Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue WorkPlace Tech revision 5.7.7 installed on a Windows Server 2003, 64-bit machine, receives the following error: Environment WorkPlace Tech Tool version 5.7.7 Windows 2003 Server, 32 bit or 64-bit Windows 2008 Server, 32 bit or 64 bit (multiple processors) Cause WorkPlace Tech Tool (WPT) is not supported on computers with Windows Server operating systems, nor on computers with 64-bit operating systems. Resolution Install on an approved hardware platform, per the Installation Instructions.

Issue Can the MNL-200 controller's analog output be used to turn a relay on and off?  Can you recommend a brand/model of relay? Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series MNL Controllers Cause The application requires additional digital outputs Resolution At 500 ohms and 20mA, the analog output produces 10 Vdc.  The voltage can go as high as11 Vdc by using a 550-ohm resistor instead. A common brand and model is from Kele (model # KEL-RIBU1C) and it's available on iPortal.  The coil pulls in at 10 Vdc and drops out at 3 Vdc.  Click here for the datasheet.

Issue The units of measurement or time zone on the Advanced Display differ from what is displayed in Workstation or Webstation.  Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Advanced Display (AD v1 v2 v3) Building Operation Technician Tool Cause If the language settings on the Advanced Display are not set properly, then the units of measurement and time zone can be displayed incorrectly. For example, the temperatures in EcoStruxure Building Operation WorkStation or WebStation may be in degrees Fahrenheit while the Advanced Display shows the values in degrees Celsius.  Resolution Ensure that the Language used by the Advanced Display is set properly to the region it is located. Advanced Display V1&2 Note: The SBOTechTool supports English, French, Swedish, Finnish, German, and Spanish. On the Advanced Display, go to Settings. If you cannot open up settings, ensure the AD Link app is in the disconnected state first. Go to Controls > Voice and input methods > Language and input. Verify that the Language is set to match the region where the Advanced Display is located. Advanced Display V3 WebStation uses the language settings of the operating systems to detect the units that should be used and the time display format. To access the Advanced Display v3 language settings: Exit the Kiosk application and drag up up from the bottom of the screen Click Settings Click System Click languages and input Click Add a language Reorder (Press and hold, then drag the desired language to position 1) To access the Advanced Display v3 Date & Time settings: From System, click Date & Time Click Select time zone and select the correct local time zone

Issue When using the Roam IO 2 tool, you are unable to connect to the controller using the infinet tool, but you can connect using the BACnet tool. Bluetooth has connected fine using both tools. Environment Windows 7 Roam IO 2 Infinet BACnet Cause This issue is due to a firmware mismatch. Resolution There is a new version of the RoamIO tool firmware available,  You must update to this version for the tool to connect correctly. Download the update RoamIO tool here. Using a 3rd party unzip program, Unzip the file. Update the Roam IO 2 tool with the Roam IO 2 connected Using the BACnet RoamIO software, goto tools and then update. Select the update .UPD file you have just downloaded, this will flash upgrade the Roam IO 2 to the latest firmware

Issue How does BACnet point mirroring (COV subscription) work when the source BACnet controller is offline. Environment CyberStation BACnet controllers Cause Obtain information about the functionality of COV subscription when BACnet controller is offline. Resolution When you mirror a BACnet point between BACnet controllers via a pulling PE program using the (local point = remote point) syntax or the ReadProperty() function, Continuum subscribes the information in the COV Subscription Table of the source controller. Once the COV subscription is set up, low-level embedded code in the source controller checks the current value of the point and compares it to the COV Increment. When it finds the change is greater than the COV increment value, the source controller transfers the new value to the destination controller. In the destination controller, low-level embedded code receives the value from its transceiver buffer and writes it to its local memory. And now, the pulling PE program reads the value from the local memory and updates the value to the point object. As a result, the pulling PE program in the destination controller still reads the last value from its local memory even if the source controller goes offline. This functions the same way as the standard Continuum import/export.

Issue Unable to read any public signals from TAC Xenta 300/400/280 in a TAC Xenta 511, but SNVTs from TAC Xenta 100 controllers are fine. Environment Xenta Programmables Xenta 511 Xenta 100 series ASCs Cause The TAC Xenta 511 is not a member of the TAC Vista group. Resolution Go to the System plug-in Choose LNS Network >Create group bindings.

Issue Time Synchronization in Cyberstation  Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Multiple Cyberstation Workstations Cause Security or HVAC and want to have exact time stamp from two or more Cyberstation workstations Resolution Continuum uses the Workstation time for events and transactions which are recorded in the database. Time Synchronization with the Server is not critical since they have internal time logs with the SQL database.  Time Synchronization with the Cyberstations so they have the exact time stamp on events and transactions is done by synchronizing the Windows workstation time to either a Network Time Server (NTS) (see Public time sync Servers for the United States) or by a third party software or device. Recommended is the Windows time which automatically synchronizes with the Domain Controller when logging in. If the computer(s) is not on a domain, double click on the clock in the lower right hand corner. This opens up the time settings and has a third tab as shown in image below: Select to synchronize with the Static IP Address of a primary workstation which can be seen by this computer. Visit Google and search for "Synchronize the time with Windows Time service" for your operating system If Internet access is not available, there are 3rd party USB and PCI devices available which synchronize with the Atomic Clock via radio frequency. Check your local listing to see if available.

Issue Problems with the speed a script was appearing to run. How to adjust the Variable Connector. Environment StruxureWare Building Operation site with BACnet or LON  Cause Definition of a variable connector Problems with the speed a script was appearing to run Resolution Definition Variable connectors The SmartStruxure system has a base philosophy where different objects and properties are connected using bindings. Bindings do not usually cause any significant load to the system, but in some cases the bindings need to be driven by an external object called a variable connector. The user does not create variable connectors. The system creates variable connectors either when there is no obvious direction of the binding (analog value to analog value, for example) or when passing data between protocols (LonWorks to BACnet or LonWorks to Modbus). Due to load caused by the variable connectors, limit the number of variable connectors according to the variable connectors table above. It is possible to increase this number, but close monitoring of CPU load and memory consumption is needed. Release 1.4 Anticipated removal of Variable Connectors and replaced with a Binding Table. Variable Connectors cannot be removed. The maximum number of variable connectors is (Used when the binding has no obvious direction or when passing data between protocols) Enterprise Server: No practical limit known Automation Server:500 There are 'variable connector' objects in the system folder underneath the server that have a polling time associated with them and these are applied to both incoming and outgoing script variables. They default to 10 seconds polling time so regardless of the setting of a script cycle time it is subject to these polling times. Note: The default value of 10 seconds polling time for values regardless of BACnet, LON or otherwise.  Variable Connectors are automatically created when the bound values themselves are of a kind that lack the logic needed for polling. Editing the binding (by clicking the pencil icon next to the binding list path) indicates that there is a variable connector associated with the binding.   Below is a screen capture for Variable Connector Settings. Transfer Value Click the Force value button and enter the value that you want to force onto the binding. Type Select how the binding is updated. Periodic polling updates the destination value at regular intervals. Change of value updates the destination value only when the source value changes, and only when the change is significant enough. Interval Select the number of seconds between updates. Propagation delta for value changes Enter how much the source value must change to trigger an update of the destination value. Retransmit interval(s) Enter the number of seconds between forced updates. In most cases, you bind a source value to a destination property that is an input variable in a program. The binding is direct, and the input variable actively reads the source value during every execution cycle of the program.However, not all bindings have a destination property that is an input variable in a program. When you create a binding, with a destination property that cannot read or poll the source value, StruxureWare creates a variable connector. Most bindings do not need variable connectors, but when they do, StruxureWare creates them automatically. There are basically three things you can do with a variable connector: Configure polling method Configure polling rate Force the bound value In a direct binding, you do not need to concern yourself with the polling of a bound value. There will be a program execution cycle involved that manages polling. With a variable connector you can configure the default polling settings in the properties of the variable connector. For more information, see Configuring a Variable Connector . Also, in a direct binding, you may be able to force the bound value in the destination property. With a variable connector, you force the bound value in the properties of the variable connector. Variable connectors and their properties are accessible from the Control Panel. There is a Variable Connectors list in the System folder of each server. Variable connectors are also accessible from the Binding point list. LonWorks network variables and configuration properties can be bound to each other in LonWorks bindings. They can also be bound to most points in StruxureWare, such as programs, graphics, alarms, and trend logs, but then StruxureWare bindings is used, not LonWorks bindings.

Issue With Microsoft's new licensing model there is uncertainty around which parts of a Security Expert system need to allow for addition device CAL's for SQL Server. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Microsoft SQL Server Cause Unclear documentation. Resolution Security Expert Controllers do not talk to the SQL Server, are not a client on SQL and do not require a CAL. The Controllers talk to the Security Expert Software, not SQL or the Operating System. A card holding user who is NOT a Security Expert Operator will not require a CAL. The Controller and any attached equipment are NOT a user in SQL, they do not inject or operate queries against it, so a CAL is not required. A CAL would be required for a Windows user to log into their Windows user account, and the Security Expert client would connect to the Server using the CAL associated with the Windows user account.

Issue When trying to upgrade a database to version 1.5 or 1.6 the upgrade fails Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Enterprise Server Automation Server Cause There can be various reasons for the upgrade failing. At this moment there are two known issues: Issue with specific LonWorks devices such as the T-Stat T7300 Too complex or long list of email addresses in notification objects Resolution Solution for issue 1: Issue with specific LonWorks devices such as the T-Stat T7300 Contact Product Support and ask for hotfix 1.5.0.4801 Solution for issue 2: Too complex or long list of email addresses in notification objects Make a search for all email address objects searching for "EmailAddress" - You can import this search object to do it. Copy all rows to this Excel sheet Check the "Count" column - it counts the characters in the "Property value" column. There's no exact max character count as it also depends on complexity of the addresses, but a good indicator is if the count is over 270. In SmartStruxure, delete the content of the objects having more than 270 characters. Carry out the upgrade (if the upgrade fails, go back to step 3 and delete the content of all objects where the count is 260) After upgrading copy the property content from the Excel sheet back to SmartStruxure

Issue ES connect to 3rd party BACnet devices in StruxureWare Building Operation Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment StruxureWare Building Operation site with Enterprise Server. Connection to BACnet devices such as ACX. Cause Desire to use ES rather than AS Resolution As of StruxureWare Building Operation 1.1 the ACX with BACnet I/P xDriver with the ES, we can see the points, load them into the BACnet interface, and view them in tgml. The BACnet IP xDriver and User Guide is available on The Exchange Download Center. The following screen captures are from the ACX where a simple Infinity Numeric is setup called ACXdevice:   Next the xDriver for the ACX is loaded and setup as Server with the following settings: (Note the IP Address references the IP of the ACX controller)   Next a simple Numeric is setup called BacTest1 with the following settings: (Note the IP Address is left blank)   Next another Numeric is created called CocaCola1 with the following settings:   Next from the Enterprise Server, a 'Find New BACnet devices' is done to find the ACX and the two Numerics created:  

Issue I/A Series G3 BACnet Server (Export) Operation Environment I/A Series G3 Cause Integration to I/A Series G3 from a 3rd party BACnet system Resolution If the I/A Series host (ENS or ENC) is licensed as a BACnet server, you can export any number of selected types of objects in the station (regardless of location) to appear as BACnet objects. As such, these objects can service client requests from any networked BACnet devices. Exporting of Niagara schedules and calendars is included. Histories can be exported also, where they appear externally as BACnet Trend Log objects.  The following I/A Series G3 objects can be exported as BACnet objects (extracted from the Niagara Ax BACnet Guide).    You use the Bacnet Export Manager to export Niagara objects for BACnet. To access the Bacnet Export Manager, go to 'BacnetNetwork' > 'Local Device' and double click on the 'Export Table' under the Local Device.  You can find details on using the Bacnet Export Manager on pages 4-57 to 4-71 of the Niagara Ax BACnet Guide. The Niagara Ax BACnet Guide is installed with G3 and can be found in \niagara\niagara-3.x.xx\docs.   can be exported also, where they appear externally as BACnet Trend Log objects. from any networked BACnet devices. Exporting of Niagara schedules and calendars is included. Histories can be exported also, where they appear externally as BACnet Trend Log objects. (regardless of location) to appear as BACnet objects. As such, these objects can service client requests from any networked BACnet devices. Exporting of Niagara schedules and calendars is included. Histories can be exported also, where they appear externally as BACnet Trend Log objects.

Issue The following error is displayed in the browser several times when connecting to an MPM Not Found (Error 404) DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8">404 Not Found After clicking through the errors the login page displays, however only English and French languages are selectable.   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Expert Environment SmartStruxure Lite Multi-Purpose Manager (MPM) Firmware revision 2.10 and later.   Cause In versions of MPM firmware prior to 2.10, language support was provided by installing a languages.json file in the root of the MPM. This file when present causes the error in firmware 2.10 and later. Resolution 1. After login to the MPM select the File Manager tab and look for the languages.json file 2. Right click the languages.json file and select "Delete" 3. Logout of the MPM 4. No errors are displayed and the full selection of default languages are available.

Issue Material specification for nickel plated brass sensor pockets Product Line Field Devices Environment Sensor pockets Cause Some customers require a specification on the material used for the sensor pockets in nickel plated brass. Resolution Brass nickel plated: Turned part: Ms 58 (Cu Zn 39 Pb3) Pipe + lid: Ms 63 (Cu Zn 37) Surface nickel plated. Guidelines for nickel plating: Galvanica nickel plated ( ca. 6 – 12 µm)  

Issue Archiving historical information Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Enterprise Server Automation Serve Workstation Cause Options for archiving historical information Resolution Archiving of historical data is available via WorkStation and Enterprise Server or WebReports Server. (Archiving is not available via Automation Server or WebStation, also the IE built in option to "Export to Microsoft Excel" has not been implemented) The Archive options on the ES are shown below. A manual archive can be forced by right clicking on "Archive Settings" and choosing "Actions" then "Create archive(s) now" NOTE1 - CSV option currently produces a Semicolon Separated Value file. NOTE2 - Individual logs can be saved to a CSV or XML file from an AS or ES within WorkStation only, see How to Export a Trend Log List as a .csv File.   The .CSV file that is used by SBO to export logs uses a semi colon to separate the fields. This makes it suitable for use in all countries around the world. Some countries use the comma to signify decimal places, so they would show a temperature of 22.5 DegC as 22,5 DegC which would confuse a CSV import with Comma delimiters. CSV files can have many delimiter characters not just commas. To show the formatted data in Microsoft Excel the following options can be used: One option is to rename the SBO log file as a .TXT file, then from Microsoft Excel, go to Open a file and select the type from the drop down list a "Text file". Browse to your log file and press Open. It will then start the Text Import Wizard. Choose the "Delimited" option and go to the next page. Here select the "Semicolon" option, select next, choose a date format and press finish. This will show the data formatted in columns as shown in the manual.   A second way to show the data is to open the .csv file in Microsoft Excel where all the data will be shown as text in the first column as per your description. Select the first column. Then go to the "Data" tab and start the "Text to Columns" Wizard. Select "Delimited" Original Data Type. Press Next. Select the "Semicolon" as the delimiter. Press Next. Change the date format if required and press Finish. This will also show the data in individual cells. Also other vendors Open Office applications may be used that unlike Microsoft Excel will allow semicolon delimited files to be opened directly.

Issue How to address TAC Network Variables in Menta. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Menta Xenta programmable controllers Cause Passing data between two programmable controllers on a proprietary TAC Network Variable (TANV). Resolution In Menta, create an AI or DI, depending on the data type of the remote signal. Double click the block, name it, and choose "Bind" Select the "Network Variable" option In the Network Address, use the following signal format: Device\Module\SignalName Device is the name of the source controller in Vista Module is the Software Module (if no module is defined, this will be the Menta file Program Specification) Signal Name is the Point Name Note: The browse option ("...") on the Network Address should only be used if the Menta file is being edited directly from a live Vista database. To browse to the point on a Menta file that resides on the hard drive will most likely only provide the correct point name, and not the correct full network path name of the eventual Vista database object. See Troubleshooting TAC Network Variable (TANV) Communication for techniques on troubleshooting TANV communication.

Issue How does the offline detection work between an Enterprise Server(ES) and a SmartX server Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Cause There is no online poll between an ES and a SmartX server, but the SmartX server will be considered as offline if it doesn't respond to any kind of message from the ES. Resolution The ES is constantly asking the SmartX server for new events and alarms so at least every second the ES will communicate with the SmartX server. If one of the messages from the ES is not responded by the SmartX server the ES will send out 3 more with a second in between, if no messages are answered by the SmartX server the ES will consider the SmartX server as offline. There is a 30 seconds delay before the offline alarm pops up in the alarm viewer in Workstation.

Issue Installed the I/A Series(Niagara) R2 software on a new Windows computer but cannot get it to connect to an existing UNC that has the same release of the I/A Series R2 software.  One possible error, "Java.io.EOF Exception", that might be displayed is shown below: Another possible error message is an HTTP 401 error. This issue may also prevent the I/A Series R2 tunnel client from connecting to UNC. Environment Computer with any supported version of Windows software including the usual assortment of utility and security / anti-virus software. I/A Series (Niagara) R2 software (any version) installed on the computer. Cause The Windows Firewall and/or Anti-Virus/Internet Security software has been installed and configured such that it is blocking Ethernet communications into or out of the computer on certain Ethernet ports. According to the I/A Series Networking & Connectivity Guide, provided with the I/A Series (Niagara) R2 software, specific user definable Ethernet ports, must be open for two-way communications between the WorkPlace Pro software and a UNC.  If communications is blocked on these ports, the WorkPlace Pro software will not be able to communicate across the Ethernet network. Similar issues are caused by the firewall built into many of the Internet Security software packages.  The following programs have been known to cause port blocking issues: Trend Micro Internet Security - Workstation Edition Trend Micro Office Scan - Workstation Edition Symantec Internet Security Suite version 9 Avast 7 (Free) Antivirus with 30 day demo of Avast Internet Security Bitdefender Antivirus Software Kaspersky PURE 3.0Total Security Kaspersky Endpoint for Business Resolution Verify that the Windows Firewall has been configured to pass bidirectional Ethernet communications over the two required Ethernet ports (default ports are 80 and 3011 - for both the TCP and UDP protocols).  Refer to the online Windows Help for configuration information.  Note that  computers that are members of a Windows Domain may have firewall configuration restrictions enforced by domain policies.  In these situations, it will be necessary to contact the Domain Administrator or facility PC-Help Desk for assistance. Verify that any installed Internet Security software does not block the required Ethernet communications ports.  Some specific Internet Security software packages are known to permanently block the use of some Ethernet ports, for specific uses.  Any Internet Security software of this type must be totally removed from the computer before the required communications can be established.  Three known software packages of this type are the "Symantec Internet Security Suite, version 9", "Bitdefender Antivirus Software" and "Trend Micro Internet Security software".

Issue When accessing Webstation through Internet Explorer, receive the error “8000401A. Code:-2147467238” Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Server 5.x and Webstation. Internet Explorer Windows 7 Cause Improper DCOM settings. ASP.NET not installed Incorrect Remote work station License used Resolution Set DCOM settings as per Vista Installation Manual (04-00001-04) Section 3.6. ASP.NET Start - Controlpanel- Programs - Turn windows feature on or off Navigate to Internet Information Services - Word Wide Web Services - Application Development Feature Make sure ASP.Net are checked, if not install it.Try webstation again. Helpful Vista Utilities - Configure DCOM instantly, Register ASP.NET is a link to a tool that can assist with setting DCOM and ASP.NET   Ensure correct Webstation licenses are installed.  Below are the options available.   0-008-8270-1      "Vista 5.1 Web station 1 CAL - One concurrent user license for Web station 5" 0-008-8271-1      "Vista 5.1 Web station 3 CAL - Three concurrent user licenses for Web station 5" 0-008-8272-1      "Vista 5.1 Web station 6 CAL- Six concurrent user licenses for Web station 5" 0-008-8273-1      "Vista 5.1 Web station 12 CAL- Twelve concurrent user licenses for Web station 5" 0-008-8274-1      "Vista 5.1 Web station Unlimited- License for unlimited users for Web station 5"

Issue In DUI-5R modules on installed MNL-800's the LED indications on the DUI follows the contact closure signals connected to them, but the values being read based on those status points do not match. Eg. DUI-5 has LED's on for inputs 1, 3, and 5 however the controller values have 1 and 5 on only. Product Line TAC IA Series Environment WorkPlace Tech MNL-800 Cause MNL-800 Inputs require an external parallel resistor (Rp=22.1 kohms, 1%) be placed across the UI input to which the DUI is attached. Some DUI models may incorporate this resistor that may be either switch or jumper selected. Resolution MNL-800 Inputs require an external parallel resistor (Rp=22.1 kohms, 1%) be placed across the UI input to which the DUI is attached. Some DUI models may incorporate this resistor that may be either switch or jumper selected. For example the DUI-5R available in Asia Pacific notes the following: Switch 1 set to ON for MNL-800 and OFF for all other controllers. In some models the switch is replaced by a jumper. Bridge the jumper for MNL-800s and leave open (jumper on one pin only) for all other MNL controllers.