Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Port 23 is opened through Telnet and can provide a security access breach into a system. Product Line TAC INET Environment All versions of I/Net Software on All Supported Operating Systems. Cause When the Delta Debug tables are set to 1 or 2, it opens up port 23 for use but also Telnet can be used as well. Resolution The following steps need to be followed to resolve this issue: Go to Run and type regedit Open up HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Expand the Software tab and expand CSI-Control Systems International On x64 Based Systems the above folder is located under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node Open up the Configurations tab and click on the Active Configuration that is currently running in I/Net On the right side window, scroll down to Debug Tables, right-click and modify the setting Change the value to a 0, close out of it, close I/Net and I/o server and restart it again. P.S. This should close that port but be aware that Telnet would not be able to function when this is done.

Issue Analog consumer values referencing the temperature of a SmartX Sensor shows in metric units when setup to display imperial units. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment EcoStruxure Building Operation Building Operation Multi-Purpose Controller Building Operation Multi-purpose VAV Building Operation Room Controller Building Operation IP-IO Building Operation SmartX Sensor Cause SmartX Sensor is configured in the device as metric measurements (SI System). Setting Fahrenheit in Display of SmartX Sensor does not convert the values from metric to imperial. Consumer values are configured to use the object being referenced and do not convert measurements. Unit conversion is done within the binding and not the device itself. Resolution There are two workarounds: Option 1: Create an analog value and then bind to consumer value Step 1: Create an Analog Value. Setup unit settings to (°F) and Save.  Step 2: Bind Analog Value to temperature from SmartX Sensor and Save Step 3: In the created Consumer Value, bind the Analog Value to the input binding reference and setup unit settings to (°F) and Save   Option 2: Bind to Consumer Value directly and keep the value in metric Step 1: In the created Consumer Value, bind the SmartX Sensor temperature to the input binding reference Step 2: Setup unit settings as configured in the object (°C) and Save.

Issue Trend log values from two or more M-bus meters under a Xenta Server are intermittently mixed up, also when viewing a trend log page in the Xenta Server's web interface. Values from meter 1 are (sometimes) logged in meter 2's trend log and/or vice versa. Environment Xenta 913 Xenta 701 Xenta 711 Xenta 721 Xenta 731 M-bus meter Cause When secondary addressing is used for the meters, there is an extra telegram sent from the Xenta Server before asking for the actual values/data. The M-bus meters then replies to this telegram so that the Xenta Server knows which secondary address belongs to which meter. In some cases (only seen with a few meters) these addresses seems to be intermittently mixed up and this will cause the issue described above.  Resolution Use primary addressing for the M-bus meters.

Issue Alarms are being logged but are not being delivered to all Cyberstations Environment CyberStation, MSMQ Cause MSMQ issues Resolution When enhanced alarm delivery is selected and Cyberstations are taken offline, they will not receive alarms until Cyberstation is restarted. Occasionally you can get into a state where even though Cyberstation has been restarted you no longer receive alarms and there are a lot of messages building up in the MSMQ queues. Event Notifications Eliminate Cyberstations that no longer exist or are often offline and are setup as recipients on event notifications. These Cyberstations should be removed as recipients to avoid alarm messages from building up in the MSMQ queues. Three Reasons MSMQ does not deliver messages and some analysis tools According to MS there are several reasons why MSMQ messages do not get sent/received and in order of precedence are Connectivity, Security and Resource depletion Connectivity In Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Services & Applications>Message Queuing>Private Messaging>accalarmchannel, columns can be added to the queue messages line by right clicking, select View, add/remove columns Add Recipient queue and Response queue This gives you visibility into what workstations are receiving messages Ping - The amount of time that a ping test takes to respond can indicate a problem, as can the fact that such a test succeeds only intermittently. (The latter would indicate such issues as name resolution failing and the computer falling back to doing broadcasts for name resolution or network saturation). ping machinename -t this will run until stopped by pressing Ctrl-C, some baselines on each of the machines to the other machines would be good. Once a machine starts building up messages in queues, perform this ping command again to see if there's a difference. Ethereal (now Wireshark) Use Ethereal on one of the machines that is building up messages in a queue, it would be helpful to get an ethereal capture to look at the MSMQ traffic. Security A Firewall can affect MSMQ delivery. Some firewalls allow configuration down to which specific machines are allowed for the MSMQ service. Here's a Microsoft link to what ports need to be opened for MSMQ in addition to what we require for Continuum. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/183293 Resources MSMQ has a size limitation for the total amount of space used by queuing messages. If this total size has reached 1.4 Gig then more than likely the storage capacity of MSMQ has been exceeded and the MSMQ service may not start and therefore not deliver messages. Determine if the MSMQ capacity has been exceeded On each of the WS that should receive messages, go to My Computer c:\windows or c:\WINNT\system32\msmq\storage, right click on the storage folder and go to properties, note the Size. Perfmon- is a utility that can be run to take a look at resources on a machine and the MSMQ Service attribute Total Message can be added. Go to Start> Settings> Administrative Tools> Double click on Performance Keep the defaults that are listed, there should be 3 items listed for memory, Physical Disk and Processor Click on the "+" button to add a counter In the performance object drop down, select MSMQ service and under Select counters, select "Total messages in all queues" Click Add, then Click Close Right click on Total Messaging and select properties, select a color and width that will stand out, click Ok Keep an eye on the resources that are being used and adjust the machine or add resources accordingly. Logging - if it is determined that you need to log some of this info, there are some additional instructions from Microsoft on doing that at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/150934

Issue Under multiple PC environments, the time of a DCU changes automatically for a specific period. The time of the Server/Filemaster is correct. Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET Multiple PCs environment Cause For multiple PC environments, the time setting of each PC does not synchronize. The time of Server/Filemaster is correct, but the time of Remote Client/Equalized Client may be not correct. If there is a DCU Synchronization function set on the Remote Client/Equalized Client, the wrong time will synchronize to the DCU for specific period set in the function of DCU Synchronization. Resolution Synchronize the time on Remote Client/Equalized Client with Server/Filemaster through NTP or manually. The other way is only to set DCU Synchronization function on Server/Filemaster, not on Remote Client/Equalized Client. The NTP as of March 1, 2013 no longer works. See Time sync is no longer working for suggestions

Issue Utilize the RS-232 port to send text out to a third party device such as CCTV Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET Seven Cause Integration Assistance Resolution This V-Doc describes the way text output can be set up in I/NET to be sent out to third party hardware such as CCTV through the RS-232 port. The port that will be used for this application cannot be one that is already being used by the serial port section, A/C reader port, or printer port in the peripheral section of the configuration profile.   For the guide of integration with Pelco analog matrix, refer to How to integrate I/NET with Pelco Analog Matrix.

Issue Expanding a system with a 7798B and unable to connect to other controllers. Product Line TAC INET Environment All versions of I/NET Cause There is no expansion card to connect the LAN Controllers together. Resolution The 7798B requires a CLX Expansion Card to be plugged into the slot to allow it to communicate to other controllers. The part number for this is LAN EXPANSION OPTION FOR RS-485, CLX. See Additional information on CLX LAN Expansion Option for RS-485 for more information on the CLX part. Take the device off the wall, unplug all wires including power. Insert the CLX card into the slot on board, be careful not bend any pins while doing this. Connect the wires again in their respective terminal with the LAN wire connecting to the CLX card, Sublan to those devices and power. Put the device back on the wall, set up accordingly and it should be communicating to the controllers now.

Issue When importing a file from TAC Menta into StruxureWare Building Operation Functional Block Editor, the import of the application file fails. Environment TAC Vista TAC Xenta StruxureWare Building Operation Cause The following characters are not allowed in object names in StruxureWare Building Operation. • / • " • ? • * • ~ • White space is not allowed in the beginning or the end of an objects name. • . (period) is not allowed in the beginning of an objects name. Colon (:) is not allowed either, but will automatically be replace by an underscore (_) when importing   In TAC Vista, signal names could contain the character "/". In SmartStruxure, this character is not allowed. Resolution Remove illegal characters from object names in the Function Block program.

Issue How to find the MAC address / Physical Address of a computer. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Other, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment All computers Cause The MAC address of a computer may be required when working on licensing issues. MAC stands for Media Access Control and is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications on the physical network segment. Resolution Go to the Start > Run.   Type "cmd" into the Open field. In the CMD window, type the command "ipconfig /all". Locate the connection that the computer is currently using (For this example it is the Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection). You will find the Physical Address (MAC address).

Issue   Xenta 700 Menta viewer in Internet Explorer displays some blocks at half-size Environment Xenta Server Xenta 701, 711, 721, 731 Menta Internet Explorer Cause Illegal characters in the description field of the point has caused problems with the web interface live Menta viewer. Resolution Verify that there are no strange characters in the description field of the point. In the most recent case, the = sign caused the block to shrink.

Issue Xenta 102-AX temperature sensors reading in the range of 130°F (54.4°C) when they should be closer to room temperature. Wiring has been checked and everything appears correct. What kind of temp sensor do I use for a 102-AX? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC Vista Environment Xenta 102-AX ETD-1xx duct temperature sensors ETR-1xx room temperature sensors STR-1xx room thermostats Cause Every other Xenta controller uses a 1.8k-ohm thermistor as a standard. Because the Xenta 102-AX is a modified version of the I/NET MR-VAV-AX, it still uses the 10k-ohm thermistors native to the I/NET product line. Resolution The Xenta 102-AX uses 10k-ohm thermistors. See 10k Thermistor compatibility with Xenta controllers for detailed information on the thermistor curve that is acceptable. Approved sensors are: ETD-2xx duct temperature sensors ETR-2xx room temperature sensors STR-2xx room thermostats STD-2xx duct temperature sensors

Issue IDWorks 6.x (on a Remote Client) does not connect to the SQL with Windows 7 64 Bit. Product Line TAC INET Environment Datacard IDWorks 6.x Windows 7 64-bit I/NET 2.43 and above Cause You have to manually install a 32 Bit ODBC connection for this to work correctly. Resolution To resolve this issue, start the EXE file located at: C:\Windows\SYSWOW64\odbcad32.Exe. NOTE: This is NOT the ODBC that is in the Control Panel on the PC. Once you start the EXE file, set this new ODBC Connection up by following the steps that are listed in Setting up ID Works on a Remote Client PC.

Issue If steps used in creating a LNS network are performed in an incorrect order, you can get many errors which can be easily avoided. While this should not replace the Engineering LNS Networks manual  it can be used as a quick reference. Follow this link to access the complete Manual Environment LonMaker 3.X Vista System Plug-in Cause There are several steps to perform in order to create and update an LNS Network using LonMaker. Resolution LonMaker Cheat Sheet Create new LNS Network in LonMaker Set path to Vista DB in Server Setup Start TAC Server Open TAC System Plug-In Drag and drop Devices from Stencils Assign .MTA to Xenta Devices You will be prompted to Resynchronize, say no. Assign I/O Modules Set Neuron IDs Update Vista DB Create Group Bindings Resynchronize drawing (fix up) Download Application and Parameters Commission Base Units and Modules Commence Communication

Issue Which communication paths are secured with encryption when Continuum network security (IPSec) is enabled? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation NetController II - CX9680 ACX II - ACX5740, ACX5720 Cause Information required on Continuum network security. Resolution Continuum IPSec implementation secures communications between Continuum controllers and CyberStations.     The following paths are secured: CyberStation to CyberStation CyberStation to controllers Controllers to controllers. Controllers can be configured to allow communications with other controllers that do not support network security such as the CX9900. Consult the Network Security Configuration Guide for further information.   Securing the communication path between workstations running CyberStation and the DB server is outside the scope of the Continuum implementation and is left up to the site’s IT department to put in place.

Issue What protocol of the Ziton ZP3 Fire Detection System does our Xdriver utilize? Environment Continuum Xdriver - Ziton Fire Panel Cause Need to confirm that the XDriver is able to communicate to third party fire panel. Resolution The Ziton XDriver has been developed to the ZCP2 communications protocol V2.01. Contact the manufacturer to confirm whether the panel supplied supports this version of the protocol.   Further information on the XDriver can be found at the link below. Clymac - Ziton Fire Panel

Issue When working with numbers that are 7 digits or longer the number is displayed in exponential format and there is a loss resolution in the lower digits that can cause an issue with metering applications. This can be an issue when using pulse counter inputs. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment All Continuum controllers and modules that support Pulse counting with Counter inputs Cause The number formatting throughout the Continuum product is 32 bit IEEE Floating point notation, for numbers up to 7 digits long they will be displayed as a regular decimal number, for larger numbers they will be displayed in exponential format: Significant digits × base exponent This allows Continuum to work with huge numbers like 123.45 x 10 67 but has the disadvantage that as the numbers get larger there will be a loss of resolution in the lower digits starting with the units. Resolution When working with pulsed inputs from meters try to keep the size of the numbers down, putting scaling factors of x10 and x100 only makes the numbers bigger, so where possible scale the numbers down and upscale the units. For example when scaling an input where you would enter a conversion of: Value+(ElecValue * 10) Instead use: Value+(ElecValue*0.1) and change the units to Kilo Units, Mega Units etc. If you have to measure large pulsed numbers another option is to split the large numbers across 2 Numerics, so in Plain English when a value gets to 999,999 then add 1 more pulse, you get 1 in the upper number and 0 the lower number. This can then be displayed on a graphic with 2 adjacent text boxes. Where very accurate metering is required the best solution is to use meters with an intelligent data interface that supports one of the common open protocols supported by Continuum (i.e. BACnet MS/TP, Modbus or M-Bus via X Drivers). This solution means there is no chance of missing a pulse or Continuum getting out of sync' with the meter. Note: If you need to set the lower number back to zero, then the object first needs to be disabled. If this is a BACnet bCX then the BACnet name (eg BACnetDevices\bCX25\Counter2) needs to be used within the PE Program

Issue How can the content of an email or pager alarm message be edited? The message is too long to display correctly on a pager. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Microsoft Windows XP Microsoft Windows 2003/2008 Server Microsoft Windows 7 Microsoft Outlook Cause Alarm messaging can be customized or truncated for display in a pager, where the number of characters is more limited. Resolution Go To C:/Program Files/Continuum or C:/Program Files (x86)/Continuum if using a 64bit OS Open Normalemail.txt or Normalpager.txt Edit the file in this format: Email On Alarm : Continuum Time : <\date> <\time> , Name : <\name> , Value : <\value> , State : <\state> , Message: <\message> , THIS IS THE body of the EMAIL I RECEIVE Email On Alarm : Continuum Time : July 21, 2010 03:12:53 PM , Name : Danet\da9900two\testnum , Value : On , State : Alarm , Message: Error ,​

Issue Adding a device through the System Plug-in results in missing SNVTs, SCPTs, or Module/Functional Block Names in the Vista database. Environment Vista 5.x.x Cause The XIF file is either incorrect or parsed improperly. Resolution Right click on the device and select properties. Click on the XIF file tab. View the XIF file name (this can be found in the $thisfil directory of the Vista database) and either browse in a renamed copy of the existing file or an independent copy of the file by clicking the ... button. Click Ok Log out of Workstation Log into Workstation to see the changes. Note: For a change to be detected the filename or location of the file must be different.

Issue Need to activate an Output when access is denied to a User at a Door. Product Line Security Expert Environment EcoStruxure Security Expert Cause In the Door object, there is a facility for triggering Outputs on Pre Alarm, Door Left Open, and Door Forced Open but nothing for when a User is denied access. Resolution There were new Door commands added to SP-C firmware 2.08.1018 and newer to add this functionality. AccessDeniedTime = # has been added to the Door commands which will specify the duration in seconds that an output or output group will be activated for when access to the door has been denied. This must also be paired with one of the following 2 commands in order for the functionality to occur. AccessDeniedOutput = # has been added to the Door commands which will specify the output that will be activated when access to the door has been denied. The # will be the database ID of the output/output group. AccessDeniedOutputGroup = # has been added to the Door commands which will specify the output group that will be activated when access to the door has been denied. The # will be the database ID of the output group. As an example, if you wanted the Output with an Id = 3 to turn on for 5 seconds when access is denied at the Door, the following lines would need to be added to the Door object in the Commands section. AccessDeniedTime = 5 AccessDeniedOutput = 3 Door Command - Access Denied Output  

Issue Which BACnet (MNB) and Micronet (MNL) controllers are half-wave rectified and which are full-wave rectified? Environment BACnet (MNB) controllers Micronet (MNL) controllers Cause Information about products rectifier helps avoid equipments damage connected with improperly wiring. Resolution In the current MNB controller line, the MNB-1000 is full-wave rectified. The MNB-300, MNB-70, and MNB-Vx are half-wave rectified. In the current MNL controller line, the MNL-800 is full-wave rectified. The MNL-5Rxx, MNL-1xRxx, MNL-20Rxx, and MNL-VxRxx are half-wave rectified. An early version of the MNL controllers were full-wave rectified: MNL-Pxx, MNL-Uxx, and MNL-Vxx (firmware V1.x). The same controllers were upgraded to firmware V2.x and re-designed for half-wave rectification. Both firmware versions of this controller line are obsolete.