Issue
How to properly configure Time Zone and UTC Offset settings in Cyberstations and controllers.
Product Line
Andover Continuum
Environment
- Continuum Cyberstation
- Continuum Controllers
Cause
There are a number of locations for time configuration settings, creating uncertainty as to what needs to be set, and where, to maintain the correct time in all devices.
Resolution
How to sync controller time with WS time with Server time.
Set the correct UTC offset (time zone) in all of the below locations:
- Confirm Cyberstation(s) PC time zone (UTC offset) and regional settings are correct. [This has no effect on time synchronization but does have an effect on what time alarms and events are written to the database as well as when alarms will be delivered to Cyberstations]
- Confirm the SQL Server PC time zone (GMT settings) and regional settings are correct. [same as 1 above]
- In Continuum, the Workstations Device object's Time tab has the correct time zone setting (be aware this is in minutes, ex. GMT+10 = +600 minutes.)
- In Continuum, the Network folder has a setting for the time zone, this needs to be configured to the time zone the controllers are located. If GMT+10 then this gets set to +600.
Note1: To synchronize controller time to Workstations time a program needs to be created in one WS that sets the Date object of the Netcontroller (IP level controller) with the lowest ACCnet ID. This controller will then push any time changes out to all other IP level controllers and down to its subnet controllers (i2’s or b3’s). See Time sync controllers to workstations for details on this.
Note2: At 38 minutes past the hour the Netcontroller will push its time down to its subnet (aka Field Bus) controllers.
Note3: When time is set in the Netcontroller with a reload of the controller, the UTC settings of the WS doing the reload, and the Network folder the controller is in, are accounted for and the controllers time is set with these UTC settings taken into account. When time is set with a PE program using the WS Date object, this does not take into account the UTC settings of the various locations and just sets the controller Date object to the exact value of the WS Date object. If the controller is in a different time zone than the WS setting its time, then it will now have the wrong time in it. To compensate for this, it is suggested that time offsets must be added to the Time Sync program to accommodate those networks in a different time zone than the WS.
Other UTC setting locations and what these settings effect
IP level BACnet Device UTC Offset
The UTC offset value on the Time tab of the BACnet Device object is only used when the BACnet time synchronization method is being used to set time. This setting then follows the BACnet specification where it needs to be the negative value of the GMT setting. For example, if the BACnet device is in the GMT+10 time zone, then set this offset to -(10*60) = -600.
Note4: If using the PE program method, the UTC offset value on the Time tab of the BACnet Device object does not change how time is set in the controllers. However, if the UTC offset value on the Time tab of the BACnet Device object is changed, it will change the current time of the controller to coincide with the new time zone until the time is set again in the controller, or the UTC offset value is removed.
UTC offset in controller configuration Time Settings webpage
This doesn’t change how the time of the controller is set. It is used to set the time of sent email messages when using the SMTP option on this controller.
