, the communications type and installation methods. Resolution Please refer to the Micronet LCD Connections document. This document summarises the Micronet LCD connections options available.