Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Where are the reports of fixed issues/bugs for the various product lines located? Product Line TAC Vista, TAC INET, Andover Continuum, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, EcoStruxure Building Operation, EcoStruxure Building Expert, Access Expert, Security Expert Environment Technical Product Announcements Cause TPAs contain information of changes made per version of the different product lines. A TPA may report enhancements and/or broken functionality. Resolution Navigate to Exchange Extranet to view all TAC Vista documents tagged as TPA. The documents will be listed in reverse chronological order. Log in to view these documents. See Register for The Exchange Download Center for more information on registration.

Issue No Lon interfaces are shown under the Device discovery tab Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment WorkStation LConfig Cause One reason can be that there is a NIC-IP/RNI that are enabled but not defined   The easiest way to check for this is to look in the registry, HKEY_LOKAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LonWorks\DeviceDrivers See if there are any "extra" NIC_IP entries. Resolution Go to Start and type in regedit Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LonWorks\DeviceDrivers See if there are any "extra" NIC_IP entries. Don't change anything! Just note the name of the extra entry. Open LConfig, click on the NCI-IP/RNI tab Select the extra device in the drop down list Uncheck Enable device Select the active device Make sure the active device has a device name Click OK Now your real devices should show up in the list

Issue How to use values form a modbus device in a Xenta 7xx menta program Environment TAC Xenta 731, TAC Xenta 721, TAC Xenta 711, TAC Xenta 701 TAC Xbuilder Cause Need to bring in values from a modbus device to a Menta application in the Xenta server. Resolution Create a PVR (or PVB,PVI depending of datatype of the signal you are bringing is) and make it public in the Menta application. Create a connection object in Xbuilder, connect the "from" to the modbus signal, connect the "to" to the PVR block. Now the value from the modbus device will be represented in the Menta application by the PVR block.

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 NCII controller with Modbus TCP/IP xdriver running in server mode drops offline every day or so. Environment Modbus TCP xdriver Cause The customer was using a very old version of the modbus xdriver file. Resolution Installed the current Modbus TCP/IP xdriver release.

Issue Workstation displays power in Btu/s when VA is required. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Workstation Cause The units displayed in Workstation are based on the Regional and Language Options settings in Windows Control Panel as talked about in Metric vs. English (Imperial) Operating System. Resolution The Unit Conversion Exception tool can be used as a solution for this issue. This is located in the Domain portion of Workstation's Control Panel. For more information on the Unit Conversion Exception see Unit Conversion Exceptions feature or the Online help located here. In the situation where VA has been set as the power unit but Btu/s is still displayed, the unit conversion shown below will resolve the issue. Note: If your desired value units have a prefix, then this needs to be done in the Unit Conversion Exception as well (kVA). Note: WebStation (as of v1.3 SP1) does not use the Windows OS setting because the AS does not currently have localization - it uses only the International System of Units (SI) - not the Imperial or US units.

Issue No documentation available through regular sources. Environment GV Air flow Sensor: 63 mm 5515010063 80 mm 5515010080 100 mm 5515010100 125 mm 5515010125 160 mm 5515010160 200 mm 5515010200 250 mm 5515010250 315 mm 5515010315 400 mm 5515010400 Cause Hard to find documentation on these sensors Resolution Data sheet is available here. Mounting instructions here.

Issue Which actuators are suitable for VG311F? Environment VG311F Venta Forta M700 MG900SR M800 M1500 MV15B M3000 Cause Which actuator to choose for MV15B Resolution The following actuators are, depending on application requirements, suitable for use with the VG311F valve: M700, MG900SR, M800, M1500, MV15B, M3000 For more information on the valve / actuator selection, please see the valve data sheet here. For more details on each actuators, please see their data sheets respectively. They are available for download from the Extranet or public website.

Issue Which actuator is suitable for valve VGS211F? Environment VGS211F: VGS211F-15CS04 VGS211F-15CS05 VGS211F-15CS07 VGS211F-15CS08 VGS211F-20CS VGS211F-25CS VGS211F-32CS VGS211F-40CS VGS211F-50CS VGS211F-65CS VGS211F-80CS VGS211F-100CS Forta: M700 MG900SR M800 M1500/MV15B M3000 Cause Application assistance. Resolution Depending on application,  the Forta range actuators are suitable: M700, MG900SR, M800, M1500/MV15B, M3000.   For more information ad details, please see the VGS211F data sheet.

Issue How to program software for Automatic Windows Environment BAS SIGMA Cause Windows are open and close type, but the requirement is for the Windows to modulate. Resolution The windows can be modulated but only in fixed stages. The window travel time needs to be known from fully closed to fully open and vice-versa. Open and close should be equal time. The example below is for automatic windows in a classroom where the teacher could override the windows open or closed, along with the other interlocks e.g. wind direction and rain. Click here for the word document or here for the pdf containing the objects that are required to achieve this.

Issue When using Conversion Coefficient slope m = 1.0, the return to normal (RTN) Alarm Limit on an AI point appears to have a built-in offset. Environment I/NET Seven - Analog Inputs (AI), all revisions. Cause There is a built-in hysteresis of 3 counts on the return-to-normal settings for both the low and high limit setting of an analog input (AI) point.  When using a conversion coefficient slope (M) of 1, this provides a 1:1 scale between counts and engineering units which could provide undesired results.  So this built-in hysteresis needs to be considered when using a slope (M) of one or higher on analog input alarm points.    Resolution Consider using a conversion coefficient slope (M) of 0.1.  Alternatively if this is not possible, creating an internal AI point (using a m = 0.1) or a DA and applying a calculation to reflect the points value or alarm state as required as a workaround.

Issue Need to configure a door to unlock on REN (Request to Enter) only during business hours Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Server Security Expert Controller Cause Guidelines needed on how to configure the door's REN input to unlock the door only when a specified schedule is active. Resolution Do not configure a REN input in the door, instead follow the steps below: Create a virtual output. Create the input that will be used for Request to Enter (REN) Create the schedule that the REN should follow. Create a dummy area   A virtual output is one with no association to a physical channel. In the screenshot shown below, you see an Output configured with module address 100, since there is no physical expander using that address, VO1 is a virtual output.   Create Input Type Set Operating Schedule to the schedule created above. (REN Input Schedule) Set Control Output to the virtual output created above. (VO1) Set Control Output Time to the desired lock activation time when triggered by REN In the Options (2) tab, make sure to tick Activate Control Output on Alarm Edit the input created above and add the area and input type. Create a Programmable Function Set type to Door Control Set State to Running In Door Control> Set Door Function Mode to 2-Follow Pulse On Output Set Door Control Mode to 0-Emulate Unlock Menu Set Output to Check to the virtual output. (VO1) Set Door to Control to the door. MAKE SURE TO START THE FUNCTION Disarm and re-arm the dummy area The input will now trigger the virtual output ONLY when the schedule is active, the virtual output in turn will make the door unlock for the amount of time specified in the Input Type.

Issue How to disable credential access on Doors at different controllers using a single variable. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Access Control Cause Require a method of securing multiple Doors at the same time. Resolution The best way to secure a number of Doors from a single variable is to use the Door Force Lock Schedule attribute in the Door object. This is accomplished by adding a numeric to the attribute on the Options tab of the Door object; IMPORTANT: The attribute name Door Force Lock is misleading, it DOES NOT lock the door in any way, all it does is disable credential access at the door. For Area/Door Lockdown refer to the linked KB article And also on the Entry Reader or Exit Reader tabs, ticking the checkbox under either Normal and/or Comm Fail for Door Forced Lock Schedule. Setting this Door Force Lock Schedule field to a local or remote InfinityNumeric point will provide the following conditions: When the Numeric is on, access is permitted to all personnel by card swipe and/or keypad entry. (Allow use of the door.) When the Numeric is off, card reader and keypad access are denied to all personnel. (No Access) You could have this numeric located in a central controller and all the rest of the controllers reference this numeric from the Door objects. No other points or plain English is required. If you want to ensure that the updates are received, you can force the IE entry for this numeric to update on a regular interval, see Use just one schedule to control doors or access to areas across different controllers that discusses how to accomplish this.  

Issue How can specific users be restricted to logging into EcoStruxure Building Operation through Webstation and not through Workstation?   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Webstation Cause There is a requirement that specific users be restricted from logging in to EcoStruxure Building Operation through Workstation but be allowed to log in through EBO WebStation. Resolution It is not possible today to restrict users' access to Workstation or WebStation individually. There is no more information available on user permissions than what is available today in WebHelp and technical guides.  

Issue Information is needed to set up the APC Xdriver modbus UPS integration with Continuum Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Windows XP  Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause There are a number of APC devices that support modbus and information is needed to get values into Continuum Resolution The following document, APCConfigExample.zip, is provided as an example and will not address every type of APC device. See Helpful Modbus register Information for helpful information on bring in modbus values.  

Issue Customers at times need to be able to batch print badges Environment Continuum Windows XP Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause There's a need to know how the EpiBuilder, EpiSuite and GuardDraw batch mechanism works to utilize the batch printing feature Resolution To Batch print: Open a personnel object and select Make/Edit badge and then from within the Make/Edit badge window select File>Batch Print Cards You cannot select specific cardholder numbers to batch print like 101-110, you have to start with 1 and select a range from there. 1-10 which will print 10 card holder records that are marked as not printed by EpiSuite. EpiSuite indexes its cards for batch printing.  The Index number that Episuite uses does not match our card number.  As an example say you have 10 cards with card numbers 1-10 and you send cards 1-5 as a batch to the printer.  When you want to print the next 5 cards, Episuite does not see them as cards 6-10 but as cards 1-5 again.  This is due to EpiSuite own indexing scheme. If a card has already been marked as printed it won’t show up in the batch.  The order is determined by the index in the database.  Most likely the order in which the cards were created. To print a card again: Bring up the cardholder in Make/Edit badge> Tools> Set Card Unprinted ImageWare solution: Imageware offers a product called Guard Card/GuardTool as an add-on module. It can use the Microsoft Access for EPI Database by importing the data from the ContinuumDB. The personnel requiring updated badges are in this db and then this tool can be used to setup a batch print specifying a template. EPI software would then match personnel to one of the 4 templates and batch print them.  Note: Product Support has not used Guard Card/Guard Tool and does not support it. Contact ImageWare with any questions http://www.iwsinc.com/

Issue I/A Series G3 weather service will not connect - error indicates java.net.SocketTimeoutException: connect timed out.  A browser on the same computer is able to access www.weather.gov without issue.  The application director output window displays the following ... WARNING [12:56:28 05-Dec-13 EST][weather] Updating forecast failed for Battle$20Creek java.net.SocketTimeoutException: connect timed out at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(Native Method) at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.doConnect(Unknown Source) at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(Unknown Source) at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source) at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(Unknown Source) at java.net.Socket.connect(Unknown Source) at javax.baja.naming.BIpHost$SocketFactory.open(BIpHost.java:271) at javax.baja.naming.BIpHost$SocketFactory.open(BIpHost.java:264) at javax.baja.naming.BIpHost.openSocket(BIpHost.java:129) at javax.baja.net.HttpConnection.connect(HttpConnection.java:263) at javax.baja.net.HttpConnection.connect(HttpConnection.java:238) at com.tridium.weather.nws.NwsForecastReader.getFeed(NwsForecastReader.java:76) at com.tridium.weather.nws.NwsForecastReader.getFeed(NwsForecastReader.java:55) at com.tridium.weather.nws.NwsForecastReader.getForecast(NwsForecastReader.java:135) at com.tridium.weather.nws.BNwsWeatherProvider.updateReport(BNwsWeatherProvider.java:450) at javax.baja.weather.BWeatherReport.doUpdateWeatherReport(BWeatherReport.java:269) at auto.javax_baja_weather_BWeatherReport.invoke(AutoGenerated) at com.tridium.sys.schema.ComponentSlotMap.invoke(ComponentSlotMap.java:1357) at com.tridium.sys.engine.EngineUtil.doInvoke(EngineUtil.java:49) Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series G3 Enterprise Network Server ENC JACE Cause The connection timeout may be related to the proxy server.  By default, the weather service driver contacts the various weather.gov sites (alerts.weather.gov, graphical.weather.gov, etc.) directly as opposed to routing through the proxy server.  The connection times out as the proxy server is unable to route the request. I/A Series G3 (3.4 and higher) provides a service that can be added to the station.  The HttpProxyServer service is used to configure the station so that outbound web services know how to get through an outbound non-transparent proxy server.  The HttpProxyServer service located in the net module. Configure this service to the proxy server that will be routing. The user guide states the following. All services that make use of the bajax.baja.net.HttpConnection class will automatically roll over to using the proxy server once the HttpProxyService has been configured and enabled. The Weather Service is one of the services that is affected by this feature. Resolution Verify the updated weather modules are installed, see Weather information provided through the weather module in I/A Series G3 is no longer updating. weather-3.4.67.3 or higher weather-3.5.39.5 or higher weather-3.6.37.4 or higher To use this component: Open the net (Network API) module in the Workbench palette. Add the HttpProxyServer to the Services of the station. Configure the following properties in the Property Sheet view as required.     Status - This display only property displays the status of the Http Proxy Service. Fault Cause - This display only property provides an error message that indicates the reason for a fault. Enabled - This property has a true (enabled) and false (disabled) option. Server - This property provides a text field for entering the address of the proxy server you are connecting to. Port - This property is for specifying the port number for communicating with the proxy server. Exclusions - This text field allows you to designate addresses that are allowed to be contacted directly, therefore “excluding” them from having to be contacted through the proxy server. The default addresses in the field are typical addresses followed by a slash (/) and the subnet mask designation. Authentication Scheme - This property provides the following two options:      None - no authentication is required at the proxy server when this option is set.      Basic - basic authentication is required at the proxy server when this option is set. User - This is the login name to be used when authentication is set to Basic. Password - This is the password text that is to be used when authentication is set to Basic.

Issue The reconfiguration of the log database (run from TAC Vista Server Setup) times out. Configuring the settings, for the first time after upgrading Vista, on the SQL server tab of TAC Vista Server Setup an then clicking on apply makes the following message appear: "Log database found but needs to be reconfigured. Reconfigure Log database?". After clicking yes the reconfiguring process starts, but times out. The message states the following:  Lock request time out period exceeded. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 1222) Environment TAC Vista 5.1.X SQL server  Cause The SQL server is busy. When a reconfigure of the database layout (or schema) is done, all connections to the database must be stopped to prevent corruption of data. If a number of applications/clients are trying to write data to the database, the request to lock the database will time out. Resolution Close the open connections to the database and try again. Generally speaking this shouldn't occur with just Vista running. It is when 3rd party clients access the SQL data directly that this problem can occur. To help identify the problem, the Activity monitor in SQL server management studio can be used.

Issue Vulnerability affecting certain versions of OpenSSL. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Expert, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment OpenSSL Cause Software vulnerability Resolution Information and Customer Statement located at the following link on the community: Schneider Electric Security Statement Regarding the Heartbleed Vulnerability. A corporate statement on this can also be found here: Schneider_Electric_Heartbleed_Customer_Statement_APR_15_2014.pdf.

Issue Niagara Runtime Environment (NRE) fails Console output when starting Workbench Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series N4 Workbench Cause An issue has occurred in the security of the user home for the installation of Niagara N4 Resolution If the Workbench fails to launch. Open the Console for the build you are trying to use by following the illustrated path and clicking the console.exe If the Console output is as shown under "Issue" above, follow the path shown below. Complete the instructions in the illustration below. Open the Workbench as you normally would.