Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Unexplained network and communication errors IT department may have set up IP blocking or set up IP switches incorrectly or there may be an issue with the Continuum setup Product Line Andover Continuum Environment IP network Cause Problems in the IP network, port blocking or incorrectly setup in IP switches IT departments may say their system is set up correctly, but this may need to be tested. Resolution See Router required open port numbers to run a Continuum system for IP port requirements See Continuum Controllers and IP Managed switches for other IP switch settings Get all the problematic equipment connect to a simple non managed IP switch (this will probably involve temporarily moving PCs and/or controllers) Disconnect from the site IP switches if possible (this may not be possible, depending on the site setup, eg. SQL server may be in a server room) PC and Controller settings (IP address, subnet mask, default router) may also need to be temporarily modified depending on the original site set up. Test the system with this temporary setup, if all is ok then the problem lies with the site IP network, if the problem persist then  look at the Continuum setup (Cyberstation install, database, operating systems, hardware issues)

Issue Many customers still have a requirement to run Lonmaker 3.13, but have project specific issues related to software fixes in newer version of LNS Server, and an LNS Server upgrade is required. Product Line TAC Vista Environment Echelon Lonmaker LNS Cause Older versions of Lonmaker 3.1 and LNS server had multiple defects that were addressed in later version of Lonmaker Turbo and LNS Server Turbo. However, it is possibly to run Lonmaker 3.1 and only upgrade the LNS server engine to take advantage of software fixes over time. Resolution NOTE: Any LNS Server version older than 3.10 needs to first be upgraded to 3.2x before 3.2x service packs can be installed. Also, please take into consideration that after upgrading the LNS Server on a system that any other system that needs to open that same database will have to be at the same version or higher. For example: a database upgraded to 3.27 can not be opened on the machine running 3.08.   Please follow these steps for upgrading LNS server to 3.22 and finally up to 3.27: Identify what version of Lonmaker and LNS server are currently running on the system. Please see How to determine what version of LonMaker and LNS Server on a computer for instructions on how to find the current version of Lonmaker and LNS Server currently running. As seen in the screen shot below the system is running Lonmaker 3.13.10 with LNS Server version 3.08. Download LNS Server 3.22. Once this file is downloaded please unzip all of the contents to the desktop of the local machine. Run setup.exe from the extracted files in the LNS Server 3.22.zip, and step through the installation process. Once the installation of 3.22 is complete please reboot the machine. After the machine has rebooted please verify that the system is now running LNS Server 3.22. Using How to determine what version of LonMaker and LNS Server on a computer for instructions on how to find the current version of Lonmaker and LNS server the system should now show LNS Server version 3.22 like below: Now that the system is upgraded from LNS Server 3.08 to 3.22, service pack 7 should be installed to upgrade the system to LNS Server 3.27. Please download LNS Server/Turbo edition Service Pack 7 file to your local machine. Unzip the contents of the LNSServerTurboSp7.zip to the desktop of the local machine, and run the LNSturboServerSp7.exe file. Step through the installation process. When the installation is completed please reboot the machine. After the machine has rebooted please verify that the system is now running LNS Server 3.27. Using How to determine what version of LonMaker and LNS Server on a computer for instructions on how to find the current version of Lonmaker and LNS server the system should now show LNS Server version 3.27 like below:

Issue When using SigmaX as the method to unlock sigma sometimes the PC ID of the machine running the server can change and prevent any clients from connecting Environment Sigma - All Versions Cause When using SigmaX to unlock Sigma due to the number of network ports now available on modern PC's sometimes when connecting to sigma the Pc ID of the machine can change. This is usually caused by a different network port being used for the main network connection. Resolution After installing SigmaX make sure that the PC is being connected via the local area connection (Wired). This will be used when generating the PC ID. To ensure this connection is used this connection can be made to be the first to be accessed. To do this open Control Panel>Network Connections>Advanced>Advanced Settings. Using the up/down arrows on the right hand side, select the Local Area Connection and move it to the top of the list. It will then be the 1st priority when connecting to a network. You should then be able to use a wireless connection without the PC ID changing.

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 for assistance. Issue Alarms cannot be sent to recipient CyberStation (Workstation) when controller has lost the link to the CyberStation in regard to the alarmed point in Import/Export table. The new alarm shows up in Active Alarm View only after the CyberStation is rebooted Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Workstation, CyberStation NetController (CX99xx, CX96xx) Cause Import/Export table in the NetController does not have the link to the workstation for the alarmed point. Resolution Backup current DB. Shutdown Continuum from all the CyberStations. Execute ImpExpFixupUtil.exe from Continuum install folder (C:\Program Files\Continuum). Reload all the NetController with the "Do not reload attached objects" option.

Issue Without knowing the Device ID / Device Instance these devices cannot add to the MSTP network in the AS or ES. Product Line Andover Continuum, EcoStruxure Building Expert, EcoStruxure Building Operation, Field Devices Environment Automation Server Enterprise Server BACnet SE7000 Cause Only the MAC ID / Com Address is shown in the display but not the Device ID / Device Instance. Resolution SE7200x Models Default Device ID is set to: 72000 + MAC Where MAC is the current MAC address of the device. The device ID will also be upgraded as soon as there is a change to the device’s MAC. For example, when a SE7200F5045B controller with a MAC address of 41 is connected to a network, its default Device Name will be SE7200F5x45B-41 and its default Device ID will be 72041. SE73xxx Models Default Device ID is set to: 73000 + MAC Where MAC is the current MAC address of the device. The device ID will also be upgraded as soon as there is a change to the device’s MAC. For example, when a SE7300C5045B controller with a MAC address of 63 is connected to a network, its default Device Name will be SE7300C5x45B-63 and its default Device ID will be 73063. Click here for the Integration Manual. Please refer to the SE7300 series BACnet controller does not come online in StruxureWare Building Operation if SE7300 controller does not come online.

Issue In the event of a lost or broken connection between the Vista Server and SQL server, the Vista Server will begin to queue up its events and log values in the $queues\insertevents and $queues\insertlogvalues directories. Once your connection has been re-established those queued files will then be written to the Vista DB, however this process can take an extremely long time,  and possibly cause the Vista server to hang at start up and even crash.  Product Line TAC Vista Environment Vista 4.3.0 or higher with SQL  Cause Broken SQL connection between Vista and local or remote SQL server. Resolution If you are not in the need to this queued event and log data you can manually delete all of these queued files. Opening this directory with Windows, highlighting all files and deleting them usually does not work, because of the enormous amount of files that may be stored in their respective directories. The best way to delete these files is to use DOS. Remember stopping both TAC Vista Server and the DSS Writer service before deleting the files.   Method 1: The proper steps to delete these files with DOS using the "rmdir" command are: Click Start > Run Type "cmd" and press enter Use the DOS command "cd.." followed by enter to navigate up one folder in the hierarchy.  Repeat this command until the prompt is at the root directory and shows C:\> Use the DOS command "cd " to navigate to the Vista database folder location and the $queues folders.  For example: C:\>cd Projects C:\Projects>cd School C:\Projects\School>cd VistaDB C:\Projects\School\VistaDB>cd $queues Type "rmdir /S /Q insertevents" - all files and folders including the "insertevents" folder will be deleted Use the cd.. and cd commands to navigate up one folder and back down into the insertlogvalues folder C:\Projects\School\VistaDB\$queues\insertlogvalues> Repeat step 5.   Method 2: The proper steps to delete these files with DOS using the "del" command are: Click Start > Run Type "cmd" and press enter Use the DOS command "cd.." followed by enter to navigate up one folder in the hierarchy.  Repeat this command until the prompt is at the root directory and shows C:\> Use the DOS command "cd " to navigate to the Vista database folder location and the $queues folders.  For example: C:\>cd Projects C:\Projects>cd School C:\Projects\School>cd VistaDB C:\Projects\School\VistaDB>cd $queues C:\Projects\School\VistaDB\$queues>cd insertevents C:\Projects\School\VistaDB\$queues\insertevents> Type "del *.*" and then "Y" to confirm that all files on that directory will be deleted. C:\Projects\School\VistaDB\$queues\insertevents>del *.* C:\Projects\School\VistaDB\$queues\insertevents\*.*, Are you sure (Y/N)? y Use the cd.. and cd commands to navigate up one folder and back down into the insertlogvalues folder C:\Projects\School\VistaDB\$queues\insertlogvalues> Repeat step 5. Now both of these directories should be emptied and if your SQL connection issue has been rectified your events and logs will write as normal to SQL.     Alternatively, this utility will split the queued files into folders of 4,000 files each.  Windows can handle each of these folders and make the task of deleting the queued files more manageable.  Click the screen capture below to download the utility.  

Issue Converting I/NET Symbol Libraries to TGML Components Environment I/NET TGML Graphics Converter Cause Many users want to continue using the same graphic libraries they had in I/NET while in StruxureWare. The TGML conversion tool, will convert these libraries to TGML components. Resolution From Either I/NET or StruxureWare Workstation, open the I/NET graphics Conversion tool Select the Symbols check box on the right hand column Browse to the source and destination folders Select the files you wish to convert. Click Convert In Windows Explorer Browse to the destination folder. You can double click on each component to automatically add it to your "My Components" Component Library. NOTE: Be sure the TGML Editor is closed while you do this. Once you have finished this, open the TGML Editor and note that your My Components Library is now full. If desired, you can change the name of this library for sorting purposes or future exporting.

Issue There is no built-in Credential Type for the HID 37-Bit badge with no site code (H10302). Product Line Security Expert Environment Security Expert Server Access Card Format Cause Security Expert does not have the HID 37-Bit badge (H10302) with no site code as a built-in available Credential Type. Resolution 1) In the Security Expert Client, select Sites -> Credential Types 2) Create a new Credential Type with a name of your choosing. 3) Under Configuration, select the Format as Wiegand. 4) In the field labeled Wiegand or TLV Format, enter the following exactly as written:                                                        A,FACILITY,0,MSB,BIN__B,CARD,35,MSB,BIN__PBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBP_EXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.................._..................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXO 5) Save   NOTE: This article assumes that the reader is familiar with creating and deploying Custom Credentials, If this is not the case, then please reference the Complex Transition Programming section of the Transitioning Continuum Sites to Security Expert - Transition Guide

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 When running the stored procedure sp_changedbowner to change the dbowner to "andover97", the following error message is received: "The proposed new database owner is already a user or aliased in the database". Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (Keywords: drop user ) Cause The Andover97 user already has access to the database through an existing alias or security account within the database. This can occur when the DB is not restored properly to the SQL server. The database may have been detached and then attached again, which is not the preferred method of restoring a ContinuumDB. Resolution Under the ContinuumDB there is a "security" and then "users" folder. Check to see if the Andover97 user is in this folder. Continuum does not put this user in this folder. If it is there, then it will need to be dropped from the database before trying to change the dbowner. Do the following: Do a complete full backup of your ContinuumDB. Run the following SQL script to drop the user from the ContinuumDB. USE [ContinuumDB] GO DROP USER [Andover97] GO Re-run the stored procedure to change the db owner below. USE [ContinuumDB] GO sp_changedbowner 'andover97' GO To minimize the chance of this occurring again, the correct procedure for moving or restoring a Continuum database is to do the following: Create a new ContinuumDB with Continuum's Database Initialization. This creates the DB, SQL jobs, stored procedures, adds Andover97 as an admin and a lot of behind the scenes security settings. Restore a previous backup over top of the ContinuumDB created in step 1. Change the db owner with the above query using the sp_changedbowner stored procedure. Re-initialize the Cyberstation into the Database using Continuum's Database Initialization.

Issue Room controller shows up in the Discovery (Bind) window but will not go online after clicking on “Bind device”. Status in the ZVC object shows “offline (-2)” error. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, EcoStruxure Building Expert Environment Building Operation Workstation Building Operation Automation Server SSL SE8000 SSL SE7000 Cause An invalid value is being overwritten continuously to a local point (to the Room Controller) by a dashboard widget or a third-party device(e.g. via Bacnet). Resolution The invalid value must be corrected before proceeding with the binding process. Example: A value of 0 is being written to the Occupancy command point which only take values of ([1 = Local Occupancy], [2 = Occupied] or [3 = Unoccupied]). The write and read traffic generated prevents other room controllers from joining the network.

Issue Daylight Savings time changed in the U.S. and methods are needed to synchronize time Environment Continuum Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause Methods for synchronizing controller time Resolution The following document was email out when Daylight Savings changed in the U.S. and contains 2 methods for synchronizing time Click Here to download the pdf document.

Issue When trying to launch the Energy Expert Integration Utility (formerly the Power Manger Integration Utility) the following error is given. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Energy Expert Power Manager for SmartStruxure Integration Utility Cause This error message can be the result of different causes. Check the IntegrationUtility.log file found in the same location as the Integration Utility for more information.  Example of Integration Utility Log error: ERROR: Microsoft.Practices.Unity.ResolutionFailedException: Resolution of the dependency failed, type = "IntegrationUtility.Shell", name = "(none)". Exception occurred while: Calling constructor IntegrationUtility.Pme.Services.PmeUserDataStore(). Exception is: ConfigurationProviderException - Could not locate a connection string provider. Resolution NOTE: If you have already downloaded the software, you must first delete the folder you unzipped before doing the process below.  Unblock the Zip file The first thing that MUST be done after downloading the Power Manager software from the Exchange is to unblock the zip file. Right click on the zip file and select Properties. Under the General tab, towards the bottom click Unblock. Click Apply and close the properties window.  You can now unzip the software and use it as normal.  Compatible .Net Framework Versions Different versions of the Power Manager / Energy Expert Integration Utility require certain versions of Microsoft .Net Framework. Note: Having multiple versions of .Net Framework installed may cause issues.    Pease refer to the Energy Expert Compatibility Matrix for further detail.

Issue How to change the path of the points bound to for all bindings of a TMGL or OGC graphic simultaneously using the Change References command. Environment Vista Workstation TGML Graphic Cause There are many reasons why binding paths would need to be updated.  The network structure could have changed/been renamed.  Or it may be that a graphic has been copied, pasted, and renamed (say AHU1 to AHU2) and now all the points need to be redirected to another unit. Resolution Right-click on a graphic or a folder of graphics in the Folders pane of Vista Workstation, choose "Change References..." In the Change References window, hit the "Search" button.  This will populate all bindings and links in the graphics folder. There is no way to list just the bindings of a single graphic. The full folder is always displayed. Highlight the graphics points that need to be updated -- it is usually best to click on the "Name" header to sort the bindings by graphics pages. Then just one graphic page's links can be highlighted to edit. Hit the "Replace" button. Enter the "Search for:" and "Replace with:" strings.  It is often a good idea to include as many common characters as possible to prevent accidentally destroying bindings. Example:  Instead of search for "AHU1" and replace with "AHU2", search for "-LNS-AHU1-" and replace with "-LNS-AHU2-" If the desired string was found, the "New" column will now be populated with the new path.  Review the newly formed path to ensure no mistakes were made. When verified, commit the changes to the database by pressing the "Save" button at the bottom of the window.  References have been changed in the database.

Issue Moving from SBO 1.9 to EBO 2.0 and above does not allow the Tech Tool to be used on SmartX Displays. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment EBO 2.0 Cause The SmartX Display Tech Tool is being discontinued in EBO 2.0 in favour of a completely overhauled Webstation which is now designed for use on Tablets and Smart Phones as well as PCs. Resolution Tablet used here is the T580 First of all, the tablet itself will need to be brought up to Android OS 7 minimum (OS 8 works as well). Depending on how long it has been since the tablet was last connected online, the Android OS may require a number of updates before it reaches Android OS 7. Most importantly, when finished the tablet must have a firmware number ending with T580XXU2BQL1 or above.  (E.g. T580XXU2BQI9 is lower than T580XXU2BQL1). If for some reason this is not the case then please manually update the software instead. Next contact the Schneider Electric Global Expert Support Team, to obtain the latest versions of SmartX Kiosk and AD-Link application. One visible change in the Kiosk is that it now includes a Chrome shortcut as standard. The AD-Link is still required to establish the connection between the Tablet and the SmartX Server over USB using IP address 192.168.42.116. It is only the Tech Tool itself, that is discontinued. Once the AD-Link has been opened and connected, Chrome can then be used to connect to the SmartX Server using the same 192.168.42.116 Address. Successful logon can then be achieved using the same Username and Password as the Tech Tool. The new and improved Webstation interface can be accessed that is optimised for Tablet and Smart Phone screens In some cases, the customer may not want Chrome's open browser interface and may instead wish to lock down the appearance of the browser to be closer to that of the older Tech Tool. If this is the case, please refer to 'Locking Down' Chrome and Webstation in EBO 2.0 for SmartX Displays.

Issue What are the basics steps when setting up the Engage Mobile application to use it for the first time? Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation Room Controller (RPC) Cause The Engage mobile application enables control of room temperature, fan speed, lights, and blinds/shades directly from a smartphone. A user can manage these settings when the application is connected to the RP-C controller. Resolution Below are the basic steps when setting up the Engage Mobile application to use it for the first time:  First create and configure the Occupant App Menu object. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled for the RP-C. Download the Engage mobile application and connect to the RP-C Available on App Store and Google Play To see details for every step please see video:  

Issue The outputs of three kitControl objects - Maximum, Minimum, and Average - will all go to Nan if any of its inputs are Nan. Product Line TAC IA Series Environment I/A Series G3 (Niagara) station Cause The internal logic of these blocks is set to pass Nan through if all inputs are not valid for comparison. Resolution There are two potential work-arounds: Pass the inputs through some intermediate logic to ensure that a Nan value is never passed to the Minimum, Maximum, or Average blocks. Null values are valid and will allow the internal logic of the block to proceed. Use the MinMaxAvg block instead. It is located in the kitControl > Util folder. The internal logic of this block will ignore Nan inputs.

Issue When EcoStruxure Building Operation (EBO) is installed after TAC Vista on the same PC, changes to the national character set in the OP Configuration Tool in Menta cause an error preventing the generation of the MTA file. The error appears when the Generate command is selected in Menta. Depending on the combination of versions of EBO and TAC Vista, the error message is: "National character set not selected" "Cannot open file: struxureware path\ national.dec" (where struxureware path is the location of the Schneider Electric StruxureWare\ Building Operation 1.x installation folder) "ERROR! Failed to create OLE dispatcher: GraphOP.Application.320, GraphOP.Application.NSP" Product Line TAC Vista, EcoStruxure Building Operation   Environment Building Operation Workstation Vista Workstation Cause The installation of EBO overwrites settings in Menta regarding character sets. When Menta is opened with normal user rights, changes to character sets in the OP Configuration Tool are not saved due to the OS user security settings. Resolution Right-click on Menta in the program list and select "run as administrator". Then select your required character set in the OP Configuration Tool ("Formats | Character set file"). The changes can now be saved and Menta will generate successfully. This procedure is only required the first time you run Menta after installing EcoStruxure Building Operation. Normal user rights can be used for subsequent editing sessions.

Issue Need to use a Xenta I/O module on another channel from the base device Product Line TAC Vista Environment Xenta I/O Modules Xenta Programmable Controllers LON Channels Cause Using traditional I/O modules you are not allowed to span channels when placing your base unit and I/O modules. Resolution Use the 421A/422A or 451A/452A models. You can span channels by using SNVT based communication rather then Xenta group communication. You will be required to bind the values to the base unit. See Configuring inputs on Xenta 421A or 451A when using the controller as a stand alone Lonworks node for more information on configuring the Xenta I/O modules for stand alone operation.  

Issue Webclient currently unavailable Error 80070005 Check your DCOM permissions when launching webclient or webclient is currently unavailable. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Webclient Windows XP Windows 7 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Cause A remote reboot will not write DCOM permissions the same way a local reboot does. Other Server configurations can cause this. Resolution A webClient installation was performed using Windows Remote Desktop or some other remote access software and the reboot after the webclient install was executed using the remote software. To fix this, reboot the Webclient server directly from the server itself. There are security permissions that do not get written properly when rebooting remotely and a direct reboot corrects this problem. Start Continuum on the Webclient PC locally, not remotely. Be sure Continuum has been started on the webclient PC. Also see, Webclient unavailable error when attempting to logon which mentions making sure the Network Service is selected for the default app pool. 64-bit OS will cause this error as well. Webclient versions pre 1.94 are not supported on any 64 bit platform. If that doesn't work then a complete reinstall and reboot on the server will be required. Remote installs are typically problematic. If changes were made to .net try the following steps: Start> Run> cmd (Enter)  To get to a DOS prompt cd\Windows\microsoft.net\framework\v2.0.50727 (change directory to this folder) run the command aspnet_regiis.exe -i (It will say installing .net, this re-registers .net with IIS) Restart Windows on the webclient PC and restart Continuum

Issue Too much LON communications traffic can cause LON communications errors. Product Line TAC IA Series, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment I/A Series MNL 800 Building Operation Automation Server Premium LON Network  I/A Series R2, AX, N4 Jace LON Network Cause Sending output LON SNVT values too frequently or more often than reasonably needed. Resolution There are a series of NCI (configuration) objects that control the transmission and reception of these data values on the LON network. One of four NCI objects (nciSndHeartBeatA, B, C, or D) is assigned to each NVO object in the application program. This value regulates the periodic LON transmission queuing of the NVO object values for each binding. One of four NCI  objects (nciRcvHeartBeatA, B, C, or D) is assigned to each NVI object in the application program. This value regulates the fallback timeout for each NVI object value. If a value is not received via the binding in this time period, the NVI object value will revert to its application-defined default value. In an MNL-800 controller, there are two additional NCI objects that are used to regulate the flow of data onto the LON network. The nciMinOutTime object is used to throttle the transmission of all data values queued to be sent via bindings over the LON network. This NCI object sets the transmission time interval between each NVO value being sent on the network. The important fact here is that the product of the number of bound NVO values times this interval (nciMinOutTime) must be LESS than the shortest nciSndHeartBeatX (X=A, B, C or D) interval. For example, if the Send HeartBeat is set to the default of 120 seconds and there are 60 NVO SNVTs bound from this controller, the nciMinOutTime must be set to a value of fewer than 2 seconds.  The recommendation for setting this SNVT value one half the shortest nciSntHrtBr divided by the number of NVO SNVTs bound from the controller.   The nciMinPropTm object is used to regulate the transmission queuing of changing bound NVO object values. This timer acts as a time-based filter to prevent a rapidly changing NVO value, such as a constantly changing temperature, from overwhelming the communication capacity of the LON network. Typically this value is set to a value of 1 to 5 seconds. Additional information can be found in Chapter 6 of the WorkPlace Tech Tool 4.0 Engineering Guide (F-27254). BACKGROUND: This section is provided to give the reader a basic understanding of bound LON communications, as applied to LON controllers in general. Data communications across a LON network is accomplished by using a LON Network management tool to create a binding between a device with a data source (NVO object) and one or more devices with data receivers (NVI objects) in other LON controllers. The device containing the data source will send the bound data value at a periodic rate, as defined by the associated SendHeartBeat NCI object, and whenever the value of that object changes. If the NVI object does not receive a value from the sender (bound NVO object) within a specified time period, as defined by the associated ReceiveHeartBeat NCI object, the NVI object will use a local fallback value until such time as it receives a new value via the binding.