Issue How many messages are buffered on a 7716xx / 7718xx / 7756xx / 7780xx / 7792xx? Environment I/NET Seven PCU 7716, 7718, 7756, DLCU 7780, MRI 7792xx Cause Even though every device in the system contains a message queue, only a few of the devices will successfully buffer the queued messages for later distribution. All controllers and Taps distribute messages out of their RS485 port even with the absence of any LAN communication. This is due to the fact that there is no requirement for an acknowledgment to be received at the generating device. The RS485 LAN is for both solicited and unsolicited message traffic. The only devices that perform extended buffering are the ones which directly communicate to polling devices such as the 7801 Taps, 7803 Taps, 7804 Taps, and all DPUs/SCUs. The MRs, ASCs, and UCs do not generate messages; messages relating to these devices are generated by the relevant MRI, MCI, etc. Resolution The 7716xx/18xx/56xx/80xx/92xx can buffer approximately 150 messages.

Issue How can I avoid getting an asterisk  (*) on all my devices when adding a controller to an existing TAC Xenta group in the system plug-in. Environment Vista System Plugin Cause When you do the "Update TAC network" after adding a new controller a group is created and when a new group is created all devices have to be downloaded. Resolution If you use the "Update TAC Network" command (or button) the controller is added to a new group. You can move the controller to the group you want it to be in, download to the controllers in that group and it will work, but now all your other controllers will have * next to them telling you that they need to be downloaded. To avoid this drag and drop the new controller directly into the group you want it to be in. Now only the controllers in that group have the * and needs to be downloaded.

Issue Are you trying to implement Groups within Groups and it is not functioning as programmed? Environment I/NET Access Cause The term “Groups within Groups” is where a user has access on one group e.g. 5-7 Mon-Friday but needs to get in on a Saturday but the application is permanent. So a Secondary schedule would not be applicable here, since this is only for a temporary period. Resolution To create a “Group within Group” application the following steps need to be followed: Go to Access Doors, select the door or doors that will have this Saturday schedule so that the group when created can access this schedule. Once created, exit out of this editor and go to Access Groups. Create a group that has access to the doors that will have access on the Saturday Schedule. All other doors need to be set to Unselect, close this editor. Now go to the main group that this group will be part of to create the “Groups within Groups” schedule. Modify the group and select Doors/Groups and now select the group that has the Saturday schedule on it. Keep in mind that the only schedule for the doors would be the Group Schedule; the Primary Schedule should be set to Unselect. If a Primary Schedule is selected, then it will take precedence over the Groups within Groups Schedule and would negate the application.  

Issue Upgrading Firmware and received error "could not communicate with specified controller" Environment Continuum Cyberstation ACX (5720, 5740) Netcontroller 2 (9680) Cause Received error while upgrading firmware. Firmware for the wrong model controller was attempted. Resolution Upgrade firmware with correct model firmware. Andover Continuum Software Compatibility Matrix Link

Issue -Can't save Xbuilder project to Vista -Error message: The project contains errors and was not saved to Vista -Error message: Name must be supplied, Error building "name" Environment TAC Xbuilder TAC Vista Cause If you in Xbuilder add a device that uses a template (for example Modbus) and then give that device the same name as the one in the template itself you will get an error when trying to save it to Vista (saving the project standalone works fine). Resolution Change the device name in Xbuilder or in the device template and you can save it to Vista.

Issue ModBMS intermittently fails to update certain data points from controllers, leading to potential data inconsistencies. Product Line Satchwell BAS & Sigma Environment Satchwell ModBMS Warning Potential for Data Loss: The steps detailed in the resolution of this article may result in a loss of critical data if not performed properly. Before beginning these steps, make sure all important data is backed up in the event of data loss. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with any complex steps detailed in this article, please contact Product Support Services for assistance. Cause ModBMS may occasionally fail to update specific controller points due to issues in the RUD update mechanism. Resolution To diagnose and troubleshoot the issue, enable debug logging in ModBMS: Steps to Enable Debug Logging Locate Configuration File: Navigate to the ModBMS installation directory. Open the ModBMS.cfg file using Notepad or a similar text editor. Modify Debug Settings: Find the [General] section. Look for the entry Debug . If it does not exist, add it manually. Set the value as follows:   <Debug>0</Debug> : No debug logging (default) <Debug>2</Debug> : Logs only changes in RUD updates <Debug>4</Debug> : Logs all RUD updates (recommended for troubleshooting) Save and Restart: Save the changes to ModBMS.cfg . Restart the ModBMS application to apply the new settings. Collect Debug Logs: After reproducing the issue, locate the ModBMS.txt file. Send this file to Product Support for analysis. Disable Debug Logging (Optional): Based on Product Support's recommendation, you may disable debug logging by setting <Debug>0</Debug>  and restarting ModBMS. Additional Notes Turning on debug logging increases the size of log files. Monitor disk space if left enabled for extended periods. Always follow up with Product Support for guidance on interpreting logs and next steps.

  Issue Extending a User/Cardholder Expiry Date Product Line EcoStruxure Access Expert Environment Access Expert Hosted V3 Cause Steps needed to Extend an Expiry date for a cardholder Resolution In Access Expert, there needs to be a way to extend cards that are about to expire after the default time has been entered initially. This can be done for single users or badge types depending on the circumstances. The following steps describe how this can be accomplished:   Open and log on to the Users instance Once opened, select Access Control and click on the List Tab then select View Expiring Cards A list will appear that shows all the cards that are about to expire based on the parameters entered When this list comes up, Select the Extend All button to bring up the Editor that will extend the time Enter the New Expiry Date that allows the card to function accordingly Click OK and the cards listed will then have the New Expiry Date listed    

Issue What is the pinout diagram for the interface cable connecting a computer to a Network 8000 LCM? Environment Network 8000 Cause cable not available for purchase Resolution Diagram available here.

Issue Reporting Agent continuously restarts Windows Event logs show appcrash for Reporting Service  Trend / Event data no longer transferring to WebReports / Report Server.   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Report Server  Cause If there are bindings within the Extended Trend Log that is from itself (so a cyclic loop). By default when you select the Transfer trigger variable the SmartLog property is selected (as shown below).  This is an invalid configuration but can be accidentally configured and saved.    This will cause the ES read to go into an infinite loop and cause the application to eventually restart (crash).  By setting the Reporting Agent to Debug (using the SBO Reports Agent Config - Communities (se.com)) the last few messages before the restart within the log file will show messages related to "Entering IncludeLogInReports()" with the same set of Extended trend Logs repeat (if there is more than one).  The image below shows an example of the Extended Trend Log shown in the above screenshot.    Resolution After locating the relevant extended trend logs with these invalid bindings, delete these invalid bindings and restart the Reporting Agent service and the data should then be read correctly.     Remember to revert the log level back to INFO before restarting the agent to not overload the logs with too much detail. 

Issue After troubleshooting a communications issue, the DCM daughterboard (or piggyback board) was deemed defective.  Can it be removed and replaced with another in the field? Environment DMS MicroSmart controller (revision 9) -- Model numbers affected are DCM-UC, DCM-IOC, DCM-GPC Cause Internal board failure Resolution Yes, the DCM board can be swapped out.  Care must be taken not to damage the pins and clips (identified below in yellow).

Issue Is there a limit to the number of BACnet objects programmed into a MNB controller? Environment MNB Cause There are two limits to keep in mind.   Resolution The first limit is the memory range of the controller.  Each object type has a specific memory size that it consumes when it is loaded in a controller. The WorkPlace Tech Tool 5.x Engineering Guide Supplement provides memory ranges for each BACnet object. The second thing to consider is the BACnet Instance Number ranges available to each type of object. MNB controllers have a fixed number of available Instance Numbers for each object type.   Refer to the Workplace Tech Tool 5.x Engineering Guide Supplement for each of these ranges.

Issue Does I/NET Seven allow the SubLAN to go wireless? Environment I/NET site Cause Wanting to know if I/NET Seven allows the SubLAN to go wireless? Resolution There are no investigated or suggested configurations of the Sub LAN using wireless interfaces. Approaching wireless at the sub-LAN layer encounters a number of interface obstacles; some of these issues would include the following: There are no control signals available on the Sub-LAN port that can be used for keying the radio. The Sub-LAN is a 2-Wire half duplex link with RS485 electrical interface. Some radio and fiber interfaces have used RS485 differential level to create a Request-To-Send signal for radio transmits activation. The 7790/98 injects a small bias (2.2K ohm pull up/down) on the 2-wire pair to force mark condition at the MicroRegulators. Bias creates a potential problem for the theoretical radio interface to detect transmit activity based on differential level. The radio would need to accommodate some flexibility regarding differential voltage level that activates the transmitter radio would need to supply bias at the remote ends. Small termination resistance could be applied to reduce differential voltage on inactive LAN, but radio would have to be flexible in that voltage threshold setting. The Protocol is Asynchronous The Radio transmission startup time would need to be almost instantaneous. There is only a fraction of a bit time between RS485 active levels and beginning of Asynchronous Start bit. The Radio transmitter turn-on must not distort leading edge of start bit. Receive to transmit turnaround time is about 1 bit time at the remote end RS485 Electrical Interface The Host Controller and multiplexed Sub LAN remote controllers each provide a 2-wire RS485 transceiver for communications. Our Sub LAN, as with many other systems, utilize a resistive bias on the LAN wire pair to ensure a marking data condition on the Sub LAN receivers with the Sub LAN is quiescent. This bias is achieved at the Host controller (7793 or 7798) with a 2.2K ohm pull-up to 5V on the positive leg (terminal 1) and 2.2K ohm pull-down to ground on the negative leg (terminal 2).  It is a common practice with multi-point systems using asynchronous protocol needing to ensure a quiescent marking condition on the LAN.  As mentioned below, the radio will need to accommodate a higher differential voltage level for considering the LAN active (higher than with 120 ohm terminated RS485 with no resistive bias).   This has been a point of contention in the past with fiber interfaces used with the Sub LAN. The use of a 620 ohm termination resistor has allowed reduction of the quiescent differential voltage to allow activity detection (on fiber interface). Who Controls Transmission The communications is taking place between a Host controller (7793 or 7798) and up to 32 Micro-Regulator (MR) or Door Processing Unit (DPU) controllers on the RS485 twisted pair. The Host controller initiates all communications on the Sub-LAN.   There are no card readers on the Sub-LAN. Message Size The messages vary between 1 byte and 132 bytes in both directions. The system is normally performing what is referred to as a Quick Poll operation. The Quick Poll consists of a single Byte Command and a single byte response (if nothing has changed in the controller’s I/O image). The messages are sent with a byte structure of 8 data bits, no parity and 1 stop bit. The messages have a 1 byte CRC at the end except the one byte command/reply formats.  If the one byte command results in a multi-byte response (i.e. with the newly changed data, it will have a CRC at the end). Frequency of Communications Commands from the host controller and replies from the MRs and DPUs are continuously being transmitted. The Quick-Poll commands are constantly interleaved with read-all point commands, control commands and others. Communication Cycle As mentioned above, all of the communications is comprised of commands from the Host Controller and responses from the MR and DPU controllers. There are some acknowledgement functions being performed, but they are imbedded within the command and reply sequence. How Many Sites The Host controller provides one (7798) or two (7793) Sub-LAN interfaces. Each Sub-LAN interface is intended to support up to 32 MR or DPU controllers on the RS485 bus.  It is assumes each Sub-LAN interface on a Host controller would be a separate radio interface (if more than one is necessary for a project). Summary/Caution I am told there are some radio manufacturers that have claimed suitability of their radio interface for RS485 communications.  Actual testing of a proposed radio interface by the system engineer & installer with an I/Net host controller and at least 5-6 Sub-LAN controllers including MRs and DPUs in the representative environment & distance is strongly suggested before any significant commitments. Try it and see!!   My exposure to radio interfaces in the past has typically been accompanied with an associated need for system revisions increasing their tolerance for communications anomalies (noise, retries, timing, error checking, etc.).  Such additional accommodations should not be anticipated here.  I am not aware of any radio interfaces providing accommodation for the Sub-LAN communications.

Issue Sending an email from the controller via PE or Web Page shows incorrect sent time. Environment NC2 - CX968x ACX2 - ACX57xx bCX Cause Time settings not configured correctly from controller's web page. Resolution From a web browser login to the controller's web configuration (point your browser to the IP of the controller) Go to "Controller Configuration\Time Setting" Enter the appropriate UTC offset for your time zone, for example if the controller is in the Eastern time zone enter -300 Use the "Daylight" Savings option to specify whether daylight savings time is in effect Finally click on the "Submit to Controller" button, there is no need to commit changes and re-start the controller.

Issue Graphics points appear OK, but are not dynamically updating. Alarms and messages appear in the AMT. Double clicking on a point on the graphics, the displayed value is significantly different to what is displayed on the graphics page. Graphics have question marks for the data. Rebooting the PC makes data viewable again on the graphics. This happens regularly over time. Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET Seven 2.15B through to 2.30 Cause Changes in Microsoft Windows video/graphic files have meant changes were required to the I/NET Seven Software.   Resolution Upgrade your I/NET Seven system to 2.31 or above.

Issue A loggbackup file is not copied from $bkp in the Vista database to the place specified in the backup object. Environment Vista 5.1.5 Windows XP SQL 2005 express Cause When the SQL server is finished with the backup it tells Vista, and Vista then copies the bkp file from $bkp in the Vista database to the place specified in the backup object in Vista. In this case the SQL server succeeds with the backup but fails to put it in the history log called dbo.backupfile in the MSDB database. So Vista never gets the message that SQL is finished and doesn't move it to the right location. Resolution The dbo.backupfile table in the msdb database was corrupt and needed repair. Contact PSS or have a SQL expert check the msdb database.

Issue Need to visually indicate when a linked object is in an override condition by changing the color of a GxText object in Niagara R2 graphics. Product Line TAC IA Series Environment Niagara R2 WorkPlace Pro graphics using GxText objects Cause Operators require a clear visual cue on graphics when an object is overridden. By default, GxText does not automatically change color based on override status. Resolution Niagara R2 provides objects in the programLib JAR that can detect override conditions and trigger color changes: Detect Override Condition Use objects from programLib/hvac folder: AoCheckForOverride BoCheckForOverride These objects output a Boolean flag when an override exists. Change Color on Override Use objects from programLib/util folder: ColorOvBinary ColorOvFloat Connect the priority input of these objects to the overridden object. When an override occurs, the linked object changes color (e.g., magenta). Update GxText Modify the Active Text as needed. Connect the color-changing object to the GxText on the graphic. The GxText will now change color when the override condition exists.

Issue Some modbus device documentation indicate that there are 6 digits in a register to obtain certain information Environment Continuum Xdriver Modbus Cause The Modbus xdriver only allows for 5 digits  Resolution The modbus range is from 0-65535, so 6 digits is too large Some PLCs used the 40,000 and 30,000 notation which embeds the function code in the address. For example: 30,001= function code 4 start address 0 30,234= function code 4 start address 233 40,001= function code 3 start address 0

Issue How many serial RS-232 ports can SIGNAL support? Environment SIGNAL for XP (version 5.0.0) Cause Customer wants to connect more than one modem to SIGNAL. Resolution A maximum of eight RS-232 ports are supported.

Issue Following a successful configuration of the Continuum Transition Tool (CTT) it has been noted that some ongoing changes in Continuum do not seem to then be migrated through to the Security Expert database. Product Line Andover Continuum Security Expert Environment Continuum Transition Tool Security Expert Data Sync Cause It would appear that on occasion, some changes made to Continuum Areas after the initial CTT Transition is completed, fail to be exported from the Continuum DB by the CTT in its periodic update, This can be verified by examining the actual CSV output and seeing that certain known changes to Areas  are simply not present.  The actual Security Expert Data Sync is working correctly but if the changes are not exported by the CTT then they cannot then be imported by the Data Sync Service Resolution Although this is not currently resolved, it is documented as a limitation of the Andover Continuum System. Page 21 of the Transition Guide Security Expert - Continuum Database - Transition Quick Start Guide states that the Last Changed field of an Area object is only updated if the object is edited in a specific way. Since the CTT uses the Last Change field to decide what new object changes need to be exported, this legacy issue in Continuum directly affects the update to Security Expert if the changes are not made as advised above.

Issue When replacing or upgrading the Sigma server PC, it's essential to ensure that user credentials are preserved. This article outlines which files and folders must be backed up to retain user names and passwords. Product Line Satchwell BAS & Sigma Environment Satchwell Sigma Cause During server replacement or upgrade, user credentials may be lost if the correct files are not backed up. This can lead to access issues and configuration loss. Resolution User names and passwords in Sigma are stored in specific locations within the Sigma/Data directory. To ensure a complete backup, copy the following: Required Files and Folders: Entire contents of the User folder GenCNF.rec file Labels file These files contain encrypted credential data and configuration references necessary for restoring access post-migration.