Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue What happens to Sigma globals if the network fails? Environment Globals Communications Networks Cause Site is to have a planned network shutdown, how will the Sigma controllers react to this? Resolution The Sigma controller using the global update, will continue to operate normally, but will use the last value received, so any changes will not be responded to. If the Sigma controller controls critical plant then the loss of global communications should be taken into account when programming.

Issue I/A Series G3 Software Drivers Returns Environment I/A Series G3 software drivers Examples: ENC-DRV-MOD, ENC-DRV-MOD-T etc.  Cause The wrong software driver was purchased for an ENC-520 and the ENC-520 has been shipped to the customer.  Resolution There are no returns on software drivers. A purchase would have to be made for the software driver that is required.  The existing driver that was wrongly purchased can be re-license for use on another G3 device by purchasing an I/A Series license change (IA-LIC-CHG). 

Issue Fan is activating though it is not commanded. Environment Zbuilder Xenta 121FC Xenta 121HP Cause Fan Conditioning is Active. Conditioning can be used to "stir" the air periodically, evening the temperature when the system is not commanded or forced off. Resolution Active fan Conditioning is determined by settings for Inactive time and Active time. (UCPTappOptions bit 8, Active=1) Inactive time - Maximum interval in minutes before the fan is activated, if not used during. Standstill time between Conditioning.(UCPTFanCondOffTime) Active time - Time in minutes that the fan runs at minimum speed during Conditioning.(UCPTFanCondOnTime) If the Fan Conditioning is active, the fan state will be monitored for activity during the specified Inactive time and turned on when Inactive time has passed. The fan will stay on for the specified Active time until reached then turn off, which begins the Inactive time monitoring again. If the fan is called for during the Inactive time before reaching the Inactive time, the Inactive time is started over when the fan is released.

Issue Customer did a full backup of a SIGNAL 4.4.1 installation.  A full backup is data, bitmaps, and executable files.  The computer hardware was replaced along with the operating system to Windows XP 32-bit.  The customer has SIGNAL version 5.0.0. Environment SIGNAL Cause Computer hardware replacement Resolution There are a couple of ways to restore the database.  Here is a simple method: - Install SIGNAL 5.0.0 - Restore the full backup from version 4.4.1 (this step overwrites all the executable files of 5.0.0) - Re-install SIGNAL 5.0.0 (this last step will update all the executables back to version 5.0.0) The license file, signal.dcf, may need to be checked to ensure it is for version 5.0.0.

Issue Information on how the MNB-Vx determines damper position after a power cycle. Environment MNB-V1 and MNB-V2 Cause Understanding damper behavior after a power cycle Resolution After a power cycle, the damper does not know exactly where it is and it is NOT stored in non-volatile memory. So, it must drive open or drive closed to re-synch the hall effect sensors embedded in one of the gears that provides positional feedback. There are two Hall-Effect sensors that detect a magnet, embedded in one of the drive gears, as it spins. Each sensor sends a pulse to an internal counter each time it detects the passing magnet. The two Hall-Effect sensors help with identifying clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation. The accumulated pulse count and the gear ratio help in calculating the damper position. Right-click the VAV Actuator object in WorkPlace Tech and go to its Properties, there is a setting called 'Position Initialization Mode'. Select open or closed as the choice when initializing after a power cycle.  

Issue A newly added Microzone II does not appear in the Node List in PSI.  The ASD trunk contains existing controllers connected to a UNC-520.  All existing ASD controllers appear in the Node List.  Environment Niagara R2 ASD Cause The new ASD controller must be 'learned' into the R2 station in order for it to appear in the Node List in PSI. Resolution Access the R2 station and use Device Manager to find and learn the new controller into the station. 

Issue Do we have a replacement for the Fire Rated Damper Actuator: Make: Siebe Environmental Controls Part No: MA – 223   Environment Fire Rated Smoke actuators MA-223-0-2 Cause Siebe Fire/ Smoke rated damper actuators are all obsolete. Resolution Schneider Electric no longer manufacture any fire and smoke actuators so the MA-223 range are obsolete with no replacement. The only suggestion we can offer is for the customer to contact the damper manufacturer that this actuator is mounted on and see what they would use to replace the actuator. We only sold these fire/smoke rated actuators directly to the damper manufacturers.  

Issue Intrusion Alarm System for TAC I/NET Building Automation Systems Environment I/NET Site using Intrusion Alarm System for TAC I/NET Building Automation Systems Cause Certification Requests Certification Requests including Grade 3 Resolution The I/NET Access Control security products are certified and Listed under Underwriters Laboratories standard UL294. We do not have certification with NSI or SSAIB. Reference to NSI and SSAIB suggest a probable European security application. If that is the case, the application may be a candidate for our recently released TAC I/NET security products listed below - ICPB - Intrusion Control Panel Base ICPE - Intrusion Control Panel Expander ICPD - Intrusion Control Panel Distributed OP5 - Operator Terminal The above system panels were certified to the European Security System Standard EN50131 and the Swedish standard SSF1014 by - SP Sveriges Tekniska Forskningsinstitut SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden Box 857, SE-501 15 Borås, Sweden Tel: +46 (0)10 516 50 00 Telefax: +46 (0)33 12 50 38 Internet: www.sp.se The Security system panels and their functional performance were tested and certified to the following standards - EN50131-3:2009 Alarm systems - Intrusion and hold-up systems - Part 3: Control and indicating equipment EN50131-6:2008 Alarm systems - Intrusion and hold-up systems - Part 6: Power supplies The above two standards are used to test/evaluate intrusion systems for compliance with EN50131-1 SSF1014:2005 System components – Intruder Alarm Systems Requirements and test methods EN60950-1:2001+A11:2004 Information technology equipment - Safety EN61000-6-3:20007 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - Generic Standards - Emission standard EN50130-4:1996/A1:1998/A2:2003 - Electromagnetic Compatibility - Product family standard: Immunity requirements for components of fire, intruder and social alarm systems. The TAC I/NET EN50131 compliant system is documented in TCON314 Installation Manual and TCON315 operators Manual. The security system detailed above was certified and registered with the organization - SBSC SBSC is Sweden’s leading organization for certifying companies, products, management processes and personnel within fire protection and crime prevention. This is covered under SBSC Certificate number 10-523 (copy available at link provided) PA-00148 Vista Security Intrusion Certification.

Issue Is it possible to Import / Export data from Excel into the StruxureWare Building Operation Spreadsheet view? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment SmartStruxure Spreadsheet View Microsoft Excel Cause Engineer must complete a survey of the existing plant before starting the upgrade and wished to export the StruxureWare Building Operation data into Excel. Resolution Importing and Exporting to Excel at release 1.3 is not possible, using copy and paste are the only options. These functions are described in StruxureWare Building Operation "Help" under "How To". Copying from MS Excel to Spreadsheet View Copying from Spreadsheet View to MS Excel

Issue LD-1 program was working, then suddenly stopped. Environment LD-1 Display Module Cause Corrupted InfinityString points. Resolution Deleted and recreated corrupted InfinityString points.

Issue McQuay BACnet MSTP controller does not respond to the Who-Is request from CyberStation   Environment MSTP bCX4040 McQuay Cause McQuay Tech Support has reported that the McQuay device has problems with Enhanced MSTP.  Resolution McQuay Tech Support has reported that the McQuay device has problems with Enhanced MSTP.  Once Enhanced MSTP was turned off the device was found and displayed on the BACnet side. 

Issue After copying sections of logic from one application to another the pointers from that logic won't connect to other objects and therefore show up as red lines. Environment WorkPlace Tech Cause Copying sections of logic from an older application has been known to cause this. Resolution To recover the application remove all objects and reference tags that exhibit the connection issue, compile the application and then re-create the deleted logic by pulling objects from the Shapes window.

Issue What is the difference between the MNL-V3RV3 and the MNL-V3RV3-A? Environment  MNL-V3RV3 MNL-V3RV3-A Cause MNL-V3RV3-A is a new part number, and it isn't clear how it differs from the existing  MNL-V3RV3. Resolution The MNL-V3RV3-A meets the requirements of the Buy American Act (BAA).

Issue What are the expected voltages on the RS485 IO Module bus? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Netcontroller IO Modules IOU Modules Cause Require typical values for troubleshooting first steps. Resolution Although the IO Module bus uses RS485 comms similar to Infinet or BACnet MSTP, the typical bus voltages when measured with a voltmeter are usually lower. Exact voltages will vary from system to system and depend on the amount of bus activity at the time, but the following will allow general troubleshooting: Typical DC voltage measured across the bus + to - = 0.7 to 0.8VDC but working systems may read as low as 0.4VDC Typical DC voltage measured Screen (shield) to + = 0.6 VDC Typical DC voltage measured Screen (shield) to - = 1.3VDC Note: If using Free Topology (FTT-10A) controller and modules, these use transformer bus coupling and will measure 0VDC across the bus.

Issue Alarm Manager configuration. Environment Alarm Manager Configuration Cause A different configuration of alarms is required on a Remote Sigma client. Resolution The Alarm Manager is shared by both the local and remote Sigma clients, therefore any changes in configuration effect both clients. If there is a requirement to send different alarms to the local and remote Sigma clients, then this is achieved using Routesets, which are allocated to the individual object alarms.

Issue The XIF parser could fail if there is a "-sign in a commented row in the XIF default field. Environment TAC Vista Cause The XIF parser could fail if there is a "-sign in a commented row in the XIF default data field. Example: # ----------------------------------------------------- # ----------------------------------------------------- FILE value 1 1 ##dde1  "1,2,3\x00,1,2;"         // UCPTdownDriveTime                SNVT_time_sec 0x66,0x66 ##dde3 "1,2,23x00,2,2;"         // UCPTupDriveTime                     SNVT_time_sec   Resolution Just removing the "-sign will work: # ----------------------------------------------------- # ----------------------------------------------------- FILE value 1 1 ##dde1 1,2,3\x00,1,2;           // UCPTdownDriveTime             SNVT_time_sec 0x66,0x66 ##dde3 1,2,23x00,2,2;         // UCPTupDriveTime                   SNVT_time_sec

Issue Will a single 2nd generation Controller  (NC2, bCX) support two IP XDrivers on two different comm ports?    Environment XDriver NC2 (CX9680) bCX4040 Cause Want to enable two IP XDrivers on different comm ports of the same Controller. Resolution You can only enable one IP XDriver per Controller. (Example: You can not enable a BACnet IP XDriver on one comm port and a Modbus IP XDriver on another, you would need two Controllers for this - one IP XDriver on each.)

Issue Programmable controller does not get added. Progress window never closes Can not add programmable controller. Environment StruxureWare Building Operation 1.3 SP Function block editor TAC Xenta 301, TAC Xenta 302, TAC Xenta 401, TAC Xenta 281, TAC Xenta 282, TAC Xenta 283 Cause Check if there are any blocks named "version". This is a reserved word that is not allowed as a name Resolution Open Function block editor and search your application (F7) for the word version. Change version to something else

Issue Changing the name of an object that is being logged. Environment Logging Object name Cause A system has been logging for several years, but now the customer needs to change an object name. When using Dataview to review the logged data, which name will be shown for the existing data? Resolution If an object name is changed and that object is being logged, then the new name is passed to the logging setup. From this point on it is this name that will be used in any log reviews containing this object. This applies to both new logged data and any archived data.

Issue What is the part number & price for a SmartStruxure/Network 8000 driver or a SmartStruxure/Signal driver? Environment SmartStruxure Network 8000 Signal Cause Job estimating Resolution There is no Network 8000 driver or Signal as there is with I/A Series Niagara. The conversion process is performed at no cost when converting an I/A Series R2 database,  Network 8000 GCM or Signal to SmartStruxure via the "TAC I/A Series Conversions Projects" link on the iPortal2 web site.