Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Need to restore or do a clean installation on the Magelis Opti PC Magelis Opti PC has crashed or Windows don't load properly Magelis Opti PC has become very slow or unresponsive Product Line Other, TAC Vista Environment Magelis Opti PC Windows XP Embedded Cause Just like a regular PC the Magelis Opti PC may crash due to software errors, and it may also become slow after long time use. Resolution The procedure "Restoring the Operating System" is described on page 7 (pg. 11 if go by PDF page numbers) of the Magelis Opti PC Installation Guide (also available on the supplied DVD) Caution! Back up all important data on your primary drive before restoring your system. Restoring will delete all data on your drive, and your Magelis Opti PC will have the same software and data configuration as when it was delivered. Hardware required Reinstallation DVD-ROM: Magelis Opti PC Restore & Documentation DVD. An external DVD drive with USB adapter. USB keyboard. Restoration On Magelis Opti PC: Connect the external DVD drive to a USB port on the Magelis Opti PC. Power on the Magelis Opti PC. Press DEL to run the BIOS setup. Insert the restore DVD into the DVD drive. In the “Advanced BIOS features” menu, under “First boot device,” select “USB-CDROM.” Press F10 to save and exit. Select “Yes” when prompted to save your changes. At the MS-DOS C:\> prompt, type “RESTORE” and select your configuration. When the message “Proceed Restore [Y,N]” appears, type “Y.” The following message will appear to indicate restore was completed successfully. ***** Restore OK **** Restore may take several hours depending on the speed of the DVD drive. If any other message appears, contact your approved Schneider Electric technical center. Remove the DVD and press “CTRL+ALT+DEL” to restart the machine.

Issue During the installation of WebReports, the installer crashes when clicking "Continue" in the "Reporting Agent" step. "StruxureWare Building Operation has stopped working" Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment WebReports Cause There is an issue with the installer when FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) algorithms are enforced. Resolution Open the local group policy editor (Start > run > gpedit.msc) Navigate to "Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options" Locate the following item in the list on the right: "System cryptography: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encryption, hashing, and signing" Edit the item, and select "Disabled" Install WebReports Example of FIPS being enabled

Issue It is not possible to extract a Menta file directly from a Xenta programmable. If a backup of the Menta file, or a backup of the Vista database is not available, there is no way to extract the program from the controller. "File object contain no actual MTA file" when trying to open a Menta file. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Xenta Programmable Xenta 280, 281, 282, 283, 300, 301, 302, 401, 401:B Menta Cause Going out to a job site without a database backup, or a backup of the Menta applications (.MTA), leaves no way to view the Menta that is running in a Xenta programmable controller. Resolution Options are: Find a backup of the .MTA Menta application that has been downloaded previously into the controller. Find a backup of the Vista database.  Menta files are stored in the Vista database for each programmable controller. To extract a Menta file from a Vista database, the preferred method is described in Get all MTA files saved from a Vista Database. To extract the files one at a time, right-click on the controller and select Edit. Connecting to a live controller, it is possible to view all public values inside the controller and to extract a .COD code file.  Unfortunately, these cannot be used to create a .MTA to view the logic.

Issue Email alarms can be configured in the AS and ES and understanding that interaction is needed Environment SmartStruxure Windows 7 Windows Server 2008 Cause There is a need to know what happens when creating email alarms in the AS and ES Resolution The server (AS or ES) that has the email notification object will send the email. So if you want to be sure that the AS alarms still send emails even if the ES is offline, then you should have email notifications configured on the AS and not rely on a global email notification on the ES. If notifications are configured on both the ES and AS which triggers on the same alarm, then two emails will be sent. One when its triggered on the AS and one when the ES fetches the alarm from the AS. You may be able to manage the triggering of the AS alarm by a program that checks the online status or alarm indication of the ES being offline.

Issue The bCX1 Series Technical Reference Manual shows part number 01-2100-299 as lightning protection for Continuum. The cut sheet on iPortal does not specify which model PC642C this is.   Environment Continuum Cause Details on iPortal do not specify which specific model of the PC642 series is supplied with part number 01-2100-299. Resolution The part number 01-2100-299 on iPortal (here) corresponds with the 15V model of that lightning arrestor. This also comes with the base, Emerson part numbers below. PN PC642C 015  Leaded    PN PCB1B BASE Leaded The PDF for the Edco PC642 Series is here.  

Issue After upgrading systems to the latest I/A Series G3 Niagara maintenance builds 3.5.406, 3.6.406 or 3.7.106 some customers have noticed spikes in Heap and CPU usage. This behavior has been traced to the excessive creation of NiagaraNetwork worker threads. Customers may see spikes in CPU usage that randomly occur and persist until system appears to halt or in some cases triggers Engine Watchdog Timeout and restart of station.  Customers may also experience the Java Virtual Machine exit with the following exception in the standard output: java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: unable to create new native thread Environment I/A Series G3 versions 3.5.406, 3.6.406, and 3.7.106 Cause It is believed that excessive NiagaraNetwork workers are being spawned due to additional overhead required to encrypt and decrypt passwords from the new password store utilized in 3.5.406, 3.6.406 and 3.7.106. Excessive usage of CPU and creation of worker threads may be seen on both Enterprise Network Server and ENC/JACE platforms. Typically OutOfMemoryError will be seen on ENC/JACE platforms and not on PC based solutions due to the limited resources of the embedded platforms. The issue has only been observed on stations with five or more station devices in the NiagaraNetwork. Resolution Limit the number of NiagaraNetwork/workers that can be created by setting the property "Max Threads" on the NiagaraNetwork/workers property sheet. A good rule of thumb for the number of workers is six times the number of Niagara Network stations monitored by the station.

Issue Performing an action that normally starts WorkPlace Tech Editor or Monitor does not start the tool. A warning message is displayed. Schneider Electric StruxureWare has stopped working A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Please close the program. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC IA Series Environment SmartStruxure WorkStation SmartStruxure WorkPlace Tech Editor and Monitor program Cause .NET support not enabled in Visio Resolution Enable the .NET programmability support in Visio. as documented in Section 4.6 of  the SmartStruxure WorkPlace Tech Editor and Monitor manual. Open Windows Control Panel Click Programs and Features In the list of programs, select Microsoft Office Visio and then on the File menu, click Change In the Change your Installation dialog box, select Add or Remove Features and then click Continue On the Installation Options tab, expand Microsoft Office and then Microsoft Office Visio Click .NET Programmability Support, select Run from My Computer, and then click Continue Windows reconfigures Microsoft Visio. When finished, click Close

Issue After performing an Export special of an object in SmartStruxure and then importing it into a database, the output bindings of the object are no longer there. Environment Export and Import Workstation Automation Server Enterprise Server Cause Performing an export special and then importing that xml file into another database or the same database after the object has been deleted will no longer have the output bindings of that object. Resolution This behavior functions as designed. See Section 20.31 of the StruxureWare Building Operation: Technical Reference Guide. The documentation states that: "Objects or properties with bindings where the bound objects are in separate import files. To preserve bindings during an import, import the references objects to the targeted server prior to importing the actual objects or programs that refer to these objects. For example, import any referenced I/O points before importing the programs that read and write the I/O points. No matter what order of import is used, the import process will restore the bindings if they are valid at the time of import."

Issue My customer does not want to have to make changes to schedules in different controllers when changing door unlock times or personnel access times to areas. How can this be solved? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation ACX5720, ACX5740 NetController Refresh Cause How to consolidate door unlock schedules in different controllers. Resolution Multiple solutions: 1. The easiest and recommended method is to create the schedule in one controller and simply enter the numeric being set by that schedule in all the applicable door objects, whether in that controller or other controllers.  When you look at the point in the door editor, if it's in another controller it will include the path to the point. This "remote" point becomes part of the import/export (aka IE) table in the controller in which the door is programmed. Even if communication to the remote controller is lost, the import/export table in the door controller will hold the value obtained from the last successful IE table update.  The IE system is very efficient - when the point in the "host" controller changes, that controller knows to update the other controllers to which it exports the point. There is only one downside to this - for a digital point, like a schedule numeric, which  does not change often, if the controller looking for the change misses it, the value there will not be updated. To eliminate this problem always include in the controller with the schedule numeric(s) a program that "refreshes" the value of the schedule numeric(s). A simple fallthru program triggered by minute works great. The syntax is: ++++++++++++ Set ScheduleNumeric1Name refresh to true Set ScheduleNumeric2Name refresh to true  etc  ++++++++++++ 2. Another solution is more complicated but will also work. Set up a schedule and schedule numeric point in one controller. We'll call this the schedule host controller. Then set up a schedule numeric point and program in all the other applicable door controllers that synchronizes (mirrors) the local numeric point to the host controller point. Make sure you use a Line E in the program and alarm if the program becomes, or keeps trying to become disabled.  Also, for the "next guy" who is trying to understand the system, you may want to enter, in the description field of the local flags, what is setting the flags, ie, the program name. 

Issue Procedure for uninstalling I/NET Seven on a stand-alone host Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET Seven Cause This is the procedure for uninstalling I/NET Seven and removing trace files on a stand-alone host. Resolution Go to Control Panel > Add & Remove Programs Remove I/NET Seven Remove Microsoft SQL Desk Top Engine (MSDE) Go to Windows Explorer > Program Files Delete any remaining I/NET Seven files and any remaining MS SQL files

Issue If I add a TAC Xenta device to an existing TAC Xenta group, do I have to update other Xenta devices as well? Product Line TAC Vista Environment Xenta programmable controller (e.g. 401, 301, 281) Xenta groups TAC Vista system plugin Cause Each programmable Xenta device needs to know the name of all the other Xenta groups, as well as all the Xenta device names in its own group. Each time a new group member is added, all Xenta devices in that group need to be downloaded. If a new Xenta group is added, all Xenta devices in all groups need to be downloaded.   This provides new network description files to the controllers so they can communicate properly. Resolution All Xenta devices in that group must be updated. LonMaker or NL220 and your Vista databases need to be updated as well. TAG bindings will also need to be added to the new TAC Xenta device if an LNS database is being used. The TAC Vista System plugin has the feature under the LNS Network menu. "Create Group Bindings" If this is a large site this will take some time and cause offline devices during this process. In this case, these bindings can be added manually to the new controller. This will prevent all the other devices having there TAG bindings deleted and the new TAG bindings created. The following articles show the process for manually adding TAG bindings. Manually adding a Xenta Device with Group bindings in NL220 Manually Adding Xenta device with Group bindings in Lonmaker

Issue Unable to connect to a Niagara R2 UNC-520.  The IP address was incorrectly set.  How can the IP address be found and changed if there's no access via the Ethernet port? Environment UNC-520 or UNC-410 Cause Incorrect entry of the IP Address or subnet mask can cause the UNC appear unresponsive to the WorkPlace Pro software. Resolution There are two methods available to determine the IP and subnet mask entered into the UNC. The first method requires having access to the computer used to change the IP address.  Look at the file "ipchanges.txt" located in the "\Niagara\r2.301.522\nre\user" folder. It will contain the date, time, user name, original IP, new IP, and controller name (i.e. 9:54 16-Dec-2008 CST: tac 10.159.34.123 -> 10.1.146.128 on J404-29764). The second method requires the use of a terminal program, a UNCC-405 to adapt RS232 to RJ45, and a CBL-RJ45 cable (a standard ethernet cable no longer than seven feet will do).  The HyperTerminal program is used to directly connect to a UNC-520 to verify and to make changes to its IP address in order to make it accessible.  HyperTerminal makes it possible to view the UNC's configuration and execute commands. The steps needed to directly connect to a UNC-520 using HyperTerminal are listed in chapter 2 of the Niagara Networking & Connectivity Guide.  After connecting to the UNC, use the procedure "Determining an IP address of a JACE-4/5" in the section "Determining Network Settings" of Chapter 3 of the same manual to display or change the IP address or subnet mask.  Failure to enter the subnet mask properly can prevent the UNC from being seen by WorkPlace Pro.

Issue Using a Door's Card Reader to Inhibit and Enable Alarms Product Line TAC I/NET Environment I/NET Cause Access Initiated Control (AIC) can be used to trigger points based on reader entry.  This is triggered regardless of if the door is open or closed. Also, when using multiple commands, such as inhibit/enable alarms, one would need multiple readers to trigger the points.  The following process allows you to use the same reader to trigger both the enable, and inhibit alarm function. Resolution Create Points: If you have not done so yet, build a point for the Door Status.( These directions assume that 1= Open and 0 = Closed) Build an internal point called AIC Trigger. Create a calculation that keeps this point in the off state Configure AIC Create an AIC that will turn the AIC Trigger point on with a reader entry Assign this AIC to the appropriate door Create Event Sequences Create an event sequence called Enable Create an event sequence called Inhibit Modify the Inhibit event Sequence Add lines that will Inhibit each alarm For the last line, set a delay equal to the strike duration and the type as Skip if non-Zero Set the point as the Door Status and the Sequence as the Enable Sequence # Click OK Modify the Enable sequence Add lines that will Enable each alarm Click OK Click close Select Edit>Controller>Point Extensions>Event Definition Double Click on the AIC Trigger Point Set the Event type to Specified State Select "Sequence" and set the sequence number as the Inhibit sequence Select the State/Value as On Click OK Results Entering the door with a valid card read will cause all alarms to go to an inhibit state After exiting the door and allowing it to close, one can scan a card to enable the alarms. This will take effect after a delay equal to the strike duration. This process is based on the door position switch being open or closed as the strike duration expires. So that arming the system will only occur if the door is closed. There is a potential flaw if someone is able to scan a card, enter the room, and close the door before the strike duration expires.  If this happens the system will re-arm itself as the strike duration expires. For this reason, it is important to have as short a strike duration as possible.

Issue Customers wanting to use a Barcode Reader for door access Environment Access Control site wanting to use Barcode Readers Cause Barcode Readers often are a higher  Resolution I/NET The SCU is the best you could have so that makes it easier with memory requirements and so forth. Since you have the SCU, set it up for 26-bit Wiegand (2 parity bits and 24 data bits). It would look like this: e eeeeeeee eeeeooooooooooooo o That is a 1-bit starting bit, even parity, 8-bit facility code, site number, card number, 16-bit segment, and the 1-bit ending parity (26 bits all together). That is how many data bits the reader normally takes. 26-bit Wiegand is typical and most common. The true bits are the facility code, site and card number. The beginning and end is the parity. For more information, see TCON300, beginning on page 9-59. This is the key card translations section, and may be valuable in figuring out the solution to the bar code reader. Lastly, one idea is to contact a company called RFIDeas.com. They make a bar code reader that may be a solution. If the bar code reader is outputting a card number larger than 16 digits, convert it to 26-bits of Wiegand data (it can handle up to 64-bitWiegand). If it goes over 64-bit, they have a special firmware which allows up to 254 bits of wiegand data. With the SCU, the 26-bit is the standard. Code 128 is used to barcode INET products. The Cypressworld CVX-1300 is an alternate solution for connection between the I/NET SCU and the Barcode Reader. Continuum Code 39 is used to barcode the serial number on Continuum and Pelco boards.  Most readers can auto switch between these and other code types.  

Issue Is it possible to communicate with both TACNV (TANV) and SNVT in the same device? Product Line TAC Vista Environment TAC Xenta 300, TAC Xenta 401, TAC Xenta 280 Menta Cause Want to use SNVT communication for connections to Lonworks devices and TACNV (TANV) for connections to other programmable TAC Xenta controllers. Resolution There are no problems with this, however you need to verify that the total number of TACNV and SNVT does not exceed the limit for your type of device.

Issue If primary access server is not online, how do the access controllers know to send the events to the secondary access server? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation 1.74 and higher CX99xx ACX57xx ACx7xx Cause On a LAN system, customer lost access events for 3 hours when primary access server was offline. Once back online the events showed up. The secondary access server was never setup. Since the controllers did not know about the secondary access server, they buffered the access events until the primary was back online. Resolution On a LAN system make sure you set up both primary and secondary access servers and make sure all access controllers are online when you do the Teach.  When you do a teach, each controller creates a list of the workstations and other controllers. When you click the primary access server checkbox in the workstation editor and hit apply, CyberStation automatically pops up the Teach dialog box. When the Teach is done the primary access server attribute gets turned on in the above list in each controller that is on-line. The same thing happens when you set the secondary access server checkbox. Note: The same process occurs, in reverse, if you deselect the access server checkbox in the workstation editor. Remember to note any offline controllers when you do a teach. Once the controllers are online do another teach - otherwise, if you are teaching the controllers about the primary and/or secondary access servers for the first time, the offline controllers will not know where to send access events. See also Access events buffered in Controller are not delivered to Cyberstation.

Issue Configuration of a simple Autodial system. Product Line Satchwell Sigma Environment Sigma Autodial Remote sites Cause Clarification of the setup requirements for a simple configuration. Resolution A simple configuration will consist of the main Sigma site and one remote site. Although this description is based on Sigma 4.05 SEB, the general configuration applies to all releases. Steps to be taken; Configuration of the Sigma server. (Autodial setup.doc). Download CO??.set to the DNN. Connect the modem to the DNN (port ?), using the appropriate connection lead. (Connection lead details). Configure RIP listener on the Sigma server. (See Sigma server communication to ARC-net/Ethernet sub-nets via a DNN failing). If RIP cannot be used add Persistent routes to the Sigma server. (See Persistent routing on the Sigma server). You will need to add routes to the remote site networks. Using the examples show in the Autodial Setup.doc, the following should be entered. Route add -p 192.168.100.0 MASK 255.255.255.0 10.158.72.123 (this is for the Ethernet network). Route add -p 192.168.2.0 MASK 255.255.255.0 10.158.72.123 (this is for the PSTN network). Request data from the remote site, the modem should attempt to dial. Go to the remote site and connect the modem to controller (port ?) using the appropriate connection lead. Connect locally to the controller and download the CO??.set file. Coldstart the controller and allow it to recover from the Default Sigma server.

Issue How to change the priority of system generated alarms in EcoStruxure Building Operation. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation Enterprise Central Building Operation Automation Server Cause Need to change EBO system priority. Resolution Currently, it is not possible to change the priority of system alarms. The default is value 100.  There are currently no plans to add the feature. 

Issue How do I promote a Client PC in the I/NET Seven System? Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET Seven site Cause How to promote a Client PC in the I/NET Seven System Resolution The attached link will explain the procedure of promoting a client PC within the I/NET Seven System. How to promote a Client PC.doc

Issue During the installation process for the Niagara R2.301.523 software, Windows 7 reports the error "Unable to save file "c:\windows\downloaded installation\{Windows application GUID}\TAC I/A Series Enterprise Server 2.3g.msi".  I thought that the I/A Series R2-523 release was supposed to be compatible with Windows 7. Environment Windows 7 Cause Installation of any software using the Windows Installer on a Windows 7 computer requires that the user have administrative rights on the computer.  This issue is not specific to any given software package but rather is a security restriction enforced by the Windows 7 operating system. Resolution The software must be installed by a Windows user that is a member of the local Administrators users group. There are three workarounds for this issue. Have someone that is a member of the "Administrators" users group on that computer install the software. Have the system administrator add the user's user account to the "Administrators" users group. Have the system administrator create a new administrative user account on the computer for the purpose of installing software.