Building Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Script editor shows blank canvas or shuts down immediately after launching. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation. Environment Building Operation Workstation. Cause User settings file contains information the Script Editor application can't process correctly. Resolution First, to confirm that the issue is indeed caused by information in the user settings file, navigate to the location where the file is located (i.e. C:\Users\Your User\AppData\Roaming\Schneider Electric EcoStruxure\Script Editor\3.1.2.29) and make a backup of the User.settings file then delete it. If the Script Editor launches fine after deletion of the file, and you need to narrow down which setting was causing the problem, you can put back the original file then open the file in a text editor such as Notepad++ and comment out suspected lines until you identify the exact setting causing the issue. You comment a line or block of lines by inserting <!-- at the beginning of a line and ending the line(s) with -->  (see below)

Issue An "Invalid Pointer" error message is displayed when attempting to open an existing project in the WorkPlace Tech Tool software. Environment WorkPlace Tech Tool release 5.x.x Cause The WorkPlace Tech Tool project database file (project-name.wtp) is missing or is corrupted. Resolution Use the WorkPlace Tech Tool software to recreate the project and reassociate the applications with the project. Navigate to the project folder using Windows Explorer. If the a .wtp project database file is present, rename the file, by adding .save to the end of the existing .wtp file name, for example, rename My_Project.wtp to My_Project.wtp.save Close Windows Explorer. Open WorkPlace Tech but do not open the project. Under the WPT Project Menu, select New Specify the name of the project. Use the same name as the existing project folder. Using my example from step 2, you would create the project named My_Project In the displayed "Add Application to Project From..." window, select the "Unassigned File" tab. All existing applications for that project will appear in the list. Select them all by holding down the [Ctrl] key on your keyboard and clicking on each file shown in the list. Click the [OK] button at the bottom of the window to add all the selected applications to the newly created project. Exit from the Workplace Tech Tool software. When you reopen this project, all applications should be shown and any of them should open properly.

Issue I/A Series G3 Niagara network points in fault and indicate Subscribed error:invalid permissions. Environment I/A Series G3 (all versions) Cause The credentials being used by the connection does not have the correct permissions to access the data. Resolution Verify username / password and associated permissions related to station to station fox connections.  Modify the associated permissions on the server side or use another set of credentials that have permissions.

Issue Schneider Electric domain firewall policy Product Line Satchwell BAS & Sigma Environment Engineer's laptops Cause Schneider computer/domain updates include McAfee firewall updates. It has been seen on some laptops with a fully working Sigma system, after a  Schneider policy update, the Sigma client fails to connect to the server.   Resolution Access to the firewall setting, on most Schneider Electric engineer's  laptops is not possible. Disabling the McAfee firewall should allow Sigma to load. Locate and, with a right mouse click, select the McAfee Icon  (found on the taskbar near the clock). From the list provided select "Quick Settings" Then select "Enable Firewall Timed Groups", You will need to enter a reason. The firewall will be disabled for a one hour period. 

Issue The LON network is experiencing high bandwidth utilization identified by problems with commissioning devices and intermittent communication loss. Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment Building Operation LON devices Cause There can be many causes for high bandwidth utilization, including configuring change of value trend logs directly to points on the LON devices without using the local node. This causes Building Operation to poll the values constantly to see if there has been a change which in turns impacts the communication. Another cause can be graphics pages with a very large number of points. Even pages with many hidden layers will poll every point including the hidden layer points. It is important to bind any values coming into the Automation Server through the Local Node. Another cause can be the lack of proper LON interface configurations such as Bandwidth Throttling. Resolution The best option is to modify the Change of value logs to the type Interval logs. If it is a graphic causing the issue, then reduce the points on the graphics page. If these options are not suitable then using the local node option described below will help in reducing the bandwidth. Utilize the Local Node Create a Local Node underneath the LonWorks Network in the Enterprise or Automation Server. Create a SNVT underneath the Local Node that matches the one you want to log or bind. Make a SNVT binding from the Device to the SNVT created under the Local Node that triggers on change. For more information on Lon interface configuration settings, see LonWorks Interface Properties – Advanced Tab.

Issue What web browsers are compatible with Sigma Web ActiveX interface Product Line Satchwell Sigma Environment Sigma 4.3 and later Cause Later versions of Internet Explorer do not display the Sigma ActiveX web pages. Resolution Sigma 4.3 introduced the ActiveX web client, this interface is only compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer. The table below details the versions of Internet Explorer that are compatible with the various Sigma Web ActiveX releases. Operating System/Sigma Version 4.08 4.07 4.06 4.05 4.04 4.03 Microsoft ® Windows 2000         IE6 IE7 IE6 IE7 Microsoft ®Windows XP IE7 IE8 IE7 IE8 IE7 IE8 IE6 SP3 IE7 IE8 IE6 IE7 IE6 IE7 Microsoft ® Windows Server 2003 IE7 IE8 IE7 IE8 IE7 IE8 IE6 SP3 IE7 IE8 IE6 IE7 IE6 IE7 Microsoft ® Windows 7 IE8 IE9 IE8 IE8 IE8     Microsoft ® Server 2008 N/A N/A N/A N/A     Later versions of Internet Explorer than those listed above may be supported in Compatibility View

Issue During SQL install portion of Continuum installation the following error message is received. "SQL Express is not installed properly. Please contact technical support representative." Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuum Cyberstation (All Versions) Microsoft SQL Express (Version dependent upon Continuum version) Cause Bit Locker has been installed on the system to which Continuum Cyberstation is being installed. Bit Locker enforces specific password requirements across all Microsoft Windows products. Find the SQL installation log at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20190627_092341\Summary_WTUSLVSE076617L_20190627_092341.txt *NOTE* The parent folder of the log will include the date and time of the installation. The log file name format will be Summary_(your computer name)_date_time.txt At the bottom of the log, you will see an Exception summary which gives full detail of what the error is: "Exception summary: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order Inner exceptions are being indented Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.InputSettingValidationException Message: The specified sa password does not meet strong password requirements. For more information about strong password requirements, see "Database Engine Configuration - Account Provisioning" in Setup Help or in SQL Server 2012 Books Online. HResult : 0x84b40000 FacilityCode : 1204 (4b4) ErrorCode : 0 (0000) Data: SQL.Setup.FailureCategory = InputSettingValidationFailure DisableWatson = true Stack: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.InputSettingService.LogAllValidationErrorsAndThrowFirstOne(ValidationState vs) at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SetupExtension.ValidateFeatureSettingsAction.ExecuteAction(String actionId) at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.Action.Execute(String actionId, TextWriter errorStream) at Microsoft.SqlServer.Setup.Chainer.Workflow.ActionInvocation.ExecuteActionHelper(TextWriter statusStream, ISequencedAction actionToRun, ServiceContainer context) Inner exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SqlEngine.ValidationException Message: The specified sa password does not meet strong password requirements. For more information about strong password requirements, see "Database Engine Configuration - Account Provisioning" in Setup Help or in SQL Server 2012 Books Online. HResult : 0x851a0013 FacilityCode : 1306 (51a) ErrorCode : 19 (0013)" Resolution Update or use password for new database that meets the minimum standards of: 8 Characters 1 Capital letter 1 Numerical character 1 Special character (!,@,#...) 1 Lowercase letter This will allow SQL Server to be installed

Issue When reviewing events from Doors or Users, the below error is shown. The communication object, System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel, cannot be used for communication because it is in the Faulted state. Error - The communication object Product Line EcoStruxure Security Expert Environment Security Expert Server Security Expert Client Workstations SP-C Controllers. Cause Firewall and/or Port settings are incorrectly configured. Certain ports must be opened to enable communication between the server, client workstations, and controllers. Resolution Check the Firewall to ensure that all required ports are open between the Security Expert Server, Security Expert Client Workstations and the SP-C Controllers. Refer to the IP Networking Ports section in the SX-SRVR Security Expert - Networking Guide for Administrators - Reference Guide for details on required ports.

Issue BACnet bCX schedules cannot be edited without an error. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Continuun bCX4040 Schedule Firmare v4.500082 Cause Following an upgrade to firmware v4.500082 the  Schedule end date year 2038 now enforced and schedule cannot be modified if the end (effective) date is beyond this Resolution For all schedules newly created or otherwise, the end (effective) date needs to be set to 2038 or earlier see Script Programs in Continuum compared to StruxureWare Building Operation and using floats (32 bits) and 64 bit numbers If the date is set after 2038 then an error is seen when trying to edit the schedule "An error code was returned from a BACnet operation, but the reason could not be determined."   Creating a new schedule with a date > 2038 can also give the error: " Error setting attribute 'DeviceID' An error code was returned from s BACnet operation , but the reason could not be determined " Defect was corrected in v4.500083

Issue The calectro smoke detektor has too long pipe to fit Environment Calectro Smoke detektor Venturi pipe Cause The Venturi pipe is long, but also possible to cut Resolution You can cut the Venturi pipe to size but you must only cut it from the end that does not have the sleeve. See Installation instruction for more information.  

Issue When attempting to login to the hosted instance, the below error is received indicating that the user is already logged in. Product Line EcoStruxure Access Expert Environment V2 Hosted Instance Cause There are two things that can cause this- A user can only be logged into a single instance at any given time. The user may currently be logged into a different instance. The user did not correctly log out of the instance they are attempting to access, and therefore is still logged in.  Resolution Take the following steps to resolve each of the two causes: Ensure that the user is not logged into any other instances. When closing out the web browser it is necessary to log the user out, as opposed to just closing the web browser. Failure to log out prior to closing the browser will result in this error.

Issue It would be helpful if the MAC Address of an SP-C could be worked out when the physical controller is not readily accessible or has not yet been delivered Product Line Security Expert Environment SP-C Cause Cases may arise where a newly ordered or existing SP-C is going into a system but no MAC address is known.  MAC addresses are often required in order to obtain an IP address for a project.   The MAC address is not shown when connecting into the SP-Cs web browser (although the Serial Number is) and can only be shown via an Arp in the correct section of the network Resolution In normal circumstances each SP-C should have a Label on it which indicates the MAC address in full However in cases where the Label is not accessible it can also be derived from the Serial Number which can be viewed in the SP-C web browser, preceded by 00:1B:   Eg  00:1B:C2:AF:14:24  

Issue SmartStruxure integration to StruxureWare Data Center Expert via EcoStruxure WebServices Environment StruxureWare Building Operation EcoStruxure Web Services StruxureWare Data Center Expert 7.2.0 Cause There is a need to have StruxureWare Building Operation pass data to StruxureWare Data Center Expert using EcoStruxure Web Services. StruxureWare Building Operation Web Services is capable of both 'Serve' and 'Consume' functionality. However, StruxureWare Data Center Expert (version 7.2.0) is only capable of Web Services 'Serve' function. Resolution Use Modbus TCP instead of EcoStruxure Web Services if StruxureWare Data Center Expert is required to read from StruxureWare Building Operation. 

Issue TAC ToolPack plug-ins (eg. STR 350 plug-in) do not show up Product Line TAC Vista Environment TAC Vista 5.1.4, 5.1.5, 5.1.6 Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Visio 2010 TAC System Plug-in TAC Device Plug-in TAC Zbuilder TAC Xenta 100 Plug-in TAC Xenta 102-AX Plug-in STR 350 Plug-in Cause Not all plug-ins in the TAC ToolPack can run on Windows 7, Windows 2008 or Visio 2010. Resolution When installing TAC ToolPack on these operating systems only the supported plug-ins will be installed: TAC System Plug-in TAC Device Plug-in TAC Zbuilder TAC Xenta 100 Plug-in TAC Xenta 102-AX Plug-in If the desired plug-in is missing, configuration of your controller will need to be done manually in NL220, Lonmaker, or Vista. Read details about manually setup STR 350/351 in STR 350/351 manually setup without plug-in (nciOption1 and nciOption2).

Issue The Xenta 913 supports several different BACnet object types but does not support all object types. Product Line TAC INET, TAC Vista Environment Xenta 913 BACnet Vista I/NET Cause The Xenta 913 is only a gateway device and is not native BACnet and thus does not support all BACnet object types. Resolution The BACnet specification outlines 49 different object types. Objects include physical points, processes and even internal operations. Most BACnet devices, including BACnet certified devices, do not support all of the object types since some of the object types are particular to specific industries and several are not commonly used. The Xenta 913 controller supports the following object types: Analog Input Analog Output Analog Value Binary Input Binary Output Binary Value Multi-state Input Multi-state Output Multi-state Value The following BACnet object types are unsupported by the Xenta 913: Access Credential Access Door Access Point Access Rights Access User Access Zone Accumulator Averaging Bit String Value Calendar Character String Value Command Credential Data Input Date Pattern Value Date Value Date Time Pattern Value Date Time Value Device Event Enrollment Event Log File Global Group Group Integer Value Large Analog Value Life Safety Point Life Safety Zone Load Control Loop Network Security Notification Class Octet String Value Positive Integer Value Program Pulse Converter Schedule Structured-View Time Pattern Value Time Value Trend Log Trend Log Multiple           Note that there is some confusion among object types. For example, while it is possible to have a Life Safety point that is a binary output, this is not the same thing as the standard Binary Output object type and the two points are not interoperable.

Issue Using I/NET trends in StruxureWare Building Operation Product Line EcoStruxure Building Operation, TAC INET Environment I/NET StruxureWare Building Operation 1.3 Cause Ideally trends should reside in the controller rather than at the sever level as this prevents sample data loss due to communication errors. Resolution Before you begin, ensure that all I/NET trends are set up correctly and trend data is visible. For assistance with this see Setting Up I/NET Seven Trends. Ensure that messaging is working so that SmartStruxure receives I/NET messages, and ensure that all controls have points to be trended, are already added to the I/NET Interface. NOTE: For the Enterprise Server level integration, the I/NET Trend Object must be configured as a Seven Trend. For the Automation Server level integration, this is not required, therefore skip to step 3. In I/NET, Select Trends>Data Inquiry/Edit View the trend you wish to see in SmartStruxure and verify that it has data. Open StruxureWare Workstation Refresh the system tree and upload any I/NET controllers that do not show a green dot. Right click on the I/NET Interface and select New>Value When the "Create Object" Window appears, name the value and click "Create" The Value will appear in the I/NET Interface Right Click on the newly created Value and select "Properties" Locate the "Point to Trend" Field Click on the "..." and select the point object you wish to trend Click the select button Verify that the Point to Trend field is correct and Click OK Wait enough time for several samples to populate. Right click on the Value object in the I/NET interface and select View>Trend log lists>New Trend log list The New Trend log List should open and values should visible. The Trend Value object under the I/NET interface will now function the same as a trend object in StruxureWare. If you wish for the I/NET trend to show up as part of an Energy Report, you will need to Ensure that the Extended Trend Log is referenced in a Meter's "Meter Trend Log" property NOTE: For the Enterprise Server Level Integration, In order for the initial connection between the StruxureWare Value Object and the I/NET Seven Trend to be enabled, the following conditions need to be true: The Controller with the I/NET point being trended must not require an upload The Controller with the I/NET point being trended must have a current save file The Controller with the I/NET point being trended must be online The I/NET workstation located on the Enterprise Server must be masked to receive data from the trend log on the controller to the Seven Trends Definition For the Automation Server Level Integration, In order for the initial connection between the StruxureWare Value Object and the I/NET Seven trend extension to be enabled, the following conditions need to be true: The Controller with the I/NET point being trended must not require an upload The Controller with the I/NET point being trended must be online The I/NET trend object and point object must have some level of masking so that the data will leave the controller.

Issue An unexpected database error occurred. "There can only be one LCA Object Server ActiveX control per process. Please make sure that you only have a single Object Server control in this process." "Could not listen on _poet/tcp: The address is already in use or another server already running. (-2532)" Environment LonMaker NL220 Vista LNS Cause Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server and other OEM software sometimes use TCP ports 6001 or 6002. This causes a conflict since the POET server (FastObjects DB) defaults to TCP ports 6001 and 6002. Resolution For an automated solution, refer to: https://community.se.com/t5/TAC-Vista-Forum/LonMaker-POET-Port-Changer/td-p/271427   For a full explanation from Dialog Semiconductor, refer to: https://edgesupport.diasemi.com/hc/en-us/articles/206494283   Further details   Check that the ports used by LNS are not being blocked (firewalled) or used by another application. To verify this, type in the following command from a DOS prompt: netstat -bn You should now get a list of in-use TCP ports. Look for an entry saying {your computer name}:6001 or 6002. If you find one, you have located a conflict and you will need to change the POET Port numbers. Check if you run a firewall on this PC. If yes, you need to find the list of Programs with their Internet Access level and make sure you have given access to the appropriate files. To run LonMaker/LNS , you need to give access to ptserv32.exe, LonMaker.exe, lonpoint.exe, visio.exe, lmwbrw32.exe and lsass.exe. You can modify the ports used by the POET server and clients by modifying the "Services" file (%WINDIR%\System32\Drivers\Etc\Services) using a text editor like Wordpad.exe or Notepad.exe. For example, to change the POET port numbers to 7001 and 7002, add/modify the following lines in the "Services" file. The  '#' in the example indicates that the following text is a comment. For Win XP: use "Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc\Services". If you see the "poet" and "_poet" entries, go ahead and change the port numbers from 6001 and 6002 to 7001 and 7002. If you don't see these entries, simply add the lines below. poet          7001/tcp    #FastObjects services _poet        7002/tcp    #FastObjects services https://echelon.force.com/support/s/search/All/Home/562?tabset-95728=2

Issue Planning an upgrade and need to know which Infinity system controllers can NOT be upgraded to Continuum. Product Line Andover Continuum Environment Infinity Continuum CX9000, CX9100, CX9001, CX9101 CMX220, CMX221, CMX222, CMX230, CMX231, CMX232, CMX240, CMX241, CMX245, CMX246 Cause Some Infinity system controllers can NOT be upgraded to Continuum. Resolution CX9000, CMX220 series,CMX230 series, CMX240 series and CX9500 ranges can not be upgraded to Continuum, all other controllers can be upgraded, some via a chip change, others can be upgraded via Continuum update. The LSX280 Laptop service tool is not compatible with Continuum, a RoamIO should be used. Check out the Software and Firmware compatibility matrix for older versions of the traditional product lines for the minimum versions required for Cyberstation, but the following gives an overview of the requirements: CX9200 (CX9300,CX9201) - Requires chip replacement with Continuum firmware V1.5x CX9400 Eclipse (CX9410) - Requires flash upgrade to Continuum V1.5x firmware, but will require working SX8000 system to flash the controller, otherwise send to Repairs for upgrading. ACX780 -  Requires chip replacement with Continuum firmware V1.5x ACX781C ACX700 -  Requires chip replacement with Continuum firmware V1.5x ACX701C DCX250 - Requires Infinity V2.16 firmware chip Other i1 (generation 1 infinet controller) controllers require a minimum of V1.4 firmware chips

Issue How can I add a SmartStruxure Automation Server to TAC Vista using BACnet/IP and what is needed Product Line TAC Vista, EcoStruxure Building Operation Environment TAC Vista Xenta 913 Automation Server Cause Building Operation versions earlier than 3.2 are not FDA 21 Part 11 approved, In instances where the version is lower than 3.2 it can be achieved by using  TAC Vista as a front end, and having Automation Servers as field controllers. In Building Operation version 3.2 and later an optional Regulated Industries Compliance Pack is available that can be used without the need for  TAC Vista as a front end. Resolution 1. Create a BACnet interface in Automation Server. 2. Create BACnet points in the "Application" folder 3. Browse the Automation Server with a BACnet browser (Here is a free tool) 4. Note the instance id's of the points 5. In TAC Vista, create a Xenta 913 6. Edit the Xenta 913 7. Create a "BACnet IP Client" interface and give it the IP address of the Automation Server 8. Create a BACnet device template containing the points you need - refer to the id's previously discovered 9. Add the device template to the "BACnet IP Client" interface in XBuilder 10. Save and download the project 11. Now you get the live values from the Automation Server in TAC Vista

Issue Re-addressing I/A Series BACnet controllers on an existing BACnet MS/TP installation Environment I/A Series R2 BACnet integration to I/A Series Micronet BACnet Controllers Cause There are gaps in BACnet MS/TP addressing which needs to be fixed. Gaps in addressing add delays in communications. Addressing should begin with node 0 (zero) and progress through all nodes, without any gaps, for each separate MS/TP network. Refer to the I/A Series MicroNet BACnet Wiring, Networking, and Best Practices Guide (F-27360-7). Resolution The procedure to change the addresses of the MNB controllers involves the following steps. Changing the physical DIP switch address on the MNB controllers. Making sure the MAC Address of the BACnet shadow device object in the I/A Series R2 UNC reflects the change. Changing the Max Master property in each MNB controller using WorkPlace Pro. Alternatively, you can change the Max Master property using the WorkPlace Commissioning Tool. 1. Changing the physical DIP switch address on the MNB controllers Have a piece of paper ready to note down the physical DIP switch address before and after the change. DIP switch addressing should be sequential starting from ‘0’ with no gaps in between. However, the physical location of the device does not matter. For example, if we have 30 MNB controllers on the BACnet MS/TP network, the addresses should be from 0 to 29 but they do not have to be in order physically. As an example, the first MS/TP device could have an address of '0' while the second MS/TP device on the wire can have an address of '10'. The MNB-1000 should be address ‘0’ if it is the first MS/TP device. If the first MS/TP device is an UNC, the UNC should be address '0' (set in WorkPlace Pro). Use Table–2.3 to calculate the DIP switch value for physical addressing. Take, for example, that the address must be set to 16. To do so, you would set switch number 5 (value=16) to ON. If the address is to be set to 43, instead, you would set switches 1, 2, 4, and 6 to ON (value=1+2+8+32=43). The controller should reset itself about 10 seconds after the change and the new address will be in effect. 2. Check / change the MAC Address of the BACnet shadow device object in the UNC using WorkPlace Pro. After changing the physical DIP switch of the device, we will need to make sure that they change has been reflected in the corresponding BACnet shadow object device in the UNC. Using WorkPlace Pro, open the UNC station. Go to the Properties of the MNB shadow device object and go to the ‘Config’ tab. Make sure that the 'MAC Address' field is showing the new address (in HEX) of the controller. 3. Changing the Max Master property in each MNB controller using WorkPlace Pro. Each MNB controller under a particular BACnet MS/TP trunk needs to have their ‘Max Master’ setting changed. Set ‘Max Master’ to 1 or 2 higher than the highest address on the MS/TP network. If the highest addressed device is DIP switch value 50, set the Max Master to 51 or 52. In WorkPlace Pro, open the UNC station. Go to the Properties of the MNB shadow device object and go to the ‘Engineering’ tab. Change the ‘maxMaster’ to a value that is 2 higher than the highest addresses device. Click ‘Apply’.