Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Alarm Viewer at one WS displays only the name of the object in alarm instead of the full path. Environment CyberStation Windows Cause Windows issue Resolution Windows service pack was found to be incorrectly installed or corrupt, re-installing the Windows OS service pack solved the problem.

Issue You are transitioning an I/NET security system to Security Expert The I/NET subLAN must be moved from a 779x controller over to an SP-C Product Line Security Expert, TAC INET Environment I/NET Controller (779x) Security Expert Controller (SP-C) Cause As you transition an I/NET system to Security Expert, you will reach a point where you are ready to start moving your I/NET subLANs over to SP-Cs. Resolution Use the following instructions to connect an I/NET subLAN cable to a Security Expert SP-C. At the I/NET 779x controller, disconnect the subLAN cable. At an SP-C, connect the subLAN cable as follows:       Attach the positive (+) wire to Reader Port 1 pin "D0".       Attach the negative (-) wire to Reader Port 1 pin "D1".                        If you wish to establish a closed-loop subLAN configuration, connect the other end of the subLAN wires to SP-C Reader Port 2 in exactly that same manner as you did at Reader Port 1.

Issue How update monitors work and how to make an alarm on one Environment StruxureWare Building Operation Cause Check if a LON variable is offline/online Resolution When you have a function block program with a nvo you can right click on it and choose "new - mirrored network variable" When this is done a NVI is created at the local node. You can only create an update monitor for nvi's and this is how you do it. Right click on the created nvi and choose "new - update monitor" Double left click on the nvi to see its attributes, it now has a update monitor. Right click on the variable for the nvi and choose " new - alarm " Choose "variable status alarm" Choose the criteria for the alarm and then create, make sure the  "Trigger when variable is offline" is checked You will now get an alarm when the variable gets offline

Issue In the TAC Xenta 151-D, the nvoAlarmStatus handles the test of the dampers, but the translation of the status is not documented Environment TAC Xenta 151-D Cause nvoAlarmStatusis used to report the actual status of the fire damper tests. Resolution nvoAlarmStatus is a SNVT_state with the use of the following bits: nvoAlarmStatus.bit0 = 1   OBJECT1_CLOSE_TIME_TOO_LONG    nvoAlarmStatus.bit1 = 1   OBJECT1_CLOSE_TIME_TOO_SHORT   nvoAlarmStatus.bit2 = 1   OBJECT1_OPEN_TIME_TOO_LONG     nvoAlarmStatus.bit3 = 1   OBJECT1_OPEN_TIME_TOO_SHORT    nvoAlarmStatus.bit4 = 1   OBJECT2_CLOSE_TIME_TOO_LONG    nvoAlarmStatus.bit5 = 1   OBJECT2_CLOSE_TIME_TOO_SHORT   nvoAlarmStatus.bit6 = 1   OBJECT2_OPEN_TIME_TOO_LONG     nvoAlarmStatus.bit7 = 1   OBJECT2_OPEN_TIME_TOO_SHORT    nvoAlarmStatus.bit8 = 1   OBJECT1_SET_CLOSE_TIME_FAILED nvoAlarmStatus.bit9 = 1   OBJECT1_SET_SELFTEST_OK        nvoAlarmStatus.bit10 = 1  OBJECT1_SET_SELFTEST_FAILED    nvoAlarmStatus.bit11 = 1  OBJECT2_SET_CLOSE_TIME_FAILED nvoAlarmStatus.bit12 = 1  OBJECT2_SET_SELFTEST_OK        nvoAlarmStatus.bit13 = 1  OBJECT2_SET_SELFTEST_FAILED     

Issue Unable to delete the default profiles (i.e. Employee) in the Personnel Manager Environment CyberStation Personnel Manager Cause By design the default profiles can be modified but can not be deleted Resolution This is FAD (Function as designed)

Issue An issue has been identified where the holiday schedule dates do not fit in the display windows when using Windows 7. This was reported on Sigma Build 3.42.43. The latest release has been tested and the same issue is present. Environment Sigma Cause Windows 7 Screen setting Resolution This will be reported as a minor fault. There is a workaround for this. The screen needs to be set to windows classic which replicates the Windows XP display windows. To do this: Right-click on the desktop Select "Personalize" Scroll to the bottom windows and select "Windows Classic". This will then change the display and the holiday schedule will display correctly

Issue When you try to insert a new Xenta server into NL220 you receive the error message. Environment NL220 XBuilder Cause Controller Object names are limited to 16 character long. Resolution In X-Builder, under the SNVT folder, rename the Controller object names to less than 16 characters.

Issue Is there a way to reset the Last Daily Archive time and Last Backup Time in an I/A Series R2 station?  System clock was inadvertently set ahead now the daily archive and daily backup processes are not running. Environment I/A Series R2 ES and UNC stations Cause Computer system clock was inadvertently set ahead and not discovered for several days.  After correcting the clock setting, the daily archives and daily backup of the station does not appear to be running.  Both entries "Last Daily Archive" time and "Last Backup Time" show a future date and time Resolution There is no direct procedure for changing these time stamp entries in an I/A Series R2 station however, the time stamp entries can be edited in an XML copy of the station database. The following procedure can be used to reset these date stamp entries in the station database. Open the Admin tool, log into LocalHost, select the running station and use the DB Admin to Save Runtime Db. This updates the current config.db file with any unsaved station information. When the save is complete, stop the running station. Still in the DB Admin screen of the Admin tool, select the server station and perform a convert local from db to xml. Locate the "backups" folder under the r2.301.532 folder then in that folder, locate the folder for the server station you are working on. Rename the backup.zip file in that folder to backup.save.zip. Using a text editor capable of editing very large text files, open the config.xml file for the server station and make the following changes: Search for "<LastBackupTime>" and change the date to a date in the past. Search for "<LastDailyArchive>" and change the date to a date in the past. Search for each occurrence of "<LastArchiveTimestamp>" and change the date to a date in the past. If your editor has the capability of doing a replace all, you might be able to replace a group of these entries all at the same time, especially if you just change the date and ignore the time. Save the edited xml file and close the editor. Save the current config.db file by renaming it with a different extension. Using the DB Admin function of the Admin Tool, convert the station's xml file back to db. Verify that the current computer time is correct. Verify that if there is a time sync service running in the computer, that it is using a reliable time server as its source of time and date. You can now use the Admin Tool to restart the edited server station. Open the server station in WorkPlace Pro, navigate to the TimeSyncService under Services and verify that if "clientEnabled" is True, there are no blank entries for any of the timeProtocolServer slots. All three entries must be filled in, even if you put the same server address or name in more than one of the three slots. The backup and archive functions of the server station should now operate at the specified times.  

Issue For EBO Active Directory (Windows Domain) integration, do EBO support usage of "nested groups"?. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Cause EBO are using Windows API and ask if the user is a member of a certain group.  Resolution Windows API should respond “yes” if the user is part of a group that is part of another group, which is configured in EBO. So this is up to how the Windows AD responds to the Windows API and not on the EBO side.   For more information, please see Integrating Windows Active Directory user accounts with EcoStruxure

Issue Purging Critical Alarms from AMT - with an Event printer configured. Environment I/NET 2000 or I/NET Seven site Cause Purging Critical Alarms from AMT - with an Event printer configured. Resolution In I/NET 2000 or I/NET Seven, you can not purge Critical Alarms from AMT while an event printer is offline. Note: This applies only to Critical Alarms and only if your I/O Server is configured for event printing.

Issue System PC crashed and there are no backup available to restore from, what can be done? Environment All versions of I/NET software. Cause There could be numerous causes for a PC to crash, like power surges, age of the PC and viruses. When this happens, if there are no backups on other media devices, then it will have to be rebuilt from scratch. Resolution To resolve this issue, if the data can be retrieved from the PC then here are a few steps that needs to be followed to get the database in tact: Go to Windows Explorer and look in C/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server Expand that and click on the MSSQL Folder, expand that and go to Data. There are two files that needs to be retrieved, the InetDB.mdf and InetDb_log.LDF files. Copy that on to a media and place on the replacement PC which should already have I/Net installed on it. Shut I/NET, I/O Server and SQL Server down. Repeat steps 1-2, then copy the files from step 3 into the folder after renaming then current ones old. Restart MSSQL Server, I/Net and I/O Server. This should allow the database to be resynched with SQL. If this is not possible and there is no way to retrieve the data then it would have to be rebuilt from scratch.

Issue Xenta controllers are 1 hour ahead of PC  time. All controllers and PC are in the same timezone and have the same daylight offset time. Environment Windows XP Service Pack 1 and 2 Cause Windows daylight times are incorrect for the current dates. The PC time is in normal time not Daylight time even though the update daylight saving automatically is selected. Resolution Install windows update KB955839. This updates the daylight dates in windows. Click here to download this update

Issue What authentication does Sigma ODBC use? Environment ODBC Authentication Cause There is a requirement for two Sigma servers to pass data to a dedicated MS SQL Server 2008 R2 machine. But there are issues with the authentication. Resolution Sigma ODBC does  not support authentication. When configuration the SQL database, NT AUTHORITY/ANONYMOUS must be used, Mixed Mode must not be selected.   The screen shot below shows part of the SQL Server installation process, with Windows Authentication Mode selected.  

Issue Restrict the number of login attempts for a Vista user. Environment Vista Workstation Cause Vista does not have a settings for login attempts. This is normally controlled by Windows and the Windows Domain. Resolution Create a Vista domain user. It is good practice to always log out of Windows when done. The IT department will typically have a set of rules for the domain. One of these will usually set the domain user to 3 login attempts to Windows before the account is locked.

Issue Access Control Application Issues including: Using large number keys Translation tables - when and how Importing and converting existing I/NET 2000 databases Environment Access Control Application Cause Getting started with an access control application. Resolution Detailed information described in: I/NET Getting Started Guide (TCON298 Chapter 1) I/NET Technical Reference Guide (TCON300 Chapter 9) Upgrade.txt file included on I/NET Installation CD.

Issue Can you use the thermistor inputs on a 451 for Digital Inputs? Environment Xenta 451 Cause Thermistors can only be used on B inputs and U inputs, not X inputs.  Resolution The associated software does not allow anything with an X input to report anything but an on/off based on a voltage or no voltage.

Issue Tried to flash uprev the controller.  Continuum indicates "Initializing" but will go no further.  Environment BCX9640 Cause Unknown Resolution Method 1 Upgrade controller firmware using a RoamIO Method 2 Create a test Stand Alone Continuum DB. Bring the problem controller online on the test cyberstation. Flash uprev controller.

Issue Need to place the ADv3 Display remote from any AS-P.  Requires USB connection, as WIFI is not allowed. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment EcoStruxure Building Operation Advanced Display Cause The standard for USB 2.0 provides a maximum cable length of 5 meters (16 ft 5 in). The standard for USB 3.0 provides a practical maximum cable length of 3 meters (9 ft 10 in). Resolution Schneider Electric has only tested with standard cables. It may be possible to find third-party solutions like Active USB cables or bridges. These solutions are not tested, nor supported by Schneider Electric.

Issue Viewing Script time from the editor can show incorrect time Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server, AS, ASP, ASB, AS Classic Building Operation Enterprise Server Building Operation WorkStation Script Program Editor Cause Scripts use Local Server time, but the Clients like Script Editor or WorkStation expecting a server to be UTC. The result is that during Daylight Saving Time, the time seen in the script editor may appear an hour out. Resolution During debugging of Times or Dates or DateTime Values, it is helpful to "Print" the Datetime to a string as this will show actual time being used rather than the Clients interpretation of the time (See script below).The client will take the Server time as UTC and apply offsets to achieve its "Local" time, which can give an incorrect time. The UTCOffset property can be used to correct for time zones but there is no DST(Daylight Saving Time) offset available until v4.0.

Issue Needs a European replacement for a US product. Environment MS61-7203 AV-822 linkage kit TAC Forta Cause Replacing US portfolio product from EU equivalent. Resolution Use the TAC forta actuator that suits the application best. Together with linkage kit AV-622 this will fit most of the valves where the MS61-7203 fits.