Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Unable to access the SE8xxx or SER8xxx Room Controller configuration parameters menu - displays an error code. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Expert, Field Devices  Environment SE8xxx and SER8xxx Room controller SE8000 and SER8000 Series Ex. Viconics branding VT8000 Series Cause The PswrdSet parameter sets a protective access password to prevent unauthorized access to the configuration menu parameters. An error code is displayed whenever the password lockout is active and an incorrect password is used. Resolution Contact your region's Customer Care Center for a temporary password. The error code which is unique to that controller will be required by the Customer Care Center to calculate the temporary password.

Issue Alarms with an invalid Source path cannot be removed from ES or AS Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation 3.0 and higher Cause The invalid path prevents alarms from being deleted. In earlier releases of EBO, there was an issue whereby an error could occur in the source path of an alarm if the Automation Server was renamed. Most invalid alarms observed originate from this type of error. Resolution Use Alarms Integrity Check in the following steps.  Automation Servers first, then Enterprise Server, and finally, if installed, Enterprise Central last. See Alarm Cannot be Acknowledged Due to Invalid Paths for additional details.   Expand System, Right-click the Alarm Control Panel,  Choose Advanced - Alarms Integrity Check.   The command runs quickly. There is no confirmation that the check has run, but a review of the alarms will show that the invalid alarms have been removed.

Issue The system memory usage for an Automation Server slowly increases over time and finally the AS restarts with a system alarm "Server restarted because of low memory"  System memory usage for the AS (In this case an AS-B): Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Automation Server Premium (AS-P) Building Operation Automation Server Bundled (AS-B) Building Operation Automation Server (AS) Cause One reason for this issue to occur is that two Enterprise Servers (ES) are running with the same database and are connected to the AS at the same time. This is not a common scenario but can happen by mistake if for example an old computer with an ES installed is switch on. The ES runs as a service and can be running in the background on the computer with no one noticing it.  Resolution Stop the Enterprise Server that is started by mistake.

Issue Upgrading from EBO 2.0.x to 3.0.x causes I/NET to become incompatible. After upgrading to 3.x the I/NET controllers do not come online. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC INET Environment EcoStruxure Building Operation (version 3.0.1 and later) I/NET Seven Software (version 2.44 and above) Cause I/NET Seven Software is built using a 32-bit interface. Starting with EBO 3.0.1, EcoStruxure requires the use of a 64-bit interface. Resolution For INET seven to operate with EcoStruxure Building Operation 3.0.1 it is necessary to obtain a 64-bit DLL from the Exchange and install it in the INET installation prior to the upgrade. Search for INET IPortAPI64 - Software on Exchange.  Download the IPortAPI64_EBO.dll. Unzip the DLL and copy the DLL to the same folder as the 32bit INET install, by default this will be C:\Program Files (x86)\INET Seven folder. Note: if INET was installed in a different folder this can be found by examining the Windows registry key ”INETSevenPath” at HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\CSI - Control Systems International\I/Net 2000/Configurations. Install EcoStruxure Building Operation 3.0.1 When the ES restarts the InetPlugIn will connect to InetIoSrv via the 64-bit IPortAPI64_EBO.dll.

Issue Information concerning Linux releases used within the Automation Server.   Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Linux Operating System (OS) Building Operation Automation Server Building Operation Automation Server Premium Cause Questions concerning Linux releases used within the Automation Server. Resolution AS versions to 1.4.1 run Linux kernel 2.6.25.1 AS versions 1.5 to 2.0.2 run Linux kernel 3.0.101 AS-P versions 1.7 to 2.0.2 run Linux kernel 3.5.0-lsp-3.3.1 For questions concerning what type of Linux...i.e. Red Hat, Ubuntu, openSUSE - There is no linux distribution in the automation server just vanilla linux kernel. For further reading, download some documentation about the kernel from their website www.kernel.org  

Issue SE(R)8000 series short and long messages Product Line EcoStruxure Building Expert, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment SE8000 Series Room Controllers SER8000 Series Room Controllers Ex. Viconics branding VT8000 Series EcoStruxure Building Operation Cause Configuration of the SE(R)8000 series short and long messages Resolution The short and long messages are set via BACnet. Take note that the short and long messages do not hold when power to the SE8000 is turned off. This is because currently, the messages are stored in RAM. The workaround is to change the name (from the AS) and back again then save to get it to display on the unit again. Below is the procedure to change the short and long messages in EcoStruxure Building Operation. Short Message: The Short Message can be written to the SE8000 room controller by populating the "Location" Property with the message   Long Message: The Long Message can be written to the SE8000 room controller by populating the "Description" Property with the message The message however will not get displayed until the "Display Long Screen Message" has been activated. Optional: you can also choose the color of the long message background by changing the "Long Message Background Color".     Discrepancy on the text written to the device, and the text shown on the device In some cases when using non-English characters in the messages, the text on the SE8000 will not be rendered as expected. The issue is caused by SE8300 not conforming to BACnet standard in string encoding and decoding. The workaround is to set "BACnet string encoding" property of the device to "ISO 8859-1(Latin-1)", or other encoding the device supports. SE8300 claims to support BACnet protocol revision 10, which requires the conforming device to interpret Character Set 0 as UTF-8 string. In 1.9, SBO started to write to devices using Character Set 0 for unicode strings, but the SE8300 fails to decode it. Setting the "BACnet string encoding" to Latin-1 for the devices fixes the problem. 

Issue We cannot get a SE8000 / SE7000 Room Controller’s occupancy command to follow the MPM’s schedule.   The controller’s display always displays unoccupied even when the schedule is set to occupied.    Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, EcoStruxure Building Expert Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Automation Server SSL SE8000 SSL SE7000 SSL MPM Cause When the MPM's scheduler is in "unoccupied" mode (outside business hours), the default value is 0. However, that does not match any of the values of the "Occupancy cmd" parameter in the Room Controller Resolution The "Default Value" in the MPM's Scheduler object SCH1 must be changed to "3" to match the unoccupied value in the Room Controller. The Occupancy command point for each Room controller must also be ticked in the points list in the Scheduler object For SE8000 PIR ready models, set the "Occupancy src" (Occupancy Source) parameter to "Motion" The SE8000 /SE7000 Room Controller will now follow the MPM’s schedule.

Issue When editing a Script program, it seems that the Script editor is opening and the Script editor icon is shown in the task bar, but the editor is not visible Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Script editor Cause At some point, the Script editor has been opened on a secondary monitor connected to the PC. The last location of the editor is saved in a setting file, and when opening the editor at a later stage not having the secondary monitor, the editor will open outside the visible area. Resolution With a text editor, edit the user.settings file located in: %appdata%\Schneider Electric StruxureWare\Script Editor\1.6.1.5000 (In this case it's for version 1.6.1.5000) In the top, locate the entry "Left" and change what ever value is written to 0 In the top, locate the entry "Top" and change what ever value is written to 0 Save the file

Issue Will a TAC Xenta 28x, 30x, 401 controllers do time synchronization in the Lon network? Product Line TAC Vista Environment Xenta 401 Xenta 281/282 Xenta 301/302 Cause The TAC Vista server will synchronize the time of all of the TAC Xenta controllers in the Vista database every 10 minutes by default but the time can be changed by a value greater than the Delta time setup in the Vista database and an update forced. Resolution The TAC Xenta group master will send out the time to all TAC Xenta devices in the group once a day and this time interval cannot be changed. If the time in the TAC Xenta Master is changed for example by the OP-panel it will send out the time to all TAC Xenta devices in its network.

Issue Troubleshoot an NPR problem with Windows Telnet utility. Product Line TAC INET Environment I/NET Seven with NPR Cause NPR problem for a variety of reason and how to use Windows Telnet utility Resolution Please use the attached link. Warning: Read First, then call Product Support with questions. This utility can cause system communication issues when improperly used. NetPlus Routers.doc

Issue USB LON adapter from Echelon (PS3 Part Number:ECH-75010R) is not recognized by Workplace Tech. Environment USB LON adapter (ECH-75010R) Workplace Tech Cause The ldv32.dll file (Open LDV driver) loaded with Workplace Tech (located in C:\Program Files\WorkplaceTech directory) is an older version of the driver and it does not support USB interfaces. Resolution Download the latest version of the LDV driver (153-0212-01A_OpenLDV340.exe) The latest version of the LDV driver can be downloaded from the Echelon website (www.echelon.com) and it contains support for USB devices. In order to download from Echelon’s website, a (free) user account is required. Once it is created, proceed to “Recommended Downloads” and the LDV driver will be listed (towards the bottom) as "OpenLDV 3.4 Network Drivers for Windows Vista/XP/2000/Server 2003 (includes drivers for i.LON 10/100/600 RNI, PCLTA-20/21, PCC-10, and U10/20". The LDV driver is also posted on The Exchange Download Center. Install the new LDV driver Copy the ldv32.dll file from the C:\lonworks\bin directory, and paste it into the C:\ProgramFiles\WorkplaceTech directory. This driver is required for Workplace Tech version 5.6 or earlier. After installing the driver, Workplace Tech will now recognize the USB adapter.

Issue The device is applicationless, or is not associated with a program record. (Subsystem:  NS, #5) The target device does not have a valid application loaded. To correct this problem, right-click on the device and select the "Load" option. Then, if necessary, repeat this operation. The device was discovered to be applicationless, or not associated with a program. If you encounter this error, load the application into the device. For host-based nodes, ensure that the host application is running Product Line Other, TAC Vista Environment LNS LonMaker Vista NL220 Cause Interrupting a download can cause the download to fail and render the controller applicationless.  Also, a corrupt Menta file can sometimes successfully download, but cause the controller to go into an applicationless state. Resolution An application must be downloaded through Menta while directly connected to the controller through the RS-232 serial port.  A blank Menta file with just one PVR is sufficient to restore an application to the controller and allow it to be downloaded; however, downloading the actual Menta file is better because it can expose parsing errors in the Menta file that need to be fixed before downloading it through the System Plug-in again. In some cases, an attempt to direct download can not establish communications to the controller and "timeout". In this event, download a new .mot file to the system using the Download Wizard. Instructions are located in Instructions on how to download an .MOT file into a Xenta Programmable controller. If the Download Wizard  is not able to establish communications with the device, the program should first be cleared using a Xenta Hardware Reset Tool. You can make one by following the instructions located in Xenta Controller Will Not Download / How to Clear the Xenta Application. If the Xenta firmware is older than 3.61, the method to clear the Xenta application is to power cycle the controller 10 consecutive times.

Issue Part number for remote switch unit for DC1100 or DC1400 Environment DC1100 And DC1400 Cause Obsolete Resolution Refer to datasheet for wiring instructions

Issue Need sample Plain English code that creates custom web page(s) served by the controller. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment CyberStation CX99xx CX9702 CX9640 CX968x ACX57xx Cause Continuum CX controllers allow user created custom web pages to be served directly from the controller's web server, this functionality requires embedding HTML in a PE program. The purpose of this article is to provide sample custom web pages for illustration. Resolution Get the sample code from the links below Home.txt  Home2.txt Home3.txt IMPORTANT: Some strange characters (i.e. 　) added to the code during upload to this site MUST be removed to make the code compile. Read the instructions on the document below Instructions for using sample code to create a custom web page menu system in the CX controller

Issue What virtual environments are supported for use with Security Expert? Product Line Security Expert Environment Security Expert Microsoft SQL Server Cause Which specific virtualization software has been qualified to work with Security Expert? Resolution No specific virtualization software has been qualified with Security Expert. The Security Expert Compatibility Matrix describes support for Virtual Environments as the following.   The Security Expert server is supported on Virtual Server Environments. However, Schneider Electric reserves the right to request customer replication of any errors in a non-virtual environment. When installing under virtual server environments special care must be taken to ensure that the system requirements are met by the virtualized hardware. The VM must be carefully reviewed with regard to resource and performance before completing any installation.

Issue How to interface OTIS Elevator HLI with Security Expert. Product Line Security Expert Environment Security Expert v4.2.194.7 or higher SX-ELV-HLI-OT license to enable the integration OTIS OTIS Compass V2 OTIS OTIS Compass V3 Cause Information required on how to interface OTIS Elevator HLI with Security Expert. Resolution Requirements Security Expert (v4.2.194.7 or higher). SX-ELV-HLI-OT license to enable the integration.   This interface will work with OTIS Compass V2 and OTIS Compass V3. Detailed information on how to configure this integration can be found in the application note below.   Security Expert OTIS HLI Integration

Issue What transport type should be used when setting up an ACX57xx, CX9702, or bCX9640? (UDP TCP Netcontroller) Environment ACX5720 ACX5740 CX9702 bCX9640 Cause What transport type should be used when setting up an ACX57xx, CX9702, or bCX9640? Resolution The definition on the transport type settings from our Technical Reference Guide states that: UDP - This controller will communicate with other controllers and Workstations primarily using the UDP protocol. TCP - This controller will communicate with other controllers and Workstations primarily using the TCP protocol. TCP/UDP - This controller will communicate with other controllers and Workstations primarily using the TCP protocol, but can also speak to controllers and Workstations that communicate primarily using the UDP protocol.   You can set the controller to use either or both transport types for communication with other devices depending on your specific network requirements. UDP is the preferred option for Continuum devices. See the Andover Continuum Network Ports document for details on what specific ports are required. Three things you need to be aware of with this: Make sure that both the transport setting in the device object and the controllers IE configuration webpage are the same. No matter what transport type you choose make sure that any network firewalls are setup to allow packets through on those ports. View this document for some reasons to use Continuum's reliability layer over UDP rather than TCP.

Issue The V321 globe valve is described as a "Mixing valve", but  a diverting application is required. Environment Valves Actuators Diverting application. V321 VTRE Cause The incorrect positioning of the V321 globe valve in the flow pipe work will lead to water hammer. Water hammer can lead to bad vibration and potential damage to the valve and pipe work. Resolution The V321 is a globe valve, and this style of valve must be fitted so that the water flows proportionally across the valve seats. This is achieved when the valve is fitted into the system return pipe work. In the above drawing, it can be seen that the valve is fitted in the system return with its common port (AB) connected directly to the main system. Port A of the valve is connected to the heat load, and port B of the valve is connected to the bypass connection. This means that water will flow through ports A - AB if the valve is open, of ports B - AB if the valve is closed. I must fit my valve in the system flow, what can I do? If the valve must be located in the system flow, then this valve type is not suitable, and a different valve must be chosen. The most logical choice of valve suitable for location in either the flow or return is the VTRE It must be noted that this valve only has a rating of PN6 as opposed to the V321 which is rated PN16. For the VTRE data sheet please click HERE. Suitable actuators for the VTRE are either the M9B or EM9. For the data sheet for the 24 volt / 230 volt M9B click HERE. For the data sheet for the 0-10v DC EM9 click HERE.

Issue Get "Type error: cannot call method "toFixed" of null" error message when opening a TGML graphic, upgraded to Vista 5.1.7   A TGML script has stopped working after upgrading to Vista 5.1.7 Environment TAC Vista Workstation 5.1.7 TGML editor 5.1.7 219 Cause Javascript method toFixed can only be used with numerical values. The TGML engine in TGML 5.1.7 is stricter than the older versions, so an upgraded script may have worked in previous versions. Resolution An example when using convertCustom element. Original script: function convert(value) { value = value.toFixed(2); return value; } should be: function convert(value) { value = Number(value).toFixed(2); return value; }  

Issue How to clear all block programming and set the device EEPROM back to factory-default condition. Environment Network 8000 GCM, LCM, LNC or SIM controller including all 84xxx series, 85xxx series or 86xxx series devices. Cause It is sometimes necessary to manually clear the controller EEPROM. Resolution Clear the controller's EEPROM. This is accomplished by pushing the reset button and the EE CLR button and holding both for at least 20 seconds before releasing. The reset process is complete when the top two red LEDs on the right edge of the controller begin blinking in their normal sequence (second LED blinks twice as fast as top LED). This process will clear the user programmable memory (including all block programming), returning the controller to its original factory condition. The procedure above is excerpted from Technical Bulletin 99-27 , steps 1 and 2.