Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Xenta 527 Appears offline: Troubleshooting steps. Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET Xenta 527 Xenta 527-NPR Cause Possible Causes: Ethernet Communication is down Ethernet Port is closed Device is configured incorrectly Device failure Resolution Ethernet Communication is down Using the command prompt, ping the device's IP and trace its route. "ping (Insert IP Address)" and "tracert (Inset IP Address)" Watch to see if the Domain server prints out the correct Hostname.  If the device is shown as offline, there may be an error with Firewall settings or Ethernet communication at the Host Workstation. Connect to the router via Internet Explorer If neither of these is possible, Communication is definitely down on the Workstation side. Next, check the Xenta Server side. Disconnect the Ethernet cable from the Device and plug it into a laptop. See if you are on the network.  Ethernet Port Is closed. If the above process shows that Ethernet communication between the Workstation and Router is valid, you may have the port closed. Use a crossover cable to connect a laptop to the device and see if you can connect to a controller ON THAT LINK in I/NET. Look for live values in Controller Summary.  If you can do this, and you can show that Ethernet communication between the two devices is working, then you most likely have a firewall on port 50069 Contact the building IT department Device is configured incorrectly If, in the above process, you cannot connect to I/NET while directly connected to the Router via an Ethernet crossover cable, the device may be configured incorrectly. Open the active I/NET configuration Profile. Ensure that TCP/IP is enabled Add the Router’s IP address to the Reference Host Table Restart the I/O server Check communication Connect to the 527 via HyperTerminal type setip and verify you have been using the correct IP address and hostname type inethost and add the Workstation’s IP address to the Reference host table. restart the 527 Communication should be restored. Device failure Observe the "Run" light on the device.  It should be solid green. Observe the TCP/IP port LED. If you are actively communicating, this should be blinking. If you are unable to connect to the device via a HyperTerminal Direct Connection or Internet explorer while directly connected, you may have a device failure Cycle Power on the device Connect via HyperTerminal (if you cannot do this, try using the failsafe mode. If that fails, replace the device) Type the command “format” to format the device type “setip” and enter the IP information Download and install the latest system file for the 527 you are using. Remember that the 527 and the 527-NPR use different install files. Configure the I/NET communication in HyperTerminal Other Troubleshooting Steps See if the communication error shows up on multiple computers and, if possible multiple locations. There may be an error with Firewall settings or Ethernet communication that only affects part of a large system Host Workstation. Use a different Ethernet port to connect the 527 or workstation to Direct connect to a controller on the controller LAN via TAP and see if any stations are offline.  It is theoretically possible that some form of electrical failure on the controller LAN has caused the 527 to appear offline.  If you cannot see the entire controller LAN from anyone on one device, you should troubleshoot Controller LAN communication. If this is a recurring issue for the site, please download and use the attached 527 offline response document for information gathering and troubleshooting.

Issue Does Continuum support Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 as the client for emailing alarms? Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cyberstation (v1.93 and above) Microsoft Outlook 2007 (32-bit) Microsoft Outlook 2010 (32-bit) Cause Sending out alarms as emails using Microsoft Outlook. Resolution Outlook 2007(32-bit) and Outlook 2010(32-bit) have been tested by QA with Continuum for emailing of alarms. This is mentioned in the Cyberstation Installation guide. Outlook Express does not work and is not supported. MS Outlook/Exchange 64-bit is not supported across all versions.  For specific information on how to set up emailing of alarms on your Cyberstation please refer to the Continuum Help available on your Continuum Cyberstation or see Creating an EventNotification Email and Page Distribution List. Note: Outlook 2013 and above has not been tested by SQA, but reports from the field are that it does work. In the new versions of Outlook, they have changed the name of the "Personal Distribution List" to the new name of "New Contact Group" Please see How to create a distribution list from your contacts in Outlook for info on how to set up these groups,

Issue How to use the Telnet command to troubleshoot network connectivity and check for blocked network ports. Product Line TAC INET, TAC Vista, Andover Continuum, Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, Field Devices, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Other, Pelco, EcoStruxure Building Expert, Access Expert, Security Expert Environment TCP/IP Communication Command Prompt Telnet Command Cause Suspect certain network ports are blocked and need to verify Resolution Note:- Telnet operates using the TCP protocol. UDP connectivity cannot be tested using Telnet.     Open Windows Command Prompt Enter :telnet <address_of_remote_server> <port_number>" - telnet 192.168.1.2 443 Result if Port open: blank window with blinking cursor Result if Port closed: error message displayed similar to "Connecting To 192.168.1.2…Could not open connection to the host, on port xx: Connect failed" The example above test for connectivity against the remote server that has the IP address of 192.168.1.2 over port 443

Issue Thread size/standard. Product Line Field Devices Environment Pocket Well Pocket STP 50mm Brass  9121040000    Pocket STP 100mm Brass  9121041000    Pocket STP 150mm Brass  9121042000    Pocket STP 200mm Brass  9121043000    Pocket STP 250mm Brass  9121044000    Pocket STP 300mm Brass  9121045000    Pocket STP 400mm Brass  9121046000   Pocket STP 50mm Stainl.steel 9121050000    Pocket STP 100mm Stainl.steel 9121051000 Pocket STP 150mm Stainl.steel 9121052000    Pocket STP 200mm Stainl.steel 9121053000    Pocket STP 250mm Stainl.steel 9121054000    Pocket STP 300mm Stainl.steel 9121055000    Pocket STP 400mm Stainl.steel 9121056000 Cause This information is necessary if an adaptor or similar is required for installation. Resolution The thread is of cylindrical type, and follows DIN 228 and BSP (British Standard Pipe) which both are identical. Size of thread is G1/2. For additional information on Pocket materials, please see Sensor pockets material specification Stainless steel and Sensor pockets material specification nickel plated brass.

Issue Upgrading  Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment EcoStruxure Building Operation Cause Guidelines for upgrading to higher releases Resolution Non-Sequential Upgrades: Versions 1.9.1 and Newer Starting in version 1.9.1, non-sequential upgrades can be performed from versions 1.5.X and newer. Please refer to the "Upgrading" section of the Release Notes for the software version you are upgrading to. The "Upgrading" section will direct you to prior release notes that you need to read through before upgrading and point out items with limited runtime compatibility during the upgrade process.  NOTE: If upgrading a system at 1.5/1.6/1.7/1.8 with LON devices, please be aware that there are special steps that must be taken to prepare the database for upgrade. These steps can be found in the Release Notes as well.  Sequential Upgrades: Versions 1.8.1 and Older For versions 1.8.1 and older, the upgrade process is sequential. In other words 1.2.0, 1.3.0, 1.4.0, 1.4.0.4020, 1.5.0, 1.6.1 The upgrade process can be found in the System Upgrade Reference Guide. The primary released versions were 1.0.0.161 1.1.0.362 1.2.0.767 1.3.0.938 1.3.0.10100 SP1 1.3.0.20011 SP2 1.4.0.4020 1.4.1.68 1.5.0.532 1.6.0.250 (RC) 1.6.1.5000 1.7.0.255 (RC) 1.7.1.89 The minimum upgrade path would be: 1.0.0.161 Official Release 1.1.0.362 Official Release 1.2.0.767 Official Release 1.2.0.2207 1.3.0.938 Official Release 1.3.0.10100 1.4.0.4020 1.4.1.68 Official Release 1.5.0.532 Official Release* 1.6.1.5000 Official Release 1.7.1.89 Official Release Note: On one site, the AS would not upgrade from 1.5.0.532 to 1.6.1.5000. Going to the 1.6 RC resolved the issue.   1. In order to upgrade to 1.5 the site must be at 1.4.0.4020 or higher. Some sites may be still running at 1.4.0.818, which was the original 1.4.0 release. Although this is not officially supported and will not be tested, it is likely to experience the same upgrade as one from 1.4.0.4020. 2. An upgrade from 1.4.0.4020 to 1.5 will NOT offer any runtime compatibility, while an upgrade from 1.4.1 to 1.5 will offer runtime compatibility. Consequently, for a site to maximize its operational status through the upgrade, we have two different upgrade scenarios as described below. a. 1.4.0 to 1.5 – this process flow is designed to allow as much of the plant as possible to continue to operate through the entire upgrade. For the first three steps of the process the Enterprise Server will continue to aggregate the alarms from all of the 1.4.0 Automation Server. Once the halfway mark is reached the Enterprise Server can be upgraded and will begin to aggregate the alarms from the 1.5.0 Automation Server.              i. Upgrade one WorkStation in order to be able to communicate directly to any of the 1.5 Automation Server that are upgraded in b below.             ii. Upgrade 50% of the Automation Server             iii. Upgrade Enterprise Server and all but one WorkStation             iv. Upgrade the remaining Automation Server             v. Upgrade the remaining WorkStation b. 1.4.1 to 1.5 - In this process, we can take advantage of the support for runtime compatibility and the Enterprise Server will receive alarms from both the 1.4.1 and the 1.5 Automation Server.             i. Upgrade Enterprise Server and all but one WorkStation which can be used to talk directly to unupgraded Automation Server if configuration changes are needed             ii. Upgrade Automation Server             iii. Upgrade final WorkStation Note: some sites have experienced issues with the ES restart after upgrade because of the .Net Framework 4.5 upgrade and port 80 usage. Adjusting this port to an available port resolves the problem. The conversion log may indicate an upgrade warning similar to warning shown below, this warning can be safely ignored, and furthermore the upgrade program corrects the problem in the 1.5 database.           :02:11  WARNING:      Property PFE202_PF601.SI in (~/BACnet/Application/ELE/GRAPHIQUES/ECLUSES CD S4/PORTES_CE_S4) is not defined in the new system, skip           PFE202_PF601.SI. <script src="chrome://dce.addin/content/content_javascript.js"> </script>

Issue Laptops are now being supplied with an express card slot instead of a PCMCIA card slot. The LON PCC-10 cards are PCMCIA cards and will not fit in an express card slot. Product Line Satchwell MicroNet, Satchwell Sigma, TAC IA Series, TAC Vista Environment Using the Lon PCC-10 Card in a laptop that has an express card slot and not a PCMCIA card slot. Cause The latest laptops are being supplied with express card slots. The option of a PCMCIA card slot is becoming harder to specify. Resolution Although the slot in the laptop appears to be the same as a PCMCIA card, the Express card slot differs in many ways to the PCMCIA slot the PCC-10 card requires. Express card slot to PCMCIA card converters are available but not all support the PCC-10 card. Some express card to PCMCIA card converters only support 32 bit PCMCIA cards. The PCC-10 is a 16 bit card. Basic testing has been carried out on an express card to PCMCIA card converter with a LON PCC10 card from Roalan Ltd. You can purchase the EC1632 converter direct from Roalan Ltd. website by credit card through the Sagepay secure web server. Alternatively, you can phone your order to +44 (0)1202 861512 or fax it to +44 (0)1202 891454. The product is plug and play on Windows Vista and Windows 7 with a downloadable utility for Windows XP. (Only required on some computers. It was not required on the Dell E6420 when testing the card.) You can download the utility here: EC1632.zip, or from Roalan's website. Further information on the converter is available on Roalan's website. You may also download the EC1632 Installation Guide. The card should be plug and play. If your PCC-10 card does not work when using the express card converter, check the PCC-10 card installation using under the control panel. If the card is not working correctly review The Echelon LonTalk PCC-10 PCMCIA Network Adapter will not work with a Dell E6410 laptop. If you need to order a LON PCC10,PCMCIA card, they are available through Schneider Electric specification number WPA-LON-2.

Issue What NEMA or IP rating is a specific product? Environment All devices Cause Is a product protected against water and access by foreign objects? Resolution The Degrees Of Protection document details both the IP rating and NEMA Enclosure charts. The IP rating is made up of 2 digits, the first is the level of protection to foreign objects, the second is the level of protection to water. If a product does not specify any rating for water ingress in it's datasheet then the the second digit will be 0. The first digit relates to the size of a foreign object that can be inserted into the product. Typically many Buildings products will not allow the insertion of a finger (12.5mm approx' 1/2") and offer no water protection, so they would be rated as IP20, however it would be IP10 should they have holes of up to 50mm (approx' 2").

Issue I have a UNC-520-2 running Niagara 522 that is connected on a local network, with internet access. Alarm emails are not sent and I get the following error message: ERROR: Cannot send mail [/Dundee_2StClair/services/MailService] javax.mail.SendFailedException: Sending failed; nested exception is: javax.mail.MessagingException: Unknown SMTP host: smtp.broadband.rogers.com ; nested exception is: java.net.UnknownHostException at javax.mail.Transport.send0 (bytecode 611) at javax.mail.Transport.send (bytecode 9) at tridium.services.MailService.sendImpl (bytecode 29) at tridium.services.MailService.run (bytecode 44) at java.lang.Thread.run (line 5) Environment I/A Series R2 UNC (520, 410 or JACE-NSX/NXT) Cause Mail server address defined by name (smtp.broadband.rogers.com) No DNS server addresses defined in the IP address configuration of the UNC Resolution The error message indicates that there was no response from the SMTP server address specified.  In this case, since the SMTP server is specified by name instead of its IP address, it is necessary to provide one or more DNS (Domain Name Service) servers that can be used to resolve the address to its associated IP address. To enter one or more DNS addresses, access the UNC via the Admin Tool and select the Network Settings tab. On the lower part of the Network Settings screen, click the [Add] button and enter the IP address of the DNS server in the table.  Repeat this step if additional DNS servers are to be added.  Click the [Apply] to save the settings.  Here is what the screen looks like when two public DNS server addresses have been entered.

Issue Windows update KB4519976 causes all Xenta servers to go offline in TAC Vista every few minutes. Product Line TAC Vista Environment TAC Vista Server Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Windows 2008 Server Xenta 500 Xenta 700 Xenta 900 Cause After the Windows update, KB4519976 is installed, the SSL handshake behavior is changed. This affects TAC Vista and its communication with the TAC Xenta server. Resolution There are two workarounds available at the moment. Solution 1: Uninstall Windows update KB4519976 Solution 2: Turn off SSL for the communication between TAC Vista and the TAC Xenta server using the registry setting shown below. This means that only the login will be encrypted when TAC Vista is communicating with the TAC Xenta servers. Run the utility TacosTweak.exe, located in the program folder where TAC Vista is installed. Set "Only use SSL for login to TAC Xenta Servers(5xx/7xx)" to 1 to run the communication between TAC Vista and TAC Xenta servers without SSL. Restart the TAC Vista server for the changes to take effect.

Issue TAC Vista Error Codes in Plain Text Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista Server Vista Workstation Cause Vista will sometimes give an error code. This list decodes the TAC Vista Family Error Codes. Resolution For a list of TAC Vista Error Codes in plain text click here.

Issue What address to use to email/SMS alarms from a SmartStruxure Server, Xenta controller, or Vista to a cell phone Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Xenta Servers Xenta 511, 527, 701, 711, 721, 731, 913 Vista Server Automation Server Enterprise Server Email, SMS, Text Alarms Cause Vista and SmartStruxure are only capable of sending out SMTP email alarms; however, it can accomplish a "paging" or SMS functionality by sending emails to mobile providers' default email addresses. Resolution For the following services use: T-Mobile 0123456789@tmomail.net Virgin Mobile 0123456789@vmobl.com Cingular 0123456789@cingularme.com Sprint 0123456789@messaging.sprintpcs.com Verizon 0123456789@vtext.com Nextel 0123456789@messaging.nextel.com AT&T 0123456789@txt.att.net 0123456789 = the 10 digit cell phone number When setting up the "From" email address in the Server Setup, it needs to have an @xyz.com for example, at the end of the from address to allow the text message to go through. Note that these addresses could change and you should consult your service provider for details.

Issue Connected to a remote site network via WorkPlace Tech and a VPN connection, but unable to see the sites BACnet devices. No I/A Series MNB-1000s, or any 3rd Party BACnet devices, are found in Workplace Tech or the Commissioning Tool. Product Line TAC I/A Series Environment MNB-1000 WorkPlace Tech (all versions) Cause The VPN does place the connecting WorkPlace Tech PC on the site network, but the BACnet/IP (MNB-1000 and 3rd Party) devices are on a different subnet then the subnet assigned to the WorkPlace Tech PC. Resolution When BACnet/IP devices are on different subnets, BBMD must be used in order for the BACnet/IP devices to communicate across IP subnets. Only one BACnet/IP device can be enabled as BBMD per subnet.   Setup the MNB-1000 as a BBMD device using the Commissioning Tool Open Device Properties of the MNB-1000 controller and select the IP tab. For Device Type select BBMD and save change. Setup WorkPlace Tech to connect to the BBMD device Select Tool from the WPT Select Configure Communication… Select BACnet and click on Change Select IP and click next Select Access a remote internetwork. For Host BBMD Address, enter the IP address of the MNB-1000 which was setup as a BBMD device. Click the Finish button to save changes. You should now be able to see and connect to the I/A Series and 3rd Party BACnet devices using WorkPlace Tech.

Issue A new Automation Server won't load in Device Administrator versions earlier than EBO 2022. A "Failed to process USB connection event for DevicePath:\\?" error is shown when adding the device.   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server AS-P with Secure Boot Building Operation Automation Server AS-B Scalable Cause Secure Boot/Scalable Automation Server hardware is not supported in EBO versions prior to EBO 2022. Resolution It is not possible to install EBO versions prior to EBO 2022 in Secure Boot/Scalable Automation Server hardware. Verify the Automation Server part number to ensure it is a non-scalable/non-secure boot version. Refer to the Part Number and Hardware and Software Matrix for a list of parts numbers and their associated EBO version compatibility.

Issue Concurrent user IIS limit Webstation user limit Simultaneous request execution limit Concurrent connection limit of 10 Environment TAC Vista Windows Webstation IIS Cause Many questions about webstation are how many concurrent user that can connect to the webserver, while the webserver itself do not have any limits except the license used ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The operating system and/or the IIS do have a limit, not on user connected but connection made to the application. While using Windows XP this error occurs when 10 connections are met "403.9's  (Access Forbidden: Too many users are connected Internet Information Services).  " This is not really handled by IIS but the TCPIP.SYS that is set to a limit of 10 connection. Windows 7 (SP2) introduced a new way to handle the connection, so when the 10 connections are met, the following connections are queued so you will not see any error messages but it can take a while for the page to load. There is a timeout parameter in IIS. Windows server edition's do not have any limits so always use a windows server for webserver. NOTE: Webstation takes 1 connection and each TGML open takes 1 connection so if you use 1 webstation and have 5 TGML open you are already using 6 connection. Resolution Below is a list for the limits on respective Operating system   Windows Server 2008 R2 (IIS v7.5)     Server:   Server OS = No Limits        Windows 7 (IIS v7.5) 2     Starter:   No IIS Home Basic:   No IIS Home Premium:   simultaneous request execution limit of 3, allows multiple sites Business:   simultaneous request execution limit of 10, allows multiple sites Enterprise:   simultaneous request execution limit of 10, allows multiple sites Ultimate:   simultaneous request execution limit of 10, allows multiple sites        Windows Server 2008 (IIS v7.0)     Server:   Server OS = No Limits        Windows Vista (IIS v7.0) 2     Starter:   No IIS Home Basic:   No IIS Home Premium:   simultaneous request execution limit of 3, allows multiple sites Business:   simultaneous request execution limit of 10, allows multiple sites Enterprise:   simultaneous request execution limit of 10, allows multiple sites Ultimate:   simultaneous request execution limit of 10, allows multiple sites        Windows 2003 (IIS v6.0)     Server:   Server OS = No Limits WHS:   Server OS = No Limits 1        Windows XP (IIS v5.1)     Home:   No IIS Professional:   concurrent connection limit of 10, allows only one site        Windows 2000 (IIS v5.0)     Professional:   concurrent connection limit of 10, allows only one site Server:   Server OS = No Limits        Windows NT 4 w/ SP3 (IIS v4.0)     Workstation:   No IIS, PWS installs as part of the NT Option Pack Server:   Server OS = No Limits, IIS installs as part of the NT Option Pack

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. Issue Orphan alarm exists in the Enterprise Server database and acknowledgment of the alarm does not remove the alarm. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Enterprise Server v. 2.0.3 or lower,  Cause Backup of the Building Operation database that includes historical data will include the alarm that needs to be purged. IP changes or other reasons can contribute to alarms being orphaned. Resolution Note: Version 2.0.4 and from 3.0.2 and higher there is a built-in solution called Alarms Integrity Check which can be run to verify all alarms and purge any that are no longer in the system.     In order to completely purge an alarm database, it is necessary to delete the PersistedData.dat file that stores this information in the database. Perform an ES and AS full backups Using Building Operation Software Administrator click the "Stop Service" button for the Enterprise Server. Image from Windows XP Image from Windows 7 / 10 Browse to the database path listed in the Building Operation Software Administrator tool. Windows 7/10: C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric StruxureWare\Building Operation 2.x\Enterprise Server\db Windows XP:  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Schneider Electric StruxureWare\Building Operation 1.X\Enterprise Server\db Browse to the Persistent subdirectory Move/Delete the PersistedData.dat  file Click the "Start Service" button in the Building Operation Software Administrator tool. When the Enterprise Server restarts and you log in the orphaned events will be removed and any currently present alarms will return to the Alarm window with their proper status and assignment. This process causes a re-evaluation of alarms on the ES and fetches all the alarms from each AS. This can take a few minutes and may cause some slowness in the system. Note 1: Historical perspective of previous alarms, operator actions, or other data recorded in the Event Log will be lost in this process.  

Issue The Automation Server is constantly using 100% CPU causing a slow operation Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Automation Server Cause Check which process is taking the CPU. Cause 1: The cause was found to be a Function Block Program which was corrupt in some way. When trying to edit, open properties or do anything with this Function Block Program Workstation just hang. The root cause of the problem with the Function Block Program was never found. Cause 2: Some schedules have more than one entry for the same time stamp (likely if the process "CScanner" is taken the CPU) Resolution Solution 1: After deleting the particular Function Block Program (which took over 2 hours) the CPU usage was directly down to 20%. Another solution for an AS with the same symptoms: After downloading a new database to the automation server and then restoring a backup the CPU usage went down to normal levels.  Solution 2: Check all schedules for duplicate entries, especially around the time where the CPU goes to 100%. Also check out the SmartStruxure Quick Help - AS CPU and Memory Loading Quick-Help video on the Exchange.

Issue Additional information for creating Lonworks networks in ES, not covered by the StruxureWare Technical Guide. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment StruxureWare Building Operation 1.3 SP1 Cause Additional information for creating Lonworks networks in ES, not covered by the StruxureWare Technical Guide. Resolution Setup of the NIC852 network interface for the ES is covered in the StruxureWare Building Operation Technical Reference Guide, chapter 37.9 L-IP router setup is covered in the StruxureWare Building Operation Technical Reference Guide, chapter 37.10   Here are some additional points not covered in the Reference Guide: To use the NIC852 as a network interface for the ES, you must configure the Loytec LConfig software to run as a service.  See Not able to get Service pin from LON devices connected with Loytec NIC from ES for more details. The L-IPs must be used in Smart Switch mode in StruxureWare.  There are two Smart Switch modes: 1.  Smart Switch Mode 2.  Smart Switch mode with No Subnet Broadcast Flooding. Only use the first of these modes.  This should be the default, out of the box.  See the L-IP User Manual for details of the DIP switch positions for each mode. The ES version 1.3 can host up to 100 Xenta devices + 100 LON devices in total. These can be divided across 5 logical networks (different domains). It is possible to have multiple L-IPs in the same network if needed - but the limit of 100+100 is per ES, not per network or L-IP. Loytec recommend that in Smart Switch mode an IP channel should have no more than 10 L-IPs and packet rates no more than 500 packets/s. If additional Xenta/LON devices are needed you can add them to one or more AS, below the ES. Observe the standard Lonworks guidelines when creating your network topology e.g. maximum number of devices per network segment, maximum length of runs for the chosen cable type.  Group your devices so that network traffic across channels is minimized. StruxureWare is unaware of your physical network topology - it just sees it as one big channel.  It will reserve a different subnet for each Xenta group you create, starting at subnet 253, but each Lonworks device you create will just be assigned the next available subnet/node address, starting at subnet 254 node 1.  This means that devices with the same subnet address will most likely appear on multiple physical channels. The Loytec L-IP in Smart Switch Mode can still provide effective routing in this situation as it builds its routing table based on the physical location of subnet/node addresses, not just subnets.  Other manufacturers' routers, even in learning mode, may not be so forgiving.

Issue The built in logs for troubleshooting communications from SmartStruxure ES/AS to SmartStruxure ES/AS remove the need for network captures for SmartStruxure communications. However, SmartStruxure to BACnet continues to be ideal for traditional means of network captures. The most common capture method is Wireshark when dealing with BACnet device to BACnet device communication. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment SmartStruxure BACnet ES AS Cause The need to troubleshoot communications issues from device to device whether this is ES to AS or vice versa. The need to troubleshoot BACnet communications Resolution Network captures are beneficial in troubleshooting the following cases: Connection issues between SmartStruxure client and AS/ES. If customers complain their client cannot connect to an AS/ES, a capture run from the client PC can be very useful. However, SmartStruxure uses TCP/HTTP and the payload is not easy to decode. There are no Wireshark decoders to help out, but the good news is that there is in communication logging built in to SmartStruxure that can replace the need for network captures. (See Error logs from the Enterprise Server for ES and see Error logs from an Automation Server and Enterprise Server for AS) Communication Status problems between servers and controllers (for example BACnet controllers). The location of where the captures is taken can be very important. The best place to capture is at a switch directly connected to the controller. This may be difficult because it will require putting a “dumb” hub between the switch and the controller or finding a port mirroring switch. When you are not receiving BACnet alarms when expected. When you are not receiving COV notifications when expected When a trendlog is trending external point To evaluate the health of a network. ARP broadcast traffic can flood networks and can create connectivity problems on BACnet/IP networks. If this is the case then a customer can take action by segmenting their BMS to a VLAN. Performance problems on graphics where a large number of the point displayed are BACnet MS/TP bus performance is poor or MS/TP device is offline Using a USB RS-485 adapter can permit the capture of packets on an MS/TP bus. Wireshark can then be used to decode the packet captures. This can show token passing problems as well as traffic loads. Also check out the BACnet-Capturing MS/TP Traffic Quick-Help video on the Exchange.

Issue What is the maximum number of trend logs in a SmartX IP Controller? What is the maximum number of trend log records in a SmartX IP Controller? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Multi-purpose Controller Cause SmartX IP controller free object system memory is shared between objects and data in your application. There are no specific limits on the number of objects and/or trend logs that you can create. Several factors impact memory consumption: Every object added consumes a fixed amount of memory Memory is shared between objects and data. Adjustments to description fields or trend log buffer sizes will also impact the amount of memory consumed. Different controllers have different amounts of memory to start from. RPC controllers have roughly half of the memory of an MPC. Changes to EBO 3.X will also change the memory consumption, so upgrading your system may skew the memory consumption larger than it was in previous versions. Resolution After adding trend logs to the device consult the Free object system memory entry in the device report since this will help determine how much free memory is available. Trend log buffers are pre-allocated on creation of the trend object. The other place to find how much free memory the device have is in the device property page. This value can be put in a watch window, trended, or even bound to a low-limit alarm.     If the amount of free memory drops below 50 Kbytes, that is critically low available memory. A better target is to try to preserve 50% of available memory. Based on empirical testing, estimates of memory available inside a blank controller are: MP-C: 1890 Kbytes MP-V: 1780 Kbytes RP-C: 1115 Kbytes It is important to not overload the controller because the remaining memory can also be used for COV subscriptions (the last line in the table above). If there is no memory available, then opening a graphic which creates COV subscriptions could overrun memory or operate very slowly