Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Is it possible to use the TAC Xenta 102B device with room unit STR150? Product Line TAC Vista Environment STR150 TAC Xenta 102B Cause It is possible to use STR150 together with the TAC Xenta 102B device with system program 1.20 or higher. Resolution To use an STR-150 on a TAC Xenta 102-B controller, set nciAppOption bit 14.

Issue Why do the just created lighting circuits not appear in the zones sometimes? Environment I/NET Lighting controller Cause This is a known issue. This has been fixed in later revisions of I/NET. Resolution As a work around, Exit out of the Resident I/O or Summary screen Launching either screen again. Or you can go into the Edit > Controller > Zone Definition and attach the circuits to the zones there.

Issue UltiVist/DMS, how to remove all or parts of the E: Segment. Environment UltiVist/DMS Cause Delete the E: segment database using KILBRNCH. Resolution KILBRNCH is a powerful tool, before doing the following procedure, BACKUP THE DATABASE. In an OS/2 window, go to the FI directory and type SET NOFCS=TRUE (this command turns off communications so that the KILBRNCH command will delete only the elements in the UltiVist database set to 'offline'). Press Return. After getting x:\FI prompt back, type KILBRNCH FI (example KILBRNCH \FI\FI E:001.12.01.023).   This will delete (or kill) the database from that branch. E: is the Segment 001 is the Network ID 12 is the Panel ID 01 is the DCM ID 023 is the Controller ID After completion, go to FI directory and then type SET NOFCS=FALSE. Refresh the E: Segment.

Issue In a Niagara R2 Enterprise Server station, the DDE Service is installed but it is not communicating to the 3rd-party product. Environment Niagara R2 Enterprise Server station DDE Service Cause No longer support the DDE service. Resolution The DDE driver is an old driver that Tridium did not update over the years. Its last supported operating system is Windows 2000. Product Support Services does not support this driver and Tridium does not recommend using it for any new installations.

Issue Blank space in personnel photo, photo does not fill the photo area. Environment CyberStation Cause No cropping in photo capture adjustment. Resolution 1. In the adjust section in the Capture Photo dialog, set the appropriate cropping and/or photo size. 2. In the Image Enhancement dialog, select the area in the original image (typically a rectangle around the person's face) that will appear in the photo frame.

Issue Looking for a replacement product for TA218Z or TA218E Environment TA 218Z TA218E Cause An old controller (part no 218-1040-000 or 218-1020-000) with built in clock, designed for room control of reheat heat exchangers and radiators. Designed in the early 80's, now is looking for a replacement. Resolution There is no replacement product available. A programmable Xenta controller would be the best choice.

Issue How many LIPs can be used in Plug and Play mode when used in a Vista classic network Environment Loytec LIP's configured in plug and Play mode on a LNS network. Cause A limitation of 5 LIPs can be used on the Plug and Play mode on a single LNS network Resolution Select LIPs with the additional LON ports to allow your database to fit into 5 LIP limitation.  The options to enable a larger system than 5 LIPs are listed below: Use a network management tool like NL220 or LonMaker to configure the LIPs as routers. Purchase another NIC852 license and create another LNS network with a separate LIP as a config server.

Issue Text in I/NET is showing up as gibberish, but the text in the SQL database looks OK Environment I/NET Cause If you upgrade I/NET and the SQL database but do not use DBcreate, the text in I/NET can become gibberish. Resolution Restore/upgrade the database with the help of DBcreate (follows I/NET )

Issue Obsolete heat controller Environment TAC200 TA200 2001000000 2001000009 Cause Obsolete product, no longer available for ordering Resolution The TAC200 controller was made obsolete in the end of 2011. No replacement product is available in the TAC range.  The Satchwell DC1100 and DC1400 offer similar functionality, but require Satchwell sensors.

Issue The option to download the application to a MNL-800 controller is not available in StruxureWare Building Operation Workstation. Environment StruxureWare 1.1 or higher Cause For the download option to be available the MNL-800 version must be 2.0. Resolution There are two options to handle this issue: Upgrade the controller board to version 2.0 Treat the controller as a 3rd party LON device by importing the XIF file and handling the program in an external version of WorkPlace Tech.

Issue SIGNAL software is connected serially to a Network 8000 LCM. The upload function in Project Manager fails. What are the communication settings in SIGNAL for this type of interface? Environment SIGNAL - all versions Cause Communication setting error Resolution There are three possible address settings when adding a "Panel" to a Network 8000 gateway record: NETxx:GCMxx:LOCAL (connect to any GCM) NETxx:GCMxx:LCMx (connect to any LCM across the network) NETxx:LCMxx:LOCAL (direct serial connection to a LCM) In this case, modify the address field to match the format listed in 'C)'. Refer to page 7 of the SIGNAL Network 8000 Interface Supplement (F-26225).

Issue When Remote Alarm Manager sends a SMS message via a GSM to a mobile phone, the message is truncated.  Environment Sigma, Micronet, BAS, RAM Cause Message type - Long Message (Descriptive multi line message) Output interface - GSM to mobile phone. If an alarm is sent from an output interface e.g Sigma to an output interface e.g SMS mobile phone, the end of the message disappears (truncated).  Resolution The message sent to the mobile device is too long. A maximum length of 160 characters is permitted - this is a SMS message characteristic. Consider changing the message type to a Normal message or Short message or The Index Title and Point Title are very long, can these be shortened. e.g change Temperatures to Temps.

Issue When using the Generate project command in XBuilder the Generate output screen will not show any errors even though it reports an error was encountered or the error is visible but the info message indicating what it was trying to build the caused the error is not visible. Using the Window-> Restore Default Settings does not correct this. Environment TAC XBuilder Cause A filter has been applied to the Output window. Resolution Right click in the Output window and ensure that each of the following options are selected: Show Info Messages Show Warning Messages Show Error Messages

Issue When we display the SNVTs in Vista, NL220 or Lonmaker the name of the SNVTS are very generic. Environment NL220 Lonmaker Vista Cause The XIF file was uploaded from the device. On some devices the function specific names are not supplied from the controller. Here is a sample of non specific names when uploaded from the controller     Here is a sample of the same controller with the XIF download from the manufacturers website. Resolution Go to the controllers manufacturers website or contact them and get the functioned named XIF file for that device. Use this instead of the uploaded XIF from the device.

Issue DCX 250, backlight is working but no text or splash screen is being displayed. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment DCX250 Cause Failure of controller hardware. Resolution Replace DCX250.

Issue Negative values are displaying *** asterisk instead of the value. Product Line TAC Vista Environment XBuilder 1.6 Vista 4 OGC Graphics Cause To display negative values in XBuilder, add a placeholder for the negative value. Resolution In the example of terminal load, the lowest expected negative value is -100. This will require an integer value of 4 in the graphics editor in order to display -100. If you the integer value is set to 3 and the value goes to -100, the display will show *** . This indicates the value is out of range according to the parameters set.

Issue Is IPv6 supported with Continuum Netcontrollers? Environment BCX 4040 BCX 9640 9680 ACX57xx Cause IPv6 compatibility with Continuum Netcontrollers Resolution As of today, 3/21/2013, Continuum controllers do not support IPv6. There are no plans at this time to implement IPv6 into Continuum controllers.

Issue Are the Universal Inputs (UI) common isolated from the Analog Outputs (AO) common on the MNL-800? Environment MNL-800 Cause N/A Resolution No, the commons for the MNL-800 Universal Inputs and Analog Outputs are not isolated from each other. 

Issue When a program in the source controller keeps setting a point's value to the same value (i.e. set MyPoint = On) every scan, the point's value is being transferred to the destination controller even if the point is subscribed in the Import/Export table. Environment Infinet controllers ( i1 & i2 ) Net controllers ( CX9xxx & ACX57xx) Cause When the value of the source point is changed, it is transferred to the destination Infinet controller(s) by the IE engine.  But when the source point's value is set to the same value (most likely output and numeric points set by calculation programs in the same controller), the IE engine still transfers the same value to the destination controller, in order to have the destination controller get the value that might have been lost due to the controller being offline.  This does not happen to Input points due to the threshold attribute of the object.  Resolution Modify the calculation program in the source controller to compare its value with the previous value before setting the value to the calculation (or condition check) result.

Issue Can more than one MS41-7153 actuator be paralleled when being driven by a MNB series controller? Environment MNB series controller Several MS41-7153 actuators controlled by a common signal. Cause Series of parallel dampers are to be controlled by the same control signal. Resolution Yes several MS41-7153 actuators can be driven by the analog output from a MNB series controller. There are two acceptable methods of providing parallel control. 1. Control the first actuator using either the voltage output or current output from the controller and cascade control from the feedback AO of one actuator into the AI of the next actuator.  The AO of the last actuator should be routed back to the controller to provide feedback confirmation of the damper operation.  In this way should any damper fail, the feedback will indicate that one (or more) of the actuators did not drive to the desired position.  Using this method there is theoretically no limit to the number of actuators that could be driven from one controller AO output.  When controlling a series of actuators in this manner, you must make sure that the power to the actuators are phased correctly, especially if using more than one transformer.   2. Alternate method for use with four or less actuators.  Up to four actuators may be driven using the 4-20 ma drive from the controller.  The 500 ohm resistor should be connected across the actuator wired closest to the controller.  When using this method, and more than two actuators are being parallel controlled, the resistance of the parallel resistor may need to be increased slightly or the drive signal may need to be increased by as much as 2.5% to make up for the parallel resistance effect of the 80 k-ohm input impedance of the actuators.