Building Automation Knowledge Base

Warning Hazard of Electric Shock: Remove all power from all devices before removing any covers or doors of the system. Disconnect power at the device and at the power source. Electrostatic Discharge Required: Always discharge static electricity from your person by touching metal prior to handling any hardware. Failure to do so may result in damage to devices. 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 for assistance. Issue Installing a Flex server/gateway that supports multiple industrial and building automation protocols (e.g., BACnet IP, BACnet MSTP, Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP/IP, SNMP, OpenThread, and LoRaWAN) at a live site is complex and requires careful planning. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Activate Environment EcoStruxure Building Activate Flex Server EcoStruxure Building Activate Partner Portal Cause Improper installation often leads to degraded performance or unreliable device behavior Resolution Site Survey & Environmental Considerations Physical Location: Choose a secure, climate-controlled, and accessible location (e.g., equipment room or control panel). Install in a locked cabinet or secure room to restrict access. Power Availability: Ensure a dedicated, stable power supply with proper grounding. Use a UPS for critical applications to prevent data loss during outages. Network Infrastructure: Confirm availability of Ethernet ports for BACnet/IP, Modbus TCP/IP, and internet access. Install Ethernet cables in wall cavities or conduits. For cellular networks, monitor data usage and set up alerts to avoid over usage charges. RF Environment (LoRaWAN & OpenThread) LoRaWAN: Conduct a radio-mapping survey to determine optimal gateway placement. Use high placement, clear line-of-sight, and low-loss coaxial cables (e.g., LMR-400). Select appropriate antenna gain (e.g., 6 dBi for urban areas). Consider multiple gateways for redundancy. OpenThread: Identify interference sources (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth in the 2.4 GHz band). Ensure strong signal strength for reliable mesh networking. RS-485 Cabling (BACnet MSTP, Modbus RTU) Cable Type: Use shielded twisted-pair cables (e.g., Belden 3105A). Termination: Install 120-ohm resistors at both ends of the bus. Topology: Use a daisy-chain layout. Avoid star or stub configurations. Length Limits: Follow RS-485 specs (typically up to 1200 meters). Grounding: Maintain a common ground to prevent loops. Polarity: Verify A (+) and B (-) connections. Device Compatibility & Data Mapping Object/Register Mapping: Map BACnet objects, Modbus registers, and SNMP MIBs to internal gateway points. Document data types, scaling factors, and offsets. Device IDs & MAC Addresses: Assign unique IDs for Modbus (1–255) and BACnet MS/TP (1–127). Document all assignments. Adjust network priority if BACnet uses Ethernet and Wi-Fi is used for internet. Baud Rates & Serial Settings: Match baud rate, data bits, stop bits, and parity across all serial devices. Disable unused interfaces to reduce noise and resource usage. Conclusion By following these best practices, you can ensure a successful and reliable Flex server/gateway installation, enabling seamless communication across diverse automation protocols.

Warning Electrostatic Discharge Required: Always discharge static electricity from your person by touching metal prior to handling any hardware. Failure to do so may result in damage to devices.   Issue The panel displays a Process Watchdog Operated condition. This is accompanied by General Trouble. Product Line ESMI Fire Detection. Environment FFSULH1001. FFSULH1002. FFSULH1003. Cause The system has reported a watchdog trouble due to a malfunction in the main processor unit located on the LCD backboard. During this condition, the Watchdog LED will illuminate. Resolution Locate the LCD backboard: On the back side of the LCD board, find the reset switch (red-circled area in the reference photo). Reset the watchdog condition: Press and release the reset switch to reset the watchdog condition. Observe system behavior: If the system recovers to normal operation, no further action is needed. If the watchdog trouble persists, proceed to replace the LCD main processor board.

Warning Hazard of Electric Shock: Remove all power from all devices before removing any covers or doors of the system. Disconnect power at the device and at the power source. Electrostatic Discharge Required: Always discharge static electricity from your person by touching metal prior to handling any hardware. Failure to do so may result in damage to devices. 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 for assistance. Issue When the Flex Server/Gateway is unable to connect to the internet, it's important to verify the network priority settings to understand how the device attempts to connect to the cloud. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Activate Environment EcoStruxure Building Activate Flex Server EcoStruxure Building Activate Partner Portal Cause The Flex Server/Gateway is not designed for direct exposure to public networks. Improper network priority settings may cause the device to go offline when connected to the internet. Resolution The Flex Server/Gateway supports multiple internet connectivity options: Cellular (GSM): Supports two SIM cards for redundancy. Ethernet Wi-Fi (via Wi-Fi receiver) USB Tethering (via the top USB port, usb0, for troubleshooting) Learn more about USB tethering: USB Tethering for Flex Server   Connectivity Priority (Default Order) USB Tethering (usb0) Cellular (GSM) Ethernet Wi-Fi Note: If GSM fails and Ethernet is connected, the server will automatically switch to Ethernet. If both GSM and Ethernet are unavailable, it will switch to Wi-Fi (if configured). SIM Card Failover If one SIM card loses internet connectivity, the server automatically switches to the second SIM after a few minutes.   Best Practices Install the server in a secure location to prevent tampering (e.g., unplugging Ethernet or removing LTE antenna). Avoid direct exposure to public internet to maintain security and stability.

Issue After performing server upgrades using Device Administrator, attempts to download the database fail. The server remains in a "Ready for download" state, which cannot be cleared.   Device Administrator Download Fail error Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Device Administrator Building Operation Automation Server Premium Building Operation Automation Server Bundled Building Operation Automation Server. Building Operation 2023 (version 5) and above Cause This happens when a Consolidation Point (CP) or Hotfix has been applied. These updates do not include server packages in Device Administrator, causing download failures during post-hotfix upgrades.  DFU upgrades and base version upgrades of the installed Device Administrator still function as expected. Resolution This issue is cosmetic and does not impact server functionality, there’s no operational need to upgrade servers after applying a hotfix or CP. However, to clear the persistent "Ready for download" state: Navigate to: C:\ProgramData\Schneider Electric EcoStruxure\Building Operation x.0\Device Administrator Locate the folder: Find the folder named tmp[SerialNumber] (e.g., tmpSM22111234) that correlates to the server(s) showing the state "Ready for download" Delete all files inside that folder. Restart Device Administrator if it’s open. This will clear the "Ready for download" status.  

Issue Clarification needed on whether AC-1A door modules are supported in Security Expert. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment SP-AC1 Controller Andover Continuum door modules: AC-1 AC-1 Plus AC-1A Cause The AC-1A door module is not explicitly listed in the Continuum Transition documentation, leading to uncertainty about its compatibility. Resolution Although the AC-1A door module is not specifically mentioned in the documentation, it is supported by the Continuum Transition Tool. This means it can be used with Security Expert when transitioning from a Continuum system.   For detailed transition steps, refer to the Continuum Transition documentation available on the Schneider Electric Exchange portal.

Issue The “User Last Active” field does not update when users access controlled elevators using their access cards. As a result, users who primarily use elevators are incorrectly marked as inactive and automatically disabled after 90 days, despite regular use. Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Elevator integrations (e.g., OTIS, low-level relay) User inactivity policies (e.g., auto-disable after 90 days) Cause The “User Last Active” feature is designed to track access events at doors or keypads. When a reader expander is configured in elevator mode, the system does not associate elevator access with standard access events. Therefore, elevator usage does not update the “User Last Active” timestamp. Note: The current documentation does not clearly state that elevator access is excluded from this feature. It only references doors and keypads, which may lead to confusion. Resolution If tracking elevator access as part of user activity is required, we recommend submitting a feature request through your local Solution Category Management team. This ensures the request is formally reviewed and prioritized for future development.   Workaround: Create a Report of Disabled Users Open the User Report. Add a filter: Disable User equals Yes disabled user filter Save the report layout for future use. For detailed steps on applying filters in reports, refer to the Security Expert Community Post Security Expert User Reports.

Issue After enabling Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Compliance in Windows Security settings, the following issues are observed in Device Administrator:  Cannot export server list Error: "The server list could not be exported." Reason: The file could not be encrypted. "The server list could not be exported." Reason: The file could not be encrypted Cannot export root certificate with private key Error: "Export of CA root certificate failed: Could not encrypt the certificate." Export of CA root certificate failed: Could not encrypt the certificate. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Device Administrator FIPS compliance Cause Device Administrator is not FIPS compliant. Enabling FIPS mode in Windows enforces the use of FIPS-compliant cryptographic algorithms across all applications. This can lead to failures in applications that do not support these standards. Resolution To work around this issue: Temporarily disable FIPS on the affected PC or Use another PC where FIPS is not enabled to perform the export operations.