andover continum manual

Andover Continuum CyberStation Configurator’s Guide for Version 1.8

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© 2006, TAC

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, read or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of TAC.

This document is produced in the United States of America.

Infinity is a trademark of TAC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Andover Continuum CyberStation Configurator’s Guide for Version 1.8 December, 2006

TAC part number: 30-3001-781

The information in this document is furnished for informational purposes only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by TAC. TAC assumes no liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this document.

TAC, Inc. One High Street North Andover, MA 01845 (978) 470-0555 Fax: (978) 975-9782 http://www.tac.com

Andover Continuum CyberStation Configurator’s Guide iii

Contents

1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 About this Guide........................................................................................................... 1 Key Concepts ............................................................................................................... 3 Andover Continuum Product Description ..................................................................... 5 CyberStation............................................................................................................... 12 Starting CyberStation ................................................................................................. 14 Closing CyberStation.................................................................................................. 15

2 Menu Pages .............................................................................................................. 17 The CyberStation Main Menu .................................................................................... 17 Accessing the Online Help System ............................................................................ 22 Menu Page Selections ............................................................................................... 23 Configuring New Menu Pages ................................................................................... 32 Button Wizard............................................................................................................. 36

3 Continuum Explorer................................................................................................. 39 Objects in Continuum Explorer .................................................................................. 39 Starting Continuum Explorer ...................................................................................... 45 Dropdown Menus ....................................................................................................... 46 Quick Picks Toolbar ................................................................................................... 54 Popup Menus ............................................................................................................. 55 Continuum Explorer Window...................................................................................... 55 Explorer Views ........................................................................................................... 58 Creating Objects......................................................................................................... 62 Importing from ASCII Dump Files .............................................................................. 65 Importing from CSV Files ........................................................................................... 66 Creating CSV Files for CyberStation.......................................................................... 67 Updating or Creating Personnel Objects from CSV Files .......................................... 68 CyberStation Object Editors....................................................................................... 70 Access Security Rules in Continuum Explorer........................................................... 70

4 Security ..................................................................................................................... 73 Security Groups.......................................................................................................... 73 Configuring Object-Level Security.............................................................................. 80

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Folder and Device Level Security............................................................................... 85 5 Configuring Users .................................................................................................... 89

What Are Users? ........................................................................................................ 89 Customizing the User Environment............................................................................ 89 Before Configuring Users ........................................................................................... 90 Creating a User Object............................................................................................... 90 Groups Tab – User Editor .......................................................................................... 93 SecurityLevel Tab – User Editor................................................................................. 93 Setting up the General and CFR Preferences ........................................................... 94 Creating a ControllerUser Object ............................................................................. 100

6 Configuring a Network........................................................................................... 103 Creating a Network Object ....................................................................................... 104 Assigning a Network Object to a Default Folder ..................................................... 105

7 Configuring Controllers......................................................................................... 107 Commissioning a Controller ..................................................................................... 108 Creating an InfinityController Object ........................................................................ 109 Creating a bCX1 (40x0) or b4920 Controller............................................................ 122 Sending Controller Data to the CyberStation Database .......................................... 123 Working With Infinet Controllers .............................................................................. 124 Creating an Infinity Infinet Controller Object ............................................................ 125 Creating an Infinet Controller Offline........................................................................ 126 Editing an Infinet Controller Object .......................................................................... 126

8 Configuring Comm Ports....................................................................................... 131 Supported Device Types .......................................................................................... 131 Configuring a Comm Port for a Terminal ................................................................. 132

Configuring a Comm Port for a Printer ..................................................................... 133 Configuring a Comm Port for a LBus ....................................................................... 133 Configuring a Comm Port for a TankNet.................................................................. 134 Configuring a Comm Port for XDrviers..................................................................... 134 Configuring a Comm Port for Infinet, MS/TP, or Wireless ....................................... 135

Configuring a Comm Port......................................................................................... 137

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9 Creating IOU Module Objects ............................................................................... 147

Creating an IOU Module Object ............................................................................... 148 Commissioning an IOU Module ............................................................................... 149 Replacing an IOU Module ........................................................................................ 150

10 Configuring Alarms................................................................................................ 151 Considering the Alarm System................................................................................. 151 Alarms and BACnet.................................................................................................. 151 Considering the Alarm System................................................................................. 151 Basic Steps for Setting Up Alarms .......................................................................... 152 About EventNotification Objects .............................................................................. 152 About Configuring Alarm System Components ....................................................... 152 Using the EventNotification Editor............................................................................ 154

Distributing Tasks to Several Workstations.............................................................. 163 About AlarmEnrollment ............................................................................................ 168 Using the AlarmEnrollment Editor ............................................................................ 169 Writing Alarm Messages .......................................................................................... 175 Attaching Alarms to a Point ...................................................................................... 176 Active Alarm View .................................................................................................... 180 Infinet Intrinsic Alarms .............................................................................................. 196 Database Fault Detection Alarm .............................................................................. 199

11 Configuring Reports .............................................................................................. 201 Overview................................................................................................................... 201 Source Tab............................................................................................................... 204 Configuring Columns for a Report............................................................................ 212 Filter Tab .................................................................................................................. 215 Output Tab ............................................................................................................... 219 Scheduling Automatic Reports................................................................................. 224 What Are Extended Logs? ....................................................................................... 230 The ReportViewer .................................................................................................... 230

12 Templates................................................................................................................ 237 About CyberStation Templates ................................................................................ 237

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Creating a Template Object ..................................................................................... 239 Creating an Object from a Template ........................................................................ 241 Editing an Object Created from a Template............................................................. 240

13 Points, Logs, and Triggers .................................................................................... 243 What is a Point? ....................................................................................................... 243 About InfinityInput and InfinityOutput Points ............................................................ 244 Before You Start ....................................................................................................... 245 Creating an InfinityInput Object ................................................................................ 245

InfinityOutput Points ................................................................................................. 261 Creating an InfinityOutput Object ............................................................................. 261 About Infinity Software Points .................................................................................. 267 Creating Infinity Software Points .............................................................................. 267 About BACnet Points................................................................................................ 273

14 BACnet .................................................................................................................... 275 What is BACnet? ...................................................................................................... 275 Andover Continuum’s BACnet Product Line ............................................................ 277 BACnet-Related Documentation .............................................................................. 277 Post Installation System Integration......................................................................... 278 The Device Editor ..................................................................................................... 288 Configuring BACnet Alarms ..................................................................................... 311 BACnet Defined Objects .......................................................................................... 330 Infinity and BACnet Object Editors........................................................................... 333

15 Configuring Schedules and Calendars ................................................................ 371 Schedule Views – Finding Your Way Around .......................................................... 372 Configuration Tab..................................................................................................... 376 Working with Exception Schedules .......................................................................... 383 Working with Standard Days and User-defined Days.............................................. 391 Current State Tab..................................................................................................... 399 Proprietary Schedule Properties for Programs ........................................................ 400 Mass Create – Populating Devices with a Schedule ............................................... 401 Mass Change – Updating Multiple Schedules ......................................................... 404 Calendars and the Calendar Editor .......................................................................... 406

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16 Configuring Loops ................................................................................................. 411 Overview................................................................................................................... 411 General Tab ............................................................................................................. 412 Tuning Tab ............................................................................................................... 416 What Is PID? ............................................................................................................ 419 Tuning the PID Loop ................................................................................................ 421 Customizing the PID Graph...................................................................................... 422 Basic Alarms Tab and Advanced Alarms Tab.......................................................... 429

17 Configuring Trend Loops ...................................................................................... 433 Overview................................................................................................................... 433 General Tab ............................................................................................................. 434 Data Tab................................................................................................................... 437 Extended Logging Tab ............................................................................................. 440 Basic Alarms Tab ..................................................................................................... 441

18 Configuring Areas and Doors ............................................................................... 447 Configuring Andover Continuum for Security and Access Control .......................... 447 Key Terms for Access Control ................................................................................. 447 About Areas, Doors, and Personnel......................................................................... 449 Sequence for Creating Access Control Objects....................................................... 451 Creating an Area Object........................................................................................... 452 Creating a Door Object............................................................................................. 452 Data that Defines a Door Object .............................................................................. 452 General Tab – Door Editor ....................................................................................... 453 Card Formats Tab – Door Editor .............................................................................. 454 Channels Tab – Door Editor..................................................................................... 455 Options Tab – Door Editor........................................................................................ 460 XDriver Tab – Door Editor ........................................................................................ 461 Entry Reader Tab – Door Editor............................................................................... 462 Entry Options Tab – Door Editor .............................................................................. 464

Entry Status Tab – Door Editor ................................................................................ 465 Exit Reader Tab – Door Editor ................................................................................. 466 Exit Options Tab – Door Editor ................................................................................ 468

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Exit Status Tab – Door Editor................................................................................... 469 Alarms Tab – Door Editor......................................................................................... 469 Access Events Tab – Door Editor ............................................................................ 469 Using Area Lockdown .............................................................................................. 470 More About Area Lockdown..................................................................................... 470 What Happens During Lockdown............................................................................. 471 Locking down an Area.............................................................................................. 471 Locking down Individual Doors................................................................................. 472 Controlling Access with Condition Levels ................................................................ 472 Sending a Condition Level Message to Controllers ................................................. 473 Restoring Controller Condition Levels to Previous Levels ....................................... 473 About Sending Condition Level Values to Individual Controllers ............................. 474

19 Personnel ................................................................................................................ 475 Personnel Manager .................................................................................................. 475 Enabling the Personnel Manager ............................................................................. 477 Adding New Personnel Objects................................................................................ 477 Editing a Personnel Object....................................................................................... 480

Making/Editing a Badge ........................................................................................... 485 Reading Card Information ........................................................................................ 491 Replacing Card Information...................................................................................... 492 Issuing or Restoring a Temporary Card ................................................................... 492 Marking a Card as Lost ............................................................................................ 493 Deleting Personnel Objects...................................................................................... 493 Working with Personnel Clearance Levels and Controller Condition Levels ........... 494 Configuring the Personnel Manager ........................................................................ 498 Creating a Personnel Profile .................................................................................... 500 Customizing Personnel Attributes ............................................................................ 506 Selecting Configuration Settings for the Personnel Manager .................................. 508 Personnel Import Utility ............................................................................................ 510

What Can I do with the Personnel Import Utility?..................................................... 511

Configuration Tab..................................................................................................... 515

Mapping Data Source Attributes to CyberStation Personnel Attributes................... 520

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Previewing Data ....................................................................................................... 522

Data Source Data Tab.............................................................................................. 523

Transforming Data Using the XSLT File .................................................................. 524

Saving a Configuration and Importing Data into CyberStation ................................ 526

20 Managing Personnel Distribution......................................................................... 529 Access Distribution View .......................................................................................... 529 Launching and Populating the Access Distribution View ......................................... 531 Filtering Distribution Events in Access Distribution View ......................................... 532

Using Columns in the Access Distribution View....................................................... 535 Using Toolbar Buttons in Access Distribution View ................................................. 540 Distributing Personnel Immediately — Distribute Now ............................................ 540

21 Managing Configuration Files............................................................................... 543 Overview................................................................................................................... 543 General Tab ............................................................................................................. 544 Backing Up a Device’s Configuration....................................................................... 545 Restoring a Device’s Configuration.......................................................................... 547

22 Creating Groups ..................................................................................................... 549 What is a Group? ..................................................................................................... 549 What is a Graph? ..................................................................................................... 550 Using the Group Editor............................................................................................. 551 Opening a Log Viewer.............................................................................................. 559 Editing a Group from the Log Viewer ....................................................................... 559

23 Creating ListViews ................................................................................................. 561 What is a ListView? .................................................................................................. 561 About Creating a New ListView................................................................................ 561 Using the ListView Editor ......................................................................................... 561 Test and Save .......................................................................................................... 573 Creating a History or Graph of a ListView................................................................ 574

24 Creating EventViews.............................................................................................. 577 Overview................................................................................................................... 577 Before Creating an EventView ................................................................................. 578 Creating an EventView............................................................................................. 579

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The Active Event View ............................................................................................. 583 25 Configuring and Viewing Video ............................................................................ 593

Overview of Video Integration and Configuration..................................................... 593 Using the VideoServer Editor ................................................................................... 596 Using the VideoLayout Editor................................................................................... 597

26 Graphics Panels ..................................................................................................... 605

Introduction............................................................................................................... 605

Pinpoint Environment ............................................................................................... 613 Configuring a Pinpoint Panel.................................................................................... 615 Selecting Default Properties for Components .......................................................... 618 Creating an Active Text Component ........................................................................ 619 Inserting Images....................................................................................................... 621 Creating an Active Switch Control............................................................................ 621

Creating an Active Rotation Control ......................................................................... 622 Creating a Personnel Picture Switch Control ........................................................... 623 Creating an Active Bar Control................................................................................. 624 Creating an Active Button Control ............................................................................ 625 Creating an Active n-Stage Animation Control......................................................... 628 Creating an Active Animated Button Control............................................................ 632 Inserting a Scale....................................................................................................... 636

Inserting a Gauge..................................................................................................... 637

Importing a Pinpoint Panel ....................................................................................... 639 Creating Windows Controls...................................................................................... 639

Controlling a Door .................................................................................................... 664 A Using the Personnel Editor ................................................................................... 671

General Tab – Personnel Editor............................................................................... 672 Area List Tab – Personnel Editor ............................................................................. 674 Privileges Tab – Personnel Editor ............................................................................ 678 Employee Info Tab – Personnel Editor .................................................................... 678 Personnel Info Tab – Personnel Editor .................................................................... 679

Current Status Tab – Personnel Editor .................................................................... 680 Access Events Tab – Personnel Editor .................................................................... 681

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Templates Tab – Personnel Editor........................................................................... 681 Custom Attributes Tab – Personnel Editor............................................................... 682 Security Tab – Personnel Editor .............................................................................. 682

B EpiBuilder Installation ........................................................................................... 685

Installing EPIBuilder ................................................................................................. 686

C Personnel Import Utility Tables and Sample XSLT File ..................................... 687

Active Directory Attributes Table.............................................................................. 688

Continuum Personnel Attributes Table .................................................................... 691

Card Type Table....................................................................................................... 695

Active Directory ........................................................................................................ 696

LDAP Protocol.......................................................................................................... 701

Sample XSLT File .................................................................................................... 704

D Scheduling Automatic Personnel Object Updates ............................................. 711

Working with Scheduled Tasks ................................................................................ 717

Selecting Global Options.......................................................................................... 718

E Custom Card Formats............................................................................................ 719

Configuring CyberStation for Custom ABA Card Access......................................... 720

Multiple Custom Card Formats ................................................................................ 728

F Points – Electrical Types....................................................................................... 731

Infinity Electrical Types and BACnet Objects........................................................... 732

InfinityInput Types .................................................................................................... 732

InfinityOutput Types ................................................................................................. 735

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Andover Continuum CyberStation Configurator’s Guide 1

Introduction

The chapter is an introduction to the Andover Continuum CyberStation Configurator’s Guide. This chapter also presents Andover Continuum’s hardware and software, key concepts that are important for a configurator to understand, an overview of CyberStation, and instructions on how to start and stop CyberStation.

About this Guide This guide is designed to help you configure your building automation control system with Andover Continuum CyberStation software. This guide is based on the assumption that CyberStation has already been successfully installed on your system in accordance with the instructions contained in the Andover Continuum CyberStation Installation Guide, 30-3001-720. Once the installation has occurred, the system is ready to configure as described in this guide.

Document Scope This guide is a reference document for configuring the CyberStation software on your building control system. Chapters follow the typical sequence that is involved in configuring CyberStation on your Infinity or BACnet system.

How this Guide Is Organized This guide is organized as follows:

Chapter/Appendix Description

Chapter 1 Introduction ⎯ Presents an introduction to this guide, brief descriptions of Andover Continuum’s product line, and overview of CyberStation, key concepts, and instructions for starting and stopping CyberStation.

Chapter 2 Menu Pages ⎯ Describes all the features available from CyberStation’s main menu, how to create new menu pages and hot spots, and how to use the Button Wizard.

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Chapter 3 Continuum Explorer⎯ Explains how the Explorer is laid out, its four views, describes objects and how they are represented on the Explorer and how viewer access to it is determined by security rules.

Chapter 4 Security

Chapter 5 Configuring Users

Chapter 6 Configuring a Network

Chapter 7 Configuring Controllers

Chapter 8 Configuring Comm Ports

Chapter 9 Creating I/O Module Objects

Chapter 10 Configuring Alarms

Chapter 11 Configuring Reports

Chapter 12 Templates

Chapter 13 Points, Logs, and Triggers

Chapter 14 BACnet

Chapter 15 Configuring Schedules and Calendars

Chapter 16 Configuring Loops

Chapter 17 Configuring TrendLogs

Chapter 18 Configuring Areas and Doors

Chapter 19 Configuring Personnel

Chapter 20 Managing Personnel Distribution

Chapter 21 Managing Configuration Files

Chapter 22 Creating Groups

Chapter 23 Creating ListViews

Chapter 24 Creating EventViews

Chapter 25 Configuring and Viewing Video

Chapter 26 Graphics Panels

Appendix A Using the Personnel Editor

Appendix B EpiBuilder Installation

Appendix C Personnel Import Utility Tables and Sample XSLT File

Appendix D Scheduling Automatic Personnel Object Updates



Appendix E Custom Card Formats

Appendix F Points – Electrical Types

Related Documentation The following documents are related to this configurator’s guide:

Title Part Number

Andover Continuum CyberStation Installation Guide for Version 1.8

30-3001-720

Remote Communication Configuration Guide 30-3001-814

Command Terminal Configuration Guide 30-3001-843

RoamIO2 (BACnet service tool) User’s Guide 30-3001-910

RoamIO2 (Infinet service tool) User’s Guide 30-3001-989

SNMP Configuration Guide 30-3001-855

Introducing BACnet – A Guide for CyberStation Users 30-3001-863

Plain English Language Reference 30-3001-872

bCX1 Series Controller Technical Reference 30-3001-890

CyberStation includes an extensive online help system. This help system is described in more detail in Chapter 2.

Intended Readers of this Guide This guide is written for anyone at your site who is responsible for configuring the CyberStation software that controls the operation of your building control system. This person is the configurator. Network administrators and operators may also need this guide.

Key Concepts The design of the CyberStation system is based on several key concepts that are involved in the makeup of the software and hardware components of a building control system. These key concepts are outlined below. More thorough descriptions may be found in subsequent chapters.

Site Your building complex, or whatever you are controlling with the Andover Continuum system, is referred to as a site. In complex operations, you may have control of multiple sites.

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Points The control of equipment requires monitoring individual inputs and actuating individual outputs. In Infinity and CyberStation systems, these discrete entities are referred to as points. You’ll see references to “output point” or “input point” often.

Internal places within a controller or workstation’s memory are also referred to as points. These software-based points may be temporary storage locations for setpoints or the memory location where the current date and time are stored.

Events During operation, things happen as a result of actions taken by users, by the controllers, or as the result of no action. These occurrences can include the triggering of an over-temperature warning or the discovery of a forced door entry. In Andover Continuum systems, they are classified as events.

There are several types of events. Each type can be monitored and acted upon through automatic and programmed control. All events are stored by the system.

Alarms Alarms are events that signal the controller of an unusual occurrence. Typical alarms might include temperature variations and intrusion attempts.

Schedules Schedules allow the operation of the system to be regulated according to a particular day, week, month, year, or time of day.

User The user or operator is the person or persons who manually acknowledge alarms, monitor system activity, and interact with the system on a daily basis. Users are also individuals who have access to the CyberStation software.

Configurator The configurator is the person who sets up (configures) the CyberStation software to match the physical devices of the site.

Programmer The programmer is the person who determines the operational flow of the system. The programmer writes programs in a BASIC-like language called Plain English.

Network The network is a medium through which electronic hardware communicates. Andover Continuum products use several types of networks:

• Network controllers communicate with a user workstation and with each other via an Ethernet TCP/IP network. Our products support physical wire and fiber versions of the Ethernet as well as wide-area wireless Ethernet.

• Andover Continuum controllers communicate with external input and output modules through a variety of commercial and proprietary network products.


Controller Controllers are small, dedicated computers that perform the logic necessary to read external inputs and operate external outputs. User-created programs that are loaded into the controller define the controller’s personality.

There are two types of controllers:

• Network controllers communicate through an Ethernet network. • Infinet controllers communicate through either the Andover Continuum proprietary

Infinet network or the Master-Slave/Token Passing (MS/TP) network for BACnet devices.

Workstation The user interacts with the Andover Continuum system through a personal computer called the workstation, which runs the CyberStation software. CyberStation is used to configure, program, monitor and operate the system. All workstations on the Andover Continuum system are BACnet-compliant BACnet Operator Workstations (B-OWS).

Enterprise The entire Andover Continuum system configuration of workstations, servers and networks with attached controllers and I/Os is called an enterprise. An enterprise can consist of an unlimited number of networks containing a total of up to 4 million controllers and workstations.

Andover Continuum Product Description Andover Continuum is a mixture of hardware and software that is designed to monitor and control the various functions of a building. These functions include, but are not limited to, security, access control, lighting, heating, ventilation, and cooling.

The hardware consists of equipment controllers, network communication controllers, input and output interfaces. The CyberStation software is a computer program that allows you to communicate with, monitor and control the operation of the entire Andover Continuum system.

CyberStation Software A key component of the Andover Continuum system is a Windows-based application program called CyberStation that runs on a PC workstation and interacts with the control system. Andover Continuum’s second key software component is the database that stores all the vital information pertaining to the building automation control system.

CyberStation

CyberStation provides a graphic user interface that can display and manipulate data that allows the entire site management of adjusting schedules and setpoints, acknowledging alarms, controlling doors, tracking personnel, and so on.

Andover Continuum allows you to connect several CyberStation workstations simultaneously to provide for the most flexible configuration/control and monitoring operation available.

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Database

The information that describes the structure and operation of your building is stored in the CyberStation database. The values of each point in the system, the settings for limits, the configuration of the hardware, the personal data of the personnel granted access to your building, and more, are contained in the database.

The database engine that CyberStation uses is either Microsoft SQL server or MSDE 2000.

Objects

The components associated with your site (networks, workstations, actuators, sensors, and so on) are created, monitored, and controlled as objects in CyberStation. For example, for every controller you have in a building, CyberStation stores a controller object. When you have created an object for a piece of hardware, you can monitor, disable, change the settings for, and enable that equipment using that object in CyberStation. Objects represent every aspect of Andover Continuum’s building control system, whether it is building security, lighting, or HVAC control. Refer to Chapter 3 for more information about objects and how they are represented in CyberStation.

Attributes

An attribute is a characteristic of an object. All objects have attributes associated with them. In most cases, there are several attributes that describe an object. (Attributes are known as properties in BACnet objects.)

Andover Continuum Hardware Products The Andover Continuum product line encompasses a wide variety of TAC components including Infinity CX 9XXX series controllers, NetControllers and NetController II network controllers, 9702 Site controllers, bCX1 series controllers, Infinet and Infinet II controllers, BACnet controllers, local and expansion input/output IOU modules, display modules and smart sensors. These components are networked to create a total building automation system.

Andover Continuum System Architecture

Depending upon the complexity of the site architecture, a system can range from a single-user configuration with one workstation to a large, multi-user configuration with a network of multiple workstations, a file server, and numerous controllers.


Single-User Configuration

In single user configurations (shown below) the Andover Continuum product line consists of a network controller (NetController or NetController II with optional input/output modules), a bCX1 or a 9702 Site Controller and a CyberStation workstation. The MSDE database also resides on the workstation. The NetController/bCX1/9702 use Ethernet TCP/IP protocol to communicate with the workstation. Field bus communication between the network controller and the I/O modules is conducted over a special ACC I/O bus. There are two versions of the bCX1. One uses Infinet protocol and the other communicates over standard MS/TP BACnet.

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Multi-User Configuration

The Andover Continuum system design is based on scalability, so expansion to a multi-user, larger network configuration is easily accomplished. The following figure below shows such a configuration. In this configuration, the Ethernet LAN is expanded to include another workstation and an SQL database server.

Network Controllers

There are several types of Andover Continuum network controllers:

• Infinity CX 9000 series • NetController II 96xx series • NetController CX 94xx series • 9702 Site Controller • BACnet b4920 Gateway/Controller • bCX1 series All are Ethernet TCP/IP compatible. The first four contain at least one Infinet port to allow communication with Infinet application controllers. The b4920 includes one MS/TP network for communicating with b3xxx BACnet controllers.


The Infinity CX9XXX series are connected to individual IOU modules via an RS-485 cabling arrangement referred to as "LBUS".

The NetController, NetController II, and 9702 Site Controller are powerful CPUs with flash EPROM providing the central network management functions for Andover Continuum building automation system. These network controllers can be connected to individual IOU modules via a different RE-485 protocol called ACC-LON.

The 9702 Site Controller includes the equivalent of a NetController, a power supply, and an AC-1 access controller in one small package.

The bCX1 is a series of Infinet and Native BACnet routers and controller/ routers. The Infinet devices (96xx) function as Ethernet-to-Infinet field bus routers. The BACnet devices (40x0) function as BACnet/IP-to-MS/TP field bus routers

Infinet Controllers

These controllers include combinations of inputs and outputs for the monitoring and control of local sensors and devices. There is a wide variety of Infinet controllers; each device is designed for a specific purpose.

Infinet controllers are connected to network controllers via the Infinet network.

BACnet Controllers

These controllers include combinations of inputs and outputs for the monitoring and control of local sensors and devices. They are equivalent in function to the Infinet i2 series controllers mentioned above.

BACnet controllers are connected to a bCX1 or b4920 controller/gateway via the Master-Slave/Token Passing (MS/TP) network.

Workstations

A personal computer (PC) connected to the Continuum Ethernet network runs the CyberStation software and database. The system can contain a single workstation or multiple workstations, depending on the site configuration.

Networks

The Infinet is Andover Continuum’s high-performance, token-passing LAN that allows Infinet application controllers to communicate with each other and to a single network controller. With repeaters, it is possible to have 127 Infinet controllers on one Infinet network

The LBUS is the cable that connects IOU modules to a CX network controller or via the LA-1 (see Table 1-1) to a NetController or NetController II. Only one LBUS can be connected to a CX network controller. Each LBUS can handle up to 16 IOUs.

The BACnet MS/TP network is an RS-485 based industry standard LAN that allows BACnet b3 controllers to communicate with each other and to a single b4920 or bCX1. It is possible to have 127 Infinet controllers on one MS/TP network.

NetController I/O Modules

NetController I/O modules are specialized units that receive sensor inputs and activate equipment (valves, fans, door locks, and so on) and perform access control functions.

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The I/O modules, available in several configurations including input, output, mixed I/O, and display are listed in the following table.

Type Module Function

UI-8-10 and UI-10-10V

Universal Input Module

DI-6 AC and DI-6 AC HV

AC Digital Input Module

DI-8 Digital Input Module

DM-20 Digital Input/Output Module (for DIO-20)

Input

MI-6 MilliAmp Input Module

AO-4-8 Analog Output Module

AO-4-8-O Analog Output Module with override

DO-4-R Relay Output Module

DO-4-R-O Relay Output Module with override

DO-6-TR Triac Output Module

LO-2 Lighting Output Module

Output

LO-2-O Lighting Output Module with override

AC-1 Door, Access Control

AC-1A Door, Access Control

AC-1 Plus Door, Access Control

Access Control

VS-8-4 Video Switch Module

LB-8 8-Channel LED Bar Display/w 8 Push buttons

LS-8 8-Channel, 3-Digit 7-Segment LED Display/w 16 Buttons

LC-1 2-Line LCD Display/w 12 Push Buttons

Display

VM-1 Voice Record and Playback Module (requires LC-1 Module)

VT-1 Voice module for use with touch-tone telephones Miscellaneous

LA-1 Allows use of LBUS IOUs with a NetController or NetController II


Controller Expansion Modules

Expansion modules extend the I/O capability of certain i2, BACnet, and bCX1 controllers.

Type Expansion Module Function

xPUI4 4-Channel Universal Input Module

xPBD4 * 4-Channel Universal Input and 4-Channel Digital Output Module

Universal

xPBA4 * 4-Channel Universal Input and 4-Channel Analog Output Module

Input xPDI8 8-Channel Digital Input Module

xPAO2 2-Channel Analog Output Module

xPAO4 4-Channel Analog Output Module

xPDO2 2-Channel Relay Output Module

Output

xPD04 4-Channel Relay Output Module

xP Display Internal Mounted Keypad/Display Module (920 only)

Display

xP Remote Display Externally Mounted Keypad/Display Module

*These modules expand the I/O of bCX1 series controllers only.

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CyberStation

You use CyberStation software to configure, monitor and control the Andover Continuum and Infinity hardware. CyberStation has a collection of tools and applications that work together to help you create and interface with all the objects in the system. The figure below illustrates some of them.


Creation Tools

Editors

Every type of object has its own editor. An editor is a software tool that allows you to create an object of a specific type. Each object type is known as an object class. You can also use editors to change object settings, such as the value of an output object.

Templates

Templates are objects that are used to create other objects. Templates look like editors that have been pre-configured with most or all of the information required to rapidly create multiple instances of the same object class. To create a new object, copy the template, and change or add information as needed.

Configuration Wizard

The Configuration Wizard allows you to create and edit CyberStation templates. It presents a tab for each template subfolder contained in the template folder. Clicking on a tab displays a listing of all the templates available in the subfolder.

CyberStation Online Help

Online help topics cover all CyberStation object class editors (including BACnet object class editors) and all major CyberStation features. Reference information on the Plain English IDE programming environment, including a Plain English keyword reference, is also provided. Help buttons, located in the CyberStation user interface — editors, dialogs, live views, and so on — open help topics related to the CyberStation editor or feature in which you are working. You can also press the F1 key to bring up related help.

For more information about online help, please see: Accessing the Online Help System, Chapter 2.

Programming Tools

Plain English

Plain English is the programming language you or your programmer will use to write functions and programs that can automatically initiate and respond to activity in your building control system. You can also use the Plain English program to automate routine tasks, such as generating reports. The language is easy to use because its keywords are common, easy to understand words. The Plain English Editor also makes programming easy by reducing most of the typing to mouse clicks.

Command Line

The command line is a simple text field interface that allows you to directly enter, via the keyboard, Plain English commands. The command is executed immediately after entry. This tool is handy for trying commands before committing them to your program. You can also review and use a running history of the commands you entered.

Message Window

The Message Window allows you to view the results of your Plain English programs as CyberStation processes them.

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Monitoring Tools

Continuum Explorer

The Continuum Explorer is your main access window into CyberStation. It is similar to the standard Windows explorer, and displays all the objects on your system in a hierarchical view. This allows you to see the relationship between objects. The Continuum Explorer also provides access to all the object editors.

Menu Pages

Menu pages are the graphic screens you will see after logging into CyberStation. Menu pages help you navigate to, as well as monitor, certain objects. These screens contain "hot spots" that you can click to move to another screen or to open an application. Menu pages also display a status bar that shows the most recent alarm. The status bar includes an icon that provides access to the Active Alarm View.

Graphic Panels

Using a sophisticated Graphic Panel editor, you can create colorful screen-based graphics that simulate control panels, floor plans, and automated warnings or alerts. These panels can then become primary interfaces for your end users.

Active Event Views, Groups, and ListViews

These are all objects that you create for the purpose of monitoring other objects.

Starting CyberStation Use the following procedure to start CyberStation: 1. Click the Start button in your task bar.

2. Select Programs.

3. Select Continuum in the list of programs, and then click Continuum in the program list.

The CyberStation splash screen and the main menu appear along with the following dialog:

4. Enter your User Name and password.

5. Click OK.


Your administrator usually assigns authorizations to access the CyberStation software. For unassigned users there is a default user name and password.

Note: Once you start CyberStation, you can create a Windows shortcut to open CyberStation from your desktop by clicking on the Continuum icon:

Closing CyberStation Use the following procedure to shut down CyberStation:

1. Right-click the Continuum icon in the taskbar at the lower right-hand corner of your screen.

2. Select Exit from the popup menu:

3. When prompted to confirm that you want to close the application, click Yes.

4. If prompted to add a comment, enter a comment in the Comment field, and then enter your user name and password.

TAC 16

5. Click the OK button, and wait for all CyberStation processes to terminate.

If you do not wait for all processes to finish you risk losing system information.


Menu Pages

This chapter describes the features of the CyberStation user interface and explains how to use screen elements, such as “hot spots” and popup menus, to access information in CyberStation. This chapter also describes how to customize CyberStation menu pages to meet your requirements.

The CyberStation Main Menu The CyberStation Main Menu, shown on the next page, contains the following features:

• Title Bar - Shows the title for the current menu page. • Menu Area - Covers the entire region in between the title bar and status line. • Main Menu Links or “Hot Spots” – Displays menu selections for major features

(Graphics, Schedules, Groups, and so on) along the left side of the window. • Status Line - Displays information including user name, workstation name, current

date and time, error messages, and prompts. • Alarm Bar - Displays text that describes an active alarm condition.

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All CyberStation menu pages share the same basic features as the Main Menu described above.

Selecting Items on the Main Menu There are two ways to select items from the CyberStation Main Menu:

• Hot spots • Popup menus

Hot Spot Links

Hot spots are selectable areas of a menu page. Clicking on the hot spot:

• Moves you to another menu page. • Launches a CyberStation application, such as Schedules or Listviews. • Runs a program. • Creates new objects. Hot spots may look like buttons clearly marked by text or icons, or they may simply be objects, such as doors, boilers, or controllers, that are part of the overall graphic. You will always know that a hot spot exists if the cursor arrow changes to the hand symbol.

Shortcut Popup Menu

You can also select certain items from the Main Menu using a popup menu:

Title Bar

Alarm Bar Status Line

Menu Area

Continuum Tooltray and Icons

“Hotspot” Menu Links


1. Move the cursor to any part of the menu area that is not a hotspot.

2. Right click to display the popup menu.

3. Select Change Page and then the item you want to open from the dropdown list. For example:

Tool Tray Items CyberStation-related icons appear in the lower right-hand corner of the Windows task bar, known as the tool tray:

Placing the cursor over each of these icons displays a message indicating the status of the item represented by the icon. Right click the icon to bring up a popup menu for each item.

The SQL Server Icon

The SQL server icon appears only on a machine that is also functioning as the MSDE Server.

Right click the icon to display a menu that allows you to start and stop the SQL server from CyberStation and determine whether it starts automatically with the OS

Note: The SQL Server Service Manager menu is usually restricted, and used only by the system administrator. Do not stop the SQL server without first consulting your administrator.

Distribution Server Icon

When you make changes to CyberStation objects, CyberStation immediately sends the new configuration information to the controllers. This process is referred to as distribution and is performed by the CyberStation distribution server. The CyberStation distribution server handles moves, copies, deletes, creating objects from templates and any other actions occurring between a workstation and a controller.

The distribution server icon in the tool tray provides feedback about the current status of the distribution server.

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When the distribution server is active, the icon animates to indicate the activity. Connecting lines appear between the document and the controller, and a red dot animates along the connecting lines.

For more detailed information, double click the icon (or right click) and select Properties from the icon’s popup menu to display a Distribution Properties dialog. This dialog provides detailed information about the status of the server and the currently running operation.

Note: The Distribution View button in the Distribution Properties dialog launches a powerful tool, the Access Distribution View, which allows you to monitor distribution-event transactions and perform an immediate distribution of a personnel record. (See Chapter 20, Managing Personnel Distribution.)

Workstation Status Icon

The Workstation Status Icon indicates whether the CyberStation workstation is online or offline:

• When the workstation is online, CyberStation is communicating with controllers and other devices in the network. The workstation is typically online when CyberStation is running.

• When the workstation is offline, CyberStation does not send or receive messages form the network. Changes that you make to CyberStation objects while the workstation is offline are not sent to the controllers until you change the workstation status to online.

Double click or right click the icon to change the workstation status.

Continuum Icon

Right click the Continuum icon to display a popup menu with several options:

• Advanced CyberStation functions • Access to online help and software version numbers • Logoff and Logon options • Exit option to close CyberStation

Alarm Icon

You can double click the Alarm icon to bring up the Active Alarm View:


You can also access the Active Alarm View from the popup menu for this icon.

Alarm Bar Selectable Items When an alarm condition occurs, and the Active Alarm View is in the status line mode, text describing the alarm appears in the white status box in the alarm bar. To respond to the alarm, you click the appropriate icon in the bar for the action you wish to perform:

• Acknowledge

• View a graphic panel

• View report

• Silence (mute) an audio alarm

• Execute a user-defined Plain English function for the alarm.

• Bring up the surveillance video monitor (the VideoLayout editor) when a point goes into an alarm. This is the VideoLayout object attached to the point for this alarm. (See Chapter 25, Configuring and Viewing Video.)

• Display the AlarmEnrollment or EventEnrollment editor associated with the selected alarm.

See the section, Active Alarm View, in Chapter 10 for complete details on the Active Alarm View modes: view mode and status line mode.

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Accessing the Online Help System Within CyberStation, an extensive online help system is readily accessible. From the CyberStation Main Menu, you may access the Help system in two ways:

• Press the F1 key as instructed in the status line.

• Right-click the Continuum icon in the tool tray, and select How Do I from the popup menu.

Either method opens the online help and displays the home screen:

The CyberStation editors, live views, and other major dialogs have a Help button. Click the Help button (or press the F1 key) to display help topics related to the feature in which you are working.

To learn how to use all the features of the online help system, click the Contents tab in the Help navigation pane, and then click the topic, How to Use this Online Help, as shown below:


When you access the online help system for the first time, please read the topic entitled, How to Use this Online Help. The help system has a navigation pane and a viewing pane. The navigation pane has a Contents tab, as well as an Index tab with a text search engine.

Though the CyberStation online help system contains some task-oriented “how to” information, the help topics, by design, are closely aligned with the user-interface attributes of CyberStation editors, dialogs, and other features that display Help buttons.

Menu Page Selections The CyberStation main menu is a list of hotspots that you can select to display another menu page. Each page provides specific capabilities for annotating and controlling your building automation system.

Graphics

Click the hot spot to display a listview of all graphics files on the system. These graphics files contain Pinpoint panels, which are described in detail in Chapter 26.

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Each entry lists the name of the graphic object, its alias, and the ownership of the object, as indicated by file path. Double click an entry to open the selected object in the Graphics editor.

Schedules

Click the hot spot to display a listview of all schedules system. Click an entry to open the selected schedule in the Schedule editor. Refer to Chapter 15 for a detailed discussion of Schedules.

Groups

Click the hot spot to display a listview of all groups on the system. Click an entry to open the selected group in the Group editor. Refer to Chapter 22 for a detailed discussion of Groups.

Listviews

Click the hot spot to display the Listviews menu page:


Within this menu page many hot spots are arranged in five categories. Clicking on a hot button produces a listview of the selected object.

Under Alarms you can request a list of all alarms on the system, as well as the alarm activity for various time intervals. You can also create a list of all unacknowledged alarms and view alarm acknowledgements.

The User Activity hot buttons each produce a listview of user activity on the system for a particular time frame.

The User Logons hot buttons provide selections for the day, week, or month that create a listview of all user logons to CyberStation. Each entry indicates the time of logon, where the logon occurred (NodeName) and the name used (UserName) to logon with.

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The Access Events hot buttons display listviews of access event activity on the system for a particular time frame. Valid and Invalid Access can also be reported by day, week, or month. The Invalid Access Listview provides a time stamp, event type, door, a person ID, card number, and message for each invalid event occurring on the system. See also Chapter 23, Creating Listviews and Chapter 11, Configuring Reports.


Personnel

Click the hot spot to display the Personnel menu page.

An example of the listview associated with the All Personnel hot spot is shown below.

The hot spots under the Prompted Lists heading let you search for a Personnel object by entering a card number, a department number, a last name, a driver's license, or a Social Security number.

Explorer

Click the hot spot to open Continuum Explorer.

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Continuum Explorer is where you work with all the objects on your CyberStation system. From Continuum Explorer, you can open object editors, create new objects, open Listviews and schedules, launch graphics panels and view the properties of objects. See Chapter 3 for detailed information about working in Continuum Explorer.

System & Status

Click the hot spot to display the System & Status menu page.


Command Line

Click the hot spot to display the Command Line. The Command Line is where you enter Plain English statements for carrying out CyberStation system tasks. For example, you can run a report, print the values of system variables, or change input setpoints by typing the appropriate keywords for these actions at the Command Line.

The Command Line consists of a title bar, a button to expand the Command Line, a button to open the explorer, an area in which to type commands, and a message window in which messages and printed values display.

This is where you type Plain English Statements.

This title bar displays the current path to the controller you are working on

This button opens the Continuum Explorer navigation tree. This is where print requests and messages display.

This button expands the Command Line to a scrollable window

The title bar contains the path to the controller or device the Command Line is connected to. To hide or display the title bar, right click it, and select Title Bar from the popup menu.

To view messages that are too long for the Command Line window, you can either resize the command line, or place your cursor anywhere in the message text to display a pop up view of the entire message.

Plain English Editor

Click the hot spot to open the Plain English editor. You use the Plain English editor to write, edit, and debug your Plain English programs. Refer to the online help for more information about Plain English and the Plain English editor. You can also refer to the Plain English Language Reference Guide, 30-3001-872

Message Window

Click the hot spot to display brings up the Continuum Message Window.

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The Continuum Message Window displays system messages and the results of print requests generated from within programs.

Graphics Editor

Click the hot spot to display the Pinpoint graphics editor. Pinpoint, the CyberStation graphics application program, allows you to produce dynamic virtual control panels on your workstation. Refer to Chapter 26 for complete details on the use of Pinpoint.

Configuration Editor

Click the hot spot to display the Configuration Wizard.

The Configuration Wizard is a tool for using CyberStation templates. Templates are predefined objects that you can drag and drop into container objects to create new objects with the same attributes. The Configuration Wizard displays the templates that are stored in the template folder. Each subfolder in the template folder creates a tab in the Wizard. The Miscellaneous tab is created by the template folder itself. Refer to Chapter 12 for a full discussion on templates.


Communication Status, Point Status and System Messages

The hot spots appearing along the bottom half of the System and Status page display listviews that report the status of system components and objects as well as all error messages.

Communication Status

The hot spots listed under Communication Status open listviews that indicate the communication status (on-line or off-line) of the system controllers and IOU modules. An example of the listview of IOU Modules is shown below.

Point Status

Under the Point Status heading, listviews are available for points. An example of the listview for Doors is shown below.

System Messages

Under System Messages, hot spots link to error message listviews for the day, week and month.

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Windows Applications

The Windows Applications hot spot provides direct access to Windows applications.

Click a hot spot to open the corresponding Windows program.

Configuring New Menu Pages As you configure your CyberStation system, you may want to create new menu pages and add hot spots to them. For example, you may want to create a menu page of all the building control objects that you need to access and create hot spots for each of them.

Creating a New Menu Page 1. In the CyberStation Main Menu page, place your cursor anywhere that is not a hot

spot.

2. Right click to display the popup menu, and click Edit.

On the Main Menu page, dashed lines appear around the existing hot spots, like the one shown below:

The Edit toolbar of options also appears.


3. Click the icon in the Edit toolbar. The current menu page changes to a blank page and the Page Edit dialog appears:

Page Information

Enter a Name and a Description for the page. Users see the name you entered when they click Change Page in the shortcut menu and is the name that Change Page hot spots refer to. Name can be up to 132 characters (including spaces).

Select the Main Page checkbox if you want the page you are creating to be the first page the user sees.

Create a New Page

Save Run Help

TAC 34

Background File

The typical graphic file for a menu page has some sort of background or theme that represents the purpose of the menu page and objects or text that can serve as hot spots. A Main Page graphic might also include the corporate image of your company.

Insert the name of a graphic file for the menu page into the Background File field:

Use the button to browse for a .bmp file. The default path for menu page files is wherever CyberStation was installed, in the UserProfile folder.

Select the file you want to use, and click the Open button.

Audio

To add audio to the new menu page, proceed as follows:

1. In the File to Play field, click the button to browse for an audio file that plays whenever users move to this page.

2. Locate and select the audio (.wav) file that you want to use, and then click the Open button.

3. Select the Enable checkbox to enable the audio file.

4. Select the Use MS MPlayer checkbox to use Microsoft’s Media Player. If your workstations use another type of media player, clear this checkbox.

If you check the Use MS MPlayer box, a second checkbox appears, Show MPlayer. Check this box if you want the Microsoft Media Player to display on the screen:

Video

To add video to the new menu page, proceed as follows:

1. In the File to Play field, click the button to browse for a video file that plays whenever users move to this page.

2. Locate and select the video (.avi) file name, and click the Open button.

3. Check the Enable checkbox to enable the video file.

4. Check the Full Screen checkbox if you want the video to be the size of the monitor screen. To have the video display in a window, clear this checkbox.

Save and Run

1. Click OK to close the Page Edit dialog.

2. Save your changes by clicking the icon in the Edit toolbar.

3. Click the icon in the Edit toolbar, or display the shortcut menu and click Run.

You are now ready to add hot spots to the page you created.


Creating a Hot Spot to Run a Windows Program To create a hot spot on the new menu page, perform the following steps.

1. Place your cursor anywhere that is not a hot spot, right click, and select Edit from the popup menu.

2. Use your cursor to draw a rectangle around the area of the graphic or text that you want to be the hot spot. Define a big enough hot spot so users can easily click it.

3. Place the cursor anywhere inside the dashed lines surrounding the hot spot just created.

4. Right click, and then select Properties to display the Edit HotSpot dialog:

5. Select the Execute radio button.

6. Click the browse button in the Open field.

7. Locate and select an executable program file.

For example, to open Excel you need to locate and select the executable file for Microsoft Excel on your workstation.

8. Click the Open button.

9. Check the Make hotspot look like a window button checkbox.

10. Enter a title for the button (for example “Excel”) in the Button field.

Creating a Change Page Hot Spot You can create a hot spot that will send you to another menu page. For example, if you create a new menu page, you might like to have a hot spot on the main menu that takes you to it.

1. Place your curser anywhere that is not a hot spot, right click, and select Edit from the popup menu.

TAC 36

2. Use your curser to draw a rectangle around the area of the graphic or text that you want to be the hot spot. Define a big enough hot spot so users can easily click it.

3. Place the curser anywhere inside the dashed lines surrounding the hot spot just created.

4. Right click, and then select Properties to display the Edit HotSpot dialog:

5. Select the Change Page radio button.

6. From the dropdown menu for the Open field, select the name of the new menu page.

7. Check the Make hotspot look like a window button checkbox.

8. Enter a title for the button in the Button field.

9. Click OK.

10. Click the Save icon in the Edit toolbar.

11. Click the Run icon in the Edit toolbar

The button should now appear on the menu page. Selecting it takes you to new menu page.

Button Wizard The Button Wizard is another method for creating buttons on menu pages. You can create buttons to:

• Edit an existing object • Create a new object • Open an existing object • Create a new object from an existing template object

The following procedure described how to use the Button Wizard to create a button that opens a CyberStation object in the appropriate object editor.

1. Create a hot spot as previously described under Creating a Hotspot as a Windows Button.

2. Right click inside the Hot Spot rectangle and select Button Wizard from the popup menu.

You are presented with the following menu.


3. Select Open an existing object, and click Next.

4. Select I would like to select an object to open, and click Next.

TAC 38

5. From the dropdown menu, select the class of object to attach to the new button, and click Next.

6. Using the browse button, select a location for the object, select whether users can

browse to other locations to locate the objects, and click Next.

7. Enter a HotSpot name and description.

8. To display the hotspot as a button, check the checkbox and enter the text you want displayed on the button.

9. Click the Finish button.

The button should now appear on the menu page and selecting it will open the selected object (in the above example, a listview).


Continuum Explorer

Continuum Explorer is a tool that allows you to work with all the objects in your Andover Continuum system. It displays the controllers, inputs, outputs, and workstations and is the main environment in which you configure your system. From Explorer, you can open object editors, create new objects, open listviews and schedules, launch graphics panels, and view the properties of objects.

Objects in Continuum Explorer Andover Continuum control system software is based on object-oriented programming principles. Objects and classes are the basic building blocks of the Continuum system. All the items that make up the system, both the hardware and the software, are identified as objects. Each item appearing in a Continuum Explorer screen represents an object.

Objects are organized in classes. For example, devices, points, personnel records, areas, graphics, doors, schedules, and programs are all examples of object classes. Some object classes, known as containers, can “own” other objects.

Container Objects and Object Ownership Container objects and object ownership are terms that describe the relationships between objects in the Andover Continuum system.

Container Objects

Objects in CyberStation are arranged in a hierarchy. The Root object is always the prime object at the top of the hierarchy. Objects at the top of the hierarchy contain, or own the objects beneath them. Networks, Devices, InfinityControllers, InfinityInfinetControllers, BACnet Controllers and Folders are examples of Continuum container objects. Objects that are not container objects cannot own any other objects.

Object Ownership

Object ownership refers to the physical network connection between devices and to where the objects are stored within the network.

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TAC 40

For example, if an input point called Rm Temp 1 was attached to a CX 9XXX controller named CX1 which is connected to the Ethernet network called Building 1, you have the following object hierarchy: the network object (Bldg1) owns the attached device object (controller CX1) which owns the input point object (Rm Temp1). These relationships are shown below.

Class Icons

Each class has a default icon associated with it so that you can easily identify the object class. Icons can represent a hardware object (for example, a controller or a workstation) or a software object, such as a schedule. The following table shows all the default object-class icons.

Note: In the following table, an asterisk (*) denotes an object class that may include or be limited to BACnet objects. Refer to Chapter 14 for more information on BACnet and BACnet icons.

Icon Object Class

AlarmEnrollment

AnalogInput *

AnalogOutput *

AnalogValue *

Network

Bldg1

Root

Input Point

Rm Temp1

Controller

CX1


Icon Object Class

Area

BinaryInput *

BinaryOutput *

BinaryValue *

Calendar *

ControllerUser

CommPort

DateTime

Device (Andover Continuum b4/b3 controller) *

Device (third-party BACnet controller) *

Device (Andover Continuum workstation) *

Device (third-party workstation) *

Door

EventEnrollment *

EventView

EventNotification * (equivalent to BACnet NotificationClass object)

File *

Filter

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Icon Object Class

Folder (Continuum/Infinity)

Folder (BACnet)

Folder (Continuum/Infinity default class)

Folder (BACnet default class)

Function

Graphics

Group

InfinityController InfinityInfinetCtlr

InfinityInfinetCtlr (Infinity 2 only)

InfinityDateTime

InfinityFunction

InfinityInput

InfinityOutput

InfinityNumeric

InfinityProgram

InfinityString


Icon Object Class

InfinitySystemVariable

IOUModule

Listview

Loop *

MultistateInput *

MultistateOutput *

MultistateValue *

Network (Continuum/Infinity)

Network (BACnet) *

NetworkDialup

Personnel

Program *

Report

Schedule *

SecurityLevel

String

TrendLog *

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Icon Object Class

User

VideoLayout

VideoServer

Object Names and Object Aliases Each object in CyberStation has two identifiers, a name and an alias. An object name can be lengthy and descriptive. Although an object name and alias can be the same, an object alias must conform to stricter naming conventions.

Object Names

Descriptive object names help other users identify what the object is. For example, if you are creating an output point for operating fans, you might want to enter a name like Fan Start/Stop.

The name can be up to 128 characters long, and can include spaces, underscores, dashes, slashes, and periods.

An object name is stored in the CyberStation database, but not at the controller.

Object Aliases

The alias is the name of the object used in programs and functions. CyberStation creates the alias version of an object name for you as you type the object name when creating a new object. The alias is saved to the controller. The alias is also saved in the CyberStation database.

Alias Naming Conventions

An object alias can be up to 16 characters, and can use only alphanumeric (letters and numbers) characters, periods, and underscores. Aliases must start with a letter, and have no spaces. They also cannot be reserved words, or keywords, which are words that have a designated use in CyberStation or in the Plain English programming language.


Starting Continuum Explorer

On left-hand side of the Main Menu (Chapter 2) click the hot spot.

The Explorer includes the following elements:

• Title bar - indicates the path of the selected object, or the name of the selected device or folder.

• Dropdown Menus – contains menus for Explorer tasks. • Quick Picks toolbar • Popup menus • Command scroll box - always shows the path of the last selected object or the

name of the selected device or folder. Clicking the down arrow of the scroll bar presents a history of all previous selections of objects, devices and folders.

• Explorer Window – divided into the two main viewing areas: navigation pane and viewing pane.

• Status bar - indicates Explorer’s activity, either in the idle state (Ready) or displaying an active state. In the right-hand corner, indicates the number of objects appearing in the viewing pane, and the number selected.

Title Bar

Dropdown Menus

Quick Picks

Status Bar

Navigation Pane Viewing Pane

Command Scroll Box

Explorer Window

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Dropdown Menus Object Menu The following table describes the selections in the Object dropdown menu, shown below. The number of selections that appears in the dropdown menu varies according to the object selected.

Object menu options are also available from popup menus when you right click an object.

Selection Purpose

Open Opens the editor dialog corresponding to the first object that appears in the viewing pane by default. If you select another object, the dialog that corresponds to that object appears.

Edit Opens the editor dialog corresponding to the first object that appears in the viewing pane by default. If you select another object, the dialog that corresponds to that object appears.

Explore Opens another session of Continuum Explorer.

View Depending on what item is selected – a controller, default object class folder, object, and so on – clicking View may do one of two things:

• Open a listview. • Display submenu selections: History, Graph, and Report. The

History and Graph submenus provide a LogView history. In these cases, you may chose a time range for the history log by specifying the range in the Time Range for History dialog that appears. Selecting Report brings up the Report editor, from which you may create, configure, and view a graphical or text report in the ReportViewer. (See Chapter 11, Reports and the Report Editor.)

Import Into Causes the Open dialog to appear. You can select an ASCII dump file from which to import object settings

Find New BACnet Devices

Searches the network for BACnet devices that have not been declared. The new devices then appear automatically on the Explorer.

Backup to Infinet2 Flash

Saves the Infinet 2 controller's RAM configuration to its flash memory, in accordance with the attribute value that is set for the ACCRestartMode system variable. When you click this button, a Confirm Operation dialog appears.


Selection Purpose

Backup BACnet Device

Backs up configuration information (stored in a special File object called ACCConfiguration) for a single BACnet controller, or multiple controllers, and saves it to your CyberStation database, for BACnet devices that support Backup/Restore (See Chapter 21, Managing Configuration Files.)

Restore BACnet Device

Restores configuration information from your database to one or more BACnet controllers, for BACnet devices that support Backup/Restore. (See Chapter 21, Managing Configuration Files.)

Distribute Personnel

Sends all Personnel objects to a selected controller.

Send To When you click this menu item the following submenu items appear:

Text File: Opens the Save As dialog. Use the Save As dialog to save Continuum Explorer data in the desired location.

Printer: This option is disabled in this version of Continuum Explorer.

Controller: Appears whenever a controller icon is highlighted in the Explorer. Used in conjunction with the Send to Controller Options selection in the Options menu to reload the controller.

Database: Used in conjunction with the Send to Database Options selection in the Options menu to reload the database.

New Displays a submenu of object classes. Use this menu selection to create new objects.

Delete Deletes the selected object and all its container objects including all references and links to the database. It is a nonrecoverable operation. A Confirm Operation dialog appears as a warning. Click OK or Cancel.

Rename Opens the Rename dialog so that you can rename the selected object.

Page Setup Sets up paper size and margins for the print commands.

Print Prints the viewing pane of Continuum Explorer on the default printer. The printout dimensions depend on the default printer settings.

Properties Displays the Properties dialog for the currently selected object.

Exit Closes Continuum Explorer.

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Edit Menu Selection Purpose

Select All Selects all the objects currently displayed in the viewing pane.

Select None Clears the selection of all objects in the viewing pane.

Inverse Selection Reverses whatever the last selection was. For example, if you selected A, B, and C, but left D unselected, inverse selection causes D to be the only selection.

View Menu Selection Purpose

Toolbar Displays or hides the Quick Picks toolbar.

Status Bar Displays or hides the Status Bar.

Explorer Bar Provides four different ways to view the Andover Continuum system. (See Explorer Views, later in this chapter.)

Class Folders Displays class folders in the viewing pane.

Show TAC BACnet Device As

Provides three different ways to view an Andover Continuum BACnet device. (See “Viewing Options” in Chapter 14.)

Objects Displays objects in the viewing pane.

Hide Out Of Services Devices

Allows you to hide out-of-service BACnet device objects on the Explorer tree. (Refer to “Hiding Out of Service Devices” in Chapter 14.)

Icon Displays graphic images that represent a file, folder, subfolder, command, or object.

Small Icons Displays small icons in the viewing pane.

List Alphabetizes objects vertically rather than horizontally in the viewing pane.

Details Displays attributes in columns in the viewing pane – that is, name, alias, owner, and so on.

Up One Level Moves the cursor one level higher in the tree hierarchy in the left pane.

Stop Halts user-initiated list building in the viewing pane.

Refresh Updates the content in the Explorer window to display newly added, deleted, or modified objects.

Refresh All Updates the content in the Explorer window to display all the latest data.


Selection Purpose

Configuration Wizard

Opens the Configuration Wizard dialog. You use the Configuration Wizard to create objects from templates.

Options Menu Selection Purpose

Copy Options Opens the General tab of the Copy Options dialog.

Import Into Options Opens the Import Into Options dialog.

Send to Text File Options

Opens the Send To Text File Options dialog.

Send To Controller Options

Opens the Send To Controller Options dialog.

Send To Database Options

Opens the Send To Database Options dialog.

Copy Options Dialog

Continuum Explorer makes it easy to copy objects among containers. You can use copy and paste from the Edit menu, or you can drag objects from one container to another.

The Copy Options dialog helps you control how and when objects can be copied in Continuum Explorer.

Note: After copying an object, ensure that the name and alias have changed. If the name or alias has not changed, manually change the name or alias, as required.

The Copy Options dialog has the tabs described in the following table.

Tab Name Description

General Allows you to select Source Container and Source Object options. For more information about container and child objects, see Container Objects and Object Ownership earlier in this chapter.

Name Conflicts Allows you to decided what CyberStation does when it detects objects that have the same name in the source and target containers.

Class Filter Allows you to select how to copy source objects. You can copy all, include only certain classes, or exclude certain classes selected from a scroll-down list.

Import Into Options Dialog

Continuum Explorer allows you to set various skip, merge, replace, and area link options, when you import CyberStation object data from ASCII dump files and importing from CSV files. The Import Into Options dialog is displayed when you select the Import Into option from a menu in Continuum Explorer.

The following table describes selections on the Import Into Options dialog.

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Skip, Merge, and Replace Options

Skip source objects with name conflicts.

Click this radio button to stop the import operation for an object when the name of the source file object and the name of the target object are the same.

Merge target objects with name conflicts if the source object is of the same class, otherwise skip the source object.

Click this radio button to merge the source file object with the target object, if the source and target objects are of the same object class.

If the source and target objects are of different classes, stop the import operation for the object.

Merge target objects with name conflicts if the source object is of the same class, otherwise replace the source object.

Click this radio button to merge the source file object with the target object, if the source and target objects are of the same object class.

If the source and target objects are of different classes, overwrite the source object with the target object.

Replace target objects with name conflicts.

Click this radio button to replace the target object with the source file object, when the names of the source object and target object are the same.

Area Link Options

Overwrite existing area links Click this radio button to overwrite the area links (Assigned areas) in the personnel target object with the area links in the personnel source file object.

Append imported area links to existing area links.

Click this radio button to add the personnel source file object's area links to the area links of the personnel target object.

Replace the area links from the personnel’s parent template, but leave all other area links unchanged.

Click this radio button to replace the area links in the parent template of a personnel objec with the source file area links, and append (or "import") these template links to the target object, leaving all the other target-object links unchanged. The target object then has its own links plus the links from the updated template.

All personnel objects that were created from this parent template are also refreshed to represent the changed parent template.


Checkbox

Distribute personnel during an ASCII import.

Check this checkbox to ensure the information that is newly imported into the CyberStation database is distributed to all the controllers that are affected by the modified Personnel objects.

Send to Text File Options

Continuum Explorer allows you to set various source-object options and text-file options when you when you export CyberStation object data to ASCII dump files. The Send to Text File Options dialog is displayed when you select the Export to option from a Continuum Explorer menu.

The following table describes selections on the Send to Text File Options dialog.

Source Object Options

Do not dump child objects. Click this radio button to export the data for the selected object, but not the child objects -- that is, not the objects contained within the controllers belonging to the parent object in the device hierarchy.

Dump child objects, but do not dump the children's children.

Click this radio button to export the data for the selected object, as well as all child objects – that is, all objects contained within the controllers belonging to the parent object in the device hierarchy, but do not export the child objects within the controllers contained beneath those "child controllers" in the device hierarchy.

Dump child objects and the children's children.

Click this radio button to export a parent object and everything beneath it. That is, this operation exports the parent object, all objects contained within

controllers belonging to the parent object, plus all objects within the controllers contained beneath those "child controllers" in the device hierarchy.

Text File Options

Overwrite the file if it already exists.

Click this radio button to overwrite the data in the target text file with the data from the parent source object.

Append to file if it already exists. Click this radio button to add the data from the parent source object to the data in the target text file.

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Checkbox

Dump pictures to separate files. Check this checkbox to export the graphics in the source object into separate bitmap graphics files. This operation results in one text file for object data, plus individual graphics files for the pictures.

Send To Controller Options

Continuum Explorer allows you to set source-object options when you perform "send-to-controller" operations – that is, when you update an object in the CyberStation database and need to distribute or "reload" the updated data to controllers that need to know about the updates.

You can initiate send-to-controller operations from the Send To Controller selection in the popup menu displayed when you right click a container object.

The following table describes selections in the Send To Controller Options dialog:


Do not reload attached objects. Click this radio button to reload the controller, but not to reload the data from the attached objects. If this is used on a CX series Infinity controller, only the import/export table is reloaded.

Reload attached objects, but not attached controllers.

Click this radio button to reload the newly updated object data in the affected controllers, but not to reload the child objects belonging to the controllers contained within this parent (attached) object in the device hierarchy.

Reload attached objects and controllers.

Click this radio button to reload the newly updated object data in the affected controllers, and also reload the data objects belonging to the controllers contained within this parent (attached) object in the device hierarchy.


Send To Database Options

Continuum Explorer allows you to set source-object options when you perform "send-to-database" operations. A send-to-database operation is needed if you have directly updated an object in a controller from a command terminal and need to notify system administrators that these updates must be synchronized with the CyberStation database.

You initiate Send-to-database operations from the Send To Database selection in the popup menu displayed when you right click a container object.

The following table describes selections in the Send To Database Options dialog:


Do not save attached objects. Click this radio button to save the controller data to the CyberStation database, not to save data from attached objects.

Save attached objects, but not attached controllers.

Click this radio button to save the data in the object that you have just directly updated in a controller from the command terminal, but not to save the child objects belonging to the controllers contained in this parent (attached) object in the device hierarchy.

Save attached objects and controllers.

Click this radio button to save, the data in the object that you have just directly updated in a controller from the command terminal, and also to save the child objects belonging to the controllers contained in this parent (attached) object in the device hierarchy.

CAUTION: Complete the following steps to ensure that the Send to Database operation is successful for controllers residing on a bCX1 40x0 controller for a field bus network.

"Learn" a bCX1 40x0 Controller before Sending to Database — Before performing a routine Send to Database operation on a bCX1 40x0 series controller, you must first perform a "learn" operation by clicking the Learn button on the Settings tab of the Comm Port editor. (See Chapter 8.) This ensures that the bCX1 40x0 first knows about the existence of its BACnet field bus controllers (b3 and third-party controllers). After the learn, the Send to Database fetches object information from all controllers residing on the field bus subnetwork and saves it to the CyberStation database. Before performing the Send to Database operation, make sure you have also selected the Save attached objects and controllers radio button.

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Help Menu Selection Purpose

Contents Opens help topics for Continuum Explorer. (You may also press the F1 key.)

About Continuum Explorer

Displays the CyberStation software version and copyright information.

Quick Picks Toolbar Button Description

Explorer bar. When you click the downward arrow to the right of the Explorer bar, a dropdown menu lists the Explorer bar viewing options. See “Using the Explorer Bars.”

View Class Folders. For additional information, see “Understanding Object Classes.”

View Objects. For additional information, see “Understanding Object Classes.”

Stops current process.

Refreshes, or updates, both panes with newly added, deleted, or modified objects.

Moves the cursor one level higher in the tree hierarchy in the left pane.

Changes the views you see in the Continuum Explorer viewing pane. For additional information, see “Working with the Viewing Pane.”

Opens the Configuration Wizard.

Prints the viewing (right) pane of the Continuum Explorer on the default printer. The dimensions depend on the default printer settings.

Command Scroll Box The Command scroll box always shows the path of the last selected object. Clicking the scroll bar lists paths of all previously selected objects.


Popup Menus Throughout CyberStation, in the Continuum Explorer and in almost all CyberStation applications, right clicking displays a popup menu a popup menu.

Popup menus may interchangeably be referred to as shortcut menus.

The selection appearing in bold text in a popup menu is called the default verb for that object. When you double click an object in the Continuum Explorer or in a browse field, the action that takes place depends on the default verb for that object.

Continuum Explorer Window The Continuum Explorer window is divided into two panes where objects appear:

• The navigation pane on the left • The viewing pane on the right.

Navigation Pane The navigation pane is a tree structure hierarchical representation of the root object and the objects connected to it.

The first icon (the infinity symbol) that appears in the list is the root object. Below the root object are device and folder objects. A plus sign (+) indicates that the object contains sub objects. Click the plus sign and the object icon opens, displaying its contents.

In the above figure, the Network folder object is expanded, indicated by the fact that the + sign has been replaced by a minus sign (-). The Infinity 1 controller icon is displayed. When the + sign for the controller was clicked, the folder objects below it appeared. Click the minus sign (-) to collapse a list of objects or folders.

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Viewing Pane Use the viewing pane to view the contents of objects selected in the navigation pane and to find details about the objects you are viewing.

Selecting How Objects Will Be Displayed

You can use the viewing pane to display objects in four different ways by making selections from the Views drop down menu, or by clicking the Views icon in the Quick Picks toolbar until the desired view appears.

Option Description Example

Icon

Displays large icons in the viewing pane

Small Icon

Displays small icons in the viewing pane

List

Displays objects in a list in the viewing pane

Details

Displays details of objects in the viewing pane


Details Options

The Details option provides the following information about CyberStation objects:

Column Description

Name Name of the object.

DeviceID or Owner

Identification of the attached folder or device.

Alias The name used to identify the object in programs and functions. When referring to an object, whether in a path or a program, always use the object alias.

Type The object class or type.

Last Change The date and time the object was last modified.

Changing the Width of Details View Columns

Place the cursor on a vertical line that separates two columns at the top of the Details View window:

When the cursor changes to look like this ,drag column boundaries to the left or right.

Class Folders or Objects

Use the class folder and object buttons in the Quick Picks toolbar to select how the viewing pane displays objects. You can display the class folders or the objects in the class folders.

The picture on the left represents the class folder image of the objects pictured on the right.

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Explorer Views Continuum Explorer allows you to view your system in five different ways: All Paths, Networks, Folders, Templates, and BACnet View.

To change views, click the down arrow attached to the Explorer quick picks icon .

All Paths View This is the default view for Continuum Explorer. It displays all elements in the Andover Continuum system, including all devices, networks, folders, and templates. The Root appears at the top of the navigation panel with all linked objects below it. The contents of any object selected in the navigation pane appear in the viewing pane.


Networks View The Networks view shows the objects in your system in the viewing pane in relation to physical hardware (workstations, controllers, and connected peripheral devices) that contains them in the navigation pane.

Folders View The Folders view shows folders, subfolders and class folders in the navigation pane. Folders, class folders, and objects are shown in the viewing pane.

The Folders view organizes objects in your system independent of their physical connection to each other. For example, suppose you have an Infinity Input point named Room Temperature 1 attached to a controller named CX1 and you want to create a folder named Chiller Plant that contains all the objects having to do with cooling systems in a building. In Folder view, you place the CX1 controller in the Chiller Plant folder. (See the following figure.)

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In contrast to the Folders view, the Network view shows the objects in relation to their physical arrangement in the network. The figure below shows the comparison between the two views back to the root object.

This arrangement is possible because CyberStation allows every object to have two owners, an attached network device and a folder owner. In the figure, the input point Room Temperature 1 has two owners: Chiller Plant Folder and Attached Device CX1. The folder owner is optional.

Root

Root

Network

Building 1

Folder Owner

Chiller Plant

Attached Device

CX1

Infinity Input

Room Temperature 1

Folder View

Network View


Class Folders

CyberStation keeps track of the objects you create by storing them in class folders. Every time you create a new object on a device, CyberStation either stores it in an existing class folder, or, if the object is the first instance of a class, CyberStation creates the appropriate class folder for you. The picture below shows a device and all the class folders that it owns:

Templates View The Templates view displays the templates that are available in the CyberStation system. The templates (Chapter 12) appear as folders and subfolders in the navigation pane. In the viewing pane the templates are represented as folders and object icons.

BACnet View In the BACnet view, only BACnet objects and devices are displayed. (Refer to Chapter 14.) For example:

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Creating Objects Here are some points to keep in mind before you create your first object:

• CyberStation automatically creates the appropriate class folders as you create your objects and stores the objects in the applicable views.

• You can store objects in more than one view at the same time. • You may use either the navigation pane of Continuum Explorer or the New dialog to

navigate to the device that you want to attach. Most objects must be attached to (stored in) a device such as a controller or workstation. The exceptions are:

Areas Folders Personnel

AlarmEnrollments Graphics Security Levels

Event Views Groups Templates

EventNotifications List Views Users

Creating a New Object Perform the following steps to create a new object:

1. In the Continuum Explorer, select the Network or All Paths view.

2. Select the object to which you want to attach the new object. See the table on the following page for a container object listing.

3. Right click the object or select New in the Object menu to display a pop up list of object classes.

4. Select the object class of the object you want to create.

For example, select InfinityNumeric to create an InfinityNumeric point object.

5. The New dialog appears, with the object type you selected displayed in the Objects of type field. The following figure shows an InfinityNumeric object.

6. In the New dialog, enter the Object name field.


CyberStation fills in the Alias field, but you can change it.

7. Click Create to enter the editor of the object you are creating.

The following table lists the CyberStation objects that can be owned by container objects.

… Can Be Owned by this Container

This Object… Network Infinity Controller

Infinity Infinet Controller

Andover Continuum Workstation

Infinity Folder

BACnet Device *

BACnet (Network) Folder **

AlarmEnrollment No No No Yes Yes No No

AnalogInput No No No Yes No Yes No

AnalogOutput No No No Yes No Yes No

AnalogValue No No No Yes No Yes No

Area No No No Yes Yes No No

BinaryInput No No No Yes Yes Yes No

BinaryOutput No No No Yes Yes Yes No

BinaryValue No No No Yes Yes Yes No

Calendar No No No No No Yes No

CommPort Yes Yes No No No No No

ControllerUser No Yes No No Yes No No

DateTime No No No Yes Yes No No

Device * No No No No No Yes Yes

Door No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No

EventEnrollment No Yes (b4/b3 only)

No No No Yes No

EventNotification No Yes (b4/b3 only)

No Yes Yes Yes No

EventView No No No No Yes No No

File No Yes Yes No No Yes No

Filter No No No No Yes No No

Folder No No No No Yes No No

Function No No No Yes Yes No No

Graphics No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Group No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

InfinityController Yes No No No Yes No No

InfinityDateTime No Yes Yes No Yes No No

InfinityFunction No Yes Yes No Yes No No

InfinityInfinetCtlr No Yes No No Yes No No

InfinityInput No Yes Yes No Yes No No

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… Can Be Owned by this Container

This Object… Network Infinity Controller

Infinity Infinet Controller

Andover Continuum Workstation

Infinity Folder

BACnet Device *

BACnet (Network) Folder **

InfinityNumeric No Yes Yes No Yes No No

InfinityOutput No Yes Yes No Yes No No

InfinityProgram No Yes Yes No Yes No No

InfinityString No Yes Yes No Yes No No

InfinitySystem Variable

No Yes Yes No Yes No No

IOUModule No Yes No No* Yes No No

Listview No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Loop No Yes Yes No Yes No No

MultistateInput No No No Yes Yes Yes No

MultistateOutput No No No Yes Yes Yes No

MultistateValue No No No Yes Yes Yes No

Network No No No No Yes No No

NetworkDialup No No No Yes Yes No No

Personnel No No No No Yes No No

Program No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Report No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No

Schedule * No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

SecurityLevel No No No No Yes No No

String No No No Yes Yes No No

TrendLog No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No

User No No No No Yes No No

VideoLayout No No No No Yes No No

VideoServer No No No No Yes No No

*Note: A Device is a BACnet object, viewed in the BACnet Devices portion of the Continuum Explorer. A BACnet Device object can be one of the following: Andover Continuum b4 or b3 controller device, third-party device, third-party workstation. Although Andover Continuum workstations are BACnet devices, they appear at the Root, not in the BACnet Devices network. Also, a Schedule object may or may not be owned by a third-party device, depending on whether the device supports Schedule.

**Note: A BACnet folder is a folder designated as a “network,” viewed in the BACnet Devices portion of the Continuum Explorer.


Importing from ASCII Dump Files Importing from ASCII dump files is a process you can use to:

• Update or reload CyberStation objects with previously backed-up data. • Create new objects. You can update or create one CyberStation object from each ASCII file.

You may also set options for performing operations. See, Import Into Options Dialog earlier in this chapter.

Updating and Reloading Objects from ASCII Files To update and reload data from ASCII files into existing CyberStation objects:

1. Right click the object that you want to update or reload.

2. From the popup menu, or from the Object dropdown menu, select Import Into.

3. In the Open dialog, locate and select the .DMP file that contains the back-up data for the object you want to reload, and

4. Click Open.

If your workstation is set up to confirm reloads, you'll see a confirmation dialog.

5. Click OK to start reloading the object.

If your workstation has been set up to monitor object loads, you will see a dialog that will show you the load progress, as well as any errors that occur.

Creating Objects from ASCII Files To create a CyberStation object from an ASCII file:

1. In the ASCII file, ensure that you specified the appropriate attribute values, such as Name, Alias, Owner, Device ID, and Description for the object you want to create, and then save and close the file.

2. Right click the container where you want to store the new object, and select Import Into... from the popup menu.

3. In the Open dialog, select the DMP files (*.DMP) you want to use and click Open.

If your workstation is set up to confirm load operations, you see a confirmation dialog.

4. Click OK to start loading the object.

If your workstation is set up to monitor object loads, you see a dialog that will show you the load progress, as well as any errors that occur.

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Exporting Object Data to ASCII Dump Files Exporting data to ASCII dump files is a process by which all the information about an object is sent to a text file.

To export data to an ASCII dump file for a CyberStation object:

1. From the Continuum Explorer, right click the object that you would like to export, and select Send to... and then select Text File.

Note: If you right click an object that contains other objects, you will be exporting data for all the contained objects as well as the object on which you clicked. See also Send To Text File Options Dialog, earlier in this chapter, for export options involving an object's children and children's children.

2. In the Save As dialog, navigate to the folder that will store the file, and enter the name of the dump file, including a .DMP extension, in the File name field.

3. Click Save.

If your workstation is set up to confirm for ASCII dumps, a confirmation dialog appears.

4. Click OK.

If your workstation is set up to monitor ASCII dumps, you will see a dialog that will show you how the dump is progressing, as well as any errors that might occur.

Importing from CSV Files Importing from CSV files is a process you can use to:

• Update or reload objects. • Update existing objects. This feature allows the creation or update of one or more objects from a text file containing an object class name and a list of object attributes, one row per object.

All attributes and attribute values are separated by commas. CSV files are especially useful for creating and loading Personnel objects for access control applications. A single CSV file may include a list of Personnel records, each row containing, for example, Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial, a template object name, photo file name, card number, and so on.

You may also set options for performing import operations. See: Import Into Options Dialog earlier in this chapter.


Creating CSV Files for CyberStation To create CyberStation objects from a CSV file, the file must contain an object class name, a list of object attributes, and one row for each object. The first line specifies the class name of the objects to be imported. The second line, called the Attribute Definition Line (ADL), defines the attributes to be imported by name. The third and successive rows contain the objects themselves, called Attribute Value Lines (AVL), using the ADL as a template for what order the attributes are in. You can create and edit CSV files in a text editor or a spreadsheet program.

An example of a CSV import file viewed through a text editor is as follows:

If you create or edit a CSV file with Microsoft Excel, you must open the CSV file with a text editor and remove all of the extra commas in the object class lines and at the end of any lines throughout the file that have extra commas at the end.

Object Class Attribute Definition Line

Attribute Value Lines

Extra commas

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Updating and Reloading Objects from CSV Files To update and reload existing CyberStation objects from CSV files:

1. Right click the object that you want to update or reload, and select Import Into… from the popup menu.

2. In the Open dialog, select CSV Files (*.CSV) from the Files of type dropdown menu.

3. Locate and select the CSV file that you want to use, and then click Open.


4. Click OK to start reloading the object.

If your workstation is set up to monitor object loads, you'll see a dialog that will show you the load progress, as well as any errors that occur.

Creating Objects from CSV Files To create CyberStation objects from a CSV file:

1. Open the container object (root, folder, device or controller) that will contain the object you are going to create, and right click the opened container object.

2. Select Import Into... from the popup menu.

3. In the Open dialog, select CSV Files (*.CSV) from the Files of type dropdown menu.

4. Locate and select the CSV file that you want to use, and then click Open.


5. Click OK to start loading the object.

If your workstation is set up to monitor object loads, you see a monitor dialog that will show you the load progress, as well as any errors that occur.

Updating or Creating Personnel Objects from CSV Files The CSV import of personnel objects follows the same format as that of other objects, except that there are three optional lines that can be added. The format includes the following additional CSV keyword lines:

AutoNumber – This optional line automatically assigns CardType, SiteCode(for Non-ABA) and CardNumber for every personnel object imported. You can overwrite this auto-assignment for particular personnel by including CardType, SiteCode(For Non-ABA), and CardNumber in the attribute definition line and put non-empty values in the attribute value line. If no value is specified in a line, auto-assignment will take place. This overwrite feature is useful when you want to change a personnel’s cardnumber with the Key line presented and set to non-CardNumber.

Key – This optional line tries to resolve each attribute value line (personnel or user) by using the unique key or keys specified in the key line. With this line, you can specify the attribute list that uniquely identifies personnel. Examples of Key lines are as follows:


• Key,firstname,lastname • Key,socsecno • Key,name • Key,alias • Key,cardnumber,sitecode,cardtype • Key,name,socsecno Note: Key must not be an attribute in any class. All attributes in the Key Definition Line

(KDL) must also be in the Attribute Definition Line (ADL).

Option – This line has two options available, as follows:

• NoPhotoUpdate – This option does not update the personnel photo file. • NoCardNumberCheck – This option does not check CardNumber duplication. This

will speed up personnel CSV import. Without this option, CSV import always check CardNumber duplication.

The CSV import file format for personnel objects is as follows:

• ClassName • AutoNumber,CardType,SiteCode,BeginCardNumber • Key,attribute1,attribute2,… • Option,NoPhotoUpdate • Attribute Definition Line • Attribute Value Lines

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CyberStation Object Editors CyberStation object editors are dialogs you use for creating or modifying objects. Each class of CyberStation object has its own editor. Each editor shows the class name, object name, and path in the title bar.

Opening an Object Editor When you create an new object (described on the previous page) the object editor automatically appears on the CyberStation screen. Use one of the following methods to open an editor for an object that already exists in Continuum Explorer.

• Double click the object in Continuum Explorer. • Right click the object, and select Edit from the popup menu that appears.

Using CyberStation Object Editors Each editor has a series of tabs containing text fields, buttons, and dropdown menus that you use to define or modify an object. You enter text in the fields, make choices by clicking buttons, and select from lists of possibilities.

The bottom of the dialog consists of five buttons: OK, Cancel, Apply, Refresh and Help:

Button Purpose

OK Save changes and exit the editor.

Cancel Exit the editor without saving changes.

Apply Apply and save changes without exiting the editor.

Refresh Update to current values.

Help Open online help topics for the object editor.

Access Security Rules in Continuum Explorer The objects that appear in both the navigation and viewing panes of Continuum Explorer are determined by the user's security level settings for view access, as described below.

The navigation and viewing panes do not display objects to which the user does not have view access. If users do not have view access to all the objects within a class folder, the folder does not appear in the navigation path. For example, if a controller appears in the navigation pane, and the user does not have view access to the InfinityNumeric objects for that controller, no InfinityNumeric class folder appears in the tree path beneath the controller.

Note: You cannot browse to individual objects for which you have view access if the objects are contained within a class folder that you cannot access.

Multiple Path Lists The security action "Multiple path lists" is included in the ListView class of the Security menu. (Refer to Chapter 4.)


Use this menu to determine whether or not a user has the ability to create listview objects with a path type that shows objects for more than one path. This action should be used with the view access (above) to restrict users from seeing objects to which they do not have access.

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Security

Security groups and SecurityLevel objects are two CyberStation tools that you use to determine the access privileges of CyberStation users.

• Security groups enable you to define the access privileges needed by different types of CyberStation users. You can then assign users to appropriate security groups. Access privileges that you define for object classes in the Security editor apply to all objects in that class (for example, all doors, all personnel).

• SecurityLevel objects are CyberStation objects that you attach to other CyberStation objects or to containers. You use SecurityLevel objects if you want to further restrict security group access to individual objects, or to actions, such as deleting or editing, that may be taken with the individual objects. You attach a SecurityLevel object to each CyberStation container or object that you want to be controlled by those privileges. Access privileges that you define in the SecurityLevel editor for SecurityLevel objects apply only to the individual objects or containers that you attach them to. They do not apply to other objects in the same object class. For more information, see SecurityLevel Editor.

Security Groups A security group is a category of CyberStation privileges for using editors and applications. Typically, a system administrator sets up security groups defined by certain access privileges and then assigns users to security groups in accordance with their needs.

The security groups are configured to allow or deny the user access to Continuum objects. Security groups might include the following examples: • Administrator ⎯ allowed access to all Continuum applications • Security Guard ⎯ allowed full access to doors, areas, and personnel data but limited

to view only access to everything else. • HVAC Technician ⎯ allowed access to all HVAC related objects, but denied access

to everything else.

4

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Setting up CyberStation security groups has three major steps: 1. Configure security groups that allow or deny access to CyberStation object classes

and actions.

2. Create a user object for each person who will be allowed access to a CyberStation workstation.

3. Assign users to the appropriate security groups for the access each user requires.

This chapter explains the process of configuring the security groups. This chapter also describes how to create SecurityLevel objects and use them with security groups to further customize CyberStation security. See Chapter 5 to create user objects and assign them to security groups.

Configuring User Security Groups You use the Security editor to configure security groups. To access the Security editor, proceed as follows:

1. Right click the Continuum icon in your tooltray.

2. Select Security from the popup menu.

This displays the Security editor.

Displaying Security Groups

CyberStation provides 1024 security groups for which you can assign access privileges. By default, the first 128 groups are displayed. You can display the additional groups as needed in multiples of 128 (256, 384, 512, and so on) up to 1024.

Note: If you reduce the number of displayed security groups, users assigned to groups that are no longer displayed lose all access to CyberStation. Be sure to assign all users to security groups that are currently displayed.

Security groups that are not displayed retain their settings and user assignments. If you later display these security groups, the settings in these groups will apply to any users assigned to them.

1. In the Group Names tab, select a value from the dropdown list for Number of Security Groups.

2. Click the Change button.

If you select a smaller number of groups, you are prompted to confirm the change. Click Yes to continue.

3. Click Apply or OK.

Renaming Security Groups

By default, the security group names are Group 01 through Group 1024. You can rename the groups that you use, if you wish.

1. In the Group Names tab, use the vertical scroll bar to locate the security group name that you want to change.

2. Double click the group name, enter a new name, and press the Enter key.


3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to rename other security groups as needed.


Displaying Access Privileges in the Actions Tab

1. Select the Actions tab.

2. Expand a folder to display the object classes or tasks (actions) within that folder. Expand an object class to display the actions and editor tabs for that object class.

For example, expand the Area class to display the actions for Area objects and the list of tabs in the Area editor.

Security groups are displayed to the right of the action or the tab name. The icon used to identify each group indicates whether the group has access privileges for it:

• The Lock icon indicates that the users in the security group do not have access privileges; that is, the action or tab is locked for this security group.

• The Key icon indicates that the users in the security group have access privileges; that is, the action or tab is unlocked for this security group.

Position your cursor over an icon to display the name of the security group and the action or editor tab it represents. Group names are defined in the Group Names tab. You can edit the names as needed, and also select the number of security groups that are displayed.

Assigning Access Privileges for Security Groups

Use this procedure to assign or remove access privileges for security groups.

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You can also assign and remove privileges by copying access settings to other security groups and by importing security groups. For more information, see Copying Security Groups and Importing and Exporting Security Groups later in this chapter.

Note: When you remove access privileges to view an object class for a security group, users in that group do not see that object in Continuum Explorer. If the objects are contained within a class folder, the class folder is not displayed when any of these users are logged into CyberStation. For example, if a user belongs to a security group that does not have access privileges to view Personnel objects, Personnel objects and the Personnel class folder are not displayed in Continuum Explorer when this user is logged into CyberStation.

1. Expand a view or folder. To assign access privileges to object classes, expand the Classes folder, and then expand an object class.

A list of actions is displayed. If you expanded an object class, a list of the tab names in that object editor is displayed after the actions.

Use the vertical scroll bar to locate the action for which you would like to assign access privileges. In addition to actions specific to that object class, if any, the following actions are listed for most object classes:

Change Out of Service — Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can enable and disable objects of this class.

Create —Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can create objects of this class.

Delete —Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can delete objects of this class.

Edit —Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can open the editors of objects of this class, and modify object values in the editor.

View — Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can open the editors of objects of this class, but cannot modify any values unless they also have Edit privileges. These users will also be able to view the class folder for any objects for which they have view access (provided the users also have access to Continuum Explorer).

Send To Text File — Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can import and export object data to text files.

2. Assign or remove access privileges.

If you want to . . . Then . . .

assign an access privilege for an action or an editor tab to a security group

In the row that contains the action or tab name, click the

Lock icon for the security group that you want to have the privileges.

The Key icon is now displayed for this security group, indicating that the group has access to the action or tab.



remove an access privilege for an action or an editor tab from a security group

In the row that contains the action or tab name, click the Key icon for the security group where you want to remove the privileges.

The Lock icon is now displayed for this security group, indicating that the group does not have access to the action or tab.

assign access privileges to all actions within a view, object class, or folder

Right click the view, object class, or folder, and select Unlock Actions from the popup menu. In the Unlock Actions for Groups dialog, select the checkbox next to each security group that you want to have access, and click OK.

The Key icon is now displayed for the selected security groups, indicating that the groups have access to all the actions (and editor tabs) in the view, object class, or folder.

remove access privileges to all actions within a view, object class, or folder

Right click the view, object class, or folder, and select Lock Actions from the popup menu. In the Lock Actions for Groups dialog, select the checkbox next to each security group that you do not want to have access, and click OK.

The Lock icon is now displayed for the selected security groups, indicating that the groups do not have access to any of the actions (and editor tabs) in the view, object class, or folder.

3. Click OK.

Copying Access Privileges Between Security Groups

Use this procedure to copy the access privileges assigned to one security group to another security group. This is useful when you want to define privileges for a security group that are only slightly different from another security group. When you paste the copied access privileges to the destination security group, the privileges for all actions in all folders are replaced with the new privileges. You can then assign or remove privileges as needed.

1. In the Actions tab, expand a view or folder.

2. If needed, use the horizontal scroll bar to display the icon for the security group whose access privileges you want to copy.

3. Right click the security group, and select Copy Group from the popup menu.

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4. If needed, use the horizontal scroll bar to display the icon for the security group

where you want to paste the access privileges.

5. Right click the security group where you want to paste the privileges, and select Paste Group from the popup menu.

6. Assign or remove privileges as needed for the security group where you copied the

access privileges.


Exporting and Importing Security Groups CyberStation provides backup and restore capabilities for the security group settings with its export and import features. These features export and import security group settings using dump files with the security dump file extension (.SDF).

The export feature exports the access privileges for all security groups. The import feature imports the access privileges from a security dump file that you select. You can import access privileges for all security groups or for a selected security group.

Exporting Security Groups

Use the following procedure to export access privileges for all security groups.

1. In the Actions tab, right click anywhere under Action or Locks, and select Export All from the popup menu.


2. In the Save As dialog, enter a filename, and click the Save button to create the .SDF

file.

Importing One Security Group

Use this procedure to import the access privileges for a selected security group from a security dump file (.SDF).

1. In the Actions tab, expand a view or folder, and right click the security group for which you want to import access privileges.

2. Select Import Group from the popup menu.

3. In the Open dialog, select the file containing the security group settings you want to

import, and click the Open button.

Note: Importing access privileges overwrites the previous access privileges for the security group. Ensure that you have imported the access privileges that you want to use before clicking Apply to save them in the Security editor.

4. Click Apply or OK to save the access privileges for the selected security group.

Importing All Security Groups

Use this procedure to import the access privileges for all security groups from a security dump file (.SDF).

1. In the Actions tab, right click anywhere under Action or any white space, and select Import All from the popup menu.

2. In the Open dialog, select the SDF file that contains the security group privileges that you want to import, and click the Open button.

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Note: Importing all security group privileges overwrites the previous access privileges for the security groups. Ensure that you have imported the access privileges that you want to use before clicking Apply to save them in the Security editor.

3. Click Apply or OK save the security groups settings.

Configuring Object-Level Security Use the SecurityLevel editor to define the security group access privileges in a SecurityLevel object. You can create multiple SecurityLevel objects, each with customized access privileges. You then attach a SecurityLevel object to individual CyberStation objects or containers. Each of these is then accessible to users only as defined in the SecurityLevel object attached to it. If you attach a SecurityLevel object to a container, such as a folder, all objects stored in the folder are accessible as defined in the SecurityLevel object.

This customized security is known as object-level security, and it works with the access privileges defined in security groups. In the Security editor, you set up security groups and assign access privileges to those groups. These access privileges are defined for object classes rather than individual containers or objects. Object-level security further refines those access privileges by controlling access to individual containers or objects to which SecurityLevel objects are attached.

Note: Object-level security can be more restricted than the access privileges defined in the Security editor for security groups; it cannot be less restricted. For example, if users in a security group can edit Personnel objects, a SecurityLevel object attached to selected Personnel objects can prevent the users from editing those objects. However, the reverse is not permitted in CyberStation: if users in a security group are prevented from editing Personnel objects, a SecurityLevel object with editing of Personnel objects unlocked does not allow the users to edit Personnel objects to which the SecurityLevel object is attached. When user-level and object-level privileges differ for the same object class and action, CyberStation uses the more restricted setting.

Creating a SecurityLevel Object Note: You cannot delete or move SecurityLevel objects. In Continuum Explorer, they

must reside in Root.

1. In Continuum Explorer, right click Root.

2. Select New, and then select SecurityLevel from the popup menu.

3. Enter a name for the object, and click Open.

4. The SecurityLevel editor is displayed. You define access privileges for the SecurityLevel object in the Security tab of this editor.

Displaying Access Privileges in the Security Tab Expand Classes to display the object classes. Expand an object class to display the actions and editor tabs for that object class. For example, expand the Area class to display the actions for Area objects and the list of tabs in the Area editor.


Security groups are displayed to the right of the action or the tab name. The icon used to identify each group indicates whether the group has access privileges for it:

• The Lock icon indicates that the users in the security group do not have access privileges; that is, the action or tab is locked for this security group.

• The Key icon indicates that the users in the security group have access privileges; that is, the action or tab is unlocked for this security group.

Position your cursor over an icon to display the name of the security group and the action or editor tab it represents. Group names are defined in the Group Names tab of the Security editor.

Universal Unlock Folder Using the Universal Unlock folder, you can deny one or more user groups universal access and viewing privileges to all features of all objects to which the SecurityLevel object is attached. When you deny a security group access privileges (place a lock) in this folder, it overrides any other key (unlock) on any features throughout the system for that security group. It is a quick way to prevent access to every object to which the SecurityLevel object is attached for users in the security group. (Users are assigned to security groups in the Groups tab of the User editor.)

When the universal lock is unlocked, all objects owned by a parent (folder or device) inherit the security level of the parent; security levels of each class are applied. To deny all access to any security group, lock the universal lock for that group. This simplifies the task of locking all access for a security group from a folder or a device.

Assigning Access Privileges in a SecurityLevel Object Use this procedure to assign access privileges to security groups in a SecurityLevel object.

1. In the Security tab, expand the Classes folder, and then expand an object class.

A list of actions is displayed, followed by a list of the tab names in that object editor.

Use the vertical scroll bar to locate the action for which you would like to assign access privileges. In addition to actions specific to that object class, if any, the following actions are listed for most object classes:

Change Out of Service — Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can enable and disable objects of this class.

Create —Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can create objects of this class.

Delete —Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can delete objects of this class.

Edit —Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can open the editors of objects of this class, and modify object values in the editor.

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View — Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can open the editors of objects of this class, but cannot modify any values unless they also have Edit privileges. These users will also be able to view the class folder for any objects for which they have view access (provided the users also have access to Continuum Explorer).

Send To Text File — Users belonging to security groups with this privilege can import and export object data to text files.

2. Assign or remove access privileges.


assign an access privilege for an action or an editor tab to a security group

In the row that contains the action or tab name, click the

Lock icon for the security group that you want to have the privileges.

The Key icon is now displayed for this security group, indicating that the group has access to the action or tab.

remove an access privilege for an action or an editor tab from a security group

In the row that contains the action or tab name, click the Key icon for the security group where you want to remove the privileges.

The Lock icon is now displayed for this security group, indicating that the group does not have access to the action or tab.

assign access privileges to all actions within a view, object class, or folder

Right click the view, object class, or folder, and select Unlock Actions from the popup menu. In the Unlock Actions for Groups dialog, select the checkbox next to each security group that you want to have access, and click OK.

The Key icon is now displayed for the selected security groups, indicating that the groups have access to all the actions (and editor tabs) in the view, object class, or folder.

remove access privileges to all actions within a view, object class, or folder

Right click the view, object class, or folder, and select Lock Actions from the popup menu. In the Lock Actions for Groups dialog, select the checkbox next to each security group that you do not want to have access, and click OK.

The Lock icon is now displayed for the selected security groups, indicating that the groups do not have access to any of the actions (and editor tabs) in the view, object class, or folder.


3. Click OK.

You attach a SecurityLevel object to individual CyberStation objects in the SecurityLevel tab in their respective object editors. For more information, see the help topics for SecurityLevel tabs in the editors.

Copying Access Privileges from a Single Security Group to Another Group Use this procedure to copy the access privileges assigned to one security group to another security group. This is useful when you want to define privileges for a security group that are only slightly different from another security group. When you paste the copied access privileges to the destination security group, the privileges for all actions in all folders are replaced with the new privileges. You can then assign or remove privileges as needed.

1. In the Security tab, expand an object class.

2. If needed, use the horizontal scroll bar to display the icon for the security group whose access privileges you want to copy.

3. Right click the security group, and select Copy Group from the popup menu.

4. If needed, use the horizontal scroll bar to display the icon for the security group

where you want to paste the access privileges.

5. Right click the security group where you want to paste the privileges, and select Paste Group from the popup menu.

6. Assign or remove privileges as needed for the security group where you copied the

access privileges.


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Copying Access Privileges from the Security Editor Use this procedure to copy the access privileges for all security groups from the Security editor to a SecurityLevel object. You can paste the access privileges into a SecurityLevel object in the SecurityLevel editor and then edit the access privileges as needed for the object.

Note: You can also copy access privileges from another SecurityLevel object and paste them into a different SecurityLevel object.

1. In the tool tray, right click the Continuum icon, and select Security from the popup menu.

2. In the Actions tab, right click any white space (not over text or icons), and select Copy All from the popup menu.

3. Click OK.

4. In Continuum Explorer, create or edit the SecurityLevel object where you want to paste the access privileges.

5. In the SecurityLevel editor, select the Security tab.

6. Right click any white space, and select Paste All from the popup menu.

7. Edit the access privileges as needed, and click Apply or OK.

Viewing Objects Controlled by a SecurityLevel Object Use this procedure to view a list of the CyberStation objects to which a specific SecurityLevel object is assigned.

1. In Continuum Explorer, expand the SecurityLevel folder, and double click the SecurityLevel object you want to view.

2. In the SecurityLevel editor, select the Attached Objects tab.

The list of objects to which this SecurityLevel object is attached is displayed.


Attaching a SecurityLevel Object to a Container or Object Only one SecurityLevel object can be attached to an object or container. You can also remove a SecurityLevel object from an object.

1. Open the object to which you want to attach a SecurityLevel object in its editor.

2. Select the SecurityLevel tab.

3. Select the SecurityLevel object you want to attach to this object.

If you want to remove an attached SecurityLevel object without attaching another one, right click in the list of SecurityLevel objects, and select Clear Selection.

4. Click OK.

Folder and Device Level Security Folder and device level (FDL) security allows you to apply a security level to a collection of child objects by placing them in a folder or device object (the parent) so that the child objects inherit the parent’s security level.

Note: FDL security does not apply to Root, since Root is not treated as a folder by FDL.

Attaching SecurityLevel Objects to Parent Objects and Folders Your CyberStation system can include thousands of objects that you want to be accessible only to the appropriate users. One efficient way to define access to these objects is to attach SecurityLevel objects to containers: parent objects and folders that can contain other objects. Child objects in the container inherit the access privileges defined in the SecurityLevel object attached to the container. Implementing security in this way is referred to as folder and device-level (FDL) security.

For example, you can create a folder and place personnel, areas, doors, points, and programs into it and then attach a security level object to the folder that gives view access to one group of users, edit access to another group of users, and no access to a third group of users. You an also apply the same process to a network controller, an Infinet controller or a CyberStation workstation.

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Guidelines for Using FDL Security When you configure security at your site using FDL, consider the following factors: • Roles ⎯ categories to which a user can be assigned (Administration, Guard,

Maintenance, and so on) • Partitions ⎯ division of site into physical areas (Building A, Building B, and so on) • Security Groups ⎯ the combination of roles and partitions (BldgAAdmin,

BldgAGuard, BldgAMaint, and so on) The number of groups can be determined by the following formula:

Number of groups = Number of roles X Number of partitions

The use of these guidelines is illustrated in the following example.

Example of Using FDL Security Consider the situation where you want to partition the security in a site that is located in two separate buildings. Using the above guidelines, proceed as follows: 1. Determine the roles of the users. This example uses three categories:

• Administrators • Guards • Maintenance

2. Determine the partitions. This example uses two partitions:

• BuildingA • BuildingB

3. Determine the number of security groups to configure:

Number of roles x Number of partitions = Number of groups

For example:

3 x 2 = 6 Security groups

4. Assign names to security groups in the Group Names tab of the Security editor:

BldgAAdmin BldgBAdmin

BldgAGuard BldgBGuard

BldgAMain BldgBMain

5. In the Actions tab, select security privileges for each group.

This should be role based. That is, all guards should have the same lock and key settings. The same should be true for the maintenance personnel. Administrators usually have keys to all objects and actions.

6. Create users, and assign each user to the appropriate group in the User editor. (See Chapter 5.)

7. In Continuum Explorer, create two folders named BuildingA and BuildingB.


8. Create a SecurityLevel object for each folder named BldgAAccess and BldgBAccess, and define access as shown in the following table.

You can use the Universal Lock/Unlock feature in the SecurityLevel editor to quickly assign access privileges to the security groups.

Folder Security Level Object

Groups Allowed Access

Groups Denied Access

BuildingA BldgAAccess BldgAAdmin BldgAGuard BldgAMain

BldgBAdmin BldgBGuard BldgBMain

BuildingB BldgBAccess BldgBAdmin BldgBGuard BldgBMain

BldgAAdmin BldgAGuard BldgAMain

9. Attach the SecurityLevel objects to the appropriate folders.

10. Place the objects associated with each building in the appropriate folders.

User Limitations Users that do not have access privileges to certain folders/devices will not be able to access any objects contained in them. Pinpoint is the exception to this. Pinpoint will not hide controls based on FDL security. However, Pinpoint does prevent users from editing objects that they have no access to.

The following table summarizes the effect of user access privileges with FDL security.

Function User Limitations

List Views The user will be able to see objects they don’t have access to, but will not be able to access them.

Group Views The user will be able to see objects they don’t have access to, but will not be able to access them.

Active Alarm View

The user will be able to see objects they don’t have access to, but will not be able to access them.

Event View The user will be able to see objects they don’t have access to, but will not be able to access them.

Continuum Explorer

The user will not see any object that the user doesn’t have view access to when using the Universal Lock. If the Universal Lock is unlocked, for a group and the view access of a device class or folder is locked, then the corresponding device/folder will not be viewable from explorer.

If a security level object is set up to allow viewing the folder but not viewing any child class under it, attaching this security level object to a folder would not prevent child class objects from showing under that folder in Continuum Explorer. When users click a child class object however, an “access denied error” will show up. The use case of viewing a folder/device but not viewing children under that folder/device in Explorer is not supported in current FDL implementation.

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Function User Limitations

Command Line

The user cannot change the value of any object or attribute if they do not have change value level.

Editors The user cannot edit any object that they do not have edit access to. This applies to all editors independently of where they are launched.

web.Client All applications in web.Client will mirror the corresponding CyberStation security functionality.

Pinpoint Pinpoint will not apply view FDL security to controls. All controls will always display. If the user does not have change value level, then they cannot modify values using in line controls. If they do not have edit access, then they are denied from launching object editors. If they do not have access to other graphics that are linked using buttons, then they will be denied access to the graphics when clicking the button.


18 Configuring Users

What Are Users? A user is a person who logs onto a CyberStation workstation on a command terminal to monitor and manage their building control system. Users have passwords that allow them access to CyberStation, and they have security levels that restrict the kinds of changes they can make, and actions they can take.

User Object For every user in your company who is allowed access to your building control system, you must create a User object in CyberStation. User objects contain each user’s password and security group assignment. If you choose to you can also record personal information, such as the Social Security number and address, about each user.

User objects are always created under the Root object. ControllerUser objects are created under the applicable NetController. ControllerUser cannot exist under Root.

ControllerUser Object For every user in your company who is allowed access to a command terminal remotely connected to a NetController you must create a ControllerUser object in CyberStation. (See Creating a ControllerUser Object, later in this chapter.) Controller users are separate from CyberStation users. Controller objects have a direct relationship with the NetController they are connected to.

Customizing the User Environment In CyberStation, you can customize each user’s environment by specifying the following: • Programs that start when the user logs in or out • A graphic panel to display when the user logs in • A menu-pages file to display when the user logs in • A report program to run when the user logs in Procedures for customizing the user’s environment begin below.

5

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Additionally, the CyberStation can be configured to implement the features that assist in satisfying the requirements of Part 11 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations entitled Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures (better known as 21 CFR 11). Procedures for setting features on the General Preferences and CFR Preferences dialogs to implement these features are presented later in this chapter.

Before Configuring Users You’ll use the User editor to configure each user of your system. Before using the editor, you need to know the following information about the person to whom you are giving access to the system: • The user’s name. There are two name considerations: the name that is assigned to

the User object that is created for the user and the Full Name that is entered in the User editor. The object name is the one that system recognizes.

• The password this user will use when logging on to CyberStation. (It must be between 0 and 16 alphanumeric characters as determined by the General Preferences setting.)

• What programs, reports, menu pages, or graphics panels you want to run when this User logs on.

• The CyberStation User Security Group(s) that this user will be assigned to. In order to use the User editor, you must first create a User object.

Creating a User Object Create a user object for each person who requires access to the CyberStation software. At a minimum, you specify the following information:

• Object name, which is also the username the user enters to log on to CyberStation • Password, which is also required to log on • Security group or groups to which the user is assigned (See Chapter 4 for more

information about security groups.) You can also enter personal information for the user.

Perform the following steps to create a User object: 1. In Continuum Explorer, right click the Root.

2. Select New, and then select User from the popup menu.

3. In the New dialog, enter the username in the Object name field.

CyberStation fills in the Alias field, but you can change it if needed.

4. Click the Create button.

General Tab – User Editor In the General tab, you enter the user password. You can also enter personal information, such as the user’s full name and phone number.


Full Name Enter the user’s full name. You may use up to 32 characters, including spaces. The order of the first and last names is not important, but you should use the same format for all your users. Full Name is optional.

Users must enter their user name, to log into CyberStation. For example, if you create a user object named jbrown for Jim Brown, Jim must enter jbrown and his password to log in.

Password Enter the user’s password. The password must be between 0 and 16 alphanumeric characters, including underscores and periods. The password must start with a letter. For security, the characters you type are displayed as asterisk marks (*). A password is optional, but highly recommended.

Social Security

Enter the user’s Social Security number. You can use up to 11 characters, including dashes. This is optional.

Address Enter up to 48 characters, including spaces, for the user’s address. This is optional.

Office Phone # Enter the user’s office phone number. You can use any characters you need, such as dashes and parenthesis. This is optional.

Home Phone # Enter the user’s home phone number. You can use any characters you need, such as dashes and parenthesis. This is optional.

Employee # Enter the user’s employee number. You can use up to 32 characters, including spaces and dashes. The employee number can contain letters as well as numbers. This is optional.

Title Enter the user’s job title. You can use up to 32 characters, including spaces. This is optional.

Security Tab – User Editor In the Security tab, you can set up programs, reports, menu files, and graphic panels to run or display when this user logs on. These settings, in addition to access privileges defined in the security group(s) to which you assign each user, allow you to control the information users can view and change in CyberStation.

Personnel Record Not implemented in this release.

State Select either enabled or disabled from the dropdown menu. When a user object is disabled, the user will not be able to log in. If you disable a user while he/she is logged on, that user is automatically logged off. When a user object is enabled, the user will be able to log in.

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LogOn Program If you have a program that you would like to run every time the user logs on, click the browse button to locate and select it. This displays a Browse dialog to help you find the right file. When you have located the file you want, select it and click the Select button. This inserts the correct path and filename into the Logon Program text field.

LogOff Program If you have a program that you would like to run every time the user logs off, click the browse button to locate and select it. This displays a Browse dialog to help you find the right file. When you have located the file you want, select it and click the Select button. This inserts the correct path and filename into the LogOff Program text field.

Report If you have a report that you would like to run every time the user logs on, click the browse button to locate and select it. This displays a Browse dialog to help you find the right file. When you have located the file you want, select it and click the Select button. This inserts the correct path and filename into the Report text field.

Menu File If you have a file containing customized CyberStation menu options that you would like to run every time the user logs on, click the browse button to locate and select it. This displays a Browse dialog to help you find the right file. When you have located the file you want, select it and click the Select button. This inserts the correct path and filename into the Menu File text field.

Graphic If you have a graphic panel that you would like to display every time the user logs on, click the browse button to locate and select it. This displays a Browse dialog to help you find the right file. When you have located the file you want, select it and click the Select button. This inserts the correct path and filename into the Graphic text field.

Inactivity Timer In this field, you enter the amount of time (in minutes) that no user activity occurs in CyberStation before the user is automatically logged off. All applications, such as the Continuum Explorer, the Plain English IDE, Pinpoint, and any object editor will be closed after the number of minutes.

Note: Keyboard entry and mouse clicks are considered user activity. Hovering the mouse over any CyberStation application is not considered user activity.

Enable Operator Text Prompt for changes

When checked, a comment dialog appears whenever this user modified any objects, persistent settings, etc. This option is enabled by default when a user object is created.


Enable Operator Text Prompt for Alarm Acknowledgement

When checked, a comment dialog appears whenever this user acknowledges an alarm.. This option is enabled by default when a user object is created.

Groups Tab – User Editor In the Groups tab, you select the security groups that you want to assign the user. Security groups determine the objects this user can work with and the actions the user can perform with those objects. Users can belong to more than one security group.

Click the checkbox for each security group to which this user will belong. To remove the user from a specific security group, click the checkbox to remove the check mark.

CyberStation provides you with 1024 security groups. By default, these security groups are named Group 1 through Group 1024. You can rename security groups and specify object actions for each in the Security dialog.

SecurityLevel Tab – User Editor For details in attaching or detaching SecurityLevel objects to CyberStation objects , see Chapter 4, Security.

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Setting up the General and CFR Preferences There are two separate preference menus that allow you to set up the user activity that satisfies the 21 CFR 11 requirements. Preferences for most requirements are included in the main release of CyberStation and are covered under the General Preferences section (below). The remaining CFR features, which the customer may choose to purchase, are covered under the CFR Preferences section, later in this chapter.

General Preferences This section presents password management requirements and configuration of 21 CFR 11. In order to implement the password management features of CyberStation, the following requirements must be met:

• A General Preference setting for a password age of between 7 and 180 days must exist for all users of the system.

• A General Preference setting for a password length of between 0 and 16 alphanumeric characters must exist for all users of the system.

• A General Preference setting for the consecutive number of invalid login attempts of between 0 and 255 before an alarm is triggered must exist for all users of the system.

• A General Preference setting that tells CyberStation how far back in time to check a user’s password history – the number of previous passwords to check – in search of duplicate passwords. When a user changes the password, or the password expires, and a duplicate password is found in his/her password history, the user receives an error message.

• A General Preference setting to force a password change after the password of a user account has been modified must exist for all users of the system.

• An EventNotification object called LogonStatus must exist to trigger an Invalid Attempt Alarm.

• A means to allow any user of the system to change their own password at any time. • A means to allow the system administrator to immediately disable the account of any

user of the system.


Setting up Password Management Features Perform the following steps to set up the password management features in CyberStation.

1. Right click the Continuum symbol located in the tool tray area of the Windows task bar, and select General Preferences.

The General Preferences dialog appears. The first six preference attributes in the list apply to CyberStation password management.

2. In the Value column, enter or select your preference for each attribute.

Preference Value

Maximum password age Enter a value between 7 and 180 days. The default value is 0, which means it never expires.

Minimum password age Enter a value between 1 and 16 alphanumeric characters. The default value is 0.

Maximum consecutive invalid attempts before alarm in triggered

Enter a numeric value. The default value is 5.

Note: Setting this column to zero (0) will prevent the alarm from being triggered for invalid logins with a valid User account.

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Preference Value

Password History Depth Enter a value between 1 and 10. The default value is 1.

When a user changes his/her password, or when a password expires, CyberStation used this number to look for previous duplicate passwords in this users password history. This number tells CyberStation how far back in time to check a password history (the number of previous passwords to check).

A value of 1 means the new password cannot be the same as the old password. A value of 2 means the old password cannot be the same as either of the two previous passwords, and son on.

CyberStation always stores every user’s last 10 passwords. This mean that you, the administrator can use this feature and enforce passwords immediately, rather than waiting for password histories to accumulate.

Enable Operator Text Prompt for Alarm Acknowledgement

Select True. The default value is False.

Force password change after User account password modification

Select True. The default value is True.

3. Click the Close button.

4. In Continuum Explorer, under Root in the All Paths view, double click the Templates folder, and select EventNotification.

5. Double click LogonStatus EventNotification object in the Explorer’s viewing pane.

6. In the EventNotification editor, enter the appropriate settings for the LogonStatus object as described in Using the EventNotification Editor in Chapter 10. Make sure that the applicable workstations are included in the Delivery tab as recipients of the LogonStatus object.

The CyberStation is now configured to implement password management.

General Preferences Settings for Extended-Log Reports Your CyberStation administrator configures settings 7 through 10 in the General Preferences dialog as part of the process of configuring extended logs. For more information on setting up extended logs and descriptions of these General Preference settings, please see the subsection, Extended Logs, in the description of the point-editor Logs tab in Chapter 13. See also What Are Extended Logs? in Chapter 11.


CFR Preferences The additional 21 CFR 11 features affects two separate areas of the CyberStation system: • Audit Trail • Alarm Log Both of these areas are configured from CyberStation’s CFR Preferences dialog.

Setting Up Audit Trail Features In order to implement the Audit Trail features of CyberStation, the following requirements must be met: • The 21 CFR 11 bit of the Security hardware Key (supplied with the CyberStation

installation kit) must be enabled in order for the CFR Preferences features of CyberStation to be available.

• An entry to the Activity Log when CyberStation starts up. The entry will not include user information since no user is logged on at that time.

• An entry to the Activity Log when CyberStation shuts down. The entry will include user information.

• A setting to enable an Operator Text Prompt for changes at both the CFR Preferences and user levels of the system.

• A CFR Preferences setting that provides the user with the option to enable logging of all attribute values that are set when an object is created.

Perform the following steps to set up the Audit Trail features in CyberStation.

1. Right click the Continuum icon in the tool tray, and select CFR Preferences form the Continuum popup menu to access the CyberStation CFR Preferences dialog.

2. Verify that the value of item 2, Enable Operator Text Prompt for changes, is set to True.

3. For item 3, Log attribute values set at object time select either:

True to log the attributes that are set when an object is created.

False to not log the attributes that are set when an object is created.

4. Click Close.

5. For each CyberStation user, verify that the Enable Operator Text Prompt for Changes checkbox is checked in the Security tab of the User editor.

This is the default setting.

The CyberStation is now configured to implement the 21 CFR 11 Audit Trail features.

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Setting up Alarm Log Features In order to implement the Alarm Log features of CyberStation, the following requirements must be met: • The CFR 11 bit of the Security hardware key (supplied with the CyberStation

installation kit) must be enabled in order for the CFR Preferences features of CyberStation to be available.

• The user is forced to enter text comments along with user name and password to the Alarm log whenever alarms are acknowledged; this is covered under the General Preferences dialog. The user name and password must match the logged on user ⎯ this only applies when the “Allow different user to sign off operator text” value is set to False in the CFR Preferences dialog.

• A CFR Preference setting that provides the option of allowing a user other than the original user to sign off operator text dialogs.

Perform the following steps to set up the Alarm Log features in Continuum CyberStation.

1. Right click the Continuum icon in the tool tray, and select CFR Preferences from the Continuum popup menu to access the CyberStation CFR Preferences dialog.

2. For item 1, Allow different user to sign off operator text, select one of the following settings:

True if you want operator text dialogs to accept any valid and enabled CyberStation user name and password.

False if you want operator text dialogs to accept only the user name and password of the user that is logged on.

3. For each CyberStation user, verify that the Enable Operator Text Prompt for Alarm Acknowledgement checkbox is checked in the Security tab or the User editor.

This is the default setting.

The CyberStation is now configured to implement the 21 CFR 11 Alarm Log features.


Results of General and CFR Preference Settings Once the features that affect the Password Management, Audit Trail and Activity Logging activities (previously described) have been implemented, the events discussed below will occur.

Invalid Login Attempts

When an invalid login attempt occurs at login, the following error message will appear.

When the maximum number of invalid logins (set in the General Preferences dialog) is exceeded, the following error message appears:

If the workstation is added to the list of recipients in the Delivery tab of the EventNotification editor (for the LogonStatus EventNotifcation object), this alarm is reported in the Active Alarm View. The user name and the workstation that was used for the logon attempts are displayed.

Also, any attempt to login at any workstation with a disabled account will fail and be recorded on the Activity log. This situation is shown in the second entry of the Active Alarm View log shown above.

Maximum Password Age Exceeded

Whenever the Maximum password age setting in the General Preferences dialog is exceeded for a user, the user is prompted to create a new password when the user next attempts to log in.

Password Change and/or Password Length Exceeded

When either of these events occur: • The password is changed in the General tab of the User editor, and the Force

password change after User account password modification in the General Preferences dialog is set to True.

• The Minimum password length setting in the General Preferences dialog is exceeded.

The user is not allowed to access the system until he/she successfully creates a new password. The new password must be different than the old one.

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Duplicate Password Found in Password History

Whenever a user changes his/her password, or it expires, and CyberStation finds a duplicate password in a user’s password history (the depth of which is specified in the Password History Depth setting of the General Preferences dialog) the user is prompted to create a different password.

Enabling Operator Text Prompts for Changes

Each time a modification is made to an object, or the user makes some other type of persistent change, and the Enable Operator Text Prompt for changes setting on the CFR Preferences dialog is set to True, the user is prompted to enter a comment.

The user must enter explanatory text in the Comment field and then enter a valid user name and password in the appropriate text fields.

If the user tries to cancel comment entry, an entry is recorded in the log indicating the canceled action. Also, the action indicated by the text entry will be canceled.

Enabling Operator Text Prompt for Alarm Acknowledgement

Whenever an alarm is acknowledged, or an audio alarm is silenced and the Enable Operator Text Prompt for Alarm Acknowledgement setting on the General Preferences dialog is set to True, the user is prompted to add a comment as well as their user name and password. The comments and the user name appear in the Operator Text column of the Active Alarm View.

Disabling a User Account

The CyberStation administrator can log any user out of all workstations by either of the following methods: • Right click the User object, and select Disable from the popup menu: • In the User editor, select Disabled in the State dropdown menu on the Security tab.

Creating a ControllerUser Object The ControllerUser object allows you to assign the security level permissions for users who need access to a command terminal interface to a network controller. You can track all changes in the CyberStation activity log. ControllerUser objects can be owned only by a network controller.

To create a ControllerUser object: 1. In Continuum Explorer, right click the network controller where you want to create a

ControllerUser, and select New and ControllerUser from the popup menu.

2. In the New dialog, enter the name of the ControllerUser in the Object name field, and click the Create button.

3. In the General tab, enter information about the ControllerUser object as described below.

Full Name Enter the full name of the controller user.

Password Enter the password of the controller user.


Login Program Use the browse button to search for the name of the CyberStation program that will run when the ControllerUser logs in. This program must be owned by the same controller that owns the UserController object.

Logout Program

Use the browse button to search for the name of the CyberStation program that will run when the ControllerUser logs out.

Controller Security Level

Select a security level from the drop down list

Refer to Object Level Security in Chapter 4 for details on how to attach a SecurityLevel object to a ControllerUser object.

4. Click OK.

You can use Continuum Explorer’s Copy and Paste features to place the same ControllerUser on other network controllers.

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Configuring a Network

A network is a system of one or many controllers and their connected peripheral devices that are linked together on an Ethernet communications network to share information. In CyberStation, a network object represents a network configuration of up to 190 controllers that know about and exchange information with each other. This chapter describes the process of creating a network object.

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Creating a Network Object Create a Network object, as follows: 1. In the Continuum Explorer, right-click the Root object, select New, and then select

Network.

2. In the New dialog, enter a name for your network object in the Object Name field.


4. In the General of the Network editor, enter information about the network object.

Description Enter a description of the Network object, up to 32 characters (including spaces).

Time Zone Difference

Enter the Universal Time Coordinate (UTC) offset in minutes. This is the difference in minutes between your local time and Greenwich Mean Time.

• 300 means you are 300 minutes (5 hours) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

• -300 means you are 300 minutes (5 hours) behind Greenwich Mean Time.

The following are UTC offsets for the Continental United States: • Eastern Standard Time (EST) -300 • Central Standard Time (CST) -360 • Rocky Mountain Standard Time (RMT) -420 • Pacific Standard Time (PST) -480

Default Folder All child objects of this network will be stored in the folder you select. Note: If you do not designate a default folder for a new

Network object, and you select Put object in folder when you created the Network object, all its child objects will default to their respective class folders under the Root.

Click the browse button to display the Browse dialog. Select the folder that you want to hold the child objects for this network object, and, click the Select button.

Controller to CyberStation DBsync

Check this checkbox if you want changes made to the controller outside of CyberStation, such as through a command terminal connection to the controller, to be synchronized with the CyberStation database. If a reload of the controller occurs, a flag appears on the controller icon in Continuum Explorer, indicating that a save to database must be performed.

5. Click the Alarms tab.


6. You can attach up to eight alarms to the network object. You may also attach a graphic panel and a report or other program to the object.

7. Click the corresponding browse button to select the AlarmEnrollment object, graphic, or program you want to attach.

8. If you selected AlarmEnrollment objects, click the Enabled checkbox next to the field to enable the alarm.

9. If you want to attach a SecurityLevel object to this network object, select the SecurityLevel tab and select a SecurityLevel object.

10. For details in attaching or detaching Security Levels, refer to Chapter 4.

11. Click OK.

Assigning a Network Object to a Default Folder After you create a Network object, you need to create a link between that Network object and its owner (folder). When you copy objects in Folder View, they are stored on the designated default device in Network View. When you create objects from a template in Virtual View (Folder or Template) and drop them on a parent folder, the objects are created in Network View (Network or Controller) on the assigned default device of that folder.

1. Select the default folder of the Network object, right-click the folder, and then select Edit from the popup menu.

2. In the editor for the default folder, browse for the Default Device, the Network object you just created.

3. Select the Network object, and click the Select button. Click OK.

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Configuring Controllers

CyberStation allows you to create and configure controllers from a CyberStation workstation. You do this by creating a new controller object and then using a controller editor to configure the controller. There is a separate editor for each type of controller:

• InfinityController (for CXxxxx, NetController, NetController II, bCX1 96xx, bCX1 40x0, or b4920)

• InfinityInfinet controller (for TCXxxx, i2xxx, or b3xxx) Refer to Chapter 1 for a description of these controllers.

Network Secure Communication TAC has a local network security policy that secures communication between certain Andover Continuum controllers and workstation. This secure communication ensures authentication, integrity, and encryption of IP data packets, using the Internet Protocol Security (IPS) and the Internet Key Exchange (IKE).

Network security is a separately purchased option that is supported on the NetController II model 9680 and in the ACX controller models 5720 and 5740. For more information, please see Establishing Network Security for a Controller later in this chapter, and the Network Security Configuration Guide, 30-3001-996.

Andover Continuum’s Wireless Controllers Certain models of the Infinity controller series can also become parent wireless controller for an Active Continuum wireless mesh network.

• NetController II (model CX9680 or CX9681) configured with its wireless Infinet field controllers

• bCX1 9640 controller configured with its wireless Infinet field controllers • bCX1 40x0 controller configured with its wireless BACnet b3 MS/TP field controllers. Note: As a future enhancement, ACX 57xx series controllers will support Wireless

communication, much like the NetController II models 9680/9681.

See also the Andover Continuum Wireless Mesh Network Concepts and Best Practices Guide, 30-3001-912, the NetController II Operation and Technical Reference Guide, 30-

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3001-995, the ACK 57xx Series Controller Operation and Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-999, and the bCX1 Series Controller Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-890.

Note: In order to make one of these controllers a wireless controller, you must designate one of its comm ports as Wireless to establish wireless communication with the wireless mesh network.

Note: Andover Continuum BACnet-compliant controllers are included in the Andover Continuum product line. These are the bCX1 (40x0), b4920 and the b3xxx series controllers. The b4 is created as an InfinityController object, and the b3 is created as an InfinityInfinetCtlr object. Depending on which Continuum Explorer view you select, b4 and b3 controllers may also be viewed as BACnet Device objects in the BACnet Devices portion of Explorer’s navigation pane, while also being viewed as InfinityController and InfinityInfinetCtlr objects in the Infinity portion of the navigation pane. (Please refer to Chapter 14 for more information on BACnet and BACnet devices.)

Andover Continuum also supports third-party BACnet devices that are integrated into the Andover Continuum system.

By default, communication with Andover Continuum BACnet controllers is enabled on your system. If you have no BACnet devices, or if you do not want exposure to BACnet class objects, you may want to disable system communication with BACnet, whereby CyberStation no longer sends or responds to BACnet communication requests. In this case, only Infinity and InfinityInfinetCtlr controller objects are visible in Continuum Explorer. For more information, please see Chapter 14.

All InfinityControllers, including b4 controllers, must be commissioned before they can communicate with CyberStation. bCX1 device commissioning is described in the bCX1 Controller Technical Reference, 30-3001-890.

Once an InfinityController has been commissioned, a network controller object can be created to represent it on the network.

Commissioning a Controller In order for CyberStation to communicate with an Ethernet-level controller, you or your administrator must connect to the controller and enter its network address and other identification information. This process is called controller commissioning. You can commission most Andover Continuum controllers by accessing and entering information on their embedded web pages. Some older controllers, such as the previous-generation NetController, require you to connect to the controller using a command terminal emulator, such as HyperTerminal. For more information, please see the manual for your controller:

• NetController II (968x series) – NetController II Operation and Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-995, and its embedded web page online help.

• NetController (older generation – 990x, 994x, 920x series) – NetController Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-703

• ACX 57xx series – ACX 57xx Series Controller Operation and Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-999


• bCX1 series (9640, 40xx) – bCX1 Series Controller Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-890

• BACnet b4920 – b3 and b4920 Controller Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-862 • CX 9702 – Commissioning information is detailed on the controller’s faceplate. (A

9702 manual will be released as a future enhancement.)

Creating an InfinityController Object Note: Before performing this procedure, you must commission the controller as described

in its product documentation. To create an InfinityController object: 1. In Continuum Explorer, right click the Network object that will contain the new

controller, select New, and then select InfinityController.

2. In the New dialog, enter a name for the controller in the Object name field, and click the Create button.

3. Refer to the following pages to enter information about this controller in the tabs of the InfintyControler editor, and click Apply to save your entries.

4. After you save the controller information, refer to “Teaching Network Controller” later in this chapter to exchange information about this controller in the network.

General Tab – InfinityController Editor Note: In CyberStation 1.8 or higher, you may be replacing your NetController (models

990x, 994x, 920x) with a newer NetController II model (model 9680 or 9681). If so, please so Guidelines for Converting a NetController to a NetController II later in this chapter.

You begin configuring the InfinityController by entering information on the InfinityController’s General tab.

Note: Depending on the controller type, some editor attributes are not selectable. If an attribute is gray and is not selectable, it is not relevant to the type of controller you are creating.

Note: The InfintyController editor does not have a Backup to Flash button, which is used for NetController II controllers, ACX 57xx controllers, and bCX1 controllers. Instead, in Continuum Explorer, you can right click on the controller and select Backup to Flash from the container popup menu.

Description Enter up to 32 characters of text to describe the physical characteristics or functionality of the controller.

ACCNet ID Identifies each controller by a unique number between 1 and 190 for the network. This number is set at the controller during commissioning.

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Controller Type Select the controller model number from the dropdown menu. Andover Continuum BACnet-compliant controllers are designated as bCX1 (40x0) or b4920. (See also the subsection, Creating an Andover Continuum bCX1 (b40x0) or b4920 Controller, later in this chapter.)

NetController II controllers are designated as 9680 and 9681. Older NetControllers are designated as 990x, 994x, and 920x. Selections for 572x and 574x are ACX series controllers.

Comm Status CyberStation sets the comm status to OnLine or OffLine depending on whether the workstation is in communication with the controller.

Out of Service Check this checkbox if you need to place the controller in an out-of-service (disabled) state. This creates a return-to-normal failure alarm on all CyberStations with the associated AlarmEnrollment editor’s Alarmed Attribute value set to OutOfService (see Using the AlarmEnrollment Editor in Chapter 10). It also allows the user to clear unwanted failure alarms from the alarm viewer and prevents any further failure alarms being reported from the controller. Also, personnel distribution cannot occur on the controller or its associated Infinet controllers.

Daylight Savings Check this checkbox if daylight savings time is in effect.

Network Security Check this checkbox to activate the TAC network security policy for this controller.

Note: Network security is supported only in the NetController II model 9680 and in the ACX controller models 5720 and 5740.

The TAC network security policy is a local security policy, established and enabled through CyberStation, through the Network Security Configuration web page and other web pages embedded in the controller, and through your Windows Administrative Tools. Network security secures communication between the controller and a workstation using the Internet Security Protocol (IPS) and the Internet Key Exchange (IKE). It ensures authentication, integrity, and encryptions of IP data packets.

For more information on how to implement network security in CyberStation, please see Establishing Network Security for a Controller later in this chapter. For complete instructions on configuring network security on the controller and in Windows, please see the Andover Continuum Network Security Configuration Guide, 30-3001-996.


Probe Time Enter the interval in seconds by which the Infinity controller checks the comm status of its other connected CX series controllers and CyberStations. When the Infinity controller does not receive a response from another CX controller or CyberStation within the probe time, it changes their comm status to Offline.

IOU Models Displays a list of IOU module connected to a CX9400 Controller. Not applicable to any other controllers.

UTC Offset Enter the Universal Time Coordinate (UTC) offset in minutes. This is the difference in minutes between your local time and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT):

• 300 means you are 300 minutes, or 5 hours ahead of GMT. • -300 means you are 300 minutes or 5 hours behind GMT.

BACnet Device Id Identifies the bCX1 (40x0) or b4920 BACnet controller by a unique integer. Each controller must have a unique ID.

BacMaxMaster The Max Master property, which is of type Unsigned, is present if the device is a master node on a BACnet MSTP network. Enter an integer in this field that equals the exact number of b3 and third-party BACnet controllers connected to this device. It must be less than or equal to 127 (the default).

Location Enter the location of the controller (optional).

Serial Number CyberStation retrieves the controller’s serial number from the hardware.

Network ID - UPD This integer displays the ID number of the BACnet/IP and Ethernet TCP/IP network on which the controller resides.

Version CyberStation retrieves the controller’s version number from the hardware.

Network ID – Comm2

This integer displays the ID number of the BACnet Master-Slave/Token Passing (MS/TP) or Wireless network on which the bCX1 (40x0) or b4920 controller resides.

Default Folder Browse to select the folder where the child objects of this controller will be stored (optional).

Update OS You can upgrade the Infinity controller’s operating system by clicking the Update OS button. You can then locate and select an update (.upd) file and click OK to load the new operating system to the controller.

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Update IOUs If you have loaded IOU module firmware updates received from TAC, use the Update IOUs button to update the modules. Click the Update IOUs button. You can then locate and select an (.IOU) file and click OK to update the IOU modules currently connected to this controller.

Note: Make sure you select the .IOU file for the type of controller you want to update. Each .IOU file updates a single model of IOU module.

Update BACnet b3 OS

Click the Update BACnet b3 OS button to upgrade the operating system of the Infinity Infinet BACnet b3 controllers currently connected to this Infinity controller. When you click this button, an Open dialog appears. This dialog helps you locate the update file (shipped with CyberStation) to send to the b3 controllers. Search for and select the file, and then click OK. The new operating system is automatically downloaded to the controllers. There’s no need to replace the microchip. If you are creating or modifying an Infinity 9xxx controller, this button changes to: Update Infinet 2 OS. (See below.)


Update Infinet 2 OS

Click the Update Infinet 2 OS button to upgrade the operating system of the Infinity Infinet 2 controllers currently connected to this Infinity controller. The upgrade procedure is identical to that for a b3 controller (described above).

When you click this button, an Open dialog appears. This dialog helps you locate the update file (shipped with CyberStation) to send to the Infinet 2 controllers. Search for and select the file, and then click OK. The new operating system is automatically loaded to the controller. There’s no need to replace the microchip.

Note: If this parent controller is a NetController II (model CX9680/CX9681) and one comm port is configured for Infinet while another is configured for Wireless, be sure your update file matches the active medium (in this case, Infinet) of the comm port to which the i2 controllers are attached. If it does not match, a warning message appears, telling you there is a mismatch and asking you if you want to continue. If you continue with this mismatch, another message appears:

Upon successful update, all controllers that participated in the update will now be operating in Wireless mode. These controllers will be offline until the selected comm port mode is changed, the controller is connected by proper medium, and the parent controller is reloaded…Continue with update?

See also the description for the Wireless Update I2 OS button, below.

Wireless on ACX 57xx Series Controllers – As a future enhancement, ACX 57xx series controllers will support Wireless communication much like the NetController II 9680/9681.

When you are creating or modifying a BACnet bCX1 40x0 or b4920 controller, this button changes to: Update BACnet b3 OS. (See above.)

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Update Wireless I2 OS

Click the Update Wireless i2 OS button to upgrade the operating system of Infinity Infinet 2 (i2) controllers affixed with Wireless Adapters in a wireless mesh network and connected to this parent wireless Infinity controller.

Wireless on ACX 57xx Series Controllers – As a future enhancement, ACX 57xx series controllers will support Wireless communication much like the NetController II 9680/9681.

Note: The Update Wireless I2 OS button appears only when this Infinet controller is a NetController II (CX9680/CX9681) and when its comm ports are configured in one of these ways:

• Comm1 is configured as Infinet and Comm2 is configured as Wireless

OR • Comm1 is configured as Wireless and Comm2 is

configured as Infinet. When you click this button, an Open dialog appears. This dialog helps you locate the wireless-controller update file (shipped with CyberStation) to send to the wireless Infinet 2 controllers. Search for and select the file, then click OK. The new operating system is automatically loaded to the controllers. There’s no need to replace the microchip.

Note: Be sure your update file matches the active medium (in this case, Wireless) of the comm port to which the i2 controllers are attached. If it does not match, a warning message appears, telling you there is a mismatch and asking you if you want to continue. If you continue with this mismatch, another message appears:

Upon successful update, all controllers that participated in the update will now be operating in Infinet mode. These controllers will be offline until the selected comm port mode is changed, the controller is connected by proper medium, and the parent controller is reloaded…Continue with update?

Reset Click the Reset button when you need to delete all programs and points stored on the controller. Use the Reset button with caution, and only after you have saved the programs and points to the CyberStation database. When you click the Reset button, a dialog appears and asks you if you want to continue. If you click OK, you will not be able to retrieve the deleted programs and points except by reloading them from the CyberStation database.

Teach See “Teaching Network Controllers” later in this chapter for information about this button.


Network Tab - InfinityController Editor Enter the following information on the InfinityController Network tab.

Note: Depending on the controller type, some editor attributes are not selectable. If an attribute is gray and is not selectable, it is not relevant to the type of controller you are creating.

Transport Type

From the dropdown menu, select the type of network protocol through which the controller communicates with workstations and other Ethernet-level controllers.

Selections are TCP, UPD, or TCP and UPD.

TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol. TCP uses a connection-oriented byte stream and guarantees data delivery. TCP is used by network applications that require guaranteed delivery and that cannot be hampered by time-outs and retransmissions. TCP requires more CPU and network bandwidth than UDP.

UDP stands for User Datagram Protocol. Many application protocols use UDP: for example, Network File System (NFS), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and BACnet. UDP, which is a connectionless datagram delivery service, does not maintain an end-to-end connection with the remote UDP module. UDP does not guarantee delivery, whereas TCP does.

Ethernet ID The Ethernet ID number for the controller is assigned to the controller at the factory. This number is retrieved from the controller.

IP Address, Subnet Mask, PPP IP Address, and Default Router

Enter the IP address, Subnet Mask, PPP IP address if using remote access communications, and Default Router numbers provided by your network administrator. If you are operating a standalone system, be sure that the Subnet Mask numbers on the workstation and controller match.

Max Response Time

This number is the number of seconds the controller will wait before resending a packet of information. In most situations, the default value of 5 seconds is sufficient. You may want to increase the number of seconds in the following situations:

• If your network nodes are far apart • If the connection between nodes exhibits a slow transmission rate. It is recommended that only your network administrator change the number of seconds.

Home Page This is the Plain English function path of this controller’s web page. This path is used by the web.Client application. When a user clicks a controller, via the web.Client Web Pages feature, web.Client accesses this path, and displays the appropriate web page in the browser. For example: http://Andover/PE/WebSetSampl

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Controller to CyberStation DBsync

Check this checkbox if you want changes made to the controller outside of CyberStation, such as through a command terminal connection to the controller, to be synchronized with the CyberStation database. If a reload of the controller occurs, a flag appears on the controller icon in Continuum Explorer, indicating that a save to database must be preformed.

Options Tab – InfinityController Editor In Options tab of the InfinityController editor. you can review the hardware options installed in the controller. This tab also lists the XDriver settings for each comm port, as well as whether or not the TAC network security policy is enabled for a NetController II 9680 or an ACX 57x0 controller. This tab displays read-only information.

X Driver X drivers can be enabled or disabled on each comm port. A value of

0000 means disabled. A value of 0001 means enabled. All other values in the 4-digit hex number shown for each comm port are X Driver-specific bits set at the factory.

Max Infinet Controllers

The total number of controllers that can be attached to this controller.

LAN Indicates whether or not the LAN card is installed.


LON Indicates whether or not a 9900, 9400 or 9410 controller has a LON X Driver card installed.

Modem Indicates whether or not the controller has an installed modem.

PCB Revision The revision number of the controller's printed circuit board. This information may be requested by TAC Technical Services Department if you are calling in with a problem related to this controller.

Web Server Indicates whether or not the Web Server feature of the controller is turned on.

SNMP Indicates whether the advanced Simple Network Management Protocol is enabled. For more detailed information about SNMP, refer to Continuum SNMP Alarming MiniGuide (30-3001-855).

ACC_LON I/O Indicates whether the ACC_LON I/O has been selected.

L-BUS I/O In this example, indicates that ACC_LON I/O is disabled and L-BUS I/O is enabled.

HCR Hardware Configuration Resource. Displays the current revision level of the hardware.

Area Lockdown

Displays whether or not the Area Lockdown feature is Enabled or Disabled.

Condition Level

Displays whether or not the Condition Level feature is Enabled or disabled.

Bootloader Version

Displays the version of the controller’s bootloader, represented by its bootloader UPD file that you received from TAC.

Network Security

Indicates whether or not this controller may be configured for network security, which is a separately purchased option from TAC.

If the entry says Enabled, it means your site has purchased this option. If it says Disabled, it means your site has not purchased this option.

Note: Only the NetController II model 9860, as well as the ACX controller models 5720 and 5740, can support Network Security.

For more information on network security, please see Establishing Network Security for a Controller later in this chapter.

SecurityLevel Tab – InfinityController Editor For details in attaching or detaching Security Levels, see Chapter 4, Security.

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Teaching Network Controllers After you finish configuring the network controller, click Apply to save the information you have entered into the fields of the InfinityController editor.

Network controllers need CyberStation information in order to send alarms and events to those CyberStation workstations. They must also have network controller information if they reference points in other network controllers (for example, in Plain English programs). Network controllers are organized into networks. The network controllers in each network should know about each other, but they should not know about any network controllers outside their network. To exchange this information, you use the Teach button in the InfinityController editor.

You click the Teach button when you add new network controllers or CyberStation workstations to the system. It is automatically invoked when a network controller or CyberStation is deleted, and when a network controller is modified. Note: During a teach, a controller queries through the system Ethernet network asking

for and receiving the IP addresses of up to 64 CyberStation workstations. The controller can only be taught about workstations with a network ID number in the range of 191-254. Workstations with network IDs outside this range cannot be taught.

When you click the Teach button, a Select Teach Mode dialog appears containing the following teach mode selections. Click the appropriate Teach Mode radio button and then click OK.

Mode Description

Infinity Controller Teach

Teaches other network controllers in this network about this network controller. It also teaches the network controller about all other network controllers on its Network and all the CyberStation workstations in the system.

Network Teach Teaches all network controllers in a Network about all other net controllers is the same Network. It also teaches the network controllers about all CyberStation workstations in the system.

Global Teach When there are multiple networks, choosing this teach mode has the same effect as executing a Network Teach on each Network.

Establishing Network Security for a Controller TAC’s network security policy is a local security policy that secures communication between the controller and a workstation. You establish network security on an Andover Continuum system through CyberStation, through the Network Security Configuration web page embedded in the controller, and through you Windows Administrative Tools.

Note: Network security is supported only the NetController II model 9680 and in the ACX controller models 5720 and 5740. On Andover Continuum controller, network security is not enabled by default, your site must purchase it as a separately sold option from TAC.


For communication in an Andover Continuum system, network security ensures authentication, integrity, and encryption of IP data packets, using the Internet Protocol System (IPS) and the Internet Key Exchange (IKE).

Main Configuration Tasks

Establishing network security involved the following four major configuration tasks.

Task Description Where It Is Configured

1: Determine if network security is enabled for this controller.

Determines whether or not your site has purchased the network security option for this NetController II 9860 or ACX 57x0.

CyberStation – InfinityController editor, Options tab

2: Configure network security on the controller

Configured network security settings inside the controller.

Web-page dialogs embedded in the NetController II 9860 or the ACX 57x0

3: Configure network security on the workstation

Imports, edits, assigns, and exports the local TAC network security policy on the workstation.

Windows Control Panel – Administrative Tools – Local Security Settings

4: Activate network security for the controller

Sets the Network Security attributes for an existing controller or a new controller.

CyberStation – InfinityController editor, General tab

Configuring Network Security

Perform the following procedure to establish network security.

For complete, in-depth instructions on configuring network security, please see the Andover Continuum Network Security Configuration Guide, 30-3001-996, the NetController II Operation and Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-995, and the ACX 57xx Series Controller Operation and Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-999.

1. Edit the online controller (bring up the InfinityController object editor) on which you want to enable network security.

2. Select the Options tab of the InfinityController editor.

If the Network Security entry says Enabled, it means your site has purchased the network security option for your 9680 or 57x0 controller. Go to step 6.

If the entry says Disabled, it means your site has not purchased the network security option for your 9680 or 57x0 controller. In this case, go to the next step.

3. Purchase the network security option from TAC for this controller. In turn, TAC sends your site a UPD file.

4. On the General tab, click the Update OS button and load the appropriate UPD file to enable the network security option for this controller.

5. When the update is complete, verify that the controller has returned online. Go back to Option tab, and verify that the Network Security entry now says Enabled.

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6. Access and configure the controller for your preferred security. To do so, you must access and log in to the controller’s main embedded web configuration page, then navigate to the Network Security Configuration embedded web page.

Note: For complete instructions on configuring network security, please see the Andover Continuum Network Security Configuration Guide, 30-3001-996, the NetController II Operation and Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-995, and the ACX 57xx Series Controller Operation and Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-999.

7. If you have not imported the IPSec security policy, do so now. if you already have, go to the next step.

From the Windows Control Panel, open Administrative Tools, then Local Security Policy, which launches the Local Security Policy dialog.

Note: For complete instructions, see the Andover Continuum Network Security Configuration Guide, 30-3001-996.

8. Edit the imported security policy. You do this via the Control Panel and the TAC Encrypt and Authenticate dialog.


9. If necessary export the edited security policy to other workstation. This allows the use of the modified policy on other workstations without having to edit it on each workstation. You do this from the Launch Security Settings dialog.


10. Activate network security in an existing controller or on a new controller that you are creating.

For an existing controller, enter CyberStation offline editing mode.

On the General tab of the InfinityController editor, check the Network Security checkbox.

11. Click Apply.

12. Enter online editing mode.

13. Verify that the controller is online.

14. From the General tab, click the Teach button to update the network.

Guidelines for Converting NetController to NetController II CyberStation supports the conversion of a previous-general NetController (CX9680 and CX9681). A procedure over viewing this conversion follows.

1. Back up your SQL Server database. See the Andover Continuum CyberStation Installation Guide, 30-3001-720, and Microsoft’s SQL Server documentation.


2. From Continuum Explorer, right click the controller, and select Send To Text Files. This dumps the controller object’s data into a text file.

3. Update your workstation with a version of CyberStation that supports the newer NetController models. (These models are supported in CyberStation Version 1.8 and higher.) See the Andover Continuum CyberStation Installation Guide, 30-3001-720.

4. Physically remove the old NetController, and mount/connect your NetController II.

When you configure and commission the NetController II, use the same controller name, network IP address, and neting ID. This is performed via the controller’s embedded web commissioning pages, via the General tab, and via the Network tab.

See the Andover Continuum NetController II Operation and Technical Reference Guide, 30-3001-995, and the Andover Continuum NetController II Installation Instructions, 30-3001-994.

5. Switch to CyberStation offline editing mode (if you are not already there) in the InfinityController editor.

6. On the General tab, from the Controller Type dropdown menu, change the model number to 9680 or 9681, depending on which NetController II you are installing.

7. Make sure you actually want to replace the NetController.

When you attempt to change the controller model, CyberStation displays a few warning messages:

• CyberStation warns that a model change is irreversible. • CyberStation warns that, if an XDriver is used with this controller, not all XDrivers are supported by the new model. This warning only occurs if an XDriver is loaded and enabled. If you proceed, the XDriver links are left in place regardless of the availability of a replacement XDriver.

XDrivers on NetController II – In general, XDrivers that are available on the bCX1 model 9640 are also supported on the NetController II.

For example, supported NetController II XDrivers include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Filter • XdTest • Modbus TCP • Modbus RTU Note: XDrivers built for the previous-generation NetController will not run on the

NetController II

What is an XDriver? An XDriver is special, customized software that your site purchases separately from TAC. This XDriver software allows your controller to connect to and communicate with a special piece of third-party equipment needed at your site. In the CommPort editor, you must configure a controller comm port for this special device that the XDriver software enables.

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When you leave the InfinityController editor, go back to online editing mode.

8. If necessary, provide an updated XDriver file compatible with your NetController II. CyberStation prompts you to do this.

Note: You can specify an XDriver on the General tab of the CommPort editor. Specify XDriver for the Default Mode, and use the browse button in the XDriver File Name field to search for and specifiy the path of the XDriver. See, Configuring Settings for an XDriver, later in this chapter.

9. Determine whether this NetController II has network security. If so, configure network security for this controller. See, Establishing Network Security for a Controller, earlier in this chapter.

Note: Network Security is supported online in NetController II model 9680, as well as ACX controllers 5720 and 5740.

10. Restore (reload) data from your database into the new controller. From Continuum Explorer, use the Object dropdown menu, or right click the controller and select Sent to Controller.

11. Back up to flash. In Continuum Explorer, right click the controller, and from the container popup menu, select Backup to Flash. This saves the controller’s RAM configuration to its flash memory.

Creating a bCX1 (40x0) or b4920 Controller Create a BACnet-compliant controller as an InfinityController, as follows:

1. In Continuum Explorer, right click a Network object, and select New from the popup menu, and then select InfinityController.

2. In the New dialog, enter the name and alias of the new controller, and click the Create button.

3. In the General tab, select b40x0 or b4920 from the Controller Type dropdown menu.

4. Configure the BACnet attributes and other configuration attributes using the tabs of InfinityController editor.

See “Creating an InfinetController Object” earlier in this chapter for a description of each attribute and lock tab. See also Chapter 14 for more information on BACnet device operations.


Sending Controller Data to the CyberStation Database If controller settings or data are changed outside of CyberStation (for example, through a command terminal), you need to update the database with these changes. You do this using the send to database feature in Continuum Explorer. 1. Click the Options dropdown menu, and select Send To Database Options.

2. Select the appropriate radio button, and click OK. (See Chapter 3.)

3. In Continuum Explorer, right click the controller that was edited, select Send To, and then select Database.

4. When prompted to confirm the operation, click OK to initiate the operation.

When the send to database is accomplished, you can click the Refresh icon to remove the exclamation flag next to the controller icon in Continuum Explorer.

Reloading a Controller from CyberStation If a controller object is modified in CyberStation in the offline-editing mode, CyberStation creates an event in the Activity Log and marks (with a flag) the object icon in the Explorer. The flag presents a tool tip when the cursor is placed over it that indicates that the controller must be reloaded.

You can reload the controller with the Send To Controller operation.

1. In Continuum Explorer, open the Options dropdown menu, and select Send to Controller Options.

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2. Select the appropriate radio button, and click OK.

3. In Continuum Explorer, right click the controller you want to update, select Send To, and then select Controller.

4. When prompted to confirm the operation, click OK to initiate the operation.

When the send to controller is accomplished, you can click the Refresh icon to remove the exclamation flag next to the controller icon.

Turning Off DB Sync

Note: Disabling these attributes should be restricted to the facility's system administrator. Setting the value of the NetController and network Database Synchronization attributes to FALSE will disable the db sync message and prevent the warning flags from appearing in Continuum Explorer. An event is created in the Activity Log each time CyberStation receives a db sync message as a result of a controller change.

Working With Infinet Controllers Infinet controllers communicate with Infinity controllers through the Infinet network. These subcontrollers, attached to Infinet networks, contain the various input and output points needed to control building systems such as fans, boilers, chillers, and other electro-mechanical units.

Note: Andover Continuum provides a b3 series of BACnet controllers. Refer to Chapter 14 for a description of these controllers.

About Infinet 2 Controllers Infinet 2 (i2) controllers store all user-created objects (points, programs, and so on) in non-volatile flash memory. All Infinet 2 controllers contain EPROM flash memory that can be upgraded electronically. The Infinet 2 flash memory has two separate areas:


• A user backup area • A warm start area The user backup area is used to store a copy of the controller's original RAM database. The warm start area is used as a temporary storage region that stores the configuration of the controller's database at the time a reset or power failure occurred. How the data in flash memory is used depends on the mode in which the Controller restarts after a power failure reset:

• Cold Start: The Infinet 2 controller comes up, from a reset, with no user objects or configuration in place.

• Cool Start: The Infinet 2 controller comes up, from a reset, and restores a user configuration from flash memory (the user backup area) that was initially saved by the user. Cool start can be thought of as a “self reload.”

• Warm Start: The Infinet 2 controller comes up, from a reset, and restores the configuration that was present in the controller when it was reset and/or power was lost (restored from the warm start area of flash memory).

For each Infinet 2 controller, you can specify which restart mode to use as described in “Setting the ACCRestartMode Attribute” later in this chapter.

Flash Backup Notification Andover Continuum provides a safeguard to ensure that you are aware of the need to backup an Infinet 2 controller. This is true for the WarmToCool and CoolStartOnly modes. It does not apply to the WarmStartOnly mode.

When an Infinet 2 controller needs a backup, a flag in the form of an exclamation point will appear over the controller's icon in Continuum Explorer. The flag presents a tool tip when you place the cursor over it.

To backup the controller you edit the controller and click the Backup to Flash button on the InfinityInfinetCtlr General tab. (See next page for details.)

Creating an Infinity Infinet Controller Object The usual method for configuring Infinet controllers into the system is known as “learning” them into the system. The “learning” procedure is as follows:

1. In Continuum Explorer, click the Explorer bar icon , and select the Networks view.

2. Select the InfinityController to which the Infinet controller is attached.

3. Click the + in the navigation pane to expand the icons beneath the InfinityController.

4. Open the CommPort object that corresponds to the communication port attached to the Infinet controller.

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The CommPort editor appears.

5. In the CommPort editor Settings tab, click the Learn button. This sends information to the InfinityController about the Infinet controllers on the network connected to this communication port. When the learn process completes, you can see the controllers on the Field Bus Controllers tab of the editor. (For more information, see Chapter 8.)

6. Click OK.

7. Refresh the Explorer by selecting Refresh from the View dropdown menu or the Explorer’s refresh button.

The new Infinet controller is now shown. You can now open the controller if you want to view or edit its attributes. See “Editing an Infinet Controller Object” later in this chapter.

Creating an Infinet Controller Offline It is possible (but not recommended) for you to create Infinet controllers offline, using the following procedure:

1. In Continuum Explorer, click the Explorer bar icon and select the Networks view.

2. In the Networks view, right click the InfinityController object under which you are adding the Infinet controller, select New, and then InfinityInfinetCtlr.

3. Name your controller in the Object name field.

4. Remove the check from the Put object in folder checkbox.


Enter the controller attributes, and click OK to save the controller object.

Editing an Infinet Controller Object 1. In Continuum Explorer, right click the controller you want to edit, and select Edit.

2. Refer to the following pages to enter information in the tabs of the InfinityInfinetController editor.

General Tab – InfintyInfinet Editor In the General tab, you view and enter information that describes the controller and its location, and to which Infinity comm port it is connected.

Description Enter up to 32 characters of text that describes the physical characteristics or functionality of the device.

Location Enter up to 32 characters of text that describes the location of the device.


Model Select the Infinet controller's model number from the dropdown menu.

Note: When you select a BACnet-compliant b36xx, b38xx, or b39xx controller, you are creating an Andover Continuum BACnet-compliant Device object, in addition to an InfinityInfinetCtlr object. To configure BACnet analog, binary, and multistate inputs, outputs, and values for this new BACnet device, you must first create them as Infinity Input, Infinity Output, and Infinity Numeric points. A b3 controller must be reside on a b4 controller. Otherwise the b3 controller selections will not be available in the Model dropdown menu. (See also the subsection, Creating an Andover Continuum b3 Controller, later in this chapter.)

CommPort Browse to locate the comm port to which this Infinet controller is connected.

Infinet Id Enter an ID number for this controller if you are creating this controller offline. Normally, you let CyberStation assign one for you by clicking the Learn button from the Comm Port editor (Chapter 8). This is known as an “Infinet Learn.” An Infinet Learn checks for new Infinet controllers. If it finds one without an ID number, it assigns a number. If it finds an Infinet controller with an ID number that has been manually entered, it learns that number. You need to perform an Infinet Learn only if your are adding a new Infinet controller. Do not do an Infinet Learn if you are replacing an existing controller.

BACnet Device Id

Identifies the b3 BACnet controller by a unique integer. Each controller must have a unique ID.

Default Folder (Optional)

Click the browse button to select the default folder for this controller.

Status CyberStation displays either Online or Offline, depending on whether or not the Infinet controller is in communication with its attached Infinity controller.

Backup to Flash

Click this button to save the configuration to its flash memory in accordance with the attribute value that is set for the ACCRestartMode system variable.

Update INfinet2 OS

Click this button to upgrade the Infinet 2 controller’s operating system. You need to locate and select an update (.upd) file to sent o the Infinet 2 controller to update its operating system.

Update b3 OS (replaces above button for BACnet controllers)

Click the button to upgrade the BACnet b3 controller’s operating system. (See Chapter 14.) You need to locate and select an update (.upd) file to send to the BACnet b3 controller to update its operation system.

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Runtime Tab – InfinityInfinetCtlr Editor In the Runtime tab, you can:

• View information about the controller during runtime.

• Find the controller’s serial and version numbers, as well as information about any errors that may have occurred.

With the exception of Serial #, all of the information on this tab is read-only. In the case of the Serial #, if for some reason the controller had to be replaced, you would enter the new number in the Serial # field.

Serial # Displays the serial number that is filled in when you click the Learn

button from the CommPort editor.

Version # Displays the version number that is filled in when you click the Learn button from the CommPort editor.

Error # Displays the last error to occur on the controller.

Error Time Displays the time and date that the last error occurred on the controller.

Error Count Displays the number of errors that have occurred on the controllers since it was last set to zero. Totals up to 255 errors and remains set at 255 until it is reset to zero. Use a Plain English program to reset this attribute.


Reconfigs Displays the number of times the network has been reconfigured. The network automatically reconfigures itself when it detects a communication error. If a high number of errors and a high number of reconfigs occur, your network may have a loose connection somewhere that is causing the communication error.

Reset The Reset button clears the controller’s memory.

Security Level Tab – InfinityInfinetCtlr Editor For details in attaching or detaching Security Levels, see Chapter 4, Security.

Setting the ACCRestartMode Attribute

To specify the restart mode to use, you must set the value of the Infinet 2 system variable ACCRestartMode. 1. In the InfinitySystemVariable folder of the Infinet 2 controller, double click

ACCRestartMode.

2. In the InfinitySystemVariable editor, enter the value that corresponds to the restart mode you want to use:

Enter this value… To use…

ACCWarmStartOnly The warm start area of the controller flash memory. The system attempts automatically to restore the Infinet 2 controller’s RAM to the state it was in at the time of the reset or power failure. With this setting, the ACCStatusBackup is set to ACCBackupInactive.

ACCCoolStartOnly The user backup area of the controller flash memory. The flash backup notification flag (see next page) appears in the Explorer tree when a change or reload occurs to RAM and you must initiate the action by activating the Backup to Flash button which causes the controller’s RAN to be restored from the user backup flash area.

ACCWarmtoCool The flash notification flag, which appears in the Explorer tree when a change or reload occurs to RAM. You must initiate the action by editing the controller and clicking the Backup to Flash button. The controller will first attempt a warm start, and if that fails it will attempt a cool start. This is the system default setting.

3. Enter a description (optional.)

4. Select Enabled in the State dropdown menu.

5. Click the Apply and OK buttons.

Creating an Andover Continuum b3 Controller The most common and suggested method for creating a BACnet-compliant b3 controller is to open the comm port on the b4 device and perform a learn. Another way to create a b3 controller is:

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1. In Continuum Explorer, right click an Infinity controller.

2. Select New and then select InfinityInfinetCtlr..

3. In the New dialog, enter the name and alias of the new controller, and click the Create button.

4. In the General tab, from the Model dropdown menu, select a b36xx, b38xx, or b39xx controller. When you select a b3 model, notice that the BACnet field, BACnet Device Id, becomes selectable.

Note: You must create a b3 controller residing on a b4 controller. Otherwise, the b3 model selections are not available.

5. Configure the BACnet fields and other configuration attributes, using the InfinityInfinetCtlr editor.

For more information on these configuration attributes, see the attribute descriptions in “Editing an Infinet Controller Object” earlier in this chapter. See also Chapter 14 for more information on BACnet operations.


Configuring Comm Ports

After a controller is defined its communication ports need to be configured for the devices connect to them.

Each Andover Continuum network controller includes provisions for adding other devices. The network controllers include up to four programmable communications interfaces called comm ports and a dedicated interface for the Continuum IOU modules.

A comm port is an electrical interface used to connect the controller to an external device such as a printer or a terminal. When you create a controller object, CyberStation automatically creates appropriate comm port objects for each of the comm ports of that controller. You use the CommPort editor to provide settings that enable the comm port to work with the device attached to it.

Supported Device Types CyberStation supports the following types of devices. Not all comm ports support all of these devices. Make sure that the port you are configuring includes support for the device you select.

Printers Printers are typically used to produce hard copy of lists and logs. These devices interface with controllers via an RS-232 serial connection.

Infinet, MS/TP, Wireless

Andover Continuum controllers and other equipment that communicates over a proprietary version of an RS-485 network called Infinet, a standard BACnet version called the Master-Slave/Token-Passing (MS/TP) network, or a wireless network with a Wireless Adapter affixed to a bCX1 90xx (Infinet) controller or bCX1 40x0 (BACnet) controller.

XDriver XDrivers are custom interfaces that have been designed to provide an interface between the controller and another device generally manufactured by another company.

8

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TankNet TankNet is another version of RS-485 developed for communication between controllers and certain tank-mounted liquid level sensors.

L-BUS LBUS is the cable that connects IOU modules to a CX network controller. Only one LBUS can be connected to a CX controller. Each LBUS can have up to 16 IOU modules on it.

Configuring a Comm Port for a Terminal Terminals can be connected to controllers two ways:

• Directly to the controller using up to 50 feet of RS-232 cable • Remotely to the controller using a modem The table below shows the comm port settings to use for each controller when you connect a command terminal.

Setting Description

Comm Port Number and Default Mode

You can use the settings indicated for each of the following controller models:

• 9200/9300: Use AutoSet or Window on COMM1, COMM2, COMM#, and COMM4. On 9300 models, you can also use Command on these ports. AutoSet is the default on COMM3.

• 9400: Use AutoSet, Window, or Command on COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4. AutoSet is the default mode on COMM3.

• 9924: Use AutoSet, Window, or Command on COMM1 and COMM2. AutoSet is the default mode on COMM2.

• NetController: Use AutoSet, Window, or Command on COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4. AutoSet is the default mode on COMM3.

Baud Rate The default baud rate setting is 9600. All baud rates are valid, however if you are experiencing communication problems, check the baud rate requirement for your equipment and choose the matching baud rate.

Flow Control CyberStation automatically uses XonXoff for terminals, regardless of which flow control type you select.

Terminal Type Click the terminal type that you are using. If you are running a terminal emulation program on a computer, select VT100.

TrackCXD This attribute is automatically selected. Deselect it only if your terminal is connected directly to the controller (not through a modem).

Direct Connect Select this attribute only if your terminal is not connected to the controller over a modem. This is required.


Configuring a Comm Port for a Printer The table below shows the comm port settings to use for each controller when you connect to a printer.

Setting Description



• 9200: Use COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4. Select Printer for Default Mode.

• 9400: Use COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4. Select Printer for Default Mode.

• 9924: Use COMM1 or COMM2. Select Printer for Default Mode.

• NetController: Use COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4. Select Printer for Default Mode.

• bcx1 Series: Use COMM1 or COMM2. Baud Rate Set the baud rate to match the baud rate of the serial printer

you are using. If you are unsure of the printer’s baud rate, set the comm port baud rate at the lowest setting, then try to print. If the baud rate is set too low, something will usually print, but it may be unintelligible. Change the comm port’s baud rate to next higher settings and print again. Continue this process until the printer works properly.

Flow Control Depending on the flow control type required by your printer, select either NoFlowControl, XonXoff, CtsRts, or XonXoffCtsRts.

TrackCXD This attribute does not apply to printers.

Configuring a CommPort for an LBus You can set up a comm port for an Lbus to communicate with one or more IOU modules. Once you set a comm port’s default mode to LBus, you can’t change it without resetting the controller, so be sure to plan ahead.

The table below shows which comm port you should use:

Setting Description



• 9200: Use COMM4. Select LBus for Default Printer. • 9400: There are no LBus comm ports on the 9400 series. • 9924: There are no LBus comm ports on the 9924 series. • NetController: Use COMM1. Select LBus for Default Printer.

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Baud Rate The default baud rate is 19.2K. All baud rates are valid. If you are having communication problems, check the baud rate requirements for your equipment, and then make the appropriate selection here. Set to a lower baud rate if you require greater noise immunity.

Flow Control Flow control does not apply to LBus connections.

TrackCXD This attributes does not apply to LBus connections.

Configuring a Comm Port for a TankNet You can configure a TankNet port to use for communicating with a network of Infinity RS-485 level-sensing probe through this port. There is a maximum of one TankNet per controller.

You can use the RS-485 connectors on the following ports for TankNet:

Setting Description



• 9200: You COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4. Select TankNet for Default Mode.

• 9400: Use COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4. Select TankNet for Default Mode.

• 9924: Use CustomPort. TankNet is the default mode.. • NetController: Use COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4.

Select TankNet for Default Mode. Baud Rate The default baud rate, 4800, is the only setting allowed for TankNet.

Flow Control Flow control does not apply to TankNet connections.

TrackCXD This attribute does not apply to TankNet probes.

Configuring a Comm Port for XDrivers You can configure a comm port to connect to special equipment. To do this, you will need to purchase Andover Continuum customized software called an XDriver.

The table below shows which comm ports are available for XDrivers for each controller.

Setting Description



• 9200: Use COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4. Select XDriver for Default Mode.

• 9400: Use COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4. Select XDriver for Default Mode.

• 9924: Use COMM1 or COMM2. Select XDriver for Default Mode. • NetController: Use COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4.


Select XDriver for Default Mode. • NetController II: Use COMM1, COMM2, COMM3, or COMM4.

Select XDriver for Default Mode. • bxc1 Series: Use COMM1 or COMM2. • ACX 57xx series: Use COMM1. (The ACX57xx controller has only

one configurable RS-485 comm port). Select XDriver for Default Mode.

Baud Rate The appropriate baud rate may vary depending on the XDriver software. Refer to the instructions provided with the software.

Flow Control Flow control does not apply to XDrivers.

TrackCXD In most cases, TrackCXD should be selected. However, this may vary depending on the device. Check the documentation that came with the XDriver to be sure.

What Additional Settings Do I Need to Make?

When the default mode is set to XDriver, the Settings tab contains the attributes shown below: Baud Rate Refer to the documentation provided with the XDriver to select the

appropriate setting. Data Length Refer to the documentation provided with the XDriver to select the

appropriate setting. Parity Refer to the documentation provided with the XDriver to select the

appropriate setting. Stop Bits Refer to the documentation provided with the XDriver to select the

appropriate setting.

Configuring a Comm Port for Infinet, MS/TP, or Wireless You can configure a comm port to communicate with an Infinet controller, a BACnet MS/TP controller, or a bCX1 series controller equipped with a wireless adapter, communicating with a wireless subnetwork.

Note: The Wireless choice is available for the following parent controllers: Infinet bCX1 Model 9640, BACnet bCX1 model 40x0, and NetController II models 9680 and 9681. See the tables below.

Note: As a future enhancement, ACX 57xx series controllers will support Wireless, much like the NetController II models 9680 and 9680.

A bCX1 series controller can be either an Infinet controller (90x0 model) or a BACnet controller (40x0 model). The Wireless choice is available both the Infinet bCX1 and the BACnet bCX1. For more information, please see the bCX1 Series Controller Technical Reference, 30-3001-890, and the Wireless Adapter Installation Sheet, 30-3001-887.

For each controller, the table below lists comm ports to use for Infinet or Infinet Wireless.

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Note: Once you select Infinet and save for the default mode, you cannot change it.

9000 and 9200 Use COMM1 or COMM2. Select Infinet for Default Mode.

9400 Use COMM1 or COMM2. Select Infinet for Default Mode.

9924 Use the Infinet port. The default mode for this port is Infinet.

NetController (99xx)

Use COMM1 or COMM2. Select Infinet for Default Mode.

NetController II (9680 and 9681)

For both Infinet and Wireless, use COMM1 or COMM2.

When COMM1 is configured for Infinet and COMM2 is configured for Wireless (or vice versa) there are some special considerations for updating the operating system of the Infinet or Wireless field controllers. (See the descriptions for the buttons on the General tab of the InfinityController editor.)

ACX 57xx series

Use COMM1. the ACX 57xx controller has only one configurable RS-485 comm port. The default mode for this port is AutoSet.

9702 Use COMM1. The default mode for this port is Infinet.

bCX1 9640 Use COMM2. Select Infinet or Wireless for Default Mode.

Which Comm Ports Should I Use for MS/TP or BACnet Wireless

b4920 Use COMM1. You must use MSTP for Default Mode.

bCX1 40x0 Use COMM2. You can select MS/TP or Wireless for Default Mode.

Baud Rate The default baud rate is 19.2K baud. Valid baud rates for Infinet also include 1200, 2400, 4800, and 9600. (MSTP also permits 9600 baud. Wireless also permits 19.2K.) Set the baud to a lower rate if you require greater noise immunity. If you are using an Infilink on the Infinet, be sure that their baud rates match.

Flow Control Flow control does not apply to Infinet connections.

TrackCXD This attribute does not apply to Infinet connections.

Completing Configuration of Controllers After you enter and apply settings to connect a controller to a comm port, you use the Learn button to create controller objects with configuration data for each controller connected to this comm port.

Learn also sends information about:

• All the network-connected Infinet controllers to the Infinity controller • All the BACnet MS/TP network-connected b3 controllers and other BACnet third-

party devices to the b4 or bCX1 40x0 controller. • All the controllers connected through a wireless subnetwork to the wireless adapter

affixed to the bCX1 9640 Infinet controller.


When the learn process completes, you will be able to see these controllers on the Field Bus Controllers tab.

Learn and bCX1 40x0 Controllers

Before performing a routine Send to Database operation on a bCX1 40x0 series controller, you must first perform a "learn" operation. This ensures that the bCX1 40x0 first knows about the existence of its BACnet field bus controllers (b3 and third-party controllers). After the learn, the Send to Database fetches object information from all controllers residing on the field bus subnetwork and saves it to the CyberStation database.

Before performing the Send to Database operation, make sure you have also selected the Save attached objects and controllers radio button in the Send to Database Options dialog. This ensures that data from child objects in child controllers (attached to the parent bCX1 40x0) are also saved.

CAUTION: If you do not do these things, the Send to Database operation may fail for controllers residing on a bCX1 40x0 controller's field bus network.

See Chapter 3, Continuum Explorer, for more information on Send to Database operations, and the Send to Database Options dialog.

Comm 1 and 2 of a network controller can be configured as Infinet ports. Each Infinet port on a network controller can support up to 127 regular (building automation) Infinet controllers and up to 31 priority (security access and display) Infinet controllers.

Configuring a Comm Port The comm port you select to configure and the settings you choose in the CommPort editor depend on the model of network controller and the device you want to connect to it. Refer to “Comm Port Settings for Specific Devices” to identify the appropriate settings to use for you devices.

To configure a comm port, follow these steps:

1. In Continuum Explorer, expand the network controller whose comm ports you want to configure.

2. CommPort objects appear in the list of objects in the viewing pane. Double click the CommPort class folder under the controller.

3. Double click the CommPort object you want to configure.

4. In the CommPort editor, select the appropriate settings in each tab as described on the following pages.

5. Click OK.

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General Tab – CommPort Editor In the General tab, enter basic information about the comm port.

Note: When Infinet, MSTP, or Wireless is selected in the Default Mode field, another tab, Field Bus Controllers, appears. See Field Bus Controllers Tab, later in this chapter.

Description Type in a description for the comm port. You can use up to 32 alphanumeric characters. This attribute is optional, but providing a good description can aid other users.

Comm Port Number

The CommPort attribute displays the number of the comm ports you are editing.

Default Mode

Each comm port has a default mode. To change the default mode, select a different one from the Default Mode dropdown menu. The Settings tab displays different attributes, depending on the default mode you select.

Note: In the event of a controller reset, each comm port reverts to its original default mode. For a complete list of default modes for each comm port on each controller, please see the section, Default Modes, later in this chapter.

Printer Select this option when connecting a serial printer to this port.

Command Select this option when you are connecting a VT100 or VT200 type terminal to this port and you want to have the terminal to display a command line. If you want the terminal to display windows and menus, select the Window option instead. To switch between Window and Command mode at the terminal, select the AutoSet option.

Infinet (Comm 1 and 2 Only)

Select this option to set up this comm port as an Infinet port. An Infinet port connects an Infinity controller to an Infinet network. When the default mode is set to Infinet, another tab is added to the CommPort editor: Field Bus Controllers.

MSTP Select this option to set up this comm port as a BACnet Master-Slave/Token-Passing (MS/TP) port. The MS/TP option is the only option available on the b4920. It is also available on bCX1 40x0 BACnet controllers. MS/TP is required for the b4920 controller to communicate with other BACnet devices, such as b3 controllers.


Wireless Select this option to use a Wireless Adapter on a bCX1 96xx Infinet controller or a bCX1 40x0 BACnet controller, communicating over a wireless subnetwork.

Lbus Select this option to set up communications between your controller and one or more IOU boards on an LBus. Lbus is supported for comm4 on a CX9200 or CX9300 controller and comm1 on a NetController.

AutoSet Select this option when you are connecting a VT100 or VT220 type terminal to this port and you want to be able to switch between Window and Command mode. This option provides you with a blank screen when the terminal is first turned on. Type either Window or Command at the blinking cursor to select a mode.

TankNet Select this option to connect to an Infinity level-sensing probe.

XDriver (Support for an XDriver must be purchased)

Select this option to use a customized external equipment driver to connect to a special piece of equipment.

Note: Before you can select the XDriver, you must first install it using the instructions provided with the software.

To select an XDriver file, click the browse button to locate and select the file for the XDriver. Depending on how you installed the XDriver, the file may or may not have a file extension of .xdr.

NotConfigured Select this option if the comm port is available. Indicates that the port is not preset to any other default mode configuration.

Viewing the Status of an XDriver Device

In the General tab, click the XDriver Status button to view the status of the device that is using the XDriver. The XDriver Status button displays the following read-only information:

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Status Displays the status of the device, or XdrvNotInstalled when no

XDriver file has been selected.

Error Displays the last error to occur on the device.

Error Time Displays the time and date that the last error occurred on the device.

Error Count Displays the number of errors that have occurred on the device since you last set it to zero. Increments to 255 errors and remains set at 255 until you reset it to zero by clicking the Reset Count button.

Settings Tab – CommPort Editor The Settings tab is where you view or edit the communications speed and handshaking settings for the mode that you have chosen for the port.

Depending on which Default Mode you select on the General tab, some of the attributes on this tab may be unselectable (appear gray).


Baud Rate The Baud rate is the speed, measured in bits per second, at which the

controller sends information to the device that you are connecting to the comm port. Select the baud rate that matches that required by the equipment connected to this port.

Track CXD This option monitors a communications carrier detect signal called CXD. When selected, it enables the controller to detect when communication with connected objects has been lost.

Depending on your modem configuration, the CXD (sometimes called DCD) signal (pin 8 on an RS-232 connector) is asserted "high" when the communications link is established between modems. Once the carrier signal is lost, CXD goes "low." Track CXD looks for this high-to-low transition and makes the controller reset this comm port to its default mode. Track CXD “cleans up” the comm port by logging off the last user. Track CXD is selected by default, and it is required for comm ports that are connected to modems. If Track CXD is not selected, the controller cannot respond to the loss of the CXD signal.

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Flow Control

The flow control type determines how the comm port handles the flow of data between the controller and its attached device (usually a printer, modem or terminal). This process is also known as “handshaking.”

Select one of the following options from the dropdown menu: NoFlowControl Select this flow control type if you do not want to

regulate the flow of information between the controller and its attached printer, modem, or terminal. Without a flow control type, buffers that hold data that is being transmitted or received could overflow, and some data could get lost.

CtsRts This flow control type uses hardware signals to send "clear to send" (Cts) and "request to send" (Rts) messages. Both of these messages must be acknowledged by the controller and its attached device before information can be transmitted.

XonXoff This control flow type uses software signals in the form of characters that are sent as part of the data being transmitted. When the controller or its attached device detects that it has been sent an Xon character, it makes itself available to receive data. It considers all data received after the Xon character as valid. When it detects an Xoff character at the end of the data stream, the controller or attached device knows the transmission is complete.

XonXoffCtsRts This flow control type uses both the software (XonXoff) and hardware (CtsRts) handshake methods for regulating the flow of information between the controller and its attached device.

Current Mode

This is a read-only attribute that shows you the default mode selected in the General tab.

SecurityLevel Tab – CommPort Editor Refer to Chapter 4 for details regarding attaching or detaching SecurityLevel objects.

Field Bus Controllers Tab – CommPort Editor When you set Default Mode on the General tab to Infinet, MSTP, or Wireless, on the Field Bus Controllers tab is added to the CommPort editor appears.

This tab displays the controllers that reside on their respective field bus network — Infinet, BACnet MS/TP, or Wireless — connected to this comm port. The controllers will not display, however, until you click the Learn button on the Settings tab.

The CommStatus column displays either Online or Offline for controllers listed in the Name column. When a controller is Online, it is communicating with the rest of the network. When a controller is Offline, it is not in communication with the rest of the network.. This information is read only.


Summary of Comm Port Characteristics The following table presents a summary of default modes and other modes for comm ports in the following controllers.

9200 Infinet Port

User Port COMM1 COMM2 COMM3 COMM4 COMM16 CustomPort

- - Default Mode: Not Configured

Other Modes: Window AutoSet Infinet TankNet XDriver Command on 9300

Default Mode: Not Configured

Other Modes: Window AutoSet Infinet TankNet XDriver Command on 9300

Default Mode: AutoSet

Other Modes: Window TankNet XDriver Command on 9300


Other Modes: Window AutoSet Lbus TankNet XDriver Command on 9300

- -

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9400 Infinet Port


- - Default Mode: Not Configured

Other Modes: Window Command AutoSet Infinet TankNet XDriver


Other Modes: Window Command AutoSet Infinet TankNet XDriver


Other Modes: Window Command Printer TankNet XDriver Command


Other Modes: Window Command AutoSet TankNet XDriver

Default Mode: LON

Other Modes: XDriver

9924 Infinet Port


Default Mode: Infinet

Other Mode:

XDriver

- Default Mode: Not Configured

Other Modes: Window Command AutoSet XDriver


Other Modes: Window Command AutoSet XDriver

- - - Default Mode :

TankNet

Other Mode :

XDriver

9702 Infinet Port


- - Default and only Mode: Infinet


Other Modes: Printer

- - -

NetController Infinet Port


- - Default Mode: Not Configured Other Modes: Window AutoSet Infinet TankNet XDriver Command L-BUS

Default Mode: Not Configured Other Modes: TankNet XDriver

Default Mode: AutoSet Other Modes: Window Printer XDriver Command

Default Mode: Not Configured Other Modes: XDriver

Default Mode: LON Other Modes: XDriver

-


NetController II 9680 and 9681 Infinet Port


- - Default Mode: AutoSet

Other Modes: Printer Infinet Lbus LON PPP Wireless XDriver


Other Modes: Printer Infinet Wireless XDriver


Other Modes: Printer PPP XDriver


Other Modes: Printer I Lbus XDriver

Default Mode: LON Other

Modes: XDriver

-

ACX 57XX Series Infinet Port

UserPort COMM1 COMM2 COMM3 COMM4 COMM16 CustomPort

- - Default Mode: AutoSet

Other Modes: Infinet Wireless XDriver

- - - - -

Note: Although Wireless is a selection for COMM1, ACX 57xx series controllers will support Wireless as a future enhancement.

bCX1 96xx Infinet Port


- Default Mode: AutoSet

Other Modes: Printer

PPP

Xdriver


Other Modes: Infinet

Wireless

Printer

Xdriver

- - - -

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bCX1 40x0 Infinet Port


- Default Mode: AutoSet

Other Modes:

Printer

Default Mode: Autoset

Other Modes: MS/TP

Wireless

Printer

- - - -


Creating IOU Module Objects

After you finish configuring a controller with the Comm port editor, you can define your input and output. Start by defining the IOU modules with the IOUModule editor.

IOU modules are electrical units that contain a number of input and/or output circuits that are electrically and sometimes physically attached to controllers. They provide controllers with the ability to interface with the outside world. There are four types of IOU Modules:

• Input modules • Output modules • Mixed input and output modules • Special-purpose modules

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Creating an IOU Module Object The following steps allow you to add an IOU Module object for an IOU Module connected to a controller.

1. Right click the controller that you want to own this module, select New, and then select IOUModule.

2. When the New dialog appears, name the IOUModule and click Create.

General Tab – IOUModule Editor Use the General tab to enter basic information about the IOU module.

Description The description is optional, but a good description of the IOUModule

object helps others when they need to test, modify or manipulate the network. To enter a description, type up to 32 characters (including spaces) in the text field.

IOU Number Enter the IOU number here. You must manually assign a unique number (between 1 and 32) for each IOU module on a network controller.

Physically label the IOU modules with the numbers you assign. This number is not the same as the 12-digit module ID # assigned to the individual module at the factory.

You will use this number when you configure points on this controller.

Model Number

The model number identifies the type of the IOUModule and is read from the module.


Comm Status This displays Online or Offline, depending on whether the controller is in communication with the module.

Module ID and Program ID

These TAC-assigned numbers appear after the Learn process. The only time you will need these numbers is when speaking to a TAC Support Representative. These numbers will help our staff to answer your questions. You may manually enter the Module ID number in this field, (if you know it), rather than following the Learn process.

Learn Use the Learn button to commission the IOU module on the network. See “Commissioning an IOU Module” later in this chapter.

Wink Use the Wink button after commissioning the IOU module to confirm that your system recognizes the IOU module. Click the Wink button. The Status light on the IOU module should flash. This indicates the IOU module was successfully commissioned.

Update IOU Click the Update IOU button to browse for a *.iou file (a TAC-provided Flash File for individual modules) when updating IOU modules with new firmware.

SecurityLevel Tab – IOUModule Editor The SecurityLevel tab shows the object security level and access privileges for the object. For more information, see Chapter 4, Security.

Commissioning an IOU Module Perform this procedure after installing the IOU module on the controller.

1. In the IOUModule editor, click the Learn button.

A dialog displays requesting the operator to press the Commission button on the physical module.

2. At the IOU Module, press the Commission button on the front panel.

The dialog at the workstation should disappear indicating that it received the information from the module.

If the module is not easily accessible, you can enter the module ID found on the label inside the cover of the module into field, and click the Apply button.

3. In the IOUModule editor, click the Refresh button.

The ModuleID for commissioned module, the ProgramID field, and the IO model type (i.e., AO-4-8) are automatically entered. This information was received from the module. Also, the Comm Status should be online.

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Replacing an IOU Module Proceed as follows:

1. Remove power from the I/O Bus where the module is to be installed.

2. Replace the module, and re-apply power.

3. In CyberStation, open the IOUModule editor for the module you are replacing, and click the Learn button.

4. At the IOU Module, press the Commission button found on the front panel of the module.

If the module is not easily accessible, you can enter the module ID found on the label inside the cover of the module into the field, and click the Apply button.

5. In the IOUModule editor, click the Refresh button.

The Module ID for commissioned modules, the ProgramID field and the IO model type (that is, AO-4-8) are automatically entered. This information was received from the module. Also, the Comm Status should be on-line.

Check that the version of the module reported on this screen is compatible with the current version of CyberStation. The fourth field in the Program ID is the version number. For example the Program ID of a DO-4 with version 10 is:

81:11:01:10:00:04:00:01

Version number


Configuring Alarms

Considering the Alarm System Before setting up your alarm system, you need to consider the following questions:

1. What points or network objects do I want to monitor — for example, space temp sensors?

2. What conditions would cause a point to be in an alarm state — high limit, low limit, or off setpoint?

3. What actions do I would want to take place in the system in response to that point meeting those conditions? For example, alarms can be configured to send flashing alarm messages, play audio files, or send email in response to an alarm.

4. Who should be notified that an alarm condition exists?

The size of your system will help to determine how may different sets of actions you should configure for alarms. If you have only one place to send alarms, you don’t need to create a lot of different sets of actions to be taken in response to alarms.

Once you have decided what points need to have alarms, what the alarms will do, and who will be notified, you can begin using Continuum editors to create alarm system objects. Alarm objects are configured in the reverse order of the steps used in thinking about the alarm system described above.

Alarms and BACnet

Alarms are created as AlarmEnrollments for Infinity objects, and they are created as BACnet EventEnrollments for BACnet objects. An EventEnrollment defines a standardized object that represents and contains the information required for managing events within BACnet systems. You use the AlarmEnrollment editor to create, access, and edit AlarmEnrollment objects. Similarly, you use the EventEnrollment editor for BACnet EventEnrollment objects. (Please see Chapter 14 for a description of EventEnrollments and the EventEnrollment editor.)

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Basic Steps for Setting Up Alarms

To set up alarms for Continuum objects use the following basic steps: 1. Create the EventNotification object(s) you need.

2. Create the AlarmEnrollment or EventEnrollment object(s) you need, each of which is associated with an EventNotification object.

3. On the Alarms tab (or Advanced Alarms tab) of an object editor, attach AlarmEnrollment objects to the point or network object.

About EventNotification Objects

EventNotification objects are linked to AlarmEnrollment objects, EventEnrollment (BACnet) objects, or basic alarms. One EventNotification can be associated with multiple alarm enrollment objects.

EventNotification objects define which workstations receive events. The event states that are processed by Event Notification objects are: alarms, returns to normal, and alarm faults. In addition to event routing, Event Notifications define which hours events will be reported, and what actions are taken upon receiving the event such as: emailing, paging, logging, printing, displaying the alarm view, displaying graphics, running programs, playing audio, blinking, and so on. Event Notification objects provide prioritization of events, repeat timer functionality, acknowledgement rules, color coding, and deactivation criteria.

For example, a workstation can be configured to display events between the hours of 9-5, and use the paging feature during the hours of 5-9 only if the alarm remains unacknowledged for the repeat interval.

EventNotification objects route alarms to different workstations based on the problem source. For instance, security alarms can be routed to the guard workstation, HVAC alarms can be routed to the maintenance workstation, and IOModuleStatus alarms can be routed to the administrator’s station. Another usage is segmenting a site –EventNotifications can route alarms to different workstations based on the source of the event. For instance, all events occurring in BuildingA can be routed to WorkstationA and all events occurring in BuildingB can be routed to WorkstationB.

We recommend you that you use EventNotification objects as severity levels. For example, create EventNotification objects named “Warning,” “Critical,” and “Alert,” and associate appropriate events with them accordingly. Furthermore, if site segmentation is used, we recommend that the location is added to the name. For example, the name BuildingACritical would be used in the example above.

Adding and removing recipients from an event notification can affect the way several alarms are routed because a single event notification object can be attached to several alarm enrollment objects.

About Configuring Alarm System Components

To complete the tabs of the EventNotification and AlarmEnrollment object editors, you type information into text fields and make selections from dropdown menus in the tabs of


the editors. You then open a point editor and attach AlarmEnrollment objects to the point and set other alarm parameters.

To create an EventNotification object, you’ll make decisions based on the following questions:

Which colors and fonts will the notification have?

You’ll answer this question by specifying font styles and background colors for each possible event state.

Which notification actions will occur?

You’ll answer this question by making selections from a list of possible notification actions.

Who will be notified of the event?

You’ll answer this question by creating a list of workstations where notification of the event will be delivered.

How will users remove the event from the active alarm view?

You’ll answer this question by selecting a condition that must exist before Continuum will remove the event from the Active Alarm View.

Will Event Notification Include the Playing of Audio Files?

You’ll answer this question by deciding whether or not to associate an audio file with each possible event state.

Who will have permission to make changes to the configuration of this EventNotification?

Please refer to Chapter 4, Security.

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Using the EventNotification Editor The EventNotification editor is a series of tabs. Each tab contains text fields, buttons, and dropdown menus that you’ll use to define or modify the EventNotification object. You’ll enter text in the text fields and make choices by clicking buttons and selecting from lists of possibilities.

Creating the EventNotification Object

To create an EventNotification object perform the following steps:

1. In the Explorer’s navigation pane, right click the Root or the folder to which you want to add an EventNotification object.

2. From the New dialog select EventNotification:

3. When the New dialog appears enter a name for the EventNotification object in the Object name text field.

4. Click the Create button to create the object and bring up the EventNotification editor.

CAUTION

When working with EventNotification objects, please be aware that when you edit existing attributes you are changing the way every associated basic alarm and AlarmEnrollment object is delivered.

! !


The EventNotification General Tab

In the General tab, you enter basic information about the event.

Description The description, although optional, is an important part of an EventNotification object. A good description helps future users choose the correct EventNotification object to associate to a particular event or alarm.

To enter a description, type it into the Description text field on the General tab. Your description can be up to 32 characters (including spaces) long.

Ack Required This section is used for BACnet controllers only. Check the appropriate checkbox to specify whether acknowledgement is required in notifications generated for the following event transitions:

Alarm

ReturnToNormal

Fault

Priority Priority numbers help sort events in the Active Alarm View. One of the benefits of sorting by priority number is that it is one way to display critical events at the top of the active list. In the Active Alarm View, you determine whether high or low priority numbers display at the top by selecting either ascending or descending as your sort order. The range of priority numbers is 0 to 254. Each event state receives its own priority number. To enter a priority number for an event state, type it in its text field on the General tab.

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Colors and Fonts

For every event state you can specify colors and font styles. The colors and fonts you select will display in the status bar and in the Active Event View or Active Alarm View when an event associated with this EventNotification is delivered.

To select colors and fonts, place your cursor in the Alarm Colors, RTN Colors or Fault Colors area of the General tab.

Right click to display a pop-up menu.

To select a new font style and size, select Font.

The Font dialog appears. Select a font and font style from the scrollable lists. As you make your selections, you’ll see an example of the font and all the settings you’ve chosen in the Sample text field.

For more help, click the button. Click specific area of the Font dialog.

Click OK to save your font settings.

To select background color and text colors, select Background Color or Text Color. Click a basic color, or click Define Custom Colors if you don’t see a color you like. This adds a color matrix to the dialog.

Define your color by changing the Hue, Sat, Lum, Red, Green, and Blue settings. You can enter either of these settings, or change them by clicking anywhere in the matrix and by moving the cursor. Click Add to Default Colors when you are finished.

For more help, click the button. Click specific area of the Color dialog.

Click OK to save your color settings.

Repeat The repeat interval specifies how many minutes the workstation will wait until re-issuing the event. When an event is re-issued, its repeat actions are carried out.

Re-issuing continues until the event is either silenced or acknowledged. To enter a repeat interval, type the number of minutes into the Repeat field on the General tab.


Ack Rules Acknowledgment rules simplify the task of acknowledging alarms whose EventNotification objects are configured for multiple entries. From the General tab, select one of the following rules from the Ack Rules dropdown menu.

AckAll - Acknowledge all reported events for the same alarm.

AckUntilTime - Acknowledge the currently selected event and all events reported before this one for the same alarm.

AckOnlyThisOne - Acknowledge only the currently selected event for this alarm.

These acknowledgment rules apply to just one object at a time.

For example, if RoomTemp1 and RoomTemp2 both trigger an alarm named TooHot, when the operator acknowledges the alarm triggered by RoomTemp1 the AckAll and AckUntilTime rules won’t acknowledge the alarm triggered by RoomTemp2.

Event Configuration

Select either Multiple Entry or Single Entry. This determines whether or not the Active Alarm View will display an additional entry every time the event changes state. Single Entry is recommended, as this will decrease the number of entries in the Active Alarm View. If you select Multiple Entry, select an acknowledgment rule as well.

Understanding Alarms

Every reported event has an attribute named “ToState”. The value of this attribute is determined by the status of the alarm that triggered the event. At any given time, an event has one of three possible statuses: Alarm, Return to Normal, and Fault. Listed below you’ll see an explanation of each state and how each one triggers an event.

Alarm When an object’s attributes changes to what has been previously established as being outside normal operating standards, the object’s event state changes to Alarm. If the AlarmEnrollment object or the basic alarm associated with the object has the Alarm report option selected, the controller sends this out as an event. This event displays in the Active Alarm View with a ToState value of Alarm. How and to whom the event is delivered is determined by the AlarmEnrollment object’s associated EventNotification object.

Return to Normal

When an object’s attributes changes to what has been previously established as being normal, the object’s event state changes to Return to Normal. If the AlarmEnrollment object or the basic alarm associated with the object has the Return to Normal report option selected, the controller sends this out as an event. This event displays in the Active Alarm View with a ToState value of Return to Normal. How and to whom the event is delivered is determined by the AlarmEnrollment object’s associated EventNotification object.

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Fault When a device that is local to the object detects a fault, the object is said to be in a Fault state. The ability to detect faults and the messages associated with faults vary depending on the device manufacturer. If the AlarmEnrollment object or the basic alarm associated with the object has the Fault report option selected, the controller sends this out as an event. This event displays in the Active Alarm with a ToState value of Fault. How and to who the event is delivered is determined by the associated EventNotification object.

Note: When installing more than 64 CyberStation workstations (NetworkID 191-254), you will need to set the NetworkID to 0 and also set the DeviceID to a unique number. Refer to “Setting Up Workstation Parameters” in the Continuum Installation Guide, 30-3001-720.

CyberStation workstations with NetworkID 0 shall receive alarms and participate as a normal CyberStation.

The EventNotification Actions Tab

The Actions tab lets you define how the event is enunciated.

Print Alarm If the event is in an Alarm state, sends event notification to the system printer. This action requires the Alarm report option to be selected, and it requires that a workstation is selected as a printer in the Delivery tab.

Print Return to Normal

If the event is in a Return to Normal state, sends event notification to the system printer. This action requires the Return to Normal report option to be selected, and it requires that a workstation is selected as a printer in the Delivery tab.


Print Fault If the event is in a Fault state, sends event notification to the system printer. This action requires the Fault report option to be selected, and it requires that a workstation is selected as a printer in the Delivery tab.

Print Acknowledgment

Sends a message to the system printer when the event is acknowledged. The message contains the same information that is displayed in the alarm and event viewers. This action requires that a workstation be selected as a printer in the Delivery tab.

Run Program Runs the Plain English program specified on the Alarms or Advanced Alarms tabs of the alarmed object’s editor. Not available for Basic Alarms.

Remove from Alarm Line on Acknowledged

Always removes the event from the status line alarm of the Active Alarm View, when acknowledged.

Beep on Alarm If the event is in an Alarm state, causes workstations to beep continuously when the event is delivered.

Beep on Return to Normal

If the event is in a Return to Normal state, causes workstations to beep continuously when an event notification is delivered.

Beep on Fault If the event is in a Fault state, causes workstations to beep continuously when event is in a Fault state.

Play Audio on Alarm

Plays the alarm audio file selected from the EventNotification or AlarmEnrollment Feedback tab.

Play Audio on Return to Normal

Plays the Return to Normal audio file selected from the Feedback tab.

Play Audio on Fault

Plays the fault audio file selected from the Feedback tab.

Display Panel Displays the panel specified on the Alarms or Advanced Alarms tabs of the object editor. Not available for Basic Alarms.

Display Alarm View

Displays the Active Alarm View when the event is received.

Note: The Active Alarm View’s View menu has an entry called Always on top. When this option is selected, the alarm view will always be the top most window.

Display Video Displays the surveillance video monitor (the VideoLayout editor) when this alarm event occurs. For more information on VideoLayouts, please see Chapter 25.

Blink on Alarm Causes events to blink in the status line of the Active Alarm View. Note that when Continuum is minimized, its task bar icon will blink instead.

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Email on Alarm Sends an Alarm event notification to all Email recipients in the EventNotification distribution list.

Note: When running under Windows XP this distribution list is called Contact.

Email on Return to Normal

Sends a Return to Normal event notification to all Email recipients in the EventNotification distribution list.

Email on Fault Sends a Fault event notification to all Email recipients in the EventNotification distribution list.

Email on Acknowledgement

Sends an event acknowledgement message to all Email recipients in the EventNotification distribution list.

Page on Alarm Sends an Alarm event notification to all pager recipients in the EventNotification distribution list.

Page on Return to Normal

Sends a Return to Normal event notification to all pager recipients in the EventNotification distribution list.

Page on Fault Sends a Fault event notification to all pager recipients in the EventNotification distribution list.

Page on Acknowledgement

Sends an event acknowledgement message to all pager recipients in the EventNotification distribution list.

The EventNotification Delivery Tab

The Delivery tab is where you create a recipient list. Every workstation in the list receives and views events associated with this EventNotification object in the status line of the Alarm Bar and their Alarm View.


Via the Recipients Configuration dialog described on the next page, for each workstation that you add to the recipient list, you specify the following:

• The valid days the workstation will receive event notification.

• The valid time periods during which the workstation will receive notification.

• Which notification actions for which the workstation is responsible. Notification actions include forwarding, printing, e-mailing, paging and logging. These actions are optional; however, for compatibility with Infinity controllers, you must designate one workstation to forward events.

• Whether the workstation is designated as one that downloads and forwards alarm notification messages to other BACnet recipient workstations. (At least one workstation recipient in the list must be designated this way. See the description of the Download To BACnet Device checkbox on the next page.)

To delete a recipient workstation from the list, select it and click Remove Recipient.

To add a recipient, click the Add Recipient button. This displays the Recipients Configuration dialog, shown and described on the next page.

Note: The Send to All Workstations checkbox is always unselectable and appears in gray. See the description of the Recipients Configuration dialog, next.

Recipient Click the button next to the Recipient field. This displays Continuum’s Browse dialog for devices. Use this dialog to find the workstation you want. Click Select to insert the correct path and workstation name into the Recipient field.

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BACnet Address

To ensure that Continuum knows about a specific BACnet destination recipient, and to differentiate between a BACnet global broadcast and delivery to a specific BACnet device, check this checkbox.

When you check this box, the Recipient field's browse button becomes a dropdown menu, offering the following choices:

• Global Broadcast — Select this option to deliver event messages as a global BACnet broadcast.

• Net:MAC — Select this option if the message must be delivered to a specific BACnet destination recipient. When you select this option, Net:Mac appears in the Recipient field. Identify the device by entering the network number and the MAC address number for the device in this field. The network number is an integer. The MAC address number is hexadecimal. For example: 13:002B.

The hexadecimal MAC address number must have an even number of digits, include leading zeros in the octet.

If you enter an odd number of digits, you will receive an error message. When you select the BACnet Address box, the Primary, Backup, and Repeat checkboxes become disabled.

Guarantee Delivery

Check this checkbox to guarantee delivery of message, from a BACnet device to CyberStation recipients or other BACnet device recipients.

Download To BACnet Device

Check this checkbox to download and forward alarms from this recipient workstation to other BACnet recipient workstations. This option conserves memory in BACnet devices in the system. At least one workstation in the recipient list must be designated as a downloading and forwarding workstation. When this is checked for this recipient, the Download column on the Delivery tab displays the value, True.

Valid Days Select the days on which this workstation will receive notification. Simply click the checkboxes next to the days you want.

From Time To Time

Enter the From and To times this workstation can receive event notification. Select the hour, minute, second, or AM/PM setting you wish to change. Type over the existing value, or click the up and down arrows to change the value.

Noncontiguous times are supported such as:

From = 7pm

To = 6am

This is equivalent to

7pm – 11:59pm

12am – 6am


Primary, Backup, Repeat

Select forwarding, emailing and paging notification tasks to be carried out by the primary and/or backup workstations as described below.

Transitions In this section, select the event transition states for an event notification that is sent to this recipient workstation. Check the checkboxes for ToOffNormal, ToFault, and ToNormal.

These selections specify which transitions control the delivery of an event notification to this recipient workstation. For example, you may not want to notify a security guard about a device fault.

Distributing Tasks to Several Workstations

Each workstation in your recipient list can be assigned tasks such as printing the event or sending email about the event to a select group of people. By assigning different tasks to different workstations, you can distribute important tasks to your faster machines, and give the less crucial tasks to slower machines. You can also designate a workstation as either the primary or backup machine for each task. Primary workstations are simply workstations that are primarily responsible for the task. Backup workstations only perform the task if the primary workstation is off-line.

For this purpose, the Delivery tab’s Recipients Configuration dialog has three columns of responsibilities, Primary, Backup, and Repeat, and a list of tasks, shown below:

To display the Recipient Configuration dialog, double-click a recipient you would like to edit, or click the Add Recipient button to work on a new recipient.

To assign a task to a workstation, click in either the Primary or Backup column for that task. If you would like the workstation to perform the task only if the event has been repeated, click in the Repeat column as well. The repeat interval is determined by what you set in minutes on the Repeat field on the General tab. (See EventNotification General Tab, earlier in this chapter.)

Each column contains the following actions:

Print Prints the notification.

Alarms, Returns to Normal, faults, and acknowledgements are sent to designated alarm printers of the primary and backup workstations. You can assign the path to the alarm printer via the Continuum Preferences dialog. The Windows default printer is used if the field is left blank. If “suppress form feed” is selected, it is assumed that a raster printer is being used. In this case, the printer must be local to the printing workstation.

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Forward Sends notification to the other workstations in the recipient list. This is currently used for all alarm acknowledgements, alarm silencing and BACnet alarms.

Log This is applicable to versions earlier than version 1.5, which implemented enhanced

alarm logging. If you have an old version (or if the Enhanced Alarm Logging checkbox on the Database Initialization dialog was not checked during Continuum installation) checking the Log box creates a log of events in a Listview.

E-mail Sends email to everyone in this EventNotification email distribution list.

Paging Pages everyone in this EventNotification page distribution list.

Creating an EventNotification Email and Page Distribution List

Requirements for forwarding CyberStation alarms via email or page:

• The CyberStation workstations that have been designated primary and backup email and/or page handlers must have a MAPI-compliant email client such as MS Exchange or Outlook.

• The email client application can communicate with an existing email server application, such as MS Exchange Server.

• The primary or backup email/paging workstation must be running CyberStation at the time an alarm is generated.

• Each EventNotification object associated with the alarms that you wish to email or page must have its own email distribution list in the personal address book or Contacts list of the client email application using a specified naming convention as outlined in Step 4 below.

• This email distribution list must be stored in the first address book shown in the list of available address books in the email client application. For example, if you create an EventNotification distribution list in the Personal Address Book in Microsoft Outlook, then the Personal Address Book must be the first one showing in the address list dropdown menu when you open the Address Book.

Creating an EventNotification Distribution List

To create an email or page distribution list, proceed as follows:

Note: The following steps are based on Microsoft Outlook. Other mail applications may have different menu names and choices but the general procedure is the same.

1. Open the Address Book for the email account on the CyberStation workstation that will be providing the email/paging service(s). Your toolbar may have a button for this. If not, use the Address Book option of the Tools menu.

2. Select New Entry from the Files menu.

3. Select the entry type Personal Distribution List and put this entry in the Personal Address Book.


4. In the Name field enter a name for the distribution list using the following format:

For Email: ACC.eventnotification_name

For Paging: ACC.page.eventnotification_name

For example, if your EventNotification object is named Severe, the personal distribution list for email deliveries should be named: ACC.Severe. Likewise, your personal distribution list for page deliveries should be named: ACC.page.Severe.

Note: Use the EventNotification object Name not the Alias, for example, Critical Temp, not CriticalTemp.

5. Add members (the email addresses or pager and service numbers of those to whom the notification of the alarm will be sent) to your personal distribution lists.

6. Set address book options so that the address book where your personal distribution lists are stored is the first one to be searched when sending emails or pages. For example, in Microsoft Exchange, select Options from the Tools menu. Click the Addressing tab. When sending mail, check names using these address lists in the following order area, use the Add button, then the up or down arrow buttons to add the correct address book to this field and position it at the top of the list.

The EventNotification Deactivate Tab

The Deactivate tab is where you select a condition that must exist before the controller removes the event from the Active Alarm View. To select a condition, click one of the following options:

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Acknowledged Removes the event when it is acknowledged

Returned to Normal Removes the event when the event status returns to normal

Acknowledged OR Returned to Normal

Removes the event when either the event status returns to normal, or is acknowledged

Acknowledged AND Returned to Normal

Removes the event when both the event status returns to normal and is acknowledged

Acknowledged AFTER Returned to Normal

Removes the event when it is acknowledged only after its status returns to normal.

Note: You can use the deactivation criteria along with the reporting options in the alarm enrollment editor to achieve the desired results.

The EventNotification Feedback Tab

Use the Feedback tab to associate an audio file to each event state.

You use audio files when you want a recorded message or sound to play on workstations when an event is delivered. You can associate a different audio file to each event state. This is useful for alerting and informing operators as to the specific and appropriate response for different event states. Here are some basic points to keep in mind when associating audio files:

• For every audio file you add to this tab, make sure you select the corresponding action on the Actions tab. In other words, if you associate an audio file with the Alarm state, select Play Audio on Alarm on the Actions tab.

• You may also select audio files for AlarmEnrollment objects. Every AlarmEnrollment object has a designated EventNotification object that defines how the alarm will be


delivered. When an AlarmEnrollment object with audio has an EventNotification object with audio files, the AlarmEnrollment audio files take precedence.

• Some objects can have basic alarms in addition to associated AlarmEnrollment objects. Basic alarms are specific to one object, unlike AlarmEnrollment objects, which can be associated to many objects. Like AlarmEnrollment objects, basic alarms have designated EventNotification objects that define how the basic alarm will be delivered. Consequently, the audio files you specify on this tab will apply to all basic alarms associated with this EventNotification object.

• To associate an audio file to an Alarm, Return to Normal or Fault event state, click the button next to the appropriate text field. This will display the dialog shown below:

Audio files have a .wav file extension. You may have to navigate to the system folder that contains your audio files. Click the button, then click in the Look in field for help on moving to different folders. Once you have found the file you want, select it and click the Open button. This will close the dialog and insert the correct path and audio file name into the Feedback tab.

The EventNotification Security Level Tab

For details in attaching or detaching Security Levels, see Chapter 4, Security.

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About AlarmEnrollment AlarmEnrollment objects define the set of conditions used to determine when a point is in an alarm state. They specify the text messages that appear in the Active Alarm View.

When you create objects in Continuum, you have the option to attach up to eight alarms to it. For example, you could set up an InfinityInput object for a temperature sensor so that an alarm goes off when the temperature gets too high.

Each AlarmEnrollment object is associated with an EventNotification object.

To create an AlarmEnrollment object, you’ll make decisions based on the following questions:

Which attributes will trigger this alarm?

You’ll answer this question by selecting an attribute on the General tab. Most of the time alarms are set up to monitor the value attribute.

Who will be notified of this alarm?

You’ll answer this question by selecting an EventNotification object on the General tab. EventNotification objects determine, among other things, which workstations receive notification, and which methods are used for notification.

What Algorithm will this alarm use?

You’ll answer this question by selecting an algorithm and providing its parameters on the Algorithms tab. An algorithm is a set of rules by which an alarm is evaluated.

What will operators see and hear when this alarm goes off?

You’ll answer this question by writing text messages and selecting audio files for each event state. The text messages you write will appear in the Active Alarm View, alarm log, emails, pages, and printer output.

After you have configured an alarm, you can review the details of the configuration with the following:

• Active Alarm View

• All Alarms ListView

• Object editors

Note: Continuum provides coverage for BACnet compliant devices. Configuring alarms for these devices requires a new object class called EventEnrollment. Refer to Chapter 14 for more information on the EventEnrollment editor.


Using the AlarmEnrollment Editor The AlarmEnrollment editor is a series of tabs. Each tab contains text fields, buttons, and dropdown menus that you use to define or modify AlarmEnrollment objects. You’ll enter text in the text fields, and make choices by clicking buttons and selecting from lists of possibilities.

The AlarmEnrollment General Tab

The General tab is where you’ll enter basic information about the event. You’ll provide information for the following attributes:

Description The description, although optional, is an important part of an AlarmEnrollment object. A good description helps future users.

To enter a description, type it into the Description text field on the General tab. Your description can be up to 32 characters (including spaces) long.

Event Notification

Browse for an EventNotification object. This will insert the correct path and object name into the Event Notification text field.

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Alarmed Attribute

Only used for workstation alarms. Select an attribute from the dropdown menu. This is a list of all of the possible attributes from all object classes.

Based on the algorithm parameters you set on the Algorithms tab, the value of the attribute you select from this list triggers the alarm.

For security applications, the Alarmed Attribute will always be Value. Infinity always uses Value for a hi/lo limit or expression.

Send When checked, each Send option causes the event to be displayed to the Active Alarm View and all recipients on the notification list when the associated point changes to that status.

The Alarm option reports the alarm when the point goes into an alarm state.

The Return to Normal option reports the alarm when the point returns to normal.

The Fault option reports the alarm when a BACnet device local to the point detects and reports a mechanical fault.

For example, if both Alarm and Return to Normal are checked, the event is displayed when the point first goes into alarm and again when it returns to normal. If no option is checked, no events are reported.

Alarm Type The selection you make here determines what fields display on the Algorithms tab of this editor.

The choices of Infinity alarm types are:

Expression

Infinity Low Limit

Infinity High Limit

*Change of State

*Command Failure

*Floating Limit

*Out of Range

*These alarms are only applicable to BACnet objects. Refer to “The EventEnrollment Algorithms Tab” in Chapter 14.

Notification Type

From the dropdown menu, select a notification type. The notification type specifies whether the notification message appears in the Active Alarm View as an alarm message, an event message, or a message of event acknowledgement.


The AlarmEnrollment Algorithms Tab

The attributes on this tab change, depending on the Alarm Type you selected from the General tab.

Time Delay Time Delay appears on the Algorithms tab for each of the choices of Alarm Type.

In the Time Delay field, enter the number of seconds you want to postpone evaluating the alarm.

For example, you may decide that the point value can exceed or fall below its alarm boundaries for 30 seconds before the alarm goes off.

Note: The alarm must be active at the end of the time delay.

Using time delays cuts down on the number of active alarms and reduces both system traffic and operator responsibility by filtering out some nuisance alarms

Algorithm Fields

The other fields that appear on the Algorithms tab differ according to the Alarm Type selected on the General tab. The above figure reflects an Expression Alarm Type selection.

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Algorithm Parameters for an Infinity High Limit Alarm

Infinity High Limit Alarms can be attached to the following Infinity objects:

• InfinityNumeric

• InfinityInput

• InfinityOutput

• InfinityDateTime

• InfinitySystemVariable

When you select Infinity High Limit from the Alarm Type of the General tab, the following fields appear on the Algorithms tab.

This algorithm is used with Infinity points to report an alarm if the alarmed attribute value changes to a value that is equal to or above a high limit that you specify. You’ll also specify a value that the value must change to (or below) before a Return to Normal state can be reported.

To Use an Infinity High Limit Algorithm:

1. Enter a high limit value in the text field marked High Limit.

2. Enter a return to normal value in the text field marked Return to Normal.

Algorithm Parameters for an Infinity Low Limit Alarm

Infinity Low Limit Alarms can be attached to the following Infinity objects:

• InfinityNumeric

• InfinityInput

• InfinityOutput

• InfinityDateTime

• InfinitySystemVariable

When you select Infinity Low Limit from the Alarm Type of the General tab, the following fields appear on the Algorithms tab:

This algorithm is used with Infinity points to report an alarm if the alarmed attribute value changes to a value that is equal to or below a low limit that you specify. You’ll also specify a value that the value must change to (or above) before a Return to Normal state can be reported.


To Use an Infinity Low Limit Algorithm:

1. Enter a low limit value in the text field marked Low Limit.

2. Enter a return to normal value in the text field marked Return to Normal.

Algorithm Parameters for an Expression Alarm

When you select Expression from the Alarm Type dropdown menu of the General tab, the following field appears on the Algorithms tab:

To enter an expression, type it into the text field.

How Do Expression Alarms Work?

An expression algorithm tests for a condition that is not within normal operating parameters. This condition is defined using an expression such as:

ABS(VALUE - Point1) > 3

If the expression results in a value of TRUE, the associated point reports an alarm. If the expression results in a value of FALSE, the associated point does not report an alarm.

Alarm Points in Expressions — Alarm points allow you to attach an expression alarm to multiple points. The expression on the Algorithms tab does this by including a "point" variable name, rather than an actual point name. When this expression alarm, in turn, is attached to an object (for example, an AnalogInput or a Door) the alarm references up to four alarm points, which are named Point 1, Point 2, Point 3, and Point 4.

Alarm point configuration is performed via the Alarm Points dialog:

The Alarm Points dialog is accessed from the Alarms tab or Advanced Alarms tab of the following object editors: AnalogInput, AnalogOutput, AnalogValue, BinaryInput, BinaryOutput, BinaryValue, Door, InfinityInput, InfinityNumeric, InfinitySystemVariable, MultistateInput, MultistateOutput, MultistateValue, or Network. (See: Attaching Alarms to a Point, later in this chapter.)

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Using alarm points saves you the trouble of having to change the expression every time you attach an expression alarm to a different point.

You must configure these alarm points when you attach an alarm to an object. That is, you must specify the actual point names for every alarm point the expression references. The referenced point, for example, can be an input-point temperature reading.

The AlarmEnrollment Feedback Tab

The Feedback tab lets you write text messages for the Active Alarm View list and the Alarm Bar and to associate an audio file with each event state.

Text Messages

You can write a different message for each possible event state, Alarm, Return to Normal and Fault.

Continuum supports ‘wild card’ characters ‘%n’ and ‘%d’, which inserts the corresponding name and description of the alarmed object. For example, “%n went into alarm” yields: “mytempsensor went into alarm.”

A good text messages alerts operators to the nature and severity of the alarm. For example, “Temperature is too high” or “Door Forced Open.”

For more on Text Messages, see the next section, Writing Alarm Messages.

Audio Files Use audio files when you want a recorded message or sound to play on workstations when an event is delivered.

You can associate a different file with each event state. This is useful for alerting and informing operators as to the specific and appropriate response for different event states.


Note: For every audio file you add to this tab, select the corresponding action on the Actions tab of the associated EventNotification object. In other words, if you associate an audio file with Alarm, make sure the associated EventNotification object has Play Audio on Alarm selected on its Actions tab.

Note: Some EventNotification objects have audio files associated with event states as well. When an AlarmEnrollment object with audio has an associated EventNotification object with audio files, the AlarmEnrollment audio files take precedence.

Writing Alarm Messages Use the Feedback tab to write the text message that will appear in the active list and the Alarm Bar. You can write a different message for each possible state: Alarm, Return to Normal, and Fault. Good text messages alert operators to the nature and severity of the alarm.

To enter a text message, type it into the appropriate text field.

Using the Name and Description Fields of Objects as Alarm Message Text

You can create custom alarm messages with the %D and %N features of Continuum, without creating custom AlarmEnrollment objects for each Alarm, Return to Normal, or Fault:

%D is like a shortcut to the Description field of the object to which the AlarmEnrollment is attached.

%N is like a shortcut to the Name field of the object to which the AlarmEnrollment is attached.

Use %D or %N in your text messages in the Alarm, Return to Normal, or Fault fields on the Feedback tab to insert the Description or Name of the object in alarm. When a point alarm, return to normal, or fault is generated, the message in Active Alarm View (see page 10-180) displays the point Description field inserted in place of the %D character and the point Name field inserted in place of the %N character.

Example: A motion detector is configured as an InfinityInput named "Motion3B" and has a Description field entry "motion detect in 3rd fl comp lab, bldg B". An AlarmEnrollment object for an after hours motion alarm is created with the alarm text message, "%N, the %d, is in alarm. Call the security desk at 978 470-0555".

When generated, the alarm will read "Motion3B, the motion detector in the 3rd floor computer lab, building B, is in alarm. Call the security desk at 978 470-0555".

Note: This feature is case-insensitive. %D is the same as %d, %N is the same as %n.

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Attaching Alarms to a Point Once you have created the appropriate EventNotification and AlarmEnrollment objects, you need to open a point object editor. From the navigation pane of the Continuum Explorer:

1. Double click the Infinity controller that contains the points you want to alarm.

2. In the viewing pane of Continuum Explorer, right click the icon for the point, and select Open from the drop down menu.

The object editor for that point will appear.

3. Select the Alarms tab (or Advanced Alarms tab on some object editors).

The Alarms tab (or Advanced Alarms tab) appears. For example:


Using the Alarms / Advanced Alarms Tab of an Object Editor

Use the Alarms tab (or Advanced Alarms tab) to browse for up to eight AlarmEnrollment objects to attach to the point.

To attach an alarm to an object:

1. Click the browse button in one of the empty alarm fields.

2. Search and find the alarm you want.

3. Click the Select button.

4. Check the Enabled checkbox.

To delete an attached alarm, select its name in the text field and press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Graphic Click the browse button in the Graphic field to search for the desired graphic panel that you want to appear when the alarm goes off. Select the page number of the graphic panel you want first to appear.

Program Click the browse button in the Program field to search for the desired report program or any other Plain English program to this object.

Note: You cannot select an HTML report directly. To associate an HTML report with an object, you must select a program that uses the SHOWREPORT keyword to run an HTML report. An example of the SHOWREPORT keyword is:

SHOWREPORT “C:\PROGRAM FILES\CONTINUUM\REPORTS\SYSTEMCHK.HTM”

Alarm Points

Alarm points allow any expression alarm that you attach on this tab to reference up to four "alarm points," named Point 1, Point 2, Point 3, and Point 4. Using alarm points saves you the trouble of having to change the expression (via the Algorithms tab of the AlarmEnrollment editor for that alarm object) every time you attach an expression alarm to a different point:

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See: Algorithm Parameters for an Expression Alarm, earlier in this chapter.

To configure these alarm points for an attached expression alarm, click the Alarm Points button to bring up the Alarm Points dialog:

Using the Alarm Points dialog, you must specify the actual point names for every alarm point the attached expression alarm references. The referenced point, for example, can be an input-point temperature reading. (See also: Using an Expression Algorithm.)

Follow this procedure:

1. In the General tab of the AlarmEnrollment editor, for the alarm you want to attach, make sure that you select Expression for the Alarm Type. Any attached alarm to which you want to apply alarm points must be an expression alarm.

2. In the Algorithms tab of the AlarmEnrollment editor, enter the expression in the Expression field. When you want to use alarm points, the alarm point name (point1, point2, point3, or point4) must be part of the expression. For example:

...value > point1 + 2...

5. Save the AlarmEnrolllment object after making these expression-alarm changes.

6. On this tab of this editor, click the Alarm Points button to search for and select the name of an object for every alarm point referenced by attached expression alarm. The Alarm Points dialog appears, showing fields


where you may specify up to four point names, Point 1 through Point 4.

7. Click the browse button in one of the point's fields.

8. Once you have found the point you want, click the Select button. That point specified in the field will be associated with that alarm point and applied to the attached expression alarm, which references the point.

9. Click OK.

Video Points

Click the Video Points button to bring up the Video Points dialog:

Use the Video Points dialog to assign cameras to doors and points and configure parameters that control video images, via VideoLayout objects, during alarm conditions.

When the alarm goes off, a video layout is launched (if a VideoLayout object has been configured to work with video points) and displays the "video point" camera images in the its video image frames. In the Video Points dialog, you may also configure a camera to record a video clip, for specified number of seconds, when the alarm goes off.

For complete information about video layouts and video configuration, please see Chapter 25, Configuring and Viewing Video.

Use the Video Points dialog to assign between one and four "video point" cameras — point 1 through point 4.

Use the Video Servers dropdown menu to select a video server on which the camera is located. (A VideoServer object must be already configured and the server online. See Using the Video Server Editor in Chapter 25.)

Use the Cameras dropdown menu to select a camera for the numbered video point. (The camera must be configured and enabled on the selected video server.)

Check the Rec. checkbox to enable the recording of a video clip from the selected camera. Recording begins at the moment the alarm goes off.

In the Duration field, use the up and down arrows to select the number of seconds to record a video clip, once you check the Rec. checkbox.

In the PTZ field, select the number of the preset camera view. (These PTZ

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(pan, tilt, zoom) capabilities are configured on the Integral video servers, using Integral software. See Overview of Integration and Configuration in Chapter 25.)

If you are associating a VideoLayout with the video points for this object, then you must first reference these video points from the General tab of the VideoLayout editor. (See Chapter 25.)

Active Alarm View The active alarm view window displays a list of active alarms. From this window you can perform the following basic tasks:

• Respond to alarms

• View information about alarms to which other operators have already responded

• Organize alarm information

The active alarm view is displayed one of two ways:

• Alarm View mode

• Status Line mode

The Active Alarm view is never displayed in both modes ⎯ it is always in one or the other mode selected by the user.

The Alarm View Mode

To enter the Active Alarm View mode:

1. Right click the alarm icon in the Windows tool tray.

2. From the popup menu, select Alarm Viewer.

The Active Alarm View window appears on the screen:

Components of the Active Alarm View

The Active Alarm View window contains a menu bar, a tool bar, and a list of alarms. A horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the view is used to expand the Alarm List in order to cover all the information provided for each alarm. (See The Alarm List, later in this chapter.)


The Menu Bar

Just beneath the Active Alarm View title bar is the menu bar. The menu bar consists of the following menus:

• ObjectUsing_the_Object_Menu>(w95sec)

• View

• Acknowledge

• Mute

• Help

Each of these menus is discussed below.

The Object Menu The Object menu options are not available in this release:

The View Menu

The View menu consists of the following options. A check mark to the left of a menu option indicates that option is selected:

Menu Option Description

Toolbar Displays the tool bar when selected. Hides the tool bar when not selected.

Status Bar Displays the status bar when selected. Hides the status bar when not selected.

Sort Displays the Sort Criteria dialog, which defines the criteria for sorting the contents of the active alarm view.

Auto Sort Automatically sorts the contents of the active alarm view whenever a new alarm is received, according to the criteria defined in the Sort Criteria dialog.

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Freeze Stops alarm list scrolling when selected. Allows alarm list scrolling when not selected.

Add/Remove Columns Allows you to add or remove columns from the Active Alarm View.

Always on Top Upon opening the active alarm view, places the window on top of all other windows on your desktop. When you make this selection, you are prevented from clicking on any other window or process and bringing it in front of the Active Alarm View window.

Hide Hides the active alarm view. When the active alarm view is hidden, the alarm view icon blinks in the alarm tray.

Alarm Status Line Places the Active Alarm View into status line mode. The alarm that appears in the alarm status line is the first alarm (at the top of the list) that either has not been acknowledged or has been acknowledged but does not have the Remove From Status Line When Acknowledged box checked in the event notification object assigned to the alarm. In status line mode, the active alarm view list never appears. Likewise, in alarm view mode, the alarm status line never appears.

Alarm Enrollment… Displays the alarm enrollment editor associated with the selected alarm.

Event Notification… Displays the event notification editor that is associated with the selected alarm.

Object… Displays the object editor of the object that is associated with the selected alarm.

Program Output… Displays and runs the report program that is attached to the object that is associated with the selected alarm.

Graphic… Displays graphic panel of the object that is associated with the selected alarm.

Video Displays the surveillance video monitor (the VideoLayout editor) for the selected alarm when its point goes into alarm. This is the VideoLayout attached to the point for this alarm. (See Chapter 25, Configuring and Viewing Video.)



Alarm Function Executes a user-defined Plain English function for the selected alarm, to make something special happen, regarding the alarm. The alarm's attributes are passed as arguments into the function, and the function runs.

Note: See your Continuum CyberStation Release Notes for specific instructions on creating a custom, user-defined alarm function.

The Acknowledge Menu

The Acknowledge menu provides two methods for acknowledging alarms:


Ack Selected Selects a single alarm in the Active Alarm View list to acknowledge.

Ack All Selects all the alarms in the Active Alarm View list to acknowledge.

The Mute! Button

This selection on the tool bar acts as a button since there is no menu associated with it. Clicking on it will mute (turn off) the sound of an audio alarm selected in the Alarm List of the Active Alarm View.

The Help Menu

Clicking on Help and then selecting Contents from the drop-down menu will take you to Continuum’s extensive online help system.

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The Tool Bar

The below table provides you with the descriptions of the different Alarm View tool bar icons. The use of these icons is described throughout the following pages.

Click This Icon… To . . .

Print Screen. Not available in this release.

Acknowledge all alarms.

Acknowledge selected alarms.

Freeze the scrolling list of active alarms. or

Restart the scrolling of active alarms.

Mute audio alarms.

Run a report previously defined on the Alarms page of the object that caused the alarm.

Bring up the surveillance video monitor (the VideoLayout editor) when a point goes into an alarm. This is the VideoLayout object attached to the point for this alarm. (See Chapter 25, Configuring and Viewing Video.)

Display a graphics panel previously selected on Alarms page of the object that caused the alarm.

Execute a user-defined Plain English function for an alarm in the list, to make something special happen, regarding the alarm.

Select (highlight) an alarm, and click this alarm-function icon. The alarm's attributes are passed as arguments into the function, and the function runs.

Note: See your Continuum CyberStation Release Notes for specific instructions on creating a custom, user-defined alarm function.

Object. Displays the object editor that is associated with the selected alarm

Event Notification. Displays the event notification editor that is associated with the selected alarm.


Click This Icon… To . . .

Alarm Enrollment. Displays the AlarmEnrollment or EventEnrollment editor associated with the selected alarm.

Auto Sort. Automatically sort the contents of the Active Alarm View whenever a new alarm is received, according to the criteria defined in the Sort Criteria dialog, which is accessed via the View menu.

Access the Help topics for Active Alarm View.

The Alarm List

The Active Alarm View displays the following information about each alarm appearing in the Alarm List:

Column Heading Column Contents

Date/Time Date and time the alarm occurred.

Name Name of the object that triggered the alarm.

Value Value of the object that triggered the alarm.

To State State

Priority Priority number assigned to the alarm on the General tab of the AlarmEnrollment object.

Type Type of alarm that was selected on the General tab of the AlarmEnrollment object.

Message Message typed in on the Feedback tab of the AlarmEnrollment object.

Event Notification Name of the EventNotification object.

Alarm Enrollment Name of the AlarmEnrollment object.

Operator Text Text entered by the operator to further explain actions taken in response to the alarm. An alternative is for the operator to click the text field column of the alarm and type text in that Alarm Viewer field.

User Actions Dropdown menu of actions taken in response to each alarm.

Acknowledged By User name of the person who acknowledged the alarm. This is filled in automatically when the alarm is acknowledged.

Date/Time of Acknowledgement

Date and time the alarm was acknowledged. This is filled in automatically when the alarm is acknowledged.

Silenced By User name of the person who silenced the alarm. This is filled in automatically when the alarm is acknowledged.

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Column Heading Column Contents

Date/Time of Silence

Date and time the alarm was silenced. This is filled in automatically when the alarm is silenced.

Forcing the Alarm View to Display via Popup Menu

The Show on Active Alarm selection, located under Options in the alarm icon’s tool tray popup menu, allows you to force the active alarm view to display whenever an active alarm is triggered. To do this:

Right click the alarm icon in the tool tray, then select Options:

Show on Active Alarm is checked by default, so you must deselect it when you do not want the active alarm view to display on an active alarm.

Selecting this option overrides the event notification for the active alarm, whenever the Event Notification editor’s Display Alarm View option for the alarm is not selected.

Note: When neither the Show on Active Alarm option nor the EventNotification editor’s Display Alarm View option is selected for the active alarm, the active alarm view is not displayed. Instead, the alarm icon in the tool tray flashes.

The Status Line Mode

To enter the Active Alarm View mode:

1. Right click the alarm icon in the Windows tool tray.

2. From the popup menu, select Display and Alarm Status Line.

3. The Active Alarm Status Line appears in the Alarm Bar at the bottom of the Continuum Explorer window.

When the active alarm view is in status line mode, the Active Alarm View window disappears.

In Status Line mode, the alarm that appears in the status field:

• Is the first alarm that would appear at the top of the Active Alarm View list.

• Has not been acknowledged.

• Has been acknowledged but does not have the Remove From Alarm Line on Acknowledged box checked in the Actions tab of the EventNotification editor.


You can also select the Status Line mode from the View menu by clicking on Alarm Status Line.

In Status Line mode, you can right click the alarm icon in the Windows tool tray to access its context popup menu.


Hide Hides the status line.

Alarm Viewer Switches from status line mode to alarm view mode, displaying the complete active alarm view list.

Always on top Upon opening the active alarm view, places the active alarm view window on top of all other windows on your desktop. When you make this selection, you are prevented from bringing any other window or process to the front of the active alarm view window.

To return to the Active Alarm View, click the alarm icon located at the right of the Status Line field.

Working With the Features of the Active Alarm View

The Active Alarm View is designed to help you respond to and document the results of each alarm quickly and easily. You can perform the following tasks directly from the Active Alarm View:

Stop and Start Scrolling the Alarm List

New alarms appear in the Active Alarm View as they occur. When this happens the alarm list scrolls down to make room for new alarms. If you need to concentrate on a particular alarm, you can momentarily stop the scrolling. This allows you to silence, add information or acknowledge that alarm without having to constantly scroll up to find it. When you have finished working with the alarm, you can restart the scrolling. There are two methods for stopping and starting the scrolling alarm list:

Click the icon in the Active Alarm View tool bar. The icon, which resembles a traffic light, changes from a green to a red light, shown below:

Click this icon to resume scrolling, or select Freeze from the View menu. Deselect it to resume scrolling.

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Silence Alarms When an operator silences an alarm, it is silenced on all recipient workstations and is logged in the alarm log. The User name, and date and time of silence appear in the Silenced By and Date/Time of Silence columns of the Active Alarm View.

To Silence an Alarm:

Click the button to the left of the alarm. You don’t need to select the alarm first. Once you have silenced an alarm, you can not "un-silence" it. You should continue the recommended acknowledgement process if you are playing audio files. Select the actions that have been taken in response to alarms.

Note: If an alarm is silenced when CFR is active, the user will be prompted to add comments. See Enabling Operator Text Prompt for Alarm Acknowledgement in Chapter 5.

Display Graphic Panels Associated with Alarmed Objects

Some alarms have an associated graphic panel. The panel helps operators view the source of the alarm, and in some cases, operate the controls necessary to abate the alarm. To display an alarm’s associated graphic panel, select the alarm by clicking on it. Next,

click the icon in the Active Alarm View toolbar.

or

Click Panel in the menu bar. Not all alarms have associated panels.

Running Report Programs

Some alarms have an associated report program. Although alarm reports vary depending on the programs that generate them, alarm reports commonly print or display information relating to the alarm. To run an alarm associated report program, select the alarm by clicking on it. Next click the icon in the Active Alarm View toolbar.

or

Click Program Output in the drop down View menu on the Menu Bar.

Note: For you to run a report program, via this method, a program must be attached to the point that is goes into the alarm.


Acknowledging Alarms

Acknowledging an alarm lets other operators know that you have seen the alarm and have taken the appropriate actions. When you use one of the following methods to acknowledge an alarm, your user name will appear in the alarm’s Acknowledged By column.

Note: Version 1.51 of Continuum provides the option in the CFR Preferences dialog to require operator response in the form of explanatory text whenever an alarm is acknowledged. See Enable Operator Text Prompt for Alarm Acknowledgement in Chapter 5 for details.

Click the ACK button to the left of the alarm that you wish to acknowledge.

or

Select an alarm by clicking on it, then click the Acknowledge icon in the tool bar.

or

Click the Acknowledge all alarms icon in the tool bar to acknowledge all active alarms in the list.

Note: If the “Enable Operator Text Prompt for Alarm Acknowledgement” value is set to “True” in the CFR Preferences dialog, (see Note, above) the Acknowledge all alarms options will be disabled.

or

Select Ack Selected from the Acknowledge menu instead of clicking on the icons mentioned above.

Viewing Alarm Information

No matter who responds to an alarm, the Active Alarm View columns allow all operators to view the following details:

Who Silenced the Alarm?

Look in the Silenced By column for the user name of the operator who silenced the alarm. This information can be verified in the Alarm Log.

What Action Was Taken?

Look in the User Action and Operator Text columns to see what action was taken by the person who silenced or acknowledged the alarm. This information can be verified in the Alarm Log.

Who Acknowledged the Alarm?

Look in the Acknowledged By column to see the user name of the operator who acknowledged the alarm. This information can be verified in the Alarm Log.

You can also view the details of any alarm in the Details View dialog.

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Displaying the Details View of an Alarm

If you want a quick way to look at alarm information without scrolling from side to side, double left click the mouse on the selected alarm. The Details View dialog shown below comes onscreen.

From Details View you can:

Display the following objects associated with the alarm:

• Alarmed object

• EventNotification object

• AlarmEnrollment object

• Acknowledged by user object

• Silenced by user object

Type messages to the Operator Text field. Entering operator text is an optional task you can perform when responding to alarms. You can enter text that:

• Provides additional information about the alarm

• Describes the result of the action you took in response to the alarm

• Describes a user action not found in the User Action list

To enter operator text:


1. Enter comments in the Add field.

2. Click the Add button. The comments you have entered in the Add field now appears in the Operator Text field.

or

In the Active Alarm View, click the Operator Text field for the alarm you want to enter text about.

3. Type in the desired comments.

4. Click the ACK button.

Creating a List of User Actions

Before you can select from a list of user actions, you or someone in your company will have to create the list. To do this, create a text file named Alarm User Actions.txt. In this file, make a list of as many user actions as you like. Type each action on its own line, as shown below:

• Repaired the unit

• Shut down the unit

• Called the fire department

• Started evacuation procedure

• Notified building security

• Confronted the intruder

• See Operator Text column

The order in which you type the actions determines the order in which the actions will appear in the dropdown menu.

Save or copy Alarm User Actions.txt to the following directory: Program Files\Continuum\

Tip: A complete list of user actions should include an entry such as See Operator Text to provide for unanticipated user actions. By providing this action, the responding operator need not leave the User Action column blank when special circumstances arise. Additionally, directing other operators to the operator text avoids any confusion as to the action that was taken.

Select a User Action

Selecting a user action for an alarm lets other operators know what has been done in response to that alarm.

Locate the alarm in the Active Alarm View to which you would like to respond. Click the Selection control in the User Actions field to display the list. Click the user action of your choice.

You may also make your selection from the Details View of the alarm.

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Note: If after displaying the list of user actions, you don’t see an action that accurately describes your response to the alarm, type the action you took in the Operator Text column or in the alarm Details View.

Click the ACK button to acknowledge the alarm and save the entries for Operator Text and User Actions.

Click the Cancel button to take no action here for the alarm.

Muting Workstation Alarms

Audio alarms play the audio files (.wav) selected in the EventNotification and/or Alarm Enrollment objects. When an audio alarm is triggered, the audio file plays on all designated recipient workstations. Some audio alarms are sent to loudspeakers.

Continuum’s Active Alarm View has a mute function that lets you turn off the sound of alarms. Muting alarms stops the current sounds from playing on your workstation and connected loudspeakers only. A mute is logged as an activity.

Important Note: Muting alarms is NOT the same as silencing an alarm.

Muting Alarms

There are three ways to turn off the sound of currently playing audio alarms:

Click the mute icon in the Active Alarm View toolbar

Click the mute icon in the Alarm Bar

Click Mute! in the Active Alarm View menu.

Configuring Alarm Messages in the Device Editor

There are six text (see below) files that can be configured in any editor and are assigned in the Preferences tab of the Device editor. (See Chapter 14.) The contents of these files can contain any text (including HTML) and predefined XML tags that are used to substitute live alarm data automatically. You can use these XML tags to customize alarm messages for:

• Printers

• Emails

• Pagers

Name Default value Purpose NormalEmail normalemail.txt Alarm/RTN/Fault email message

NormalPager normalpager.txt Alarm/RTN/Fault pager message

NormalPrinter normalprinter.txt Alarm/RTN/Fault printer message

AcknowledgeEmail acknowledgeemail.txt Acknowledge email message

AcknowledgePager acknowledgepager.txt Acknowledge pager message

AcknowledgePrinter acknowledgeprinter.txt Acknowledge printer

Modifications to all these files will not take effect until Continuum is shut down and restarted. The following table provides the predefined XML tags and their descriptions.


XML Tag Description <\date> The date of the alarm.

Example: Tuesday, June 19, 2001

<\time> The time of the alarm.

Example: 4:37:59 PM

<\name> The name of the infinity object that generated the alarm.

<\value> The current value of the alarm.

Example: 190.00

<\state> The state of the alarm. The value can be alarm, return to normal, acknowledged, or fault.

<\priority> The current priority of the alarm.

<\type> The type of alarm that was triggered.

Example: “Continuum High Limit”

<\message> The message of the alarm. For alarms, this currently returns “alarm.”

<\eventnotification> The name of the event notification for this alarm.

<\alarmenrollment> The name of the alarm enrollment for this event.

<\operatortext> The operator text for this alarm (set by those who acknowledged this event.)

Organizing Alarm Information

The Active Alarm View provides so much information that you may want to make some changes to make it easier to find the information you need most often. For example, you may want to hide information you do not need, move the columns you read most to the left, or change the order of the alarms to highlight certain trends. The follow list contains different ways to organize alarm information.

• Hide or add columns of information

• Rename columns

• Move columns

• Resize columns

• Change the alarm sort order

Adding or Hiding an Alarm View List Column

1. To add or hide a column to the Active Alarm View Alarm list, put the cursor on any column heading and right click the mouse to display a popup menu.

2. Click Hide or Add.

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3. Select the checkbox for the column you want to add or hide in the alarm list.

4. Click OK.

Renaming an Alarm View List Column

To rename a column:

1. Right click the column heading to be to display a popup menu.

2. Click Rename Heading.

3. Type the new column name in the pop up dialog that appears.

Justifying an Alarm View List Column

To change the justification of a column entry:

1. Right click the column heading to be to display a popup menu.

2. Click Justify and select Left, Right or Center justification.

Formatting the Name Column

To determine the format of the entry that will appear in the Name column, put the cursor on the Name column heading and right click the mouse to display the above menu. Click Format to display the following menu and select the desired name format to appear in the Active Alarm View.


Resizing Columns

Use the mouse to change the width of the Active Alarm View columns. Place your mouse on the vertical line that separates two columns:

Your cursor will change to look like this , indicating that you can move the column boundary to the left or right.

Understanding Sort Order

For every column by which you sort, you’ll specify whether it’s the primary, secondary, or tertiary (third) column in the sort order. The sort order defines what happens when the Active Alarm View finds two or more alarms that have the same column values. For example, if the primary sort column is Name, how does the Active Alarm View order two alarms for objects named RoomTemp1? Which one is listed first? If another column has been set up as the secondary sort attribute, the Active Alarm View uses the value of that second column to decide which alarm is listed first. The tertiary sort attribute works the same way. That is, if the Active Alarm View finds two or more alarms with the same primary column value and the same secondary column value, it uses the tertiary column value to decide how to list the alarms. For example, the alarms listed below are sorted in ascending order by Name, then by Value, then by To State.

Name Value To State

Door1 Unlocked Alarm

Door4 Locked Alarm

Door4 Locked Return to Normal

RoomTemp1 72 Return to Normal

RoomTemp1 85 Alarm

In our example, Name is the primary sort column, Value is the secondary sort column, and To State is the tertiary sort column. First notice that the first three alarms are sorted by name. Next, notice that the two Door4 alarms are sorted by To State value because the values in the primary and secondary columns, Name and Value, are identical. Finally, notice that the RoomTemp1 alarms are sorted by value because they have the same name.

Tip: Sort order does not affect the order of your columns. For easier reading, we suggest positioning your columns by their sort order. In other words, make sure your primary column is the first column, the secondary column is the second column, and the tertiary column is the third.

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Changing Alarm Sort Order

You can sort alarms by the values of up to three columns. This is useful for grouping alarms to look for trends in, for example, the source of alarms, types of alarms, and which operators are responding most often. You’ll select which columns to by which to sort alarms in the Sort Criteria dialog shown below.

To Sort Alarms by Columns:

1. Select Sort from the Active Alarm View menu to display the Sort Criteria dialog.

2. Select up to three columns from the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary dropdown menus.

The columns you select establish the sort order that the Active Alarm View needs to sort by more than one column.

3. Click the Ascending checkbox to sort in ascending order, or clear it to sort by descending order (see below).

4. Click OK.

Sorting in Ascending or Descending Order

For every column by which you sort, you’ll specify either ascending or descending order (step 3, above). Ascending order starts with the lowest value and ends with the highest value.

For time values, ascending order places the oldest events on top, descending order places the most recent events on top.

For text, ascending order is A to Z. For numbers ascending order is 0 to the highest numeric value. Descending order starts with the highest value and ends with the lowest value. For text, descending value is Z to A.

For numbers, descending value is the highest value to 0. Note that column values such as Active, Inactive, ON, OFF, Online, Offline, Enabled and Disabled are represented to Continuum by 1 and 0 respectively. These values will be sorted just like numeric values.

Infinet Intrinsic Alarms When an intrinsic alarm occurs, the notification of an alarm is done in the Explorer’s Navigation pane and also in the Active Alarm View as described in this section.


The following four conditions cause an intrinsic alarm notification to occur.

• Communication Status

• Database Backup Needed (Infinet 2 devices only)

• Database Backup Disabled (Infinet 2 devices only)

• Database Backup Failed (Infinet 2 devices only)

The table below provides a description of the intrinsic alarm conditions.

Note: Intrinsic alarms conditions are cleared both automatically and manually.

Alarm Condition

Cause of Alarm Where is Alarm Displayed

Return to Normal Condition

Communication Status

The NetController detecting the Infinet controller is offline.

In the Active Alarm View if the Infinet Status Event Notification template object was configured.

The NetController detecting the Infinet controller is online.

Database Backup Needed

The Infinet 2 device database needs to be backed up.

The alarm is logged to the object status dictionary attribute. The Explorer displays an overlay icon and tooltip text based on this attribute. To read the tooltip, hover your mouse over the icon.

When the database has successfully been backed up and the Explorer is refreshed and removes the overlay icon and tooltip text based on this attribute.

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Alarm Condition

Cause of Alarm Where is Alarm Displayed

Return to Normal Condition

Database Backup Disabled

The Infinet 2 database has been backed up 10,000 times, thus triggering the flash circuit breaker.

The alarm is logged to the object status dictionary attribute, and an alarm is displayed in the Active Alarm View using the InfinetStatus Event Notification template object. The message displayed is:

Backup disabled due to excessive use (Requires manual enable).

The Explorer displays an overlay icon and tooltip text based on this attribute.

You have to manually re-enable the backup. Also, the alarm is logged to the object status dictionary attribute, and an alarm is displayed in the Active Alarm View using the InfinetStatus EventNotification template object. The message displayed is:

Backup re-enabled.

The Explorer displays an overlay icon and tooltip text based on this attribute.

Database Backup Failed

An attempt was made to back up the Infinet 2 database, but was not successful due to an internal error (e.g., flash device failure).

In the Active Alarm View using the InfinetStatus EventNotification template object. The message displayed is:

Unable to backup controller due to unknown failure.

The database has successfully been backed up. Also, the alarm is displayed in the Active Alarm View only if the InfinetStatus Event Notification template object was configured. The message displayed is:

Backup failure corrected; backup completed.


Other Conditions that Cause an Intrinsic Alarm Notification

In addition to the above four intrinsic alarms, the following conditions will also cause an intrinsic alarm notification to occur:

• Offline editing

• OS update failure

• When a “Save from Controller” is required

Database Fault Detection Alarm Configuration Requirements

Continuum automatically responds to database faults. There are no configuration requirements involved in order to have the system detect, respond to, and recover from a database fault. However, you must be specified as a recipient in the FaultStatus EventNotification template object in order to receive the database fault alarm.

The workstation DatabaseStatus system variable settings on the Basic Alarms tab are shown below. Normally, you should not need to edit it, since it is configured this way by default.

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Database Faults

A database fault occurs whenever there is a problem accessing information from the database. This can happen for two reasons:

• The connection between the Continuum workstation and the SQL database becomes defective.

• The SQL database server is experiencing problems.

Fault Detection

When a database fault is detected, the system is set into a "warning state for five seconds while the fault is verified. If the fault continues past that time, the system enters a "no database mode". (It may take up to 2 minutes to verify the database fault.) When

this occurs an icon will appear in the Explorer task bar at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and a fault dialog will popup. A database fault message is written to the NT Event Log (see below) stating that the system has entered a "no database mode".

Both the icon and the dialog will remain until the system recovers from the fault. However, clicking on the OK button will remove the dialog from the screen and send an entry to the NT Event Log (see below) stating that the dialog was acknowledged. Also, a database fault alarm will be displayed in the Active Alarm View window.

Emails (optional) can be sent out to notify selected users that there is a database fault. This requires that the FaultStatus EventNotification object be configured with a recipient.

If you log off the system during the "no database mode" a message is written to the NT Event Log indicating your action.

Message: DATABASE FAULT! Continuum workstation is unable to communicate with the Continuum database server. The database may be offline, or the network connection to the server may be down.


Configuring Reports

With version 1.7 and higher, CyberStation provides a powerful, versatile, graphical suite of features, called Reports, that allows you to gather, view, and compare data values, locally or remotely, manually or automatically, from virtually anywhere in your Continuum system.

Overview This section provides an overview of Reports and the Report editor. Specifically:

• What can I do with Reports? • What is the Report editor? • What is the ReportViewer? • What are preconfigured vs. ad hoc reports? • Before getting started — activating reports Note: To use any of the report features, your users must be given access to these

features via the Security editor.

What Can I Do with Reports? Using Reports, you may collect and filter data from a multiple number of dynamic building-control data sources (including extended logs) then display this data in graphically attractive bar charts, pie charts, trend charts, or columned text charts. With reports, you can:

• Display report data using one of several data formats. • Display two or more reports simultaneously.

11

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• Modify report configurations on the fly while viewing them. • Schedule reports to run automatically at a specified time. • Save a report to a file, manually and/or automatically. • Email a report, manually and/or automatically. • Print a report.

What Is the Report Editor? The Report editor is a powerful editor that you use to configure the class object, Report, allowing you to:

• Select a report data source and report type, including a point's current value, extended log data, activity events, access events, alarms, and errors. (See: Source Tab.)

• Select a chart type, including plotted trend charts, bar charts, pie charts, and text reports. (See: Source Tab.)

• Filter point-object data that you want to show in the report, based on day/time, and various object characteristics. (See: Filter Tab.)

• Build and modify a list of member objects, whose values you want to display in the report. (See: Filter Tab.)

• Configure the "look and feel" of the report's output text headings, text captions, plot and scale configuration, and so on. (See: Output Tab.)

• Specify the data format you wish to display — for example, Adobe PDF and web formats. (See: Output Tab.)

• Specify how you wish to distribute a report automatically — to email addresses, to a printer, to a file, and so on. (See: Output Tab and Scheduling Automatic Reports.)

• Configure, add, and remove columns for text reports. (See: Configuring Columns for Reports.)

What Is the Report Viewer? When you run a report (easily accomplished via the Report editor or by double clicking on a Report object) the report is displayed in a special application window, called the ReportViewer. The ReportViewer allows you to:

• View data via one of several data formats, such as HTML, XML, scalable vector graphics (SVG), and PDF.

• View multiple reports. • Email, print, save, or reload the report you are viewing. • Zoom in, zoom out, and adjust the view of the chart you are viewing. • For more information, please see the help topic for the ReportViewer.


What Are Preconfigured and Ad Hoc Reports? At any given time, you work with reports using one of two general methods:

• Preconfigured reports • Ad hoc reports Preconfigured reports — If you need to view report data for a specific set of values regularly, and the data sources, report type, output setup generally remain the same, then configure a Report object that can be accessed, run in the ReportViewer, and/or distributed at any time, manually or automatically. In Continuum Explorer, Report object files are placed in a Report object class folder, as other CyberStation objects are. With preconfigured reports, you may modify the configuration at any time.

To create/modify a preconfigured report:

1. In Continuum Explorer, right click a folder or device, and select New, and then select Report, from the popup menu.

2. Enter a name for the Report object, and click the Create button. The Report editor appears.

3. Configure the Report object, using the Source, Filter, and Output tabs, and click Apply or OK.

Note: To modify an existing Report object, right click the Report object in Explorer, and select Edit from the popup menu. Also, while in the ReportViewer, you may edit the parent object of the displayed report, thereby bringing up the Report editor.

4. To preview/run the report, click the View Report button. The report appears in the ReportViewer as you configured it.

Ad Hoc Reports — If you need to view reports on the fly, without creating a Report object, then you may quickly locate the point (for example, an Infinity input) and run a report on it. Use ad hoc reports when you know you do not need to run a report regularly, when a Report object is not already created for the data you need to see.

To create/modify an ad hoc report:

1. In Continuum Explorer, find the location of the point or points whose values you want to display in a report.

2. Right click the object.

3. From the popup menu, select View, then Report. The Report editor appears.

4. Configure the ad hoc report for that object, using the Source, Filter, and Output tabs.

5. In the Filter tab, be sure to add additional objects to the object member list, if necessary.

6. Click Apply, then click View Report.

The report appears in the ReportViewer as you configured it.

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Note: As an option, you may save the ad hoc report to a file. (See: Output Tab.)

Before You Get Started – Activating Reports Before using reports in CyberStation, you must activate reports in the CyberStation installation (database initialization) process in version 1.7 or higher. CyberStation supplies many Report templates that include bar-chart templates, pie-chart templates, and trend templates — giving Reports a certain default "look and feel." To use these templates (and thus, reports in general) you must import them during the CyberStation installation process, in version 1.7 or higher. In the Database Initialization dialog, you must check the Create/Update Graphical Report Settings checkbox. (For more information, please see the CyberStation Installation Guide, 30-3001-720.) If you do not check this checkbox then reports are not available.

Since some reports use extended-log data, please be aware that there are tasks indirectly related to extended logging. These are:

• Choosing extended logging backwards compatibility, so that "old" (pre-Version 1.7) extended logs are used with “new” reports based on extended-log data. This is done in the database initialization procedure.

• Configuring several General Preference settings (6, 7, 8, and 9). • Designating one or more workstations to upload extended log data from the controller

to the CyberStation database, via settings 21 and 22 of the Preferences tab of Device editor.

For complete information, please see the subsection, Extended Logs, in Chapter 13, the description of the Device editor’s Preferences tab in Chapter 14 and the Andover CyberStation Installation Guide, 30-3001-720.

Source Tab In the Source tab, shown below, you select the source and type of data on which you want to report — for example, extended log data, alarm event data, error event data, and so on. You also select the type of chart on which to plot your data — for example, pie chart, bar chart, trend chart, and so on. The settings on this tab work together with the settings on the other tabs of the Report editor (Filter and Output) to define the content of the report, before you run it in the ReportViewer.


Source Tab Attributes The following table describes the attributes on the Source tab.

Editor Attribute Meaning

Description Enter a text description of this Report object. Since this description may be used in an actual report output, be creative.

Data Source From the dropdown menu, select one of the following sources of data, on which you want to report:

• CurrentValue – This is a snapshot of the current value of an object at any given time. This includes any object that has a value.

• ExtendedLog – This is a collection of additional point values, uploaded from a log on a controller to a workstation's CyberStation database. It is an extension of a "local" log, whose values are stored on a point's controller. Typically, Extended-log is selected for LAN controllers. See the extended log settings in the General Preferences dialog. See also: What Are Extended Logs? and descriptions of the Logs tab in the InfinityDateTime, InfinityInput, InfinityOutput, InfinityNumeric, and InfinityString editors.

• Refreshed-Extended-Log — The extended-log values are updated or "refreshed" immediately — uploaded from the controller to the workstation's database — before they appear in the report. Use this data source when you want to see the

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most "up-to-the-minute" extended log entries, not the entries based on the last specified update interval. Typically, this is used for remote (RAS) controllers, which require dial-up access for database uploads. See the extended log settings in the General Preferences dialog. See also: What Are Extended Logs? and descriptions of the Logs tab in the InfinityDateTime, InfinityInput, InfinityOutput, InfinityNumeric, and InfinityString editors.

• AccessEvent — This is data associated with access attempts. There are many types of access-event data from which to choose. For example, you can see "most accessed doors" or "most active persons". Please see the section, Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes, later in this chapter. The names of these access events are self-explanatory.

• AlarmEvent — This is data associated with system alarms. There are 22 available types of alarm data from which to choose. For example, you can see "most active alarmed objects" or "active alarms under a network". Please see the section, Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes, later in this chapter. The names of these alarm events are self explanatory.

• ActivityEvent — This is data associated with system activities. There are 11 available types of activity data from which to choose. For example, you can see "login attempts per user" or "most common activities". Please see the section, Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes, later in this chapter. The names of these activity events are self-explanatory.

• ErrorEvent — This is data associated with system errors. There are six available types of error data from which to choose. For example, you can see "error events per workstation" or "most common errors". Please see the section, Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes, later in this chapter. The names of these error events are self-explanatory.

• ListView — This is the content of a ListView object, which you specify in the member object list on the Filter tab. This source has only one Report Type (ListView) and can one Chart Type (Text). Please see the section, Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes, later in this chapter. The text report that is generated looks similar to a CyberStation ListView.



Note: When you select this source, the Configure Columns button is unselectable. The columns of the ListView object are duplicated in the text report. To configure the ListView report columns, do so from the ListView editor.

Note: On the Filter tab, only one ListView object is selected.

Note: The selections in the other three fields, Report Type, Chart Type, and Chart Subtype, change, depending on which Data Source you choose. Please see the section, Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes, later in this chapter.

Report Type This narrows down the type of data on which you want to report, based on the Data Source. Select a report type from the dropdown menu.

There are many report types available, for many different event scenario. This makes Reports a very powerful and useful tool.

If you choose ExtendedLog or Refreshed-Extended-Log, then three report types are available:

• The object value • The minimum and maximum object values • The average object value The CurrentValue has two report types, the snapshot of an object's value at any given time or the snapshot of a TrendLog buffer content.

The other data sources have many report types from which to choose. For a list,

please see: Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes, later in this chapter. The names of these report types are self-explanatory.

Note: The selections in the remaining fields, Chart Type and Chart Subtype, change, depending on what you choose. See the table below.

Maximum number of values in the report

Enter an integer, representing the maximum number of values to plot in your report when you run it. The default is 100. You may need to experiment with this number to get the right amount of plotted data so that it makes the most sense, visually.

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Chart Type Depending on which Data Source and/or Report Type, select Bar, Pie, Text, Trend, Minmax, or Clustered Bar, from the dropdown menu. Please see the section, Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes, later in this chapter.

Chart Subtype Select the subtype compatible with your Chart Type. The Text chart has two subtypes available. All the others have one. Please see the section, Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes, later in this chapter.

Note: When you select the Chart Type, the box on the right-hand side of the Source tab displays a graphic example of what this type of chart will look like. For example, if you select a pie chart, a pie graphic appears. If you choose a Clustered Bar chart, a clustered bar graphic appears.

Configure Columns Click this button to launch the Selectable Columns dialog and add, remove, and sort columns for your report. The columns that are available for any given report change, depending on how you configure the Source tab. This applies only to text reports. (See Configuring Columns for a Report, later in this chapter.)

View Report Click this button to run your report, based on all the criteria you have configured in the entire Report editor. When you run a report, it is displayed in the ReportViewer. (See The ReportViewer, later in this chapter.)

Apply Click this button to save your Report configuration changes immediately, while remaining in the Report editor. (Click OK to save changes and dismiss the Report editor.)

Matching Data Sources, Report Types, Chart Types, and Chart Subtypes When you select a data source, certain report types become selectable. In turn, depending on the Data Source/Report Type combination you choose, certain chart types and chart subtypes become selectable.

The table on the next page shows you which reports are available on the Source tab, depending on the combination you select.

Note: Two report types, Snapshot-of-object value and Snapshot-of-Trend-Log-buffer-content, are available for the CurrentValue source.

Note: A "clustered" bar chart is a special two-dimensional chart, where a member object is associated with one or more related objects — for example, when you select a Report Type like Alarms-for-an-event-object-with-event-notification or Most-active-persons-entering-selected-door. In this bar chart, therefore, the "associated" objects are displayed next to (or "clustered" with) their member object.


To differentiate the member-object bar from its "satellite" object bars, the ReportViewer displays each bar in the cluster in a different color. The ReportViewer also displays a color key at the bottom of the report, listing the color, name, and type of object in the cluster.

Data Source REPORT TYPE Chart Type

Chart Subtype

Bar AccBarChart

Pie AccPieChart

Snapshot-of-object-value

Text AccTextHtmlAccTextXML

Trend AccTrend

CurrentValue

Snapshot-of-Trend-Log-buffer-content


Trend AccTrend Object-value

Text AccTextHtml AccTextXML

Minmax AccMinMax Min-max-of-object-value


Bar AccBarChart

Pie AccPieChart

ExtendedLog

Average-of-object-value


Refreshed-Extended-Log Same as ExtendedLog

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Chart Subtype

Bar AccBarChart

Pie AccPieChart

Most-accessed-doors

Most-accessed-areas

Most-accessed-controllers

Most-active-persons

Access-events-per-person

Access-events-per-area

Access-events-per-door

Invalid-attempts-of-a-person

Invalid-attempts-of-a-door

Invalid-attempts-of-an-area

Valid-and-invalid-attempts-of-a-person

Lock-unlock-events-per-door

Channel-override-events-per-door

Persons-accessed-the-selected-area

Areas-accessed-by-the-selected-person

Access-equipment-fault-report


ClusteredBar

AccClusteredBar

Door-use-by-person

Area-use-by-person

Controller-use-by-person

Most-active-persons-entering-selected-area(s)

Most-active-persons-entering-selected-door(s)


Bar AccBarChart

AccessEvent

Access-events-under-a-controller




Chart Subtype

Bar AccBarChart

Pie AccPieChart

Alarm-transitions-per-object

Most-active-alarmed-objects

Offline-alarms-per-controller

Offline-alarms-per-IOU-module

Offline-alarms-per-field-controller

Most-alarm(s)-acking-workstation

Most-alarm(s)-silencing-workstation

Most-alarm(s)-logging-workstation

Most-alarm(s)-acking-user

Most-alarm(s)-silencing-user

Active-alarms-under-a-controller

Active-alarms-under-a-field-controller Active-alarms-per-object

Active-alarms-under-a-network

Most-offline-IOU

Most-offline-controller

Most-offline-field-controller

Active-unACKed-alarms-per-controller


ClusteredBar

AccClusteredBar

AlarmEvent

Alarms-for-an-event-object-with-alarm-enrollment

Alarms-for-an-event-object-with-event-notification

RTNs-for-an-event-object-with-alarm-enrollment

RTNs-for-an-event-object-with-event-notification


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Chart Subtype

Bar AccBarChart

Pie AccPieChart

ActivityEvent Activity-events-per-object

Login-attempts-per-user

Failed-login-attempts-per-user

Failed-login-attempts-per-workstation

Objects-created/saved-events-per-user

Most-common-activities

Activity-events-per-activity-type

Activity-events-per-workstation

Activity-events-per-controller

Activity-events-per-controller-with-children

Activity-events-per-user


Bar AccBarChart

Pie AccPieChart

ErrorEvent Error-events-per-object

Error-events-per-workstation

Error-events-per-controller

Error-events-per-controller-with-children

Error-events-per-user

Most-common-errors


Configuring Columns for a Report When you click the Configure Columns button on the Source tab, the Selectable Columns dialog, shown below, appears. This applies only to text reports.

Note: When you select a ListView as the Data Source on the Source tab, the Configure Columns button on the Source tab is unselectable. The columns of the ListView object are duplicated in the text report. To configure the ListView report columns, do so from the ListView editor. (See Chapter 23.)


From this dialog, you may add and remove columns for your report. You may also sort the order of columns. The columns that are available for any given report change, depending on which Data Source and/or Report Type you select on the Source tab.

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The following table describes the attributes of the Selectable Columns dialog.

Dialog Attribute Meaning

Columns

Unselected Selected

The columns available to display in your report, based on your settings on the Source tab, appear in these windows.

The columns that initially appear in your report, by default, are listed in the Selected window. Other columns that are available, but not yet selected, appear in the Unselected window.

Add Remove

Adding a column – In the Unselected window, highlight the unselected column name you want to add, and click the Add button. This column moves to the Selected window.

Removing a column – In the Selected window, highlight the column you do not want to appear in the report, and click the Remove button. This column moves to the Unselected window.

Up Down

In a report, columns appear from left to right, according to the order in the Selected window, whereby the first in the list is the leftmost column, and the last in the list is the rightmost column.

To change a column's place in the report, highlight its column name, and click the Up or Down button to move the column up one position or down one position, respectively.

Sort By Sort Attribute You may sort events according to three columns. The report

displays several columns of information, according to the sort criteria you select here. Sorting is useful to look for trend.

From the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary dropdown menus, select up to three columns. The columns you select establish the sort order that the report uses.

Sort Direction The checkboxes beside the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary fields specify the sort direction for the column values. There are two directions: Ascending and Descending. For descending order, check the Descending checkbox. Ascending order is the default (no check). The following table describes the meaning of ascending and descending:

For this value…

…Descending and Ascending mean this

Time values Ascending order places the oldest events on top. Descending order places the most recent events on top.

Text Ascending order is from A to Z. Descending order is from Z to A.


Numbers Ascending order is 0 to the highest numeric value. Descending order starts with the highest value and ends with the lowest value.

Binary values Columns with binary values, such as On and Off, are represented by 1 and 0, respectively. These values are sorted just like numeric values.

Filter Tab In the Filter tab, shown below, there are two types of data on which you may apply a filter for your report:

• Time data • Object data

The Log Filter and the Time Interval attributes allow you to filter time by selecting a time filter or by setting up a specific "custom" time range. A log filter is an existing CyberStation-supplied filter object, such as Today and Last Week. For more information on these time-data attributes, please see the descriptions in the table below.

You also build an object member list by filtering object data. Using the object member list, you specify individual objects on which to report. If you have thousands of objects, then selecting certain subsets of objects for your report becomes an important task. You may

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browse for and add one or more new members to the list via the Add button. Similarly, you may highlight one or more members in the list and remove them via the Remove button.

Using the Path field, you may also specify the path of a controller to run (view) a report on the member-list objects within that controller in your system. For more information, please see the attribute descriptions, below.

The settings on this tab work together with the settings on the other tabs of the Report editor (Source and Output) to define the content of the report, before you run it in the ReportViewer.


Log Filter Select this radio button when you want to specify a time range for the report, based on a CyberStation system-supplied filter.

To do so, click the Log Filter field's browse button. The Browse dialog appears, displaying all the filters in the Root directory or any folder you specify. Select the filter you want, and click the Select button. The name of this filter appears in the Log Filter field.

Time Interval Select this radio button when you want to define a specific "custom" time range for the report.

To do so, select a specific starting date and time and a specific ending date and time, via the Start and End fields.

Using the calendar — Click the Start or End field dropdown menu, and select a start date or end date, respectively, on the calendar that appears. Click the day of the month to select it. The selected day appears in a blue oval. (The current date appears in a red circle.) Use the right-arrow and left-arrow buttons at the top of the calendar to display the next month or previous month, respectively. When you click a day, the day appears in the field, and the calendar is dismissed.

As an alternative to the calendar, you may "key in" the date. Click and highlight the day, month, or year in the Start or End field and enter the integers for month, day, and year.

For example:

12/23/2003 1/15/2004 2/ 8/2004 Keying in a time To select a start and end time, click and highlight the hour, minute, or second field, and enter the integers for the hour, minute, or second to start or end. Also, you click PM/AM to specify afternoon/evening or morning.



Member object list The member object list window contains a collection of points on which you want to run a report.

At any one time, you may add or remove one or more objects from the list. For each member, the member object list columns display the object name and object class type. For each member, it also displays either the device ID (the name of the device to which the object belongs) or the owner name (the name of the folder in which the object resides).

Note: To add an object to the member object list, you may either drag and drop an object from a Continuum Explorer window to the member object list window in this Filter tab, or use the Add button, described below.

Add Click this button to add one object, or a multiple number of objects, to the member object list. When you click the Add button, the Browse dialog appears.

Note: As an alternative you may also drag and drop an object from Continuum Explorer to the member object list window.

From the Browse dialog, search for and select the object(s) you want to add. You may select several consecutive objects, just as you would do in Microsoft Windows Explorer. For example, click and highlight the first one in the tree, press and hold the Shift key, and click the last one in the tree. All the objects in between are highlighted. Similarly, you may select two or more individual, non-consecutive objects, just as you would do in Windows Explorer. For example, click and highlight the first one, then press and hold the Ctrl key, and click additional objects, one at a time, to add them to the collection. Click the Select button. The newly added objects appear in the member object list.

Note: In the Browse dialog, you may use the network view button, folder-view button, and other buttons, as well as the Folder dropdown menu to expose the tree (as you would in Continuum Explorer) to adjust view of directory paths and available objects.

Note: In the Browse dialog, you may also use the Objects of type dropdown menu to select only objects of a certain object class type. For example, if you select InfinityInput, only InfinityInput points appear in the Browse dialog window in the network view. In folder view, only the folders containing InfinityInput points appear. This is a powerful feature that narrows down your list.

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Remove To remove one or more objects in the member object list, click and highlight the object(s) you want to remove, and click the Remove button. The members are immediately removed from the list.

You may select multiple consecutive and non-consecutive objects in the member object list, as you would in Microsoft Windows Explorer. For details, please see the description under the Add attribute, above.

Path Use the Path dropdown menu to search for and select, from the tree, a specific system controller whose member-list objects on which you want to run (view) a report.

Specifying the path of a controller here is necessary when you have two or more controllers containing objects that have the same names from controller to controller. For example, one moment you may want to run a report on FanInput1 through FanInput8 residing on one fan controller, and the next moment run another report on the same named points on another fan controller.

To switch views in the tree, right click the dropdown-menu down arrow and select Network View or Folder View from the popup.

Configure Attribute Filter

Click this button to bring up the Attribute Filter Configuration dialog, where you can filter values according to object attributes. When you select specific attributes for a specific object, their values appear in the report.

From this dialog, beneath Unselected, from the Choose object class here dropdown menu, select an object whose attributes you want to filter. The attributes available for that object appear in the Unselected window.

Note: The attributes in the Unselected list change, according to which object you select.

To select one or more attributes, so that their values appear in the report, highlight the attribute, and click the >> button. The attribute appears in the right-hand Selected window. (Likewise to remove an attribute, highlight it in the Selected window, and click the << button. It moves back to the Unselected window.)

When you have finished configuring the attributes, click OK.

View Report Click this button to run your report, based on all the criteria you have configured in the entire Report editor. When you run a report, it is displayed in the ReportViewer.



Apply Click this button to save your Report configuration changes immediately, while remaining in the Report editor. (Click OK to save changes and close the Report editor.)

Output Tab In the Output tab, shown below, you configure the "look and feel" of the report output to appear in the ReportViewer — text headings, captions, plot and scale configuration, and so on as well as how the report is generated and outputted. The settings on this tab work together with the settings on the other tabs of the Report editor (Filter and Source) to define the content of the report, before you run it in the ReportViewer.

Two fields on this tab, Output report to email address and Output report to file in path, work with automatic reports. That is, via a special tool, a report can be set up to run automatically at regularly scheduled times and then sent to the email addresses and/or file specified in these fields. See descriptions of these fields, below.

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Heading Enter a text heading to appear at the top of the report. You may use wildcards in the text. (See the table of available wildcards, below.)

The default is:

%r

where the wildcard %r is the report type.

Subheading Enter a text subheading to appear beneath the heading, if desired. The default is:

Report created at %t

where the wildcard %t is the time when the report is generated. You may use wildcards in the text. (See the table of available wildcards, below.)

X-caption Enter a text caption that describes the values along the X (horizontal) axis of the plot.

You may use wildcards in the text. (See the table of available wildcards, below.)

Y-caption Enter a text caption that describes the values along the Y (vertical) axis of the plot.

You may use wildcards in the text. (See the table of available wildcards, below.)

Z-caption Enter a text caption for the Z (for clustered bar chart). You may use wildcards in the text. (See the table of available wildcards, below.)

Note: This field is selectable only when you run a report as a clustered bar chart. A clustered bar chart is only available with some Report Types belonging to the AccessEvent and AlarmEvent Data Sources. (See the table for these types in the Source tab.)

Footnote Enter a text footnote, if desired. The default is:

%p

where the wildcard %p is the report page number.

You may use wildcards in the text. (See the table of wildcards.)




The default is:

%r


Selectable Text Fields: The Heading, Subheading, and Footnote fields are selectable for all chart types. However, the X-caption, Y-caption, and Z-caption fields are not selectable for a pie chart or text chart because they are relevant only for trend, bar, and clustered bar charts.

Default Values in Caption Fields: The default values that appear in the X-caption, Y-caption, and Z-caption fields vary according to the Data Source, Report Type, and Chart Type that you have selected. For example, when you have a trend, the X-caption is Time, and the Y-caption is Value. For example, when you select an ActivityEvent data source and a Most-common-activities report type, the bar chart X-caption is Activity Type, and the Y-caption is Number of Activities. For example, when you select an AlarmEvent data source and a Most-alarm(s)-acking-workstation report type, the bar chart X-caption is Workstation, and the Y-caption is Number of ACKed Alarms.

Available Wildcards for Text Fields

Wildcard Description

%r The report type

%n The first five names of objects in the object member list

%t The time that the report was generated

%p The report page number

%c Configuration data

Showing configuration data is especially important when archiving printed reports, whereby it provides a better description of what the report is and what it contains.

%d The description taken from the text in the Description field of the Source tab.

%u The units that are described for the first object in the object member list.

Display the full path in the report

Check the checkbox to show object names or full pathnames in the report output.

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The default is:

%r


One plot for all This radio button is selectable only when you run a trend-chart report – that is, when you select ExtendedLog as a Data Source and Object-value as a Report Type on the Source tab.

Click this radio button when you want to compare the trends of multiple points with different scales on one X-and-Y plot.

One plot per member This radio button is only selectable when you run a Report only for trend data.

That is, when you select ExtendedLog as a Data Source and Object-value as a Report Type on the Source tab.

Click this radio button when you want to place each point with its own scale on one X-and-Y plot.

For example, if the trend data from point to point were very dissimilar, and they were unrelated, you would select one plot per member. For example, you could compare analog values with different scales to digital values with different scales — for example, digital values of 0 and 1 (off and on) and analog temperature values between 60 and 80 degrees. Based on this data, you may, for example, set a room-occupancy flag, which would then trigger the heating in your room, whereby the trend comparisons on one plot indicate how quickly your room heated up based on occupancy.

Report Format Select either a "web" format or a PDF file format that you wish to display when you run your report in the ReportViewer:

Web — Click this radio button if you are displaying a graphical (scalable vector graphics) image, such as a trend chart, bar chart, or pie chart, in the ReportViewer. Use the web format for HTML displays also.

PDF — Click this radio button if you are outputting a report to an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. With this option, the content of the PDF file is immediately displayed in the ReportViewer. The Acrobat Reader is actually launched and embedded in the ReportViewer.




The default is:

%r


Fixed Scale Click this radio button and enter integers in the From and To fields to designate the low and high limits of your scale, based for the units of the point values that are plotted. For example, the report could show a fixed temperature scale between 60 and 80 degrees.

Use fixed scales when you do not want the system to set its own scales automatically, based on the point data being plotted.

Output report to email address

Check the checkbox and enter the email addresses of one or more email recipients who need to receive an automatic report. This is used by the report command line tool that schedules a report to run automatically, at a specific regular time. When this report runs automatically, it is emailed to the addresses in this field. Delimit email addresses with a semicolon.

For more information, see Scheduling Automatic Reports.

The email recipients listed here are also the default recipients used when you email a report manually, via the email button on the ReportViewer.

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The default is:

%r


Output report to file in path

Check the checkbox when you want to send an automatic report to a file.

This is used by the report command line tool that schedules a report to run automatically, at a specific regular time. When this report runs automatically, it is saved to the file whose path is specified in this field.

Click the browse button to search for and select the path in which you want save report file. (Or, as an alternative, you may enter the path in the field.)

The system generates a file, with a unique filename, based on the name of the report and a timestamp. At the time the report is run, a timestamp is appended to the end of the filename (the Report object name).

For more information, see Scheduling Automatic Reports.

The file path listed here is also the default path used when you save a report to a file manually, via the Save As button on the ReportViewer.

View Report Click this button to run your report, based on all the criteria you have configured in the entire Report editor. When you run a report, it is displayed in the ReportViewer.

Apply Click this button to save your Report configuration changes immediately, while remaining in the Report editor. (Click OK to save changes and dismiss the Report editor.)

Scheduling Automatic Reports Using a special application, ReportCmdLine, and the Microsoft Windows Scheduler, you may regularly run any report automatically at a specified time. When the report runs automatically, you may also have it automatically emailed to one or more email recipients and/or saved to a file.

Note: On the Output tab, check the Output report to email address and Output report to file in path checkboxes, and specify the email addresses that should receive the automatic report, as well as the path of the file to which it should be saved.


Note: CyberStation must be running when you use the ReportCmdLine application.

To set up and run a report automatically, perform this procedure:

1. If you want to email this report when it runs automatically, check the Output report to email address checkbox on the Output tab, and enter email recipients.

Likewise, if you want to save the report to a file when it runs automatically, check the Output report to file in path checkbox, and enter the path of the file.

2. From the Start menu, select Programs\Accessories\System Tools\Scheduled Tasks.

The Scheduled Tasks dialog appears:

Note: User interfaces are self-explanatory.

3. In the Schedule Tasks dialog, double click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears:

Click Next.

4. In the next screen, search for the program you want to run (ReportCndLine). Click the Browse button. In the Select Program to Schedule dialog, navigate to and open the Program Files\Continuum folder, and select ReportCmdLine.exe.

5. The Scheduled Task Wizard displays the application name, ReportCmdLine, in the program naming field. If you wish, change this name from ReportCmdLine to another scheduled-task name in this field:

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6. On the same screen, select one of the radio buttons to specify how often you want

this report to run automatically, and click Next.

7. On the next screen, select the time and day you want this scheduled task to start, and click Next.

Enter a start time and start date, in their respective fields.

Also use the radio buttons to make this task run every day, only on weekdays, or as a recurring day. The user-interface is self-explanatory:

7. On the next screen (shown on the next page) enter the name and password of a user

in the Enter the user name and Enter the password fields, respectively, and click Next.

The task will run automatically, as if it were started by that user.


8. The next screen informs you that the task has been successfully scheduled. It also

provides the time and frequency of the task and the day it begins:

If you want to configure more advanced properties for this scheduled task, check the checkbox entitled, Open advanced properties for this task when I click finish.

9. Click Finish.

The ReportCmdLine (or whatever program name you designated earlier) dialog appears:

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This dialog contains the "advanced" properties for this task, as mentioned in the previous step. If you do not check this box in the previous step, the scheduled-task setup completes, and the ReportCmdLine dialog does not appear.

10. On the Task tab of the ReportCmdLine dialog (shown above) in the Run field, enter the command line syntax, as follows:

"C:\Program Files\Continuum\ReportCmdLine.exe" /o ObjectName /u UserName /t Type

Note: When entering the command from here, please make sure you set the parameters outside the quotes surrounding the path name.

If the ObjectName and/or UserName path contains a space, then you must also place quotes around those items. For example:

"C:\Program Files\Continuum\ReportCmdLine.exe" /o "ObjectName" /u "UserName" /t Type

If ObjectName or UserName (when it contains a space) is not enclosed in quotes, the report does not run.

Parameter Description

/o ObjectName

Enter the path name of the Report object you want to run automatically. It is recommended you use a full path, instead of the just the name of the object file.


Parameter Description

/u UserName

Enter the CyberStation user name.

/t Type

Enter an integer to specify the type of distribution:

0 — Save to a file

1 — Email

2 — Save to a file and email

The email recipients and file path are specified on the Output tab. See step 1.

11. On the Task tab, in the Start in field, enter the path of the folder in which you are starting the application. In this case:

"C:\Program Files\Continuum"

12. Select the Schedule tab.

13. Click the Advanced button to bring up the Advanced Schedule Options dialog. As

needed, configure more advanced settings, then click OK.

14. In the ReportCmdLine dialog, configure other advanced settings, as needed, on the Task, Schedule, and Settings tabs.

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15. Click OK to complete the setup.

What Are Extended Logs? The Report editor allows you to view CyberStation extended log data in the ReportViewer in the form of an extended log report. This is associated with "new" extended logging, with Version 1.7 and higher. Before version 1.7, you created "old" extended logging — that is, created Plain English programs for extended logs. These programs facilitated extended log tables in the database, one table per controller. With version 1.7 and higher, you may use either type of extended logging, or both.

Note: During CyberStation installation of version 1.7 or higher, in the database initialization process (the Database Initialization dialog) you check the Extended Logging Backwards Compatibility checkbox to retain the pre 1.7 method for creating extended logs, while also enabling new extended logging functionality. If you do not check this box, then you may not use the old (pre 1.7) method. For more information, please see the CyberStation Installation Guide, 30-3001-720.

"Logs" vs. "Extended Logs" Logs store values for an Infinity point on the local controller. These non-extended "short term" logs are established via attributes on the Logs tab for InfinityInput, InfinityOutput, InfinityNumeric, and InfinityString. (For more information on logs, please see the Logs tab description for InfinityInput in Chapter 13.)

CyberStation offloads the local-controller “extra” log entries for this point and stores them in the database. This happens once the maximum number of controller log entries is filled. You activate an extended log for a point by checking the Extended Logging checkbox on the Logs tab of its point editor. When you activate extended logs, the additional "extra" entries are transferred (uploaded) to the database before the entries are overwritten in the controller.

The extended log is an extension of a log that continues recording values where the log leaves off. It records values depending on how you set up the short-term log via the Logs tab attributes for a point — number of entries, log type, and time interval — as well as the extended-log settings in the General Preferences dialog.

For more information on extended logs and the General Preference dialog settings, please see Chapter 13.

The ReportViewer You run, view, compare, and distribute reports in the CyberStation ReportViewer, a powerful and versatile tool. This section describes the following:

• Viewing various report data formats • Running a report in the ReportViewer • Displaying multiple reports in the ReportViewer • Using the ReportViewer toolbar — emailing, printing, reloading, saving a report


Note: To use any of the report features, your users must be given access to these features via the Security editor.

Viewing Report Data Formats The ReportViewer displays a report using the following data formats, depending on which type of report you have configured in the Report editor.

For each report displayed in the ReportViewer, a format icon also appears on each report window tab along the bottom of the ReportViewer:

Icon Data Format

Displays a scalable vector graphics (SVG) format. This includes bar charts, clustered bar charts, pie charts, and trend charts.

Displays an HTML text format, in the form of a table.

Displays an XML text format, in the form of XML code.

Displays the content of a PDF file, where the Adobe Acrobat PDF reader actually launches, and is embedded in, the ReportViewer window.

Note: You may use the Adobe Acrobat PDF reader toolbar functions, such as Email, Print, Save and Copy, Search, zoom, text touch-up functions, and other Adobe functions, as if you were running the PDF reader.

You specify PDF format on the Output tab of the Report editor.

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Here are several examples of the ReportViewer displaying a pie chart, bar chart, text chart, XML code, and a trend chart:

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Here is an example of the ReportViewer displaying the content of a PDF file, with the PDF reader embedded in the ReportViewer:


Running a Report in the ReportViewer You may run and view a report in the ReportViewer in one of the following ways:

• Double click a preconfigured report object in Continuum Explorer to launch the ReportViewer.

• Right click a preconfigured report object in Continuum Explorer, and from the popup menu select Open, to launch the ReportViewer.

• Right click a preconfigured report object in Continuum Explorer, and from the popup menu, select Edit, to launch the Report editor.

• Modify the report configuration, if desired, and click the View Report button in the Report editor to launch the ReportViewer.

• Right click a CyberStation object for which you want to view an ad hoc report, and from the popup menu click View then Report to launch the Report editor.

• Configure the report, and click the View Report button in the Report editor to launch the ReportViewer.

• Schedule a report to run automatically, and have it emailed or saved to a file. (See Scheduling Automatic Reports, earlier in this chapter.)

Note: If you run a report and no data is available to display in the report, based on your Report editor configuration, the following message appears in the ReportViewer:

No data was returned for this report. Please check the report time interval and filter.

Edit the parent object to ensure that your source, filter, and output settings feed data into the report.

Displaying Multiple Reports in Report Viewer Within the ReportViewer, you may run and view two or more reports, whereby each report has its own report window and each window has its own tab, which you select along the bottom of the ReportViewer. The tab label states the name of the object.

Note: In the ReportViewer, you may edit the parent object — that is, create differently configured variations of the same Report object — and display them as separate reports for the same object within the ReportViewer. When two or more reports for the same object are displayed, the object-name tab labels are numbered. For example: MyReport, MyReport(2), MyReport(3), and so on. Likewise, you may launch reports for additional Report objects and display separate reports (in the same ReportViewer) for the different objects.

When you configure and run two or more reports, the first report window tab appears at the left margin of the ReportViewer, while subsequent report tabs appear to the right of the previous tab, as they are created.

Initially, as you create two or more reports, the report whose tab you have selected appears alone, hiding the other reports. However, just as in Microsoft Windows, you may cascade and tile the report windows within the ReportViewer, via the Window dropdown menu, which gives you three choices: Cascade, Tile Horizontally, and Tile Vertically.

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Here is an example of multiple tiled reports:

To select an individual report, either click its window or click its tab.

Using the Toolbar — Emailing, Printing, Saving a Report The following table describes the buttons on the ReportViewer toolbar.

Button Description

Launches the Report editor for the parent Report object representing this report. You may edit the Report's configuration and run the report again.

Reloads/refreshes the graphical report in the ReportViewer.

Opens the Microsoft Print dialog, allowing you to print the report.

Opens an email window, and either attaches the report as a file, or embeds the report content in the email window. The default email recipients are the ones you listed on the Output tab of the Report editor.

Opens the Microsoft Save As dialog, allowing you, by default, to save the content of the report in an scalable vector graphics (.SVG) file, .HTML file, .XML file, or .PDF file, depending on how you configured your report and what data format you selected. The default file path is the one you listed on the Output tab of the Report editor.

Opens the Open dialog, allowing you to search for a Report object in your system, then run it (via the Open button) in the ReportViewer.


Templates

About CyberStation Templates A template is an object with pre-defined attributes that you use to create new objects with the same attribute settings. Templates let you quickly, easily, and consistently create new objects of the same class. Templates are a powerful tool for ongoing maintenance of your system.

You can use templates to create objects such as points, controllers, alarms, and programs. When you use a template to create a new object, most of the work is already done. A template includes values for most or all of the attributes of the object.

About Copied, Inherited, and Specified by User Attribute Values When you create a template, you specify values for attributes. In addition, you specify the source of attribute values in objects created from the template:

When an attribute is copied from a template, that attribute value is passed to the new object being created from the template. That attribute can be changed afterward in the object without affecting the template. Any changes to that attribute in the template do not affect the copied attribute in any object created from that template.

• Attributes inherited from a template retain a link to the template. Changes to these attributes in the template affect all objects created from that template. These inherited attributes are an easy way to maintain consistent attribute values across objects of the same class. If you try to change an inherited attribute in an object created from a template, CyberStation protects the link and offers several choices of actions, including updating the template or breaking the link to it.

Note: If you create Personnel objects from a template, any attribute values with the inherited from Template data source cannot be edited in the Personnel Manager.

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• If the source of an attribute is Specified By User, CyberStation prompts you for the attribute value when you use the template to create the object.

Creating a Template Object The following steps provide a general description of how to create a new template. The tabs that are displayed and the attributes for which you can enter values are determined by the type of object.

Note: Do not attempt to create a template for any of the following BACnet point objects:

AnalogInput BinaryInput Multi-stateInput

AnalogOutput BinaryOutput Multi-stateOutput

AnalogValue BinaryValue Multi-stateValue

However, you may create templates for BACnet EventEnrollment and EventNotification objects. Configuration of EventEnrollments and EventNotifications at a large site can be a big job. It is recommended you create templates for these objects to save a lot of time and effort. (See “Considerations for EventEnrollment Templates,” later in this chapter. See also Chapter 14.)

1. In Continuum Explorer, open the Template folder.

2. Select the template subfolder where you want to store this template, or create a new subfolder.

Note: When you create a personnel template, store it in the Personnel Templates folder, which is a subfolder of the Templates folder. Personnel templates stored elsewhere within CyberStation cannot be attached to profiles or to existing Personnel objects.

3. Right click the folder, select NewTemplate, and select the object class that you wish to create the template for from the popup menu.

4. Type the Object name and Alias in the New Template dialog that appears, and then click the Create button.

5. In the Template editor, specify the necessary information on the various tabs of the editor.

6. When you are finished, click OK.

Entering Template Information The Template Information tab is where you’ll enter a name and alias for all objects that will be created from this template.

When deciding on a name, try to be as descriptive as possible. Descriptive names help future users choose the correct templates to create objects from. For example, if you are creating an output point for operating fans, you might want to enter a name like “Turn_Fan On/Off.”

Entering an alias is optional. If you leave this field blank, CyberStation will use the template’s alias.


CyberStation automatically avoids conflicts that are caused by duplicate object names when you create multiple objects using the template. If CyberStation detects an existing object with the same name, it appends an underscore and a number to the name of the new object.

When CyberStation finds an existing object (for example, an alarm named alarm3), it renames the new object (for example, alarm3_1). The next time the same template is used to create an object in the same container, CyberStation will give the new object a name of alarm3_2.

Entering Attribute Data Sources The Attribute Data Source tab is where you’ll choose a data source for the value for each attribute of the objects created from this template. See “About Copied, Inherited, and Specified by User Attribute Values” earlier in this chapter.

Considerations for BACnet EventEnrollment Templates When you create templates for BACnet EventEnrollments, please be aware of the following:

• Some fields are disabled in EventEnrollment template objects, and can be specified only in the objects created from the template.

• The event type (Event Type field on General tab of EventEnrollment editor) cannot be changed once the template object is created.

• If an inherited object is deleted from a third-party device in CyberStation, and the object is re-learned, the inheritance is broken.

• Some event types are not supported on the Andover Continuum b4 and b3 controllers. (See Using the EventEnrollment Editor, in Chapter 14.)

• In the Attribute Data Source tab, some EventEnrolllment attributes cannot be changed. These are:

Setpoint Reference – Attribute (Algorithms tab in EventEnrollment editor, when the Floating Limit event type is selected.)

Setpoint Reference – Object (Algorithms tab in EventEnrollment editor, when the Floating Limit event type is selected)

Object (General tab in EventEnrollment editor)

Attribute (the Event Property attribute, General tab in EventEnrollment editor)

Creating an Object from a Template 1. In the Configuration Wizard (discussed in Chapter 2) click the tab with the template

you want to use.

2. Drag the object icon or folder icon from the page of the Wizard to the container object in Continuum Explorer.

You will be prompted by the Enter Attribute Values dialog for any attributes that had been designated as SpecifiedbyUser in the template(s).

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3. Enter the attribute value, and click the Next button for each prompted attribute.

4. After you see the message “The operation is finished,” click the Close button in the

Creating Objects from Templates dialog to complete the creation of your new object.

CyberStation automatically avoids conflicts that are caused by duplicate object names. If CyberStation detects an existing object with the same name, it appends an underscore and a number to the name of the new object.

Once you have created a new object from a template you can review its attributes with the object editor or its Properties dialog. When you review the properties of an object created from a template, the name of the parent template appears at the bottom of the Main tab.

Editing an Object Created from a Template When an attribute value is inherited, it cannot be changed in the object without breaking the link to the template. (Values inherited from a personnel template cannot be edited in the Personnel Manager.) Attempts to edit an inherited attribute value result in the following dialog, which requires users to select one of the options before they can make changes to the object:

You can automatically change an inherited attribute in all objects created from a template by editing the attribute in the template.


Note: If you select the third option, Break the connection between this object and the template object…, you break the connection to the template for all attribute of the object itself, not just for the attribute you wanted to change.

If you break the link between an object and a template, you cannot link the object to the template.

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Points, Logs, and Triggers

What is a Point? Throughout Andover Continuum literature you’ll see references to the word “point”. In some cases its definition may be obvious; however there are instances where the term is not familiar. Inputs and outputs are referred to as “points”. An input point is a particular connection at a unique channel where an input sensor is connected. An output point is a particular channel where an actuator or other output device is connected. Points include internal memory locations that serve as “virtual” points. These locations act as storage locations for values that our programs change. Because they can be read and set just like inputs and outputs, we find it easier to refer to them in the same terms.

Types of Points There are three types of points in the Andover Continuum system — hardware-defined, software-defined, and BACnet-defined.

Hardware-Defined

InfinityInput Connections to an Infinity input device

InfinityOutput Connections to an Infinity output device

Software-Defined

InfinityDateTime Storage location where the current system time and date are available

InfinityNumeric Storage location where numeric (number) information is stored

InfinityString Storage location where ASCII text characters are stored

BACnet-Defined

CyberStation has nine points supported by BACnet devices. BACnet points are created on third-party BACnet devices or when an InfinityInput, InfinityOutput, or InfinityNumeric is created on an Andover Continuum b4920 or bCX1 40x0 InfinityController object or an Andover Continuum b3 InfinityInfinetCtlr object. BACnet points are:

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• AnalogInput, BinaryInput, and MultistateInput (created from an InfinityInput)

• AnalogOutput, BinaryOutput, and MultistateOutput (created from an InfinityOutput)

• AnalogValue, BinaryValue, and MultistateValue (created from an InfinityNumeric)

Note: The term point is a CyberStation term. According to the BACnet standard, these nine points are known as BACnet objects.

For more information, plase see About BACnet Objects, at the end of this chapter. See also Chapter 14, BACnet.

About InfinityInput and InfinityOutput Points What Is an InfinityInput? An InfinityInput is a connection to an Infinity or Infinet controller for monitoring incoming signals from a sensor. Decisions we make during the configuration of an input determine how the controller will interpret and present that sensor input. The controller reads input values once per scan time and therefore can be updated automatically.

Input Types

CyberStation can monitor a variety of sensor types:

• Contact closures

• Thermistors

• Voltage and current transducers

• Current sensors

• DC voltage signals

• AC voltage signals

• Supervised security inputs

What Is an InfinityOutput? An InfinityOutput is a connection to an Infinity or Infinet controller where signals are sent to controlled devices. Outputs turn things on and off, provide variable voltages, currents or air pressures. Outputs also change value either by program control, the command line, or from a graphic panel control.

Output Types

Outputs send signals to controlled devices that are:

• Digital (On – Off, such as contact closures)

• Controlled by analog signals, voltage or current

• Air pressure controlled


Before You Start Before creating input or output points you will need to know:

• Information about the IO Module

• IO card slot numbers (for CX 94xx controllers)

• IOU board Lbus number (for CX 92xx controllers and NetControllers)

• IOU modules used on L-Bus

• Andover Continuum IO module number (for NetControllers)

• Infinet device name and path (for InfinityInfinet Controllers)

• Channel numbers where the physical connections are made

• Information about the sensor (input) or controlled device (output)

• Electrical type

• Engineering units in which you want the data presented on the workstation

• Display format in which you want the data presented on the workstation

• Resistor type for supervised inputs

Creating an InfinityInput Object To create an InfinityInput object:

1. In the navigation pane of the Continuum Explorer, locate the controller object that you want to add the InfinityInput object to.

2. Right-click the controller object.

3. Select New, then select InfinityInput to bring up the New dialog.

4. In the New dialog, name the InfinityInput in the Object name field.

5. Click the Create button to bring up the InfinityInput editor:

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The InfinityInput General Tab The General tab, shown on the previous page, has several attributes that you can provide values for and a few attributes that are set by the control system. Attributes that you set include Units, Description and State.

Value If a point is enabled, input values are read from the sensor that the point is attached to, updating the Value attribute with each system scan. For testing purposes, you can force an input to a pre-set value after you have set the point’s State to Disabled.

Units Units, also known as engineering units, add meaning to the point value. When displayed on the workstation next to the value, as in 40 % Humidity, or 75 Deg F, units help users understand what the point is doing. Enter up to 12 characters (including spaces) in the Units field. Don’t use double quotes.

The text you enter here can be anything you want it to be. It is just a text string included to help the user. It has no affect on input point values.

Description The description is optional, but a good explanation of the point helps others if they need to test, modify or manipulate the point in the future. The Description characters take up memory space in the controller. Type up to 32 characters (including spaces) in the Description field.


State Enabled means the point is under system control. When the point is Enabled, the control system reads the sensor and sets the Value attribute to the value taken from the environment.

Disabled means the system no longer updates the value. If we set the point to a different value, it holds that value as long as the point remains disabled.

Never set a point manually unless you are testing or repairing the system.

Exported If this point is referred to in a program on another controller or has an alarm attached, you will see a check in this checkbox. The Exported attribute is set by the control system. There is no user entry in this field.

Alarms This read-only attribute shows the number of active alarms associated with this point.

The InfinityInput Settings Tab This tab, shown below, is where you define the following:

• The electrical type (ElecType) of the device connected to this point

• The input channel number

• The IOU number of the input module (if applicable)

• The format in which the value of this point is displayed on the workstation

• Specific settings related to certain ElecTypes

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ElecType The electrical type specifies the ElecType attribute for all InfinityInput

points. See Appendix B for a complete listing of the possible electrical types.

Note: If you are creating this input for an Andover Continuum b4, bCX1 40x0, or b3 controller, then a BACnet AnalogInput, BinaryInput, or MultistateInput is also created, when you select an analog, digital, or multistate (supervised) ElecType, respectively. See About BACnet Objects at the end of this chapter, and see Chapter 14, BACnet.

Invert If you select Digital as an electrical type, and want to invert the meanings of ON and OFF, click the Invert box (usually grayed out) to put a check mark in it.

Channel Channel numbers are silkscreened onto the front of each type of IO unit on every type of controller. Typical channel number markings are IN18 (channel 18) on an Eclipse controller IO module or IN5 (channel 5) on an Andover Continuum IOU Module.


IOU Enter an IOU number for the following three types of controllers:

CX9200. Enter the number of the IOU board on Lbus.

A CX9400. Enter the slot number where the IO card is plugged in to the card rack.

Andover Continuum NetController. Enter the number of the IO module or IOU board on Lbus that is sending the input.

Assign the appropriate number for the module you are configuring.

Format The format field is where you specify what display format you want to use to present the Value attribute to the operator. The # sign is a placeholder. Examples

###.### would be a number with three decimal places

$### shows values greater than zero as ON, values equal to zero as OFF and values less than zero as –ON.

Digital Filter

Enable or disable the digital filter by selecting True or False from the dropdown menu. When the Digital Filter is True, value updates are slightly delayed in order to filter out sudden, radical changes in sensor readings (due to, for example, electrical surges). When the Digital Filter is False, the value is updated with every sensor reading. This provides slightly faster updates.

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The InfinityInput Conversions Tab The Conversions tab is where you enter information about how the controller converts the sensor readings (ElecValue) into engineering units

Enter a conversion formula in the Conversion field or use the Auto Conversion fields to set the top and bottom of scale values. Input signals are converted to temperatures, relative humidities, atmospheric pressures, and so on.

Threshold Enter the amount of change in engineering units that must occur before the

point updates other objects such as programs, functions, alarms, reports and exports to other controllers. A threshold of zero increases network traffic, as all associated objects update with any change in point value.

Conversion

You enter a conversion formula for either of the two following circumstances:

The conversion between the sensor reading ElecValue and engineering units is non-linear. For example, enter the formula SQRT(ELECVALUE)*500, if the square root of the ElecValue must be multiplied by 500 to equal the correct engineering unit Value.

You want to limit or bias a linear conversion. For example, enter the formula (ELECVALUE + .5), to calibrate a temperature sensor reading.

Note: Do not include VALUE = in the formula you enter in the Conversion field.


Auto Conversion

Enter the top of scale for the engineering units in the Top field on the left. For example, if you entered % Humidity in the Units field on the General tab, your top of scale would most likely be 100, for 100%.

Enter the bottom of scale for the engineering units in the Bottom field on the left. For example, if you entered % Humidity in the Units field on the General tab, your bottom of scale could be 0, for 0%.

The fields for ElecType values are on the right side of the Auto Conversion section. The values you enter will be used in a linear conversion.

Enter the top of scale for the electrical units in the upper ElecType field on the right. For example, if you selected Voltage in the ElecType dropdown menu on the Settings tab, your top of scale would most likely be 5, as this is the highest reading possible for voltage on many controllers.

Enter the bottom of scale for the electrical units in the lower ElecType field on the right. For example, if you selected Voltage in the ElecType dropdown menu on the Settings tab, your bottom of scale would most likely be 0, as this is the lowest reading possible for voltage.

Formulas entered in the Conversion field take precedence over the conversion generated by the Auto Conversion section, but the Auto Conversion will recognize a limiting or biasing formula and use it in its conversion.

Test the Point Once you have completed the General, Settings and Conversions tabs of the editor, you have supplied enough information to create the point. Now is a good time to save the point and test your preliminary configuration.

Save the Point

Click InfinityInput editor’s OK button.

Verify Value

The Explorer’s Command Line should show the correct path to the controller .

Enter PRINT Pointname

You should see the current value of the point in the response line.

Verify ElecValue

From the Command Line, enter PRINT Pointname ELECVALUE

You should see the current input electrical value of the point in the response line.

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InfinityInput Logs Tab In the Logs tab, shown below, you define logs and extended logs for the point. A log is a collection of point values. The structure, also known as an array, looks like a two-column table. The first column contains an index of entry numbers. The second column contains recorded values.

In the Logs tab, you define and activate two types of logs for a point:

• Logs — Log entries are stored on the local controller that owns the point. See Logs, later in this section.

• Extended logs —CyberStation offloads the local-controller “extra” log entries for this point and stores them in the database. This happens once the maximum number of controller log entries is filled. When you activate extended logs, the additional "extra" entries are transferred (uploaded) to a workstation's CyberStation database, to capture them before they are deleted in the controller. The extended log, which is an extension of a log, continues recording values where the log leaves off. It records values depending on how you set up the short-term log. These extended log entries can be uploaded from both local-area network (LAN) controllers and remote-access services (RAS) network controllers to the workstation. (See Extended Logs, later in this section.)

Extended logs work according to the attribute settings on this tab, as well as:

• Extended-log settings on the Preferences tab of the Device editor for a workstation. (For more information on these settings, see Extended Logging, later in this section, and Chapter 14, BACnet.)


• Extended-log settings 7, 8, 9, and 10, in the General Preferences dialog. (For more information on these settings, see Extended Logging, later in this section.)

Automatic Logs and Manual Logs

For Infinity Input, Output, Numeric, String, and DateTime points, you can set up one of two basic types of short-term logs:

• Logs that the system updates automatically

• Logs that you update manually

Automatic Logs — Automatic logs are generated by CyberStation at specific intervals that you define via the attribute settings on this tab, as well as the preference settings in the General Preferences dialog. (See Extended Logs, later in this section, for General Preference settings.)

For example, the following picture depicts an automatically updated log for a point named SupplyAir:

CyberStation updates automatic logs by inserting new values into the first log entry. Every interval, a new value is stored in the first log entry, pushing existing values down to the remaining entries. When the specified number of entries is full of values, the bottom value "drops off” when a new value is inserted.

When working with logs, you won’t actually see structures like the one shown above. Instead, you use point names and index numbers to retrieve values stored in logs. To do this, simply enclose the index number in square brackets [ ] directly after the point name.

For example, to print the sixth entry (72) of the log for SupplyAir, use the following command:

PRINT SupplyAir[6]

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Manual Logs — Unlike automatic logs, CyberStation cannot set manual logs. Manual logs are set either from the Command Line editor or a Plain English program. To update a manual log, simply enclose the index number in square brackets [ ] directly after the point name. The example below sets the third log entry of an array named MyNum:

SET MyNum[3] TO 12

Note: To perform calculations on logs, see the following Plain English keywords:

SUM

AVERAGE

MINIMUM

MAXIMUM

Logs

The following table describes the attributes in the Logs section of this tab. These settings affect extended logs, when extended logging is activated.

Number of Entries

Enter an integer representing the number of entries.

The maximum number of entries allowed in a log depends on the memory available on your controller, but cannot exceed 32,767 entries per log.

When this number is exceeded, and you have activated extended logging, then the first-in-first-out log entries are transferred (uploaded) to a workstation's CyberStation database. If extended logging is not activated, then the first-in-first-out log entries are deleted from the controller.

Type In the Type field, use the down arrow to show a list of available log types and select one:

Manual Not set by CyberStation. Can be set only from the command line, a report, or a Plain English program

LogInstantaneous CyberStation stores the current value of this point at the beginning of every interval

LogAverage CyberStation calculates the average point value over every interval, using a weighted average algorithm. Average values are stored at the end of every interval.

LogMinimum CyberStation compares all values over an interval, finds the minimum and stores it at the end of every interval

LogMaximum CyberStation compares all values over an interval, finds the maximum and stores it at the end of every interval


Interval If the Type is not Manual, set the Interval. This determines how often CyberStation stores new values in the log. The values that you enter for days, hours, minutes and seconds are combined to create the total interval. For example, if you enter a 1 for days and a 12 for hours, the log will be updated every 1.5 days. Similarly, if you need a 90-minute interval, enter a 1 for hours and a 30 for minutes.

Days – maximum value is 365

Hours – maximum value is 23

Minutes – maximum value is 59

Seconds – maximum value is 59

Tip: In order to have a log updated at the same time every hour (every quarter hour, or every half hour, for example) your interval must be evenly divisible into one hour (1 min, 2 min, 3 min, 4 min, 5 min, 6 min, 10 min, 12 min, 15 min, 20 min, or 30 min).

Extended Logs

To activate extended logs for this point, check the Extended Logging checkbox.

When you activate extended logs, the additional "extra" entries are transferred (uploaded) to a workstation's CyberStation database, to capture them before they are deleted in the controller.

The extended log, which is an extension of a log, continues recording values where the log leaves off. It records values depending on how you set up the short-term log. These extended log entries can be uploaded from both LAN controllers and RAS controllers to the workstation.

In addition to checking the Extended Logging box and setting the Number of Entries, Type, and Interval attributes on a point's Logs tab, your administrator also configures settings 7, 8, 9, and 10, in the General Preferences dialog.

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The General Preferences dialog is shown below:

Setting 7, Extended Log Database Check Interval (minutes) — This is the time interval, in minutes, that CyberStation checks the database for points that are enabled for automatic extended logging, checks the extended logging table, and uploads the point data. The default is 5 minutes.

Increase for RAS Network: If you know you will be performing extended-log uploading from controllers on a RAS (remote) network, it is good practice to increase the number of interval minutes because this process takes longer on such a network. Data is lost when this process takes longer than 5 minutes beyond the number of minutes specified here. It is also good practice to decrease the Extended Log maximum RAS Buffer Percentage (see setting below).

Setting 8, Extended Log Maximum LAN Buffer Interval (minutes) — This is the maximum time interval, in minutes, that CyberStation may check each controller on a LAN network for new extended logging data.

Setting 9, Extended Log Maximum RAS Buffer Percentage — This is the maximum amount (percentage) of new point log data allowed to accumulate in a controller on a RAS network, before it is downloaded automatically. It is a percentage of total controller log size. CyberStation knows the logging interval and the log buffer size on a RAS controller, and it calculates when a certain percentage of the buffer in the controller is filled. It dials into the controller when the percentage is exceeded to download the log data. This may be any percentage between 0 and 100 percent.

Decrease to Ensure More Frequent Downloads: Make sure this percentage is small enough to ensure more frequent downloading. Data is lost when a downloading operation takes longer than 5 minutes beyond the number of minutes specified in the


setting above, Extended Log Data Check Interval. It is also good practice to increase the number of minutes in that setting (see above).

Setting 10, Extended Log Automatic Purge Interval (days) — This is the number of days to keep extended log data in the database before purging it. Extended log data is stored in a single internal table, so purging the data after a specified number of days prevents this table from becoming too large. A value of 0 ensures that the data is never purged.

To access the General Preference dialog, right click the Continuum symbol located in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, and select General Preferences.

Settings 1…6 of the General Preference dialog are related to password-management configuration. For more information, please see Chapter 5.

Enabling a Workstation for Extended Logging — You may enable or disable any workstation to download extended log data from controllers on a local-area network (LAN) or from controllers on a remote-access services (RAS) network, to the workstation. This is done via settings 19 and 20 (Enable personnel distribution to controllers on the LAN and Enable personnel distribution to RAS networks) on the Preferences tab of the Device editor for the workstation device that you wish to enable or disable.

Your must determine which workstations at your site are best suited to perform this task. For more information, see the Preferences tab of the Device editor, in Chapter 14.

Extended Logging Backwards Compatibility (“Old” and “New” Extended Logs) — Before version 1.7, you created Plain English programs for extended logs. These programs facilitated extended log tables in the database, one table per controller.

During CyberStation installation of version 1.7 or higher, in the database initialization process (the Database Initialization dialog) you check the Extended Logging Backwards Compatibility checkbox to retain the pre 1.7 method for creating extended logs, while also enabling new extended logging functionality. If you do not check this box, then you may not use the old (pre 1.7) method.

Note: The "old" extended log tables, created before your upgrade to version 1.7, remain in the database. When a "new" extended log table is created, if necessary, data from an "old" table are copied and merged with the data in the "new" table.

For more information, please see the CyberStation Installation Guide, 30-3001-720.

Extended Logs and Reports — Extended log data, as well as other report data sources, can be presented in a report and displayed in the form of attractive trend chart, text chart, bar chart, or pie chart. CyberStation supplies many Report object templates that include bar-chart templates, pie-chart templates, and trend templates — giving reports a certain default "look and feel."

To use these Report templates, your must import them (and thus activate reports) during the CyberStation installation process, in an upgrade to version 1.7 or higher. During installation, in the Database Initialization dialog, you must check the Create/Update Graphical Report Settings checkbox. If this box is not checked, then the TAC-supplied Report templates are not available.

For more information, please see the CyberStation Installation Guide, 30-3001-720, as well as descriptions of Reports and the Report editor in Chapter 11.

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Setting 11 - Time Interval Between Requests

Setting 11 of the General Preferences dialog is the number of milliseconds that CyberStation waits before it polls controllers and networks for value changes in points embedded in Pinpoint graphics panels. The default is 30 ms. This delay between poll requests enhances performance by ensuring that a controller/network is not flooded with too many requests.

Note: This setting is applied globally, to all controllers/networks – to all Infinity controllers, Infinet controllers, Infinet networks, Andover Continuum BACnet controllers, BACnet networks, and third-party BACnet controllers. If a third-party request interval is longer than this global setting, the third-party interval overrides this setting. If a third-party interval is shorter than this global setting, the global setting overrides. (The longer interval prevails.) Remote access services (RAS) controller graphic points are polled synchronously, so this setting does not affect graphics on remote controllers.

Settings 12, 13 – Fieldbus Personnel Distributions

Setting 12: Number of Concurrent Fieldbus Personnel Distributions — This General Preference setting is the number of concurrent personnel distributions that are sent from each workstation to controllers on each field bus network. The default (and minimum) value is 1. Maximum value is 4. This setting, which works in conjunction with setting13, improves performance by preventing or large numbers of personnel records from flooding field bus controllers. See also Chapter 20, Managing Personnel Distribution.

Time Interval Between Fieldbus Personnel Distributions — This General Preference setting is the amount of time (in milliseconds) that CyberStation waits before it sends another personnel distribution to controllers on the same fieldbus network. The default value is 30. Minimum value is 0. Maximum value is 15000 (15 seconds). This setting, which works in conjunction with setting 12, improves performance by preventing large numbers of records from flooding field bus controllers. It is also useful when there are many workstations performing access distribution. (That is, set it higher if there are many workstations.) See also Chapter 20, Managing Personnel Distribution.

Settings 14, 15 – NetController Personnel Distributions

Setting 14: Number of Concurrent NetController Personnel Distributions – This is the number of concurrent personnel distributions that are sent from each workstation to NetControllers and all other Ethernet-level controllers. The default (and maximum) value is 4 and the minimum value is 1. This setting works in conjunction with setting 15.

Setting 15: Time Interval Between NetController Personnel Distributions -- This is the amount of time (in milliseconds) that CyberStation waits before it sends another personnel distribution to NetControllers and all other Ethernet-level controllers. The default (and minimum) value is 0 and the maximum value is 15000 (15 seconds). This setting, which works in conjunction with setting 14, improves performance by preventing large numbers of personnel records from flooding these Ethernet-level controllers. It is also useful when there are many workstation performing access distribution.


The InfinityInput Triggers Tab The Triggers tab is where you’ll associate triggers with a point. Triggers are Plain English programs whose status changes to active when the point value changes by at least the amount of the Threshold attribute setting. One point may have numerous triggers associated with it. Conversely, one program can be triggered by many points.

To associate an Infinity program with a point, click the Add button. This will display a Browse dialog for Plain English programs. Once you have found the Infinity program you want, click the Select button, and that program will be added to the point’s trigger list.

To delete an Infinity program from the trigger list, click it, then click Remove button.

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The InfinityInput XDriver Tab If you have purchased a special device that you have connected to a controller, TAC can develop special software that allows your device to work with the controller. The software is called an “XDriver.”

After you have connected your device to the controller, and installed the XDriver software, you need to specify the comm port that you used in the XDriver window.

Use the dropdown menu to select the desired comm port. Once the proper comm port has been selected additional XDriver parameters will be required (see your XDriver documentation).

The InfinityInput Security Level Tab Refer to Chapter 4 for details on entering information into the Security Level tab.


InfinityOutput Points An InfinityOutput point is an object that you create on Infinity or Infinet controllers. An output point changes or affects the environment by controlling a piece of equipment such as a heater or fan.

Infinity controllers have numerous (the number varies depending on the type of controller) channels for output points. A channel in this case is simply an area in the controller than can be physically connected to a device.

When you create an InfinityOutput point, you define it by specifying values for its attributes. An attribute can be thought of as a characteristic of the point. For example, you have many attributes such as height, weight, hair color, and age. Some of the attributes for an InfinityOutput point include value, electrical type, display format, threshold.

You’ll specify values for these attributes and many more in the following tabs of the InfinityOutput editor.

Creating an InfinityOutput Object You create an InfinityOutput object in the same way that you created an InfinityInput object. Repeat the steps for an InfinityInput object, but replace the word InfinityInput with InfinityOutput throughout the steps. This brings up the InfinityOutput editor:

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The InfinityOutput General Tab The General tab has several attributes that you can provide values for and a few attributes that are set by the control system.

Value When a point is enabled and active, the control system updates it automatically. Never set a point’s value manually unless you are testing or repairing the system. Always disable a point before setting the value manually.

Units Units, also known as engineering units, add meaning to the point value. When displayed on the workstation next to the value, as in % open, or PSI, units help users understand what the point is doing. Enter up to 12 characters (including spaces) in the Units field. Don’t use double quotes.

The text you enter here can be anything you want it to be. It is just a text string included to help the user. It has no affect on input point values.

Description

The description is optional, but providing a good explanation will help others work with the point. Type up to 32 characters (including spaces) in the Description field.

State Select Enabled or Disabled from the dropdown menu. When the point is enabled, the control system sets the value to the desired output setting. When the point is disabled, a program can't set the point. A user can set it from the Command Line or a control on a graphic panel. Never set a point manually unless you are testing or repairing the system.

Exported A check in the Exported checkbox means that programs or reports on another controller use this point's value.

Alarms The Alarms attribute displays the number of active alarms associated with this point.


The InfinityOutput Settings Tab The Settings tab is where you specify various settings regarding the output point, such as the channel number and the electrical type.

ElecType Select one of the electrical types from the dropdown menu.

Note: If you are creating this output for a b4, bCX1 40x0, or b3 controller, then a BACnet AnalogOutput, BinaryOutput, or MultistateOutput is also created when you select an analog, digital, or multistate (tristate) ElecType, respectively. See About BACnet Objects at the end of this chapter, and see Chapter 14, BACnet.

Voltage The output point is a voltage type. Enter a conversion formula on the Conversions tab.

Digital The output point is an ON or OFF contact closure. You can use the Invert checkbox to invert the meanings of ON and OFF.

Current The output is a current type

Tristate The output is a tristate type (ON, OFF, −ON)

ACC_Pneumatic Not used

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ReaderDoor (Infinity only)

The controller is an Infinet controller, other than a 700 series, and the point is controlling a door or mag strike lock on a door with a card reader on an EMX 190 or a CRM 100 module. This output type usually applies only if you do not have the access control version of Infinity.

HiResVoltage The controller is an Infinet controller and the point is a voltage output on an EMX 151 or AOM 500.

HiResCurrent The controller is an Infinet controller and the point is a current output on an EMX 151 or an AOM 500.

PanelMeter The output is for an LED display on an Andover Continuum door-mounted display module .

Channel Channel numbers are silkscreened onto the front of each type of IO unit on

every type of controller. Typical channel number markings are OUT1 (channel 1) on an Eclipse controller IO card or OUT3 (channel 3) on an Andover Continuum IO Module.

IOU Enter an IOU number for IO in the following three types of controllers:

CX9200: Enter the number of the IOU board on the Lbus. These IOU numbers are set with dipswitches. Look at the dipswitches to determine the IOU number.

CX9400: Enter the slot number where the IO card is plugged in to the card rack. The slots are numbered from left to right, starting with 1.

Andover Continuum NetController: Enter the number of the IO module or the IOU number on Lbus that is sending the output.

Assign the appropriate number for the module you are configuring. For example, for Andover Continuum IO modules, you may decide to number the modules from left to right, starting with the top DIN rail. NetControllers can control up to 32 IOU modules.

Label the IOU modules with the numbers you assign. This number is not the same as the 12-digit module ID # assigned to the individual module at the factory.

Outputs created on any other types of controllers, will show the IOU field grayed out.

Format The format field is where you specify what display format you want to use to present the Value attribute to the operator. The display format $### shows values greater than zero as ON, values equal to zero as OFF and values less than zero as −ON.


About Displaying Percents There are two ways to show percent values to the user, depending on how you configure the Value and Units attributes for an output point.

1. On the General tab of the editor, include a % sign as the first character of the Units attribute. For example:

%RH

This will have no effect on the Value attribute of the point.

2. On the Settings tab of the editor, include a % sign in the Format field. For example:

%###.#

When the % sign is in the display format field this way, the Value of the point will automatically be multiplied by 100 and a % sign added when the point is displayed.

Note: If using this method with an Auto Conversion, the ‘top of scale’ should be set to 1, not 100.

This second method of showing percents is commonly used with analog outputs.

For example in the Plain English Language print statement:

Print “The value is set to ⏐%### open.”, WATER_VALVE

prints the value in numeric characters as a percentage of the scale for the WATER_VALVE point with the scale set from 0 to 1, where 0 is fully closed and 1 is fully open. So if the value is .45, the statement prints:

The value is set to 45% open.

The InfinityOutput Conversions Tab The Conversions tab (shown on next page) is where you enter a conversion formula or set Auto Conversion fields to convert engineering units to control signals.

The output value is converted and displayed based on the formula in the Conversion or Auto Conversion fields. Value/10 in the Conversion field would carry out the same conversion as shown in the Auto Conversion section.

Test the Point Once you have completed the General, Settings and Conversions tabs of the editor, you have supplied enough information to create the point. Now is a good time to save the point and test your preliminary configuration.

Save the Point

Click InfinityInput editor’s OK button.

Verify Value

The Explorer’s Command Line should show the correct path to the controller .

Enter PRINT Pointname

You should see the current value of the point in the response line.

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Verify ElecValue

From the Command Line, enter PRINT Pointname ELECVALUE

You should see the current input electrical value of the point in the response line.

Continuing On Once you have tested the point, reopen the editor and complete the remaining tabs to finish configuring the point.

Enter information into the Triggers, Alarms, Logs and XDriver tabs of the InfinityOutput editor. Complete these tabs using the explanations provided earlier in this chapter for completing the same tabs of the InfinityInput editor.

Refer to Chapter 4 for details on entering information into the Security Level tab.


About Infinity Software Points Software points are holding places for information. They are numerics, datetimes, or strings. Infinity software points are those that exist on Infinity controllers (including NetControllers) and Infinet controllers that are connected to the Andover Continuum system.

InfinityNumeric InfinityNumeric points are storage locations in an Infinity controller’s memory. They store numeric information, such as temperature setpoints. They can store the values ON, OFF and –ON as well as floating point numbers such as “1.52, 6.14” and so on. They are also used when configuring Andover Continuum enclosure door display modules.

InfinityDateTime InfinityDateTime points store date and time information used in schedules and are used to create time stamps.

InfinityString InfinityString points are storage locations for plain text messages in an Infinity controller’s memory. These can include logical paths to physical devices such as printers, or messages that are displayed to an operator.

Creating Infinity Software Points To create new Infinity software points you type information into text fields and make selections from dropdown menus in the tabs of the CyberStation InfinityNumeric, DateTime and String editors. Once you have created the new points, you can review the details of the configuration several different ways:

• Object editor

• Object Properties dialog, also called the Info Viewer

• ListView or class default ListView

• From the Command Line

Creating an InfinityNumeric Object You create an InfinityNumeric object in the same way that you created an InfinityInput object. Repeat the steps from the InfinityInput procedure, but replace the word InfinityInput with InfinityNumeric throughout the steps. This brings up the InfinityNumeric editor, as shown on the next page.

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Note: For instructions on how to use objects editors in general refer to Chapter 3.

The InfinityNumeric General Tab

Attributes that you can set for all InfinityNumeric points include Value, Units, Description, State, Format and Setpoint. For points connected to certain IOU modules, you also set the Channel and IOU numbers and Direction.

Value The initial value of a newly created InfinityNumeric point is 0.000. Enter value in the field or set it from the command line.

Units Units (engineering units) make clear the type of information the point registers. They display next to the Value, as in 72 Deg F, to help users. Other examples of engineering units are: % Humidity and Deg C. Type up to 12 characters (including spaces). Don’t use quotation marks.

Description A description of up to 32 characters (including spaces) is optional, but a good explanation helps users when they need to test, modify, or manipulate the point.

Channel and IOU Numbers

(NetControllers Only)

Set channel and IOU numbers so the point’s value can be read or changed by a display module.

Enter the channel number as it is marked on the controller.

Enter an IOU number.


Direction Direction is required only if the point’s value can be read or be changed by a display module. Select one of the following from the Direction dropdown menu:

IOInput Allow changing the point value from the controller only.

IOOutput Allow changing the point value from the control system only.

IOBidirectional Allow changing the point value from both the controller and the control system.

BACnet Object Type

If this Infinity Numeric is associated with a BACnet device (b4, bCX1 40x0, or b3 controllers only) then it must become an AnalogValue, BinaryValue or MultistateValue object. From the dropdown menu, select AnalogValue, BinaryValue, or MultistateValue. See About BACnet Objects at the end of this chapter, and see Chapter 14, BACnet.

State Select Enabled or Disabled from the dropdown menu. The control system can change an Enabled point from a program or report, but not a Disabled point.

Setpoint Check the Setpoint checkbox so the controller stores the current point value in the CyberStation database.

Format The format field is where you specify what display format you want to use to present the Value attribute to the operator. The # sign is a placeholder. Examples:

###.### would be a number with three decimal places

$### would equal on/off/-on.

Exported If Exported is checked, it means that programs or reports on another controller use this point's value or has an alarm attached.

Continuing On

Once you have tested the point, reopen the editor and complete the remaining tabs to finish configuring the point.

Enter information into the Triggers, Alarms, Logs, and XDriver tabs of the InfinityNumeric editor. Complete these tabs using the explanations provided earlier in this chapter for completing the same tabs of the InfinityInput editor.


Creating an InfinityDateTime Object You create an InfinityDateTime object in the same way that you created an InfinityInput object. Repeat the steps for InfinityInput, but replace the word InfinityInput with InfinityDateTime throughout the steps. This brings up the InfinityDateTime editor:

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Note: For instructions on how to use objects editors in general refer to Chapter 3.

The InfinityDateTime General Tab

InfinityDateTime points store date and time information used in schedules and are used to create time stamps. They print from Plain English in the format: MM/DD/YY.

Value The initial value of a newly created InfinityDateTime point is 1/1/89. Enter value in the text field or set it from the command line.




Enter the channel number as it is marked on the controller. Enter an IOU number.

On 9200 CX controllers, IOU numbers are set with dipswitches. After you enter these numbers, select a direction, if applicable (NetController only).



IOInput Allow changing the point value from an Andover Continuum display module only.


IOBidirectional Allow changing the point value from both the Andover Continuum display module and the control system.

State Select Enabled or Disabled from the dropdown menu. The control

system can change an enabled point from a program or report but not a disabled point.


Exported The Exported attribute is set by the control system. A check in the Exported checkbox means that programs, reports, or alarms on another controller use this point's value.

Continuing On

Once you have tested the point, reopen the editor and complete the remaining tabs to finish configuring the point.

Enter information into the Triggers, Logs and XDriver tabs of the InfinityDateTime editor. Complete these tabs using the explanations provided earlier in this chapter for the InfinityInput editor.


Creating an InfinityString Object You create an InfinityString object in the same way that you created an InfinityInput object. Repeat the steps from the InfinityInput procedure, but replace the word InfinityInput with InfinityString throughout the steps. This brings up the InfinityString editor, shown on the next page.

The InfinityString General Tab

InfinityString points are storage locations for plain text messages in an Infinity controller’s memory. These can include logical paths to physical devices such as printers, or messages that are displayed to an operator.

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Value This field is blank in a newly created point.


String Size The default InfinityString point size is 132 characters. You can set a lower number, being sure to pad the size in case you later change the string. The control system truncates characters that exceed the specified string size.


(NetController Only)


Enter the channel number as it is marked on the controller.

Enter an IOU number.

On 9200 series CX controllers, IOU numbers are set with dipswitches.

After you enter these numbers, select a direction. (See below.)



IOInput Allow changing the point value from the controller only.


IOBidirectional Allow changing the point value from both the controller and the control system.

State Select Enabled or Disabled from the dropdown menu. The control

system can change an enabled point from a program or report, but not a disabled point.


Continuing On

Once you have tested the point, reopen the editor and complete the remaining tabs to finish configuring the point. Enter information into the Triggers, Logs and XDriver tabs of the InfinityString editor. Complete these tabs using the explanations provided earlier in this chapter for the InfinityInput editor.


About BACnet Points Just as Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 40x0, and b3 BACnet devices must first be created as InfinityController objects and InfinityInfinetCtlr objects, so too must the nine BACnet points, listed at the beginning of this chapter, first get created as Infinity points. Specifically, if they are attached to Andover Continuum BACnet controllers, they are initially created as InfinityInputs, InfinityOutputs, and InfinityNumerics.

How Are BACnet Points Created? When an InfinityController object is created for an Andover Continuum BACnet b4920 or bCX1 40x0 controller, or when an InfinityInfinetCtlr object is created for an Andover Continuum BACnet b36xx, b38xx, or b39xx controller, both Infinity and BACnet points are created.

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The following table illustrates this creation:

When you create this Infinity point for its b4/bCX1 40x0 InfinityController or b3 InfinityInfinetCtlr …

This BACnet object is also created for its corresponding b4/bCX1 40x0/b3 BACnet Device

InfinityInput (with analog electrical type) AnalogInput

InfinityInput (with digital electrical type) BinaryInput

InfinityInput (with multistate “supervised” electrical type)

MultistateInput

InfinityOutput (with analog electrical type) AnalogOutput

InfinityOutput (with digital electrical type) BinaryOutput

InfinityOutput (with multistate “tristate” electrical type)

MultistateOutput

InfinityNumeric (created as an AnalogValue) AnalogValue

InfinityNumeric (created as a BinaryValue) BinaryValue

InfinityNumeric (created as a MultistateValue) MultistateValue

BACnet Input and Output Objects – When you create an InfinityInput and select an analog, binary, or multistate electrical type (via the ElecType field in the Settings tab of the InfinityInput editor) a BACnet AnalogInput, BinaryInput, or MultistateInput is also created, respectively.

BACnet Value Objects – When you create an InfinityNumeric and select AnalogValue, BinaryValue, or MultistateValue as the BACnet Device Type field in the General tab of the InfinityNumeric editor, a BACnet AnalogValue, BinaryValue, or MultistateValue is also created, respectively.

These editors and their tabs are shown earlier in this chapter.

Note: For third-party BACnet devices that are integrated into the Andover Continuum system, AnalogInput, BinaryInput, and MultistateInput objects were already created as objects on those third-party BACnet controllers.

When InfinityInputs, InfinityOutputs, and InfinityNumerics are first created, their BACnet counterparts are not simultaneously created. The BACnet counterpart is created when, from Continuum Explorer, you highlight the BACnet controller (b4, bCX1 40x0, b3), right click, and from the popup menu select Send To Database. See Chapter 3 and Chapter 14.

In Continuum Explorer, after these BACnet points are created and learned into the system, they appear as Infinity points in the CyberStation/Infinity portion of the navigation pane, and as BACnet points in the BACnet Devices portion of the navigation pane. On the Infinity side, they appear in CyberStation/Infinity class folders beneath the InfinityController and InfinityInfinetCtlr object icons. Likewise, on the BACnet side, they appear in BACnet default class folders beneath their Device icons. (See Chapter 3 and Chapter 14 for more information on these Explorer views.)


BACnet

Andover Continuum fully supports the BACnet standard. Andover Continuum’s BACnet product line includes controllers, expansion IO modules, repeaters, routers, and CyberStation workstations modified as BACnet Operator Workstation (B-OWS). This chapter describes CyberStation’s implementation of BACnet support, including BACnet-compliant editors and other BACnet features that help you successfully configure and integrate BACnet devices into your building control system.

What is BACnet? BACnet stands for Building Automation and Control network. It is a communication protocol, developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), that allows products made by different manufacturers to be integrated into a single building automated control system. This means that as long as they meet the ANSI/ASHRAE BACnet Standard, different manufacturers products can seamlessly communicate data to each other over a network. The types of products include controllers, workstations, actuators, and sensors. In BACnet, each of these products is referred to as a device.

In order for communications to occur between two different systems a common network technology is required. BACnet supports six different types of networks: Ethernet, BACnet/IP, ARCNET, MS/TP, Point-to-Point, and LonTalk. Continuum supports MS/TP, a twisted-pair cabling arrangement based on the RS-485 standard, and BACnet/IP for its BACnet networking requirements.

BACnet provides a standard to model each BACnet device in a building automation system network as a collection of software entities called objects. Each object is characterized by a set of attributes called properties. A third feature, called services, provides messages needed for manipulating the device’s objects and properties.

BACnet Objects The BACnet protocol is based on objects, properties, and services. Objects are the logical representation of system data. Objects may represent single physical points or

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logical groupings/collections of points that perform a specific function. The BACnet standard objects supported are:

AnalogInput AnalogOutput AnalogValue BinaryInput BinaryOutput BinaryValue Calendar Device File EventEnrollment Loop MultistateInput MultistateOutput MultistateValue Program Schedule TrendLog EventNotification (NotificationClass in the BACnet standard)

Properties Objects are examined and controlled by a set of properties that belong to each object. BACnet properties are equivalent to attributes in CyberStation. (Refer to Key Concepts in Chapter 1.) Examples of object properties are name, type, present value, status flags, high-limit, low limit, and so forth. The most commonly used property for interoperability is Present Value.

Each BACnet device also has a device object containing properties that can be used to verify communications, identify the vendor, and identify software and firmware revision and other characteristics of the device. The device object’s properties represent the externally visible characteristics of a BACnet device.

Note: CyberStation provides object editors for most BACnet objects. The user interfaces in these editors have the same “look and feel” as other CyberStation/Infinity object editors. BACnet properties appear inside the editors, the way CyberStation attributes do. (See the sections, BACnet Defined Objects and Infinity and BACnet Object Editors, later in this chapter.)

Important: While using these object editors, you will notice that certain properties/attributes and, in some cases, entire sections and tabs are unselectable (appear gray). This means that they are not supported on or applicable to the device on which the object resides — for example, on Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers, and certain third-party BACnet devices.


Services In order for two different devices to interoperate, a common set of services is required. BACnet services provide messages for accessing and manipulating properties of device objects.

For example, the devices need to identify themselves (I Am, Who Is), read and write data (Read Property, Write Property), and so forth. BACnet defines 35 services that are grouped into six categories:

Alarm and Event Device Management File Transfer Object Access Virtual Terminal Security

Andover Continuum’s BACnet Product Line The Andover Continuum line of BACnet products includes a variety of controllers, expansion modules, and other devices that conform to the ASHRAE standard’s BACnet Advanced Application Controller (B-AAC) device profile. Andover Continuum CyberStation conforms to the ASHRAE B-OWS profile. Both the B-AAC controllers and the B-OWS-enhanced CyberStation are classified as “native” BACnet devices, meaning that they can interoperate directly with other manufacturers (third-party) BACnet devices.

BACnet-Related Documentation For more information on BACnet, Andover Continuum’s BACnet product line, and Andover Continuum’s implementation of BACnet, please see the following:

• Introducing BACnet - A Guide for Continuum Users, 30-3001-863 • BACnet Controller Technical Reference, 30-3001-862 • bCX1 Series Controller Technical Reference, 30-3001-890 • ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135-2004: BACnet A Data Communication Protocol for

Building Automation and Control Networks • BACnet PICS (Protocol Implementation Conformance Statements), located on the

BACnet page of TAC’s tech support web site. PICS are detailed descriptions of a device’s inherent BACnet capabilities. PICS tell a potential user what objects and BACnet services a device supports. It also details the type of communications network, the baud rate, the range of values each object property expects and whether or not a property is read-only. (This site’s BACnet page has many other useful BACnet documents.)

• CyberStation online help

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Post Installation System Integration Once the new BACnet hardware devices have been installed on your system and CyberStation software has been installed in accordance with the CyberStation Installation Guide, 30-3001-720, start up CyberStation. (See Starting CyberStation in Chapter 1.)

Access the Continuum Explorer. Normally you will be in the All Paths view.

Locating BACnet Devices To find new BACnet devices:

1. Ensure that setting 1, Enable BACnet, in the BACnet Preferences dialog is set to “True”. (See the BACnet Preferences dialog later in this chapter.)

2. Right click Root in the Explorer’s navigation pane. The object dropdown menu appears:

3. Select Find New BACnet Devices.

The new BACnet network icon appears in the navigation pane.

4. Click the + sign next to display BACnet devices, folders, and other objects:

Note: You can also right click an InfinityController and select Find New BACnet

Devices.

BACnet Device Icons


BACnet Icons

In CyberStation, BACnet-related icons appear in the Explorer to differentiate between BACnet and non-BACnet devices. These icons are shown below.

BACnet Devices

Continuum Third Party Continuum i2 Third Party CyberStation

BACnet Device BACnet Device Workstation Workstation

(blue) (olive) (gray) (olive monitor) (blue monitor)

Folders

BACnet BACnet Default CyberStation Default

Folder Class Folder Class Folder (blue) (blue)

BACnet Class Objects

BACnet BACnet BACnet

AnalogInput AnalogOutput AnalogValue

BinaryInput BinaryOutput BinaryValue

MultistateInput MultistateOutput

Networks

BACnet

Network

Color differentiates between Andover Continuum (blue) and third-party (olive) BACnet devices, folders, and workstations. Also, Andover Continuum i2 devices appear in gray.

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The following illustration shows Continuum Explorer with many of these BACnet and non-BACnet icons. Note that the upper portion of the navigation pane shows Infinity (non-BACnet) icons, whereas the lower portion shows BACnet icons, beneath the BACnet network icon:


Saving BACnet Devices to the Database The new BACnet devices need to be added to CyberStation’s SQL database. By default, each new BACnet device icon has a yellow exclamation flag next to it. When you place the cursor over the flag, the following tool tip appears:

Root\BACnet Device\ xxxxxxx requires a save to database.

CyberStation offers you two ways to accomplish this – manually or automatically.

Manual Save to Database

To manually save a BACnet device to the database:

1. Right click the BACnet device. A popup menu appears. 2. Select Send to Database option from the popup menu:

This causes the content of the device to be uploaded to the SQL database. Once the process is complete, select Refresh from the Explorer’s View menu (or click the Explorer’s refresh button) and the exclamation flag disappears from the device’s icon.

Automatic Save to Database

You can set up CyberStation so that each new BACnet device is automatically saved to the database (upon learning of new BACnet devices) by performing the following procedure:

1. Right click the Continuum icon in the window taskbar (tool tray). 2. Select BACnet Preferences from the popup menu:

3. In the BACnet Preferences dialog (shown on the next page) change the value of

item 2, Automatically save new BACnet devices to the database, from False to True.

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4. Find new BACnet devices. Right click over the Root directory in the Explorer, and

from the popup menu, select Find New BACnet Devices. (See the procedure, Locating BACnet Devices, earlier in this chapter.)

Viewing Options CyberStation offers you three ways to view Andover Continuum BACnet controllers in the Explorer. The choices are:

• As both Infinity/Infinet Controller objects and BACnet Device objects • As BACnet devices only • As a Infinity/Infinet controllers only

Viewing Both Infinity Controllers and BACnet Devices

To view Andover Continuum BACnet controllers as both Infinity/Infinet Controller objects and as BACnet Device objects in the Explorer’s navigation pane:

1. From the Explorer’s View dropdown menu, select Show TAC BACnet Device As... 2. Select Infinity Controller and BACnet Device:


The navigation pane of the Explorer now reflects this viewing selection. For example:

Viewing BACnet Device Only

To view Andover Continuum BACnet controllers only as BACnet Device objects in the Explorer’s navigation pane:

1. From the Explorer’s View dropdown menu, select Show TAC BACnet Device As… 2. Select BACnet Device Only.

The navigation pane of the Explorer now reflects this viewing selection. For example:

Viewing Infinity Controller Only

To view Andover Continuum BACnet controllers as Infinity/Infinet Controller objects in the Explorer’s navigation pane:

1. From the View dropdown menu, select Show TAC BACnet Device As… 2. Select Infinity Controller Only.

b4920 controllers, b4Controller1 and b4Controller2 are shown with Infinity Controller icons in the

The same controllers (with the same names) are also shown with BAC t i i th

bCX1 controllers, b4Controller1 and b4Controller2, do not appear as Infinity Controllers in the Infinity portion of the tree.

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The navigation pane now reflects this viewing selection. For example:

Disabling BACnet The first setting (Enable BACnet) in the BACnet Preferences dialog allows you to disable communication with all BACnet devices on your system. To accomplish this:

1. Right click the Continuum icon in the window taskbar (tool tray). 2. Select BACnet Preferences from the popup menu:

3. In the BACnet Preferences dialog, change the value on item 1, Enable BACnet,

from True to False. 4. Change your viewing options to Infinity Controller Only:

Once you have performed this procedure, CyberStation no longer sends or responds to BACnet communication requests and works completely in the context of CyberStation/Infinity class objects.

To return to BACnet, change the Enable BACnet setting to True (its default setting) and change your viewing option to Infinity Controller and BACnet Device.

bCX1 controllers, b4Controller1 and b4Controller2, do not appear in the BACnet portion of the


BACnet View The Explorer provides a BACnet View selection in its View dropdown menu. This selection shows only the BACnet portion of the Explorer tree. To use this view:

1. Click the down arrow attached to the Explorer bar icon in the quick picks toolbar.

2. Select BACnet View from the dropdown menu:

The navigation pane shows the BACnet devices portion of the tree:

Hiding Out of Service Devices You can hide any out-of-service devices that you do not want to appear in the Explorer by performing the following procedure:

1. In the Explorer, right click the device you wish to hide. 2. Select Open from the dropdown menu. The Device editor appears. (Refer to the next

page.) 3. Check the Out of Service checkbox in the Device editor. 4. Click the editor’s OK button. 5. Select Hide Out of Service Devices from the Explorer’s View menu: 6. Select Refresh from the Explorer’s View menu, or click the Explorer’s refresh button

The selected device should not appear on the refreshed Explorer view.

Registering a BACnet Broadcast Management Device (BBMD) If your workstation is designated as a BACnet Broadcast Management Device (BBMD), click the BBMD Registration button (located in the BACnet Preferences dialog) to view the BBMD Registration dialog, which is a list of system BBMDs that are registered with your BBMD workstation — the other BBMDs that yours knows about. This list is an internal table, known as the BBMD table. BBMDs ensure that broadcast messages are delivered among all BACnet devices across subnetworks. Your BBMD must know about other BBMDs as part of the broadcast process. In addition to the BBMD table, each BBMD also has a table of foreign devices. These are BACnet devices to which broadcast messages are routed.

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For each BBMD, the BBMD Registration dialog lists the IP address, network port, broadcast disk mask, and last "teach time" — the last time you used the Teach button to inform other BBMDs about the existence of your BBMD and BBMD table. (See Teaching BBMDs, below.)

Adding BBMDs

You may add a BBMD to your BBMD table, as follows:

1. From the BACnet Preferences dialog, click the BBMD Registration button:

The BBMD Registration dialog appears:

2. Click the Add button.

The Add BBMD dialog appears:


3. Enter the IP address, network port, and broadcast distribution mask of the BBMD.

Note: If you also want to learn about the BBMDs contained within the internal table of the BBMD you are adding, check the Import all BBMDs from device checkbox. The BBMDs from that table are added to the registered list (your table).

4. Click OK, then from the BBMD Registration dialog, click Refresh.

Teaching BBMDs

From the BBMD Registration dialog, you may teach other system BBMDs about the existence of your BBMD (including the BBMDs listed in your internal BBMD table).

1. From the BACnet Preferences dialog (shown in previous section) click the BBMD Registration button. The BBMD Registration dialog (shown in previous section) appears.

2. Click the Teach button. A window appears showing the progress of the teach process, before the process completes. The Last Teach Time column in the BBMD Registration dialog will reflect this teach.

Deleting BBMDs

From the BBMD Registration dialog, you may delete one or more BBMDs.

1. From the BACnet Preferences dialog, click the BBMD Registration button. The BBMD Registration dialog appears.

2. Highlight (select) a BBMD entry in the list. 3. Click the Delete button, then click the Refresh button.

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Note: Click the Exit button to dismiss the BBMD Registration dialog.

For important related BBMD information, see also the Details tab and the Foreign Devices tab of the Device editor, which is discussed next. For complete information on BBMDs, please see Introducing BACnet – A Guide for Continuum Users, 30-3001-863.

The Device Editor Once a BACnet device has been saved to the CyberStation SQL database, you can open its Device editor. To do this, right click the Device icon in the Explorer’s navigation pane, and select Open from the dropdown menu. The Device editor opens with the General tab displayed.

Note: When you are editing a BACnet Device object, fields in the editor will be unselectable (grayed-out) for those properties that the BACnet device does not support.

The General Tab The general tab summarizes the network features of the device, most of which are automatically supplied by the system. A few remaining inputs and actions are supplied by the user. A summary of all the features on the tab is described below.

Description Name of the device and its node number.

BACnet Network Number

Specifies the ID of the BACnet IP network


Model Name Displays a model name based on the information it receives via the BACnet protocol.

Device Node ID The node ID number assigned to the device

Device Status Based on the current status of the device, this displays one of the following:

Operational ― indicates the device is working and is ready to receive or transmit data.

DownloadRequired ― indicates the device requires a download of information

NonOperational ― indicates the device is offline or that a fault has been detected.

OperationalReadOnly ― indicates the device is working and ready to transmit data.

DownloadInProgress ― indicates a download is in progress and the device will not be ready to transmit data until the download is complete.

Comm Status CyberStation sets the comm status to OnLine or OffLine depending on whether the workstation is in communication with the device.

Primary Access Server

Check this checkbox to designate this workstation as the primary access server.

Secondary Access Server

Check this checkbox to designate this workstation as the secondary access server.

BACnet MAC Address The Media Access address assigned to the device.

Auto Download Enables a device to auto download schedules to controllers.

Probe Time Set the interval in seconds by which the device checks the comm status of the other connected CX series controllers and CyberStation workstations. When the device does not receive a response from another CX controller or CyberStation within the probe time, it changes their comm status to Offline.

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Probe Type From the dropdown menu, select one of the following.

Note: Probe Type is used only for third-party BACnet devices.

Probe — Probing occurs at the interval specified in Probe Time. The default is 60 seconds. The advantage of this is that CyberStation detects a device going offline regardless of whether or not CyberStation is attempting communications with the device. The disadvantage is excess probe traffic for devices.

ProbeOnDemand — Probing does not occur unless a communications transaction with the target device fails. Once a transaction fails then probing occurs at the interval specified in Probe Time until the device comes back online. The advantage is that additional requests to the controller fail immediately. The disadvantage if that node failure is not detected until a CyberStation application needs to communicate with a controller.

ProbeOff — Probing does not occur. The advantage is that there is never probe traffic to the device. The disadvantage is that each request to the device fails only after the transaction times out.

BACnet Max Master The Max Master property is a value that specifies the highest possible address for master nodes.

Out of Service When checked, hides the selected device. (See Hiding Out-of-Service Devices, earlier in this chapter.)

BACnet Workstation Add check in checkbox to identify a third-party device as a workstation. It will show up as an olive computer icon in the Explorer.

Location Type in the physical location of the device (optional).

Container Type Enter up to 32 characters of text that indicates the container type (workstation).

Serial Number Specifies the controller’s serial number, which is retrieved once the workstation is in communication with the controller and you have used the Teach button to update your network.

Default Folder Specifies the default folder under which the device will appear.

Reinitialize Device When selected, brings up the Reinitialize Device dialog. (See below.)

Teach Invokes the teach mode (see next page)


Reinitializing Andover Continuum BACnet Controllers

Andover Continuum BACnet controllers contain EPROM flash memory that can be upgraded electronically. Whenever a reset is desired or power failure occurs, these controllers can be reinitialized. This can be accomplished as a cold start or a warm start, defined as follows:

• Cold Start — when the controller comes up from a reset and recalls a backup copy of the controller’s original RAM database

• Warm Start — when the controller comes up from a reset and recalls a copy of the controller’s database at the time the reset or power failure occurred.

To reinitialize a controller proceed as follows:

1. Click the Reinitialize Device button (previous page) to bring up the Reinitialize Device dialog:

2. Click the State field’s down-arrow button to open the dropdown menu. 3. Click the desired reinitialize state (Coldstart or Warmstart). 4. Enter your password in the Password field. (Enter password on third-party BACnet

devices only. Andover Continuum BACnet controllers do not require a password.) 5. Click the OK button.

Teach

Click this button to perform a manual "teach". This updates or "teaches" all Infinity controllers (including Andover Continuum BACnet controllers) about this CyberStation device and teaches all Infinity controllers about each other and about all devices.

Note: The Teach feature is implemented on CyberStation devices only. It is not implemented on BACnet devices.

When you click the Teach button, a Select Teach Mode dialog appears:

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Teach supports two modes of operation:

Mode Description

Device Teach Click the Device Teach radio button to teach all Infinity controllers, including b4920/bCX1 (40x0 series) controllers, on the network about the existence and properties of this device.

Global Teach Click the Global Teach radio button to teach everything – to teach each Infinity Controller, and each b4920/bCX1 (40x0 series) controller, about the other Infinity controllers that are on the same network, and to teach all Infinity controllers about all devices.


The Details Tab The Details tab supplies various information about the BACnet device. Two of the most important items on this tab are the Supported Object Types and the Supported Services windows, which list the objects and services that are supported by the device. This tab also allows you to designate this device as a BACnet Broadcast Management Device (BBMD) or register this device as a foreign device with an existing BBMD.

Supported Services Lists the types of BACnet services that are supported by

the device.

Supported Object Types

Lists BACnet objects that are supported by the device.

Vendor Name Displays the name of the vendor who manufactured the device.

Vendor ID Displays the vendor's corporate ID number.

Software Revision Displays the version number of the software application supported by this device.

Firmware Revision Displays the version number of the device’s firmware.

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Protocol Version Displays a number that indicates which specific set of standardized protocol services and object classes this object supports.

Protocol Revision Displays the version number of the firmware innate to the standardized protocol services and object classes this object supports.

Database Revision Displays the version number of the CyberStation database.

Max APDU Length Accepted

Represents the maximum number of octets that may be contained in a single, indivisible application layer protocol data unit.

APDU Retries Displays the maximum number of times that an APDU (application protocol data unit) shall be retransmitted. The default value is 3. If you have access permission, you may change the number in this field.

APDU Timeout Displays the amount of time in milliseconds between retransmission of an APDU requiring acknowledgment for which no acknowledgment has been received.

The default value is 60,000 milliseconds. If you have access permission, you may change the number in this field.

Max Info Frames Specifies the maximum number of information frames that may be sent before the device must pass the token. The field is selectable (writable) if this device is a node on an MS/TP network. If it is not writable or otherwise user-configurable, its value shall be 1.

Segmentation Support Indicates whether or not this device supports segmentation of messages, and if so whether it supports segmented transmission, reception, or both. The possible values are listed below:

Segmented Both – Supports both segmented transmission and reception.

Segmented Received – Supports only segmented reception.

SegmentedTransmit – Supports only segmented transmission.

NoSegmentation – Does not support segmentation.


Segment Timeout Displays the amount of time in milliseconds between retransmission of an ADPU segment. The default value is 2000 milliseconds.

In order to achieve reliable communication, all intercommunicating devices should have the same Segment timeout value.

If you have access permission, you may change the number in this field.

Max Segments Accepted

Displays an integer that represents the maximum number of message segments allowed.

Max # of Async Requests

Note: This attribute is used only for third-party BACnet devices.

This attribute specifies how many concurrent requests will be sent to the device. You may either:

Accept the default (1). This is non-concurrent.

Enter another integer that specifies the maximum number of concurrent requests that the Pinpoint graphics application can send to this device to update the values of points and objects attached to graphic controls inside an open Pinpoint graphics file.

Accepting 1, the default — Accepting 1, the default, means that the requests (or the "polling" of point/object values) occur one request at a time. When you accept 1, the request interval (time between requests) must also be set. (See Request Interval, below.)

Note: For the least impact on network performance, the default is recommended. This avoids heavy polling traffic.

Changing the Default Value — When you enter an integer of 2 or higher, Pinpoint polls the device in multiple, concurrent read-property requests. Use this feature if you believe the Pinpoint data-value updates are too slow.

Concurrent polling works best for devices attached to an Ethernet network. It is not recommended for devices attached to a field-bus network, such as MS/TP.

Note: The Request Interval field (see below) is not selectable if you enter a value of 2 or higher. The Request Interval field is used only for sequential (non-concurrent) data polling (when the value is 1).

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Request Interval Note: This attribute is used only for third-party BACnet devices.

This field can be set only when the Max # of Async Requests is set to 1 (the default).

The request interval is the number of milliseconds that elapse between two sequential (non-concurrent) data-value requests. (The Pinpoint graphics application sends requests to this device to update the values of points and objects attached to graphic controls inside an open Pinpoint graphics file.

See also Max # of Async Requests, above.)

You may either:

Accept the default value (500 milliseconds).

Enter another value, in milliseconds.

Note: For best performance, the default (500 milliseconds) is recommended.


BACnet Broadcast Management Device

Check this checkbox if the device is a BACnet Broadcast Management Device (BBMD). A BBMD facilitates the delivery of broadcast messages among BACnet devices located on different TCP/IP subnetworks.

Note: As of this version, a workstation and a bCX1 40x0 controller can be designated a BBMD.

By default, this checkbox is not checked. When it is not checked, you may register this device (as a foreign device) with an existing BBMD.

Enter values in the fields of the Foreign Device Registration section, located beneath the checkbox. These fields are described below.

A foreign device is a BACnet device that has an IP subnet address different than other BACnet devices with which it must share broadcast communication.

When you check it, the Device editor also displays a Foreign Devices tab, which lists foreign devices that are registered — all the ones that the BBMD knows about. The Foreign Devices tab is described later in this chapter. (Each BBMD has an internal table of foreign devices, as well as an internal table of other BBMDs.)

Note: See also Registering a BACnet Broadcast Management Device (BBMD), earlier in this chapter.. The BBMD Registration feature allows you to maintain a registered list of other BBMDs (the internal table of BBMDs).

For complete information on BBMDs, please see Introducing BACnet - A Guide for Continuum Users, 30-3001-863.

Foreign Device Registration

BBMD IP Address Enter the IP address of the BBMD with which you want to register this device as a foreign device. This field defaults to 0.

BBMD Port Enter the BACnet network port (hexadecimal integer) of the BBMD with which you want to register this device as a foreign device. This field defaults to 0xBAC0.

Time to Live Enter the number of seconds that a foreign device registration is active that is, how long it remains registered in the table of foreign devices of the BBMD. If no re-registration occurs before the time expires, the foreign device is purged from the table when the time expires.

The default is 300 seconds (5 minutes).

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Note: For complete information on all BACnet properties, please see ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135-2004: BACnet A Data Communication Protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks.

The Backup/Restore Tab Using the Backup/Restore tab, you can automatically back up configuration information from this BACnet device to your database, as well as automatically restore it from the database to this device. The configuration information resides in a special configuration file, which is stored as an object — the BACnet class object, File. (See Chapter 21.) You can also archive it locally in a text file (ASCII dump file.)

The backup selections on this tab — see also the editor attributes table below — allow you to:

• Back up configuration information (stored in a special File object called ACCConfiguration) for this BACnet controller and save it to your CyberStation database. Note: You can also perform this operation for one or more devices via the right-click

container popup menu in Continuum Explorer's navigation pane. Please see Backing Up a Device's Configuration in Chapter 21.


• Back up configuration information for this controller from the database and archive it into a text (ASCII dump) file.

• Simultaneously back up this controller's configuration information to the database and copy (archive) it to a text (ASCII dump) file. The restore selections on this tab — see also the editor attributes table below — allow you to:

• Restore configuration information from your database to this BACnet controller. Note: You can also perform this operation for one or more devices via the right-click

container popup menu in Continuum Explorer's navigation pane. Please see Restoring a Device's Configuration in Chapter 21.

• Restore archived configuration information (contained in a text ASCII-dump file) to your database.

• Simultaneously restore the archived configuration information (contained in a text ASCII-dump file) to your database and to this controller.

The File object — When a backup operation is performed for a BACnet device, a File object (a BACnet class object) is created. This object, which is stored in the File object class folder residing in its respective BACnet controller, is named ACCConfiguration and it contains configuration information for that controller — all the configuration settings for objects in the controller.

For more information please see Chapter 21, Managing Configuration Files.

Backup To Database Time Displays the last date/time the configuration information was backed up from the controller to the database.

Backup Failure Timeout Enter the time to allow a backup to complete before a backup operation ends due to a timeout.

Last Restore To Device Time

Displays the date/time the configuration information was last restored to the controller.

Last Restored Archive File Displays the path of the last archive (.dmp) file to be restored.

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Backup Select one of the radio buttons to perform a backup operation, as follows:

To Database — Back up the content of the ACCConfiguration file from this controller and save it to your database.

Database To Archive — Back up the saved configuration in your database from the database to an archived (ASCII .dmp) file. In the Archive File Name field, click the browse button, search for, and select the file into which you want to archive the information.

To Database and Copy to Archive — Perform both backup operations. That is, back up ACCConfiguration from this controller to the database and archive it to an ASCII .dmp file. In the Archive File Name field, click the browse button, search for, and select the file into which you want to archive the information.

When you have selected the operation you want and (if needed) have selected an archive file, click the Backup button to execute the backup operation. For Andover Continuum BACnet controllers, the Distribution Properties dialog appears, showing progress messages about the status of the backup operations.

For some third-party BACnet controllers, you are first prompted to enter a password. If the password is accepted, the operation begins.

Restore Select one of the radio buttons to perform a restore operation, as follows:

From Database — Restore the content of the ACCConfiguration file from your database to this controller.

From Archive to Database — Back up the content of an archive file to the database. In the Archive File Name field, click the browse button, search for, and select the file whose configuration information you want to restore to the database.

From Archive To Database and Device — Back up the content of the archive file to the database and to the controller. In the Archive File Name field, click the browse button, search for, and select the file from which you want to restore to both the database and controller.

Configuration Files In Archive — This window lists one or more ACCConfiguration file images contained within the particular archive (.dmp) file that you have


selected. It helps you identify whether or not this is the correct archive file that you want to restore.

Archive Backup Time — When you select the archive (.dmp) file that you want to restore, this field displays the last time that the information in this archive file was backed up from the controller to the database. This timestamp helps determine whether or not this is the archive file that you want to restore.

Note: You may use the restore operations on this tab to restore archive-file information to one or more controllers. To do so, access the Device editor for every controller to which you want to restore the archived information.

When you have selected the operation you want and (if needed) have selected an archive file, click the Restore button to execute the restore operation. For Andover Continuum BACnet controllers, the Distribution Properties dialog appears, showing progress messages about the status of the restore operations.

For some third-party BACnet controllers, you are first prompted to enter a password. If the password is accepted, the operation begins.

The Known Devices Tab The Known Devices tab lists the BACnet devices that exist on the network that can be monitored by this device. Entries in the list identify the actual device addresses that are used when the device is accessed via a BACnet service request.

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Device Displays the path of the device.

BACnetNetworkNumber Specifies the ID of the BACnet network.

BACnetMacAddress The Media Access address assigned to the device.

The Foreign Devices Tab If this device is designated as a BACnet Broadcast Management Device (BBMD), then this Foreign Devices tab appears in the Device editor:

This tab lists all the foreign devices contained in the BBMD's internal foreign device table. A foreign device is a BACnet device that has an IP subnet address different from those comprising the BACnet/IP network. Foreign devices are registered with a BBMD. This registration makes it possible for the BBMD to facilitate the delivery of broadcast messages among registered BACnet devices located on different system subnetworks.

Note: The BACnet Broadcast Management Device checkbox on the Details tab must be checked for the Foreign Devices tab to appear.

For more information on BBMDs, please see Introducing BACnet – A Guide for Continuum Users, 30-3001-863.

For each foreign device listed, this tab displays the following information. The values in this tab reflect the properties of subscriptions of foreign devices registered with CyberStation.

• IP Address — The IP address of the BBMD with which you want to register this device as a foreign device. This is specified in the Details tab.

• Port — The BACnet network port (hexadecimal integer) of the BBMD with which you want to register this device as a foreign device. This is specified in the Details tab.


• Time To Live — The total number of seconds that a foreign device registration inactive – that is, how long it will be registered in the table of foreign devices of the BBMD. If no re-registration occurs before the time expires, the foreign device is purged from the table when the time expires. This is specified in the Details tab.

• Time Remaining — The number of remaining seconds that a foreign device will be registered in the table of foreign devices. If the foreign device is not re-registered before this time expires, then it is purged from the table when the time expires.

The Time Tab The Time tab is where you synchronize the BACnet device time and date to the systems local time and date:

Local Time Enter the local time – hour: minutes: seconds AM or PM

UTC Offset Enter the Universal Time Coordinate (UTC) offset in minutes. This is the difference in minutes between your local time and Greenwich Mean Time.

Note: When entering this number, use the opposite sign (negative or positive) from what you actually want the system to write. For example, if you are 300 minutes (5 hours) ahead of GMT, enter: -300 If you are -240 minutes (4 hours) behind GMT, enter: 240

Local Date Enter the date – month/ day/ year.

Daylight Savings Check if daylight savings time is in effect.

Synchronize to Local Time and Date

Use the BACnetDevice window to locate the new BACnet device. (See below.)

To synchronize the new BACnet device with the system’s local time and date: 1. Scroll through the BACnetDevice window to locate the new BACnet device.

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2. Click the device to highlight it. 3. Click the Add button. 4. Click the Sync Time button. Note: To remove a BACnet device’s local time and date from the system, perform steps

1 and 2 (above), and the click the Delete button.

The Alarms Summary Tab This tab provides an alarm summary from the BACnet device each time the Refresh button is selected:

Event Object Displays the event object that caused the alarm.

Alarm State Displays the state of the alarm.

Acked Transitions Displays one of three alarm acknowledgement transition events:

ToOffnormal

ToFault

ToNormal

These are cleared upon the occurrence of the corresponding event and set under any of these conditions:


Upon receipt of the corresponding acknowledgment

Upon the occurrence of the event if the corresponding flag is not set (meaning event notifications will not be generated for this condition and thus no acknowledgment is expected)

Upon the occurrence of the event if the corresponding flag is set (meaning no acknowledgment is expected)

The Preferences Tab Note: The Preferences tab is only applicable to CyberStation workstations. It is not

supported for Andover Continuum b3, b4920, and bCX1 (40x0 series) devices or for third-party BACnet devices.

This tab presents settings that you set by typing in values, selecting the location of files and file paths from dropdown menus, or selecting true or false conditions.

Setting Description Value

1 Command Prompt in the Command Line application

Command prompt for the CyberStation command line application.

2 The location of the badge format files Select files from the browse dialog.

3 The default badge format Type in the format.

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4 Default Report Viewer Type in the report viewer file (notepad.exe, and so on)

5 Increment Report File Select True or False

6 Maximum entries in the Alarm Viewer Type in the number.

7 Maximum entries in the Access Event Viewer Type in the number.

8 The location of the Plain English Wizard files Type in the file path.

9 Path to the Alarm Printer Type in the file path.

10 Suppress form feeds when printing alarms Select True or False.

11 Use preset image cropping Select True or False.

12 thru 14

Alarm, Return to Normal and Fault Email Format file path for each item

Use the Open dialog to select the file path.

15 thru 17

Acknowledge File Path for each item Use the Open dialog to check the path.

18 The file name of main menu Use the Open dialog to check the path.

19 Enables and disables the immediate distribution of personnel records from this workstation to controllers on the local area network (LAN).

True (enabled) is the default. When this feature is enabled, the workstation inspects the status of the database, and if there are pending distribution-event transactions, it performs the distributions.

Note: This preference should be set only by a system administrator.

When to disable this preference — Typically, you would set this preference to False if the workstation is running a lot of applications, such as graphics.

If there are several workstations at this site, disabling it on the web server may result in better performance. It also gives you the choice of turning it off for a workstation that is shut down at the end of a day.

When to enable this preference — Typically, you would set this preference to True for workstations that are dedicated servers (running 24 hours per day and seven days per week, typically in a back

Select True or False.



room) and for other workstations based on the number of distributions and throughput. The more workstations that are distributing, the faster the distribution occurs.

For related information, please see Chapter 20, which describes the Access Distribution View.

20 Enables and disables the immediate distribution of personnel records from this workstation to controllers on remote access services (RAS) networks.

True (enabled) is the default.

When this feature is enabled, the workstation inspects the status of the database, and if there are pending access distributions, it performs the distributions.


The guidelines for disabling and enabling this preference (given in setting 19) also apply to setting 20. Please see setting 19, above.

For related information, please see Chapter 20, which describes the Access Distribution View.


21 Enables and disables the downloading of extended log data from the controllers on the local area network (LAN) to this workstation.

TRUE (enabled) is the default.


When to disable this preference — Typically, you would set this preference to FALSE if the workstation is running a lot of applications, such as graphics. If there are several workstations at this site, disabling it on the web server may result in better performance. It also gives you the choice of turning it off for a workstation that is shut down at the end of a day.

When to enable this preference — Typically, you would set this preference to TRUE for workstations that are dedicated servers (running 24 hours per day and seven days per week, typically in a back room) and for other


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workstations based on the number of amount of downloading and throughput.

For more extended log preference settings, please see the description of the General Preferences dialog in Chapter 13.

22 Enables and disables the downloading of extended log data from the controllers on a remote access services (RAS) network to this workstation.

TRUE (enabled) is the default.


The guidelines for disabling and enabling this preference (given in setting 21) also apply to setting 22. Please see setting 21, above.

For more extended log preference settings, please see the description of the General Preferences dialog in Chapter 13.


23 Establishes the data-refresh rate for an active graphic in the web.Client Pinpoint graphics application.

Note: Graphics objects are created in CyberStation, in Pinpoint “design” mode. You may not create, design, or modify graphics objects in web.Client. However, in web.Client you may open a graphic panel, monitor its values and, in “run” mode, dynamically adjusting those values. (See the web.Client online help.)

Enter the rate (in seconds) at which you want to poll values in web.Client Pinpoint graphics continuously and automatically. When web.Client graphics are in use, they are automatically refreshed at this rate. The default is 5 seconds.

Type in the number of seconds or accept the default.



24 This setting is used by the CyberStation Pinpoint graphics application.

Enter a rate (in milliseconds) at which you want to poll graphics panel values in real time and refresh the canvas in a Pinpoint graphics object, when the application is active (selected in the foreground on a PC). The range of acceptable values is 20 ms to 32000 ms (32 seconds). The default is 20. Setting a value outside this range generates an error message.

Tips: Using the default or another low number means that graphics are constantly refreshed. However, some processors may become sluggish if they are less able to handle such a rapid rate. In this case, you would want to use a higher number, such as 250 or 500 ms, to stabilize performance.

Enter the rate in milliseconds.

25 This setting is used by the CyberStation Pinpoint graphics application.

Enter a rate (in milliseconds) at which you want to poll graphics panel values and refresh the canvas in a Pinpoint graphics object, when the application is inactive (not selected in the foreground on a PC). The range of acceptable values is 20 ms to 32000 ms (32 seconds). The default is 20. Setting a value outside this range generates an error message.

For some usage tips, see the note in setting 24, above.

Enter the rate in milliseconds.

26 Use Personnel Manager.

True is the default selection, indicating that the Personnel Manager, a powerful and easy-to-use tool for creating, editing, and managing Personnel objects is the editor for Personnel objects at this workstation. Select False if you want to use the Personnel editor, a dialog similar to other CyberStation editors.


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Security Level Tab The access permissions configured in a security level allow you to customize (deny)access to individual CyberStation objects.

Security levels are actual CyberStation objects (Security Level objects) configured via the Security Level editor.

A security level can deny access to a CyberStation object editor on a page-by-page basis using object-level security. Object-level security is a way to deny user groups the ability to create, delete, or change individual CyberStation objects. Every object editor in CyberStation has a Security Level tab that displays a list of all existing security level objects. Selecting a security level object here attaches that security level to the object being edited.

To attach a security level to this point, locate the security level in the Name column and click the radio button next to it. To detach a security level from this point, locate the security level in the Name column and double-click the radio button to remove the black dot it contains. Or you can right click the security level in the Name column to bring up a popup menu. Click Clear Selection in the popup menu.

Refer to Chapter 4 for information on the attaching security levels to a BACnet device.

The Next Step

Once you are finished with the BACnet Device editor, you can begin to configure alarms for your BACnet devices.


Configuring BACnet Alarms Configuring alarms for BACnet devices deviates somewhat from the standard CyberStation alarm configuring procedure described in detail in Chapter 10. Basically, to configure a standard CyberStation alarm you:

• Create the EventNotification object(s) • Create the AlarmEnrollment object(s) associated with the EventNotification object • Attach AlarmEnrollment objects to the point to be monitored However for configuring BACnet devices the BACnet object class, EventEnrollment, replaces the AlarmEnrollment object.

The EventEnrollment Object The EventEnrollment object is required for BACnet systems. It defines a standardized object that represents and contains the information required for managing events within BACnet systems. An EventEnrollment defines criteria that, when applied to the attached object, will generate an event and transmit an event message to recipients defined by the attached EventNotification. The EventEnrollment object contains the event-type description, the parameters needed to determine if the event has occurred, and a link to an EventNotification object and the object to which the event applies. You use the EventEnrollment editor to access and edit EventEnrollment objects.

Creating The EventEnrollment Object

To create an EventEnrollment object, perform the following procedure:

1. In the Explorer’s navigation pane, right click the icon of the device to which you want to add an EventEnrollment. Note: For Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers, right

click its InfinityController or InfinityInfinetController object icon, respectively, in the upper Infinity portion of the navigation tree. For third-party devices, right click its Device object icon in the BACnet portion of the navigation tree. You cannot create an EventEnrollment for a b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), or b3 controller via its BACnet Device object.

2. From the New dialog, select EventEnrollment: 3. When the New dialog appears, enter a name for the EventEnrollment object in the

Object name field. 4. Click the Create button to create the object and bring up the EventEnrollment editor.

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Using the EventEnrollment Editor The EventEnrollment editor contains four tabs that you use to define the event object. In doing this you will make decisions based on the following questions:

Which property will trigger this event?

You’ll answer this question by selecting an Event Property on the General tab. Most of the time alarms are set up to monitor the value event.

Who will be notified of this alarm?

You’ll answer this question by making selections in the EventNotification and Recipient dropdown menus on the General tab. EventNotification objects determine, among other things, which workstations receive notification, and which methods are used for notification. (Refer to About EventNotification Objects in Chapter 10.)

What Algorithm will this event use?

You’ll answer this question by selecting an algorithm and providing its parameters on the Algorithms tab. An algorithm is a set of rules by which an alarm is evaluated. The type of algorithm is determined by the Event Type selection you make on the General tab.

What will operators see and hear when this alarm goes off?

You’ll answer this question by writing text messages and selecting audio files for each event state. The text messages you write appear in the Active Alarm View, alarm status bar, alarm log, emails, pages, and printer output. (Refer to Active Alarm View in Chapter 10.)


The EventEnrollment General Tab

The General tab is where you enter basic information about the event.

Description Type a description of the EventEnrollment object. It can be up to

32 characters (including spaces) in length.

Event Notification Browse for an EventNotification object. This will insert the correct path and object name into the Event Notification field.

Object Browse for the applicable event object.

Event Property Browse the BACnet properties listing in the dropdown menu, and select a property. The list includes all of the properties for all of the BACnet objects. Except for the TrendLog object, Andover Continuum only supports the Value property. For a TrendLog object, the Event Property may also be LogBuffer.

Send When checked, each Send option causes the event to be displayed in the Active Alarm View and all recipients on the notification list when the associated point changes to that status.

The Alarm option reports the alarm when the point goes into an alarm (OffNormal) state.

The Return to Normal option reports the alarm when the point returns to normal.

The Fault option reports the alarm when a BACnet device local to the point detects and reports a mechanical fault.

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Event Type The selection you make here determines what fields display on the Algorithms tab of this editor.

The choices of BACnet event types are:

Change of Bitstring

Change of State

Change of Value

Command Failure

Floating Limit

Out of Range

Buffer Ready (for TrendLogs – Chapter 17)

Note: The Change of Bitstring and Command Failure algorithms are selectable for third-party BACnet devices only. They are not available for Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 BACnet devices.

When you attach a TrendLog as an object, Buffer Ready is always displayed in this field, and LogBuffer is always displayed in the Event Property field. (Please see a related procedure in Chapter 17, Configuring TrendLogs, for configuring algorithmic notifications for TrendLogs.)

Notification Type From the dropdown menu, select a notification type. The notification type specifies whether the notification message becomes an alarm message, an event message, or a message of event acknowledgement.

AlmNotification – Defines the event as type alarm, appearing in the Active Alarm View when the event occurs.

EvtNotification – Defines the event as type event, appearing in Active Alarm View when the event occurs.

Acks – Defines the event as type ack-notification, appearing in the Active Alarm View when the event occurs.

*Recipient Select workstation to receive the alarm from the browse dialog.

*Process Id Identifies the process in the receiving device for which notification is intended.

*Priority Property of type Unsigned that convey the priority to be used when issuing event notifications in the case when a Notification Class object is not used. The purpose of prioritization is to provide a means to ensure that alarms or event notifications with critical time considerations are not unnecessarily delayed. The possible range of priorities is 0 - 255. A lower number indicates a higher priority.


*Confirmed Notification

Property of type BOOLEAN, shall convey whether confirmed (TRUE) or unconfirmed (FALSE) event notifications shall be issued when a Notification Class object is not used.

*Only applicable to third party devices. Grayed out for all Andover Continuum devices.

The EventEnrollment Algorithms Tab

The Algorithms tab is where you set the parameters for the algorithm that will be used to evaluate the event. The appearance of this tab is determined by the Event Type selection that was made on the General tab.

Time Delay Time Delay appears on the Algorithms tab for all of the Event Type

selections, except Buffer Ready. (See the General tab.)

Type the number of seconds in the Time Delay field you want to postpone evaluating the alarm.

For example, you may decide that the point value can exceed or fall below its alarm boundaries for 30 seconds before the alarm goes off. If at the end of the 30 seconds, the object is in alarm, the alarm goes off regardless of its state during the 30-second delay.

Using time delays cuts down on the number of active alarms and reduces both system traffic and operator responsibility by filtering out some nuisance alarms.

Algorithm Parameters

The other fields that appear on the Algorithms tab differ according to the Event Type selected on the General tab. The above figure reflects an Out of Range Event Type selection. The algorithm parameters that you set for each of the event types are described on the following pages.

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Algorithm Parameters for an Out of Range Event

When you select Out of Range from the Event Type on the General tab, the fields shown below appear on the Algorithms tab:

High and Low Limits

The high and low limits simply establish boundaries for the point value. When the point value either exceeds the high limit or falls below the low limit, the alarm goes off.

To enter these limits, type them into the fields.

Dead Band Value

The dead band value establishes a range, known as a dead band, within the high and low limits. This range is used to define a subset of acceptable or normal values.

The dead band value that you supply is subtracted from the high limit and added to the low limit. The resulting values form the high and low ends of the range of normal values.

To enter a dead band value, type it into the Deadband field.

The following figure shows a range of normal values formed by a dead band value of 1. The low and high limits are 45 and 74, respectively. The normal range is 46 to 73, because 45 + 1 = 46, and 74 - 1 = 73:

Note that the dead band value is optional. If you leave this value at 0, then all values between the high and low limits are considered normal. When the associated point attribute exceeds or falls below the normal range, its Event State attribute changes to High Limit or Low Limit, respectively.


Algorithm Parameters for a Change of Bitstring Event

When you select Change of Bitstring from the Event Type on the General tab, the Algorithms tab appears, as shown below.

A change of bitstring occurs when:

• The value of the referenced property becomes equal to one of the values contained in the Bitstring Values list, after applying the Bitmask.

• That value remains equal for the duration of seconds displayed in the Time Delay field.

The change of bitstring generates a ToOffnormal transition, and an event notification is sent.

A change of bitstring clears (transitions ToNormal) when: • The value of the referenced event property is no longer equal to one of the values

contained in the Bitstring Values list, after applying the Bitmask. • That value remains not equal for the duration of seconds in the Time Delay field. Time Delay Time Delay appears on the Algorithms tab for each of the choices of

Event Type on the General tab.




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Bitmask This field represents a bitmask that is used to indicate which bits in the referenced property are to be monitored by the algorithm.

A value of 1 in a bit position indicates that the bit in this position in the referenced property is to be monitored by the algorithm.

A value of 0 in a bit position indicates that the bit in this position in the referenced property is not significant for the purpose of detecting this change of bitstring.

Bitstring Values

This is list of bitstrings that apply to this event algorithm. This list of bitstrings defines the set of states for which the referenced property is OffNormal. Only the bits indicated by the Bitmask are significant.

If the value of the referenced property changes to one of the values in this bitstring list, then the referenced property of this EventEnrollment object makes a ToOffnormal transition, and appropriate notifications are sent.

Algorithm Parameters for a Change of State Event

This algorithm detects changes of state in a specific event object. When you select Change of State from the Event Type on the General tab, the Algorithms tab appears, as shown below:


A change of state occurs when:

• The value of the referenced property becomes equal to one of the values contained in list of values in the Alarm On field.

• That value remains equal for the duration of seconds displayed in the Time Delay field.

This type of event may only be applied to a property that has discrete or enumerated values, including Boolean.

The change of state generates a ToOffnormal transition, and an event notification is sent.

A change of state clears (transitions ToNormal) when:

• The value of the referenced property is no longer equal to one of the values in the list • That value remains not equal for the duration of seconds in the Time Delay field. Time Delay Time Delay appears on the Algorithms tab for each of the choices of



For example, you may decide that the point value can exceed or fall below its alarm boundaries for 30 seconds before the alarm goes off. If at the end of the 30 seconds, the object is in alarm, the alarm goes off regardless of its state during the 30-second delay.


Alarm On This is a list of values that apply to the referenced property. The types of values here may only be discrete or enumerated values, including Boolean.

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Algorithm Parameters for a Change of Value Event

When you select Change of Value from the Event Type scroll box on the General tab page the Algorithms tab page will appear as shown below.

A change of value always generates a ToNormal transition and occurs when:

• The absolute value of the referenced property changes by an amount equal to or greater than the value displayed in the Reference Property Increment field.

• That amount remains equal to or greater than this value for the duration of seconds displayed in the Time Delay field.

If the referenced property is a bitstring data type, then the change of value occurs when: • Any of the bits defined in the Bitmask field changes state. • The bits remain changed for the duration of seconds in the Time Delay field. Time Delay Time Delay appears on the Algorithms tab for each of the choices of





Bitstring Check this checkbox if the referenced property is a bitstring. When you check this checkbox, the Bitmask field becomes selectable, and the Reference Property Increment field becomes non-selectable.

Reference This is the increment by which the referenced property must change in


Property Increment

order for the event to occur.

Bitmask This field represents a bitmask that is used to indicate which bits in the referenced property are to be monitored by the algorithm.

A value of 1 in a bit position indicates that the bit in this position in the referenced property is to be monitored by the algorithm.

A value of 0 in a bit position indicates that the bit in this position in the referenced property is not significant for the purpose of detecting this change of bitstring.

Algorithm Parameters for a Command Failure Event

When you select Command Failure from the Event Type on the General tab, the Algorithms tab appears, as shown below.

A command failure occurs when the value of the referenced property differs from the value of the attribute specified in the Feedback Reference section, for the duration of seconds displayed in the Time Delay field.

This algorithm may be used, for example, to verify that a process change has occurred after writing to a property.

This type of event shall only be applied to a property that has a discrete value.

The command failure generates a ToOffnormal transition, and an event notification is sent.

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A command failure clears (transitions ToNormal) when the value of the referenced property becomes equal to the value of the attribute specified in the Feedback Reference section, for the duration of seconds in the Time Delay field.

Time Delay Time Delay appears on the Algorithms tab for each of the choices of Event Type on the General tab.




Feedback Reference

This is used to select an attribute of an object with which the attribute of this EventEnrollment will be associated.

Object Displays the name of the object, whose value is being compared to the value of the attribute that is selected in the Attribute field.

Attribute From the dropdown menu, select a Feedback Reference attribute, whose value is to be compared with the value of the referenced property of the attached object.

Algorithm Parameters for a Floating Limit Event

The Floating Limit Algorithm tests to see if the alarmed attribute deviates from a range of values. A setpoint reference, high and low differential limits, and a dead band determine this range of values. This is known as a floating limit because the range of values is determined by the current value of the setpoint.

How Do Floating Limit Algorithms Work?

A Floating Limit algorithm causes the associated point to report changes in the alarmed attributes value using the examples discussed below.

Example of High Diff Limit Floating Limit

Equation Alarm states are reported when:

attribute value > set point reference value + High Diff Limit for Time Delay seconds


Assumptions • Selected Alarmed Attribute = Value • Point associated with this EventEnrollment object = AnalogInput named RoomTemp1 • Current set point = 70 • High Diff Limit = 4 • Low Diff Limit = 25 Discussion

For example, suppose the value for RoomTemp1 changes from 72 to 75. This change would result in an alarm state, because the following floating limit equation results in TRUE:

attribute value > set point reference value + High Diff Limit

OR

75 > 70 + 4

Diagram This diagram shows how a Floating Limit algorithm detects an alarm state.

Example of Low Diff Limit Floating Limit


attribute value < set point reference value - Low Diff Limit for Time Delay seconds

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Assumptions • Selected Alarmed Attribute = Value • Point associated with this EventEnrollment object = AnalogInput named RoomTemp1 • Current set point = 70 • High Diff Limit = 4 • Low Diff Limit = 25 Discussion

Now suppose the value for RoomTemp1 changes to 44. This change would also result in an alarm state because the following floating limit equation also results in TRUE:

attribute value < set point reference value - Low Diff Limit

OR

44 < 70 - 25

Diagram Same as above.

Example of Floating Limit Using the Deadband


attribute value > (set point reference value - Low Diff Limit) + dead band value for Time Delay seconds

Assumptions • Selected Alarmed Attribute = Value • Point associated with this EventEnrollment object = AnalogInput named RoomTemp1 • Current set point = 70 • High Diff Limit = 4 • Low Diff Limit = 20 • Deadband = 1 Discussion

For example, suppose the value for RoomTemp1 changes from 75 to 72. This change would result in a normal state, because the following floating limit equations result in TRUE:

attribute value < (set point reference value + High Diff Limit) - dead band value

OR

72 < 70 + 4 – 1

and

attribute value > set point reference value - Low Diff Limit + dead band value

OR


72 > 70 - 20 + 1

Diagram

When you select Floating Limit from the Event Type on the General tab, the Algorithms tab appears, as shown below.

Time Delay Time Delay appears on the Algorithms tab for each of the choices of





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High Diff Limit

This field establishes the value amount that is allowed above the high limit of the acceptable range of values (deadband). This "diff" amount is added to the value of the Setpoint Reference attribute.

The reference property value is then compared with the attribute value to determine if a floating high-limit event has occurred.

Low Diff Limit This field establishes the value amount that is allowed below the low limit of the acceptable range of values (deadband).

This "diff" amount is subtracted from the value of the Setpoint Reference attribute. The reference property value is then compared with the attribute value to determine if a floating low-limit event has occurred.

Deadband The value in the Deadband field establishes a range, known as deadband, within the high and low limits. This range defines a subset of acceptable, normal values.

The deadband value that you supply is subtracted from the high limit and added to the low limit. The resulting values form the high and low ends of the range of normal values. Enter a value in the Deadband field.

Object Search for and select a Setpoint Reference object, whose attribute value you want to compare with the value of the referenced property.

Attribute Select an attribute of the selected Setpoint Reference object. This value is compared with the value of the referenced property. Value is the default.

To use a Floating Limit algorithm: 1. Type in the High Diff and Low Diff differential limits. 2. Type in a Deadband value (optional). 3. Next, select a Setpoint Reference.

4. Click the button in the Object field. The Browse dialog appears. 5. In the Browse dialog, click the object you want to highlight it. 6. Click the Select button in the Browse dialog, and the correct path and object name

will be inserted into the Object field. 7. Finally, select an attribute from the Attribute dropdown menu.

Buffer Ready

The Buffer Ready type is used only when you have attached a TrendLog object in the Object field of the General tab. In this case, this EventEnrollment algorithm accommodates workstation recipients who need to be notified when new records are added to a TrendLog object, so that the records can get downloaded to each workstation's database. (Please also see a related procedure, in Chapter 17, Configuring TrendLogs, for configuring algorithmic notifications for a TrendLog.)


The Current State Tab

The Current State tab is a read-only page that indicates the present (current) state of the EventEnrollment object.

Event State Indicates the current state of the event.

Last Time Stamp

Indicates the times of the last event notifications for the three listed conditions.

To OffNormal Indicates the last time that the event transitioned to the OffNormal state.

To Normal Indicates the last time that the event transitioned to the Normal state.

To Fault Indicates the last time that the event transitioned to the Fault state.

The Security Level Tab

See Chapter 4 for details regarding the attachment of security levels to a BACnet device.

The Next Step

Once you are finished configuring alarms for your BACnet devices, you will need to consider the assignment of BACnet command priorities to certain object properties and the creation of objects with BACnet object editors.

Using Templates for EventEnrollment and EventNotification Objects

It is recommended that you use CyberStation templates to create EventEnrollment and EventNotification objects that share similar information. At large sites, configuration of EventEnrollments and EventNotifications can be a very big job. Templates save a lot of time and effort. Please see Chapter 12, as well as help topics for templates in the CyberStation online help system.

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Command Prioritization In a building control system, an object may be manipulated by any number of different applications. Each such application program has a well-defined function it needs to perform. When the actions of two or more application programs conflict with regard to the value of an object’s property, a decision process must be implemented to determine which application has priority.

Commandable Properties In a BACnet system, a prioritization scheme is used to assign varying levels of priorities to object properties (referred to as “commandable properties”). At present, the objects that have commandable properties are:

Object Commandable Property

Analog Output Present_Value

Binary Output Present_Value

Multi-state Output Present_Value

Analog Value Present_Value

Binary Value Present_Value

Multi-State Value Present_Value

Each of these objects is responsible for acting upon its commandable property in accordance with a command priority list.

Application Priority Assignments Command priorities are assigned priority levels from 1 (highest) to 16 (lowest). The standard command priority array list from the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135-2004 is shown below.

Priority Level Application Priority Level Application

1 Manual-Life Safety 9 Available

2 Automatic-Life Safety 10 Available

3 Available 11 Available


5 Critical Equipment Control

13 Available

6 Minimum On/Off 14 Available


8 Manual Operator 16 Available


For interoperability between BACnet systems, it is necessary that all BACnet devices implement the same priority scheme. In CyberStation, this requirement is implemented by incorporating the 16 priorities in the BACnet Preferences dialog.

The standard command priority list is reflected in a dropdown menu on the Value column of the CyberStation BACnet Preferences dialog:

The seven applications that require BACnet command priority level assignments are:

• CyberStation programs • Command Line • Editor • ListView • web.Client • Other • Pinpoint

To assign BACnet command priorities to these applications:

1. Right click the Continuum icon in the window task bar (tool tray). 2. Select BACnet Preferences from the popup menu. 3. Scroll down to setting 4 – BACnet Command Priority for CyberStation Programs. 4. Click the entry in the Value column to open the priority list scroll box. 5. Scroll to the desired priority and click it. 6. For settings 5 through 10, repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining BACnet

command priorities.

CAUTION

The assignment of BACnet command priorities described in the following steps should only be accomplished by the system administrator.

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BACnet Defined Objects In Infinity, there are two types of points:

Hardware-Defined

InfinityInput Connections to an Infinity input device

InfinityOutput Connections to an Infinity output device

Software-Defined

InfinityDateTime Storage location where the current system time and date are available

InfinityNumeric Storage location where numeric (number) information is stored

InfinityString Storage location where ASCII text characters are stored

Note: Refer to Chapter 13 for a discussion of each of the above points.

BACnet devices support ASHRAE Standard 135-2004, which means that they support these corresponding object classes:

BACnet Defined

AnalogInput BinaryInput MultistateInput

AnalogOutput BinaryOutput MultistateOutput

AnalogValue BinaryValue MultistateValue

Mapping Infinity Points to BACnet Objects In order to provide compatibility with Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers, mapping between Infinity points and BACnet objects is necessary, as shown in the following table:

Infinity Point Values Maps to BACnet

Voltage, Current, Temperature AnalogInput

Digital BinaryInput

InfinityInput

Counter, supervised MultistateInput

Voltage, Current AnalogOutput

Digital BinaryOutput

InfinityOutput

Tristate MultistateOutput

AnalogValue

BinaryValue

InfinityNumeric

MultistateValue

InfinityString Plain text messages No equivalent

InfinityDateTime Date and time data No equivalent


To become accustomed to this concept, start by viewing objects on the Continuum Explorer. Some examples are given on the following pages.

There are two views shown of each example. The first shows the Infinity view, and the second shows the BACnet view.

InfinityInput to AnalogInput

The point-mapping table on the previous page shows that an InfinityInput point maps to a BACnet AnalogInput object. An example of this relationship is show below:

InfinityInput

AnalogInput

One of the Infinity points, PhotoCell, did not map because it did not fit the BACnet profile for an AnalogInput.

InfinityOutput to BinaryOutput

The point-mapping table shows that an InfinityOutput point maps to a BACnet BinaryOutput object. An example of this relationship is show below:

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InfinityOutput

BinaryOutput

In the above example, only the FanStart InfinityOutput point mapped to a BinaryOutput object. Neither the ValueControl point (an analog type) nor the TriStateValue point (a multistate type) fit the BACnet profile for a BinaryOutput.

InfinityNumeric to AnalogValue

The point-mapping table shows that an InfinityNumeric point maps to a BACnet AnalogValue object. An example of this relationship is shown below:


InfinityNumeric

AnalogValue

In this example, all four InfinityNumeric points fit the BACnet profile AnalogValue objects.

Infinity and BACnet Object Editors In Infinity, there are Infinity point editors: InfinityInput, InfinityOutput, InfinityNumeric, InfinityString and InfinityDateTime. (See Chapter 13.) In CyberStation, Andover Continuum introduces BACnet object editors — one for each of the BACnet objects listed in the mapping table earlier in this chapter. There is no BACnet equivalent for InfinityString and InfinityDateTime points.

BACnet object editors are described on the following pages.

Using BACnet Object Editors In an Andover Continuum system containing Andover Continuum BACnet-compliant b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers, you typically configure controllers and their attached points using the Infinity view, with Infinity point editors. BACnet object editors are used primarily to view and modify objects created on third-party BACnet devices that have been integrated into the system. They also allow all users to view

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Andover Continuum BACnet objects, on b3, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b4920 devices, as third-party devices would see them. However, if your system has no third-party devices, but does have b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers, there would normally be no reason to view them as BACnet objects in the BACnet Devices portion of the Continuum Explorer navigation pane.

Although the combined Infinity/BACnet view is enabled by default, you would normally configure, view, and work with Andover Continuum BACnet-compliant controllers and their objects using the Infinity Controller Only view option via the Explorer’s View dropdown menu, described earlier in this chapter. That is, you would view and work with InfinityController and InfinityInfinetCtlr objects, instead of b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 BACnet Device objects. You would view and work with InfinityInputs, InfinityOutputs, and InfinityNumeric points, instead of AnalogInput/Output/Value objects, Binary Inputs/Outputs/Value objects, and MultistateInputs/Outputs/Value objects.

Note: Although you would view and work with them on the Andover Continuum side, you still must find and save them into the BACnet side for proper configuration and operation. See the section, Post-Installation System Integration, earlier in this chapter.

If you are viewing third-party BACnet devices, you may also find out which objects and services are supported for the device, using the Details tab of the Device editor, described earlier in this chapter.

New BACnet objects on a b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), or b3 controller are created from Infinity point editors — that is, entirely from the Infinity view. Before creating BACnet objects as InfinityInputs, InfinityOutputs, and InfinityNumerics, you will have:

• Installed and commissioned a new Andover Continuum b4920 or bCX1 (40x0 series) controller in the system. (See Appendix A for information on commissioning a new controller.)

• Created and fully configured one or more InfinityController objects. (See Creating an InfinityController Object in Chapter 7.)

• Created one or more InfinityInfinetContrller (b3) objects. • Within the Explorer, selected Find New BACnet Devices to locate the new

controllers. (This is described earlier in this chapter.) • Within the Explorer, performed a Send To Database operation. (This is described

earlier in this chapter.) To configure Infinity points attached to the new b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers, you do so in the Infinity view on the Explorer. For example, you create an InfinityInput point from the InfinityInput editor, then select an electrical type that makes it analog, binary, or multistate. (Refer to Chapter 13.)

Note: BACnet objects in third-party BACnet devices become visible and incorporated within the system when the Find New BACnet Devices and Send To Database operations are performed. They do not require the use of an InfinityInput, InfinityOutput or InfinityNumeric editor, and are always listed as BACnet objects, with their BACnet devices, in the BACnet Devices portion of the Explorer viewing pane.


For example, assume that you have created an InfinityInput point called Fan1Status, and that it was assigned to a sensor that would supply electrical-current input signals to the controller. It would therefore have been assigned Voltage in the Elec Type field of the InfinityInput editor’s Settings tab. (See InfinityInput Settings Tab in Chapter 13.) In the BACnet view, if you were to decide to use it, this InfinityInput point would map, as an AnalogInput, to the corresponding BACnet Device object that corresponds to the b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), or b3 controller.

If you decide to use the BACnet view, once you have configured and saved the object, you may view it from its BACnet device, as follows:

1. Click the + next to the BACnet devices icon in the Explorer’s navigation pane.

2. Click the + sign next to the Andover Continuum BACnet controller device icon to expand it.

3. An AnalogInput BACnet folder should appear beneath the device icon. Click the folder to open it:

4. The Fan1Status InfinityInput object that you created should appear in the Explorer’s

viewing pane, as an AnalogInput:

5. Double click this icon to open the BACnet AnalogInput editor.

From this BACnet editor, you may modify this object.

BACnet AnalogInput Editor

You use the BACnet AnalogInput editor to refine the object (created as an InfinityInput on a b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), or b3 controller or as an AnalogInput on a third-party BACnet device). It represents analog values such as voltage, current, temperature, and so on. This editor has five tabs that let you type in or select information, or in some cases supply you with data.

Note: The Triggers and Advanced Alarms tabs are unselectable (appear gray) for all BACnet objects because they are enabled only for CyberStation/Infinity objects only. Also, the Basic Alarms tab is supported for BACnet objects attached to third-party BACnet devices, not for objects attached to Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controller devices.

AnalogInput General Tab

The General tab has several properties for which you provide values, and a few properties that will be set by the control system.

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Value View or enter a value into this field.

Units Select a unit of measure from the dropdown menu.

Update Interval

Enter an integer to specify the maximum time (in hundredths of a second) between updates to the value, when the input is not overridden and not out-of-service.

Description Enter up to 32 characters (including spaces) in this field.

Device Type Indicates the type of device that is connected to this AnalogInput.

Out of Service Check this checkbox to put this object out of service so that it loses communication with its attached device. Putting the object out of service is a good way to test the object and the functions that rely on it. You can simulate various situations by manually changing the value or reliability attributes. This allows you to see how associated functions react to these changes.

Format Enter a numeric display format. For example: ###.###

Status Provides information on the object's condition. The condition can be one of the following:

InAlarm ⎯ indicates that the Event State has a value other than normal.

Overridden ⎯ indicates that a local device has manually overridden the point.


OutOfService ⎯ indicates that the object is disabled.

Fault ⎯ indicates that the Reliability property has a value other than NoFaultDetected.

Reliability Provides an indication of whether or not the controller has detected a malfunction that might compromise the integrity of the object's present value. The attribute can be one of the following:

NoFaultDetected ⎯ indicates that the present value is reliable and that no fault is detected.

OverRange ― indicates that the sensor is reading a value that is higher than the normal operating range.

OpenLoop ⎯ indicates that the connection between the object and the device is providing a value resulting from an open circuit.

UnreliableOther ⎯ Indicates that the controller detects an unreliable present value and that none of the above conditions describe the nature of the problem.

NoSensor ⎯ indicates that no sensor is connected to the AnalogOutput point.

UnderRange ⎯ indicates that the sensor is reading a value that is lower than the normal operating range.

ShortedLoop ⎯ indicates that the connection between the object and the device is providing a value resulting from a closed circuit.

AnalogInput Basic Alarms Tab

The Basic Alarms tab is where intrinsic alarms are defined specifically for this object.

Note: This is enabled for BACnet objects attached to third-party BACnet devices. It is not supported on Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers. An example of a Basic Alarms tab, populated with information for a third-party device, is shown below.

The information here determines when the alarm will go off, and what happens when it does. Information that determines what happens when the alarm goes off is built into the EventNotification object that you associate with this alarm. (Refer to EventNotification in Chapter 10.) The EventNotification object defines how and to whom the alarm is sent.

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Event State Displays the value of the To State attribute which is set by the control

system. If you have set up this object to report alarms, this attribute displays Normal when the object is not in an alarm state and OffNormal when it is. If you have not set up the object to report alarms, this attribute always displays NORMAL.

Acknowledge Received For

Displays the value of the Acknowledge Received For property. Displays ALARM, FAULT, or NORMAL if acknowledgements have been received for reported alarms, faults, or return-to-normal events, respectively. These values display only if both of the following conditions are true:

You have selected the report options for these events.

The associated EventNotification object requires acknowledgement for these events.

COV Increment

Enter the number of units — for example, degrees — that must increase or decrease before a COV is triggered, and COV notification is sent to a client . An increment of 0 appears by default.

CAUTION: Set this increment high enough so that the subscriber is not inundated with too many COV notifications. Even the tiniest value changes can trigger too many COVs. Do not accept the default, 0. Leaving it at 0 will produce negative results.

High Limit Enter a high limit for the object. Check the Enable checkbox to the right to enable the high limit. The high and low limits establish boundaries for the object value. When the object value exceeds the high limit, or falls below the low limit, the alarm goes off.


Low Limit Enter a low limit for the object. Check the Enable checkbox to the right to enable the low limit.

Time Delay Enter a time delay in seconds. The time delay postpones the alarm for the amount of time you specify. For example, you may decide that the object value can exceed or fall below its boundaries for 30 seconds before the alarm goes off. Using time delays cuts down on the number of active alarms and reduces both system traffic and operator responsibility.

Dead Band Enter a dead band value. The dead band value establishes a range, known as a dead band, within the high and low limits. This range is used to define a subset of acceptable, or normal, values. The dead band value that you supply is subtracted from the high limit, and added to the low limit. The resulting values form the high and low ends of the range of normal values.

Report In the Report section, you may select up to three report options: Alarm, Return to Normal, and Fault. When selected, these options trigger the basic alarm in the following situations:

The Alarm option triggers the basic alarm when the object's Event State changes to OffNormal.

The Return To Normal option triggers the basic alarm when the object's Event State changes to Normal.

The Fault option triggers the basic alarm when a local device detects a fault.

Notification Type

From the dropdown menu, select a notification type. The notification type specifies whether the notification message becomes an alarm message, an event message, or a message of event acknowledgement.

AlmNotification – Defines the event as type alarm, appearing in the Active Alarm View when the event occurs.

EvtNotification – Defines the event as type event, appearing in Active Alarm View when the event occurs.

Acks – Defines the event as type ack-notification, appearing in the Active Alarm View when the event occurs.

Event Notification

Select an EventNotification object by clicking the browse button. The Browse dialog appears. Locate the Event Notification object that you want. Select it and click the Select button. This will insert the correct path and EventNotification name into the Notification class field.

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AnalogInput Advanced Alarms Tab

The Advanced Alarms tab allows you to attach up to eight alarms to an object. (See Attaching Alarms to a Point in Chapter 10.)

Note: This tab is only enabled for CyberStation/Infinity objects. It is disabled for all BACnet objects.

You may also use this page to attach a graphic panel and a report or other program to the object, via the Graphic and Program fields, respectively. When an AnalogInput object generates an alarm, either via an associated EventEnrollment, Basic Alarm or Advanced Alarm, the associated graphic can be programmed to automatically launch. (See Graphic below.) The graphic can also be manually launched via the Alarm View Graphic button. (See View Menu in Chapter 10.)

Similarly, a program can be configured to run automatically when this object goes into alarm and can also be run manually via the corresponding Alarm View Program Output button. (See Program below and View Menu in Chapter 10.)

Graphic Browse for the graphic panel program file that you want to display

when the object goes into an alarm state.

Program Browse for the program that you want to run when the object goes into an alarm state.


Alarm Points Alarm points allow any expression alarm that you attach on this tab to reference up to four "alarm points," named Point 1, Point 2, Point 3, and Point 4. Using alarm points saves you the trouble of having to change the expression (via the Algorithms tab of the AlarmEnrollment editor for that alarm object) every time you attach an expression alarm to a different point. For complete information, please see the section, Using the Alarms/Advanced Alarms Tab of an Object Editor, in Chapter 10.

Video Video Points

Video points allow you to assign cameras to doors and points and configure parameters that control video images, via VideoLayout objects, during alarm conditions. When the alarm goes off, a video layout is launched (if a VideoLayout object has been configured to work with video points) and displays the "video point" camera images in the its video image frames. In the Video Points dialog, you may also configure a camera to record a video clip, for specified number of seconds, when the alarm goes off.

For complete information on this field, and how to use Video Points, please see the section, Using the Alarms/Advanced Alarms Tab of an Object Editor, in Chapter 10. See also Chapter 25, Configuring and Viewing Video.

AnalogInput Triggers Tab

The Triggers tab is not applicable to BACnet devices. Triggers are not supported for objects associated with Andover Continuum b3, b4920, and bCX1 (40x0 series) controllers or third party BACnet devices. It is applicable to CyberStation/Infinity objects only. (Refer to InfinityInput Triggers Tab in Chapter 13.)

AnalogInput Security Level Tab

The access permissions configured in a security level allow you to customize (deny) access to individual CyberStation objects. Security levels are actual CyberStation objects (Security Level objects) configured via the Security Level editor. (See Chapter 4.)

A security level can deny access to a CyberStation object editor on a page-by-page basis using object-level security. Object-level security is a way to deny user groups the ability to create, delete, or change individual CyberStation objects. Every object editor in CyberStation has a Security Level tab, shown on the next page, that displays a list of all existing security level objects. Selecting a security level object here attaches that security level to the object being edited.

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To attach a security level to this point, locate the security level in the Name column and click the radio button next to it.

To detach a security level from this point, locate the security level in the Name column and double-click the radio button to remove the black dot it contains. Or you can right click the security level in the Name column to bring up a popup menu. Click Clear Selection in the popup menu.

BACnet AnalogOutput Editor

An AnalogOutput is a BACnet object that is created with the InfinityOutput editor. (See Chapter 13) They can also be learned in from a third-party device, or created via the AnalogOutput editor. AnalogOutputs are associated with BACnet devices.


When you create an InfinityOutput object for an Infinity b4920 or bCX1 (40x0 series) controller, or an Infinity Infinet b3 series controller, and select an analog electrical type via the Settings tab of the InfinityOutput editor, a BACnet AnalogOutput is created. (Refer to Chapter 13.)

AnalogOutput General Tab

The General tab has several attributes that you can provide values for, and a few attributes that are set by the control system. Many fields on this tab are also view-only.


Present Value This field displays this object's present value that the current priority

(the priority level that appears in the Present Priority field) is currently commanding to this object. This field is non-editable.

Present Priority

This field displays the current priority level that is currently commanding the present value of this object. This field is non-editable.

Command Value

This field is used for setting the value of the analog output at the default command priority displayed in the Command Priority field. By default, the command priority is set to the command value established in the BACnet Preferences dialog. The default is Manual Operator. If you have access permission, you may change the value in this field for this command priority level.

Command Priority

This field displays the default command priority value that is used when setting and relinquishing the value. By default, this field is set to the command value established in the BACnet Preferences dialog. This field is non-editable.

Set Click this button to assign the new value (the value that you just changed in the Command Value field) to this object.

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Relinquish Click this button to relinquish the non-NULL value of the priority level that appears in the Command Priority field.

Note: Relinquishing the value means changing it to NULL, so that the next higher-numbered priority level that holds a non-NULL value begins to command its value to the object.

From the Command Priority tab, your administrator may relinquish values at all command priorities.

Units Select a unit of measure from the dropdown menu.

Description Enter up to 32 characters (including spaces) in this field to describe the object.

Device Type Enter the type of device that is connected to this analog output object.

Update Interval

Enter an integer to specify the maximum time (in hundredths of a second) between updates to the value, when the input is not overridden and not out-of-service.

Out of Service Check this checkbox to put the object out of service, so that it loses communication with its attached device. Putting the object out of service is a good way to test the object and the functions that rely on it. You can simulate various situations by manually changing the value or reliability attributes. This allows you to see how associated functions react to these changes.

Format Enter a numeric display format. For example: ###.###

Status Provides information on the object's condition. The condition can be one of the following:

InAlarm ⎯ indicates that the Event State property has a value other than NORMAL.

Overridden ⎯ indicates that a local device has manually overridden the object.

Fault ⎯ indicates that the Reliability property has a value other than NoFaultDetected

Out of Service ⎯ indicates that the object is disabled.


Reliability Provides an indication of whether or not the controller has detected a malfunction that might compromise the integrity of the object's present value. The attribute can read one of the following:

NoFaultDetected ⎯ indicates that the present value is reliable and that no fault is detected.

OpenLoop ⎯ indicates that the connection between the object and the device is providing a value resulting from an open circuit.

Unreliable Other ⎯ indicates that the controller detects an unreliable present value and that none of the above conditions describe the nature of the problem.

NoOutput ⎯ indicates that no sensor is connected to the AnalogOutput object.

ShortedLoop ⎯ indicates that the connection between the object and the device is providing a value resulting from a closed circuit

AnalogOutput Command Priority Tab

In this tab page you may view members of the BACnet priority array (a list of priority levels) and their values for this BACnet object. You may also select a priority level for this BACnet object and change the level's value (thereby overriding its current commanded value) as well as relinquish a priority level — set it to NULL — so that:

• It no longer commands a value to this BACnet object at the select priority level. • The next highest priority level may command a non-NULL value.

When first configuring your system, also remember to set the value in the Relinquish Default field, located at the bottom of this tab. This default value is commanded to the object when all priority level values are relinquished (in other words, when they become all NULL). This protects against users who inappropriately click the Relinquish button on the General tab and/or on this tab.

See the subsection, Application Priority Assignments, earlier in this chapter, for command priority levels.

CAUTION Only system administrators should be granted security access permission to use this tab page.

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Present Value This field displays the object’s present value that the current priority

(the priority level that appears in the Present Priority field) is currently commanding to this object. This field is non-editable.

Present Priority

This field displays the current priority level that is currently commanding the present value to this object. This field is non-editable.

Command Value

This field is used for setting the value of the analog output at the default command priority displayed in the Command Priority field. By default, this field is set to the command value established in the BACnet Preferences dialog. The default is Manual Operator. If you have access permission, you may change the value in this field for this command priority level.

Command Priority

This field displays the default command priority level value. By default, this field is set to the command value established in the BACnet Preferences dialog. From this field's dropdown menu, you may change this level's value, which appears in the Command Value field. Also, from the Command Priority dropdown menu, you may select any other priority level, and also change its value.

Set Click this button to assign the new value (the value that you just changed) to this object at the corresponding command priority.


Relinquish Click this button to relinquish the non-NULL value of the priority level that appears in the Command Priority field.

Note: Relinquishing the value means changing it to NULL, so that the next higher-numbered priority level that holds a non-NULL value begins to command its value to the object.

To relinquish any level's value, first use the Command Priority dropdown menu to select the priority level whose value you want to relinquish, then click Relinquish.

Priority Array Window

This window contains the BACnet priority array — a list of the names of all 16 BACnet protocol command priority levels, along with the value that each level in the array is currently commanding.

Relinquish Default

Enter a value to command to this object when all command priority levels have been relinquished (when all values become NULL). This ensures the object has a value at all times. Set this field when you first configure the system.

Basic Alarms, Advanced Alarms, Triggers, and Security Level Tabs

These tabs are covered under the AnalogInput editor.

BACnet AnalogValue Editor

An AnalogValue is a BACnet object that is created via the InfinityNumeric editor. (Refer to Chapter 13.) They can also be learned in from a third-party device, or created via the AnalogValue editor. AnalogValues are associated with BACnet devices.


When you create an InfinityNumeric point for an Infinity b4920 or bCX1 (40x0 series) controller, or an Infinity b3 series controller, and select AnalogValue in the BACnet Object Type field of the InfinityNumeric editor’s General tab, a BACnet AnalogValue is created. (Refer to Chapter 13.) AnalogValue points are temporary storage locations in the controller’s memory that store floating-point numbers.

AnalogValue General Tab

With the exception of Units (discussed below) the remainder of items on this tab is covered under AnalogOutput General Tab.

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Units Select a unit from the dropdown menu. When displayed next to the value,

as in 72 Degrees F, or 17 Employees, units help users understand what the point is doing.

Format Enter a numeric display format. The default is: ###.###

Basic Alarms, Advanced Alarms, Triggers and Security Level Tabs


BACnet BinaryInput Editor

A BinaryInput is a BACnet object that is created via the InfinityInput editor, or on third-party devices. They can be learned from a third-party device, or created via the BinaryInput editor. BinaryInputs are associated with BACnet devices.


When you create an Infinity Input point for an Infinity b4920 or bCX1 (40x0 series) controller, or an Infinity b3 series controller, and select a digital/binary electrical type on the Settings tab of the InfinityInput editor, a BACnet BinaryInput point is created. Typically, these inputs are used to detect whether a particular piece of equipment, like a fan or a pump is running or idle. The ON state usually indicates the equipment is running, whereas the OFF state usually indicates the equipment is idle.


BinaryInput General Tab

Value Select ON or OFF from the dropdown menu.

Description Enter up to 32 characters (including spaces) in this field.

Device Type Enter the type of device that is connected to this input.

Out of Service See Out of Service covered under AnalogOutput General Tab.

Status See Status covered under AnalogOutput General Tab.

Reliability See Reliability covered under AnalogOutput General Tab.

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BinaryInput Settings Tab

Inactive Text Enter text for an inactive state. This text is displayed as the value when

the binary input is in the inactive state.

Active Text Enter text for an active state. This text is displayed as the value when the binary input is in the active state.

Polarity Select either Normal or Reverse from the Polarity dropdown menu.

BinaryInput Counters Tab

In the Counters tab, you find the amount of time the point has been in an active state, and the date and time the state changed last. You can also find out when this information was last reset. This tab is divided into two sections:

• Active Time • Change of State


Active Time Elapsed Time ― Shows the number of seconds since the point's status

changed from Inactive to Active.

Last Reset ― Shows the date and time the elapsed time was last reset.

Reset Elapsed Active Time on Next Save― For the controller reset the Elapsed Active Time the next time data are saved, check this checkbox.

Change of State

Value Changed at ― Shows the date and time the state last changed.

Change-of-State Count ― Shows you how much time the state has changed.

Last Reset ― Shows the time when this count was last reset to zero.

Reset Change-of-State Count on Next Save ― For the controller reset the Change of State Count the next time data are saved, check this checkbox.

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BinaryInput Basic Alarms Tab

The Basic Alarms tab is where intrinsic alarms are defined specifically for this object.

Note: This is enabled for BACnet objects attached to third-party BACnet devices. It is not supported on Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers.

The information here determines when the alarm will go off, and what happens when it does. Information that determines what happens when the alarm goes off is built into the EventNotification object that you associate with this alarm. (Refer to EventNotification in Chapter 10.) The EventNotification object defines how and to whom the alarm is broadcast.

Keep in mind that basic alarms apply only to the object in which they were created. Another way to configure alarms in BACnet is to use the EventEnrollment class.

Event State See Event State under AnalogInput Basic Alarms Tab.

Acknowledgement Received For

See Acknowledgement Received For under AnalogInput Basic Alarms Tab.

Alarm Where Value Is

Select Off or On from the dropdown menu. An alarm is triggered based on this value.

Report See Report under AnalogInput Basic Alarms Tab.

Time Delay Enter a time delay in seconds. The time delay postpones the alarm for the amount of time you specify. For example, you may decide that the point value can exceed or fall below its boundaries for 30 seconds before the alarm goes off. Using time delays cuts down on the number of active alarms and reduces both system traffic and operator responsibility.

Notification Type See Notification Type under AnalogInput Basic Alarms Tab.

Event Notification See Event Notification under AnalogInput Basic Alarms Tab.

BinaryInput Advanced Alarms, Triggers, and Security Level Tabs



BACnet BinaryOutput Editor

A BinaryOutput is a BACnet object that is created with the InfinityOutput editor, or on third-party devices. They can be learned from a third-party device, or created via the BinaryOutput editor. BinaryOutputs are associated with BACnet devices.


When you create an InfinityOutput for an Infinity b4920 or bCX1 (40x0 series) controller, or an Infinity b3 series controller, and select a digital/binary electrical type via the Settings tab of the InfinityOutput editor, a BACnet BinaryOutput is created. (Refer to Chapter 13.)

Typically these outputs are used to switch a particular piece of equipment, like a fan or a pump, ON or OFF (the equivalent BACnet values are active and inactive).

BinaryOutput General Tab

The General tab has several properties that you can provide values for, and a few attributes that are set by the control system. The fields on this tab are view-only if the particular device does not support them.

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Refer to AnalogOutput General Tab for a description of all the items that appear on this tab.

BinaryOutput Settings Tab

The Settings tab has the following properties, described below.

Inactive Text Enter text for an inactive state. This text will help future operators determine the meaning of values for this point.

Active Text Enter text for an active state. This text will help future operators determine the meaning of values for this point.

Minimum On Time

Enter the minimum time in seconds that the point will remain active after it has been changed to active.

Minimum Off Time

Enter the minimum time in seconds that the point will remain inactive after it has been changed to inactive.

Polarity Select either Normal or Reverse from the Polarity dropdown menu.


BinaryOutput Counters and Basic Alarms Tab Pages

Refer to BinaryInput Counters Tab. Refer also to BinaryInput Basic Alarms Tab, except for the Feedback Value property (described below).

Feedback Value

Select the inactive entry or the active entry from the dropdown menu. The object must equal this value for an alarm to occur. (These selections represent text set in fields on the Settings tab.)

BinaryOutput Command Priority Tab

The items on this tab are covered under the AnalogOutput editor.

BinaryOutput Advanced Alarms, Triggers, and Security Level Tabs

The items on these tab pages are covered under the AnalogInput editor.

BACnet BinaryValue Editor

A BinaryValue is a BACnet point object that is created via the InfinityNumeric editor, or on third-party devices. They can be learned from a third-party device, or created via the BinaryValue editor. BinaryValues are associated with BACnet devices.


When you create an InfinityNumeric for an Infinity b4920 or bCX1 (40x0 series) controller, or an Infinity b3 series controller, and select BinaryValue in the BACnet Object Type field of the InfinityNumeric editor's General tab, a BinaryValue is created if the Infinity or Infinet controller on which it resides was created as a BACnet device. (Refer to Chapter 13.) Typically, BinaryValues are used as control system parameters that have only one of two possible values that you define.

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BinaryValue General Tab

This tab is covered under the BinaryOutput editor.

BinaryValue Settings, Counters, and Basic Alarms Tabs

These tabs are covered under the BinaryInput editor.

BinaryValue Command Priority Tab

This tab page is covered under the AnalogOutput editor.

BinaryValue Advanced Alarms, Triggers and Security Level Tabs


BACnet MultistateInput Editor

A MultistateInput is a BACnet object that is created via the InfinityInput editor, or on third-party devices. (Refer also to Chapter 13.) They can be learned from a third-party device, or created via the MultistateInput editor. MultistateInputs are associated with BACnet devices.

When you create an InfinityInput for an Infinity controller, and select a multistate (Supervised) electrical type, via the Settings tab of the InfinityInput editor, a BACnet MultistateInput is created if the controller on which it resides was created as a Andover Continuum BACnet-compliant device — specifically:

• As a b4920 or bCX1 (40x0 series) controller • As a b36xx, b38xx, or b39xx controller


In these cases, a MultistateInput is created with three states: On, Off, and Trouble. See also the subsection, MultistateInput States Tab.

Note: For third-party BACnet devices that become part of the Andover Continuum system, MultistateInput objects were already created as objects on those third-party BACnet controllers. Therefore, Continuum Explorer already lists these objects as MultistateInputs within third-party devices.

Controllers have channels for sensors. A channel in this case is an area in the controller that can be physically connected to a sensor. A sensor is a device that measures and reports on specific environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, water pressure, and air flow.

MultistateInput values represent one of a specific set of possible states that you define. Each state that you define has its own numeric value. The state text is what users see as

the object’s value.


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MultistateInput General Tab

The items on this tab, shown below, are covered under the BinaryInput editor.


MultistateInput States Tab

This tab lists the number of states this object has, as well as the text values of each state. Depending on the type of BACnet device on which the input was configured, and depending on how the MultistateInput itself was configured, the number and types of states may vary.

If it was configured as an InfinityInput object for a Andover Continuum b4920 or b3 controller, with a Supervised multistate electrical type — ElecType on the Settings tab of the InfinityInput editor — then the MultistateInput has three states named Off, On, and Trouble, as shown below:

However, if the MultistateInput was configured on a third-party BACnet device, it may have a different number of states, configured with text names from that device. For example, a third-party MultistateInput might have four states named Quiet, Active, Fault, and Disabled.

Note: You may change the state of this MultistateInput via the Value field’s dropdown menu on the General tab.

Each state listed in the State Text field has a its own text and numeric value beginning with 1:

1 <= value <= number of states

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Number of States

This is an integer that defines the number of states for this object. The number must be greater than zero.

State Text This is a BACnet array of character strings (text values) representing all possible states of the object. The number of text values matches the number of states defined in the Number of States field.

MultistateInput Basic Alarms Tab

With the exception of Alarm Values and Faults Values (described below) the remainder of the properties on this tab is covered under the AnalogInput editor.

Alarm Values This list specifies the states that the MultistateInput must equal before a ToOffnormal event is generated. This is required if intrinsic reporting is supported by this object.

Fault Values As an option, this list specifies the states that the MultistateInput must equal before a ToFault event is generated. If it becomes equal to any of the states in the list, and no physical fault has been detected, then Reliability (General tab) has the value, MultistateFault. This is required if intrinsic reporting is supported by this object.

MultistateInput Advanced Alarms, Triggers, and Security Level Tabs

The properties on these tabs are covered under the AnalogInput editor.


BACnet MultistateOutput Editor

A MultistateOutput is a BACnet object that is created via the InfinityOutput editor, or on third-party devices. (Refer also to Chapter 13.) They can be learned from a third-party device, or created via the MultistateOutput editor. MultistateOutputs are associated with BACnet devices.

When you create an InfinityOutput for an Infinity controller and select a multistate (Tristate) electrical type via the Settings tab of the InfinityOutput editor, a BACnet MultistateOutput is created if the controller on which it resides was created as an Andover Continuum BACnet device — specifically:

• As a b4920 controller or bCX1 (40x0 series) controller • As a b36xx, b38xx, or b39xx controller In these cases, a MultistateOutput is created with three states: On, Off, and -On. See also the subsection, MultistateOutput States Tab.

Note: For third-party BACnet devices that become part of the Andover Continuum system, MultistateOutput objects were already created as objects on those third-party BACnet controllers. Therefore, Continuum Explorer already lists these objects as MultistateOutputs within third-party devices.

An output object changes or affects the environment by controlling a piece of equipment, such as a heater or fan.

MultistateOutput values represent one of a specific set of possible states that you define. Each state that you define has its own numeric value. The state text is what users see as the object's value.

Note: The Triggers and Advanced Alarms tabs are unselectable (appear gray) for all BACnet objects because they are enabled only for CyberStation/Infinity objects only. Also, the Basic Alarms tab is supported for BACnet objects attached to third-party BACnet devices, not for objects attached to Andover Continuum b4920 , bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controller devices.

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MultistateOutput General Tab

Refer to BinaryOutput General Tab for a description of all the properties that appear on this tab.


MultistateOutput States Tab

This tab lists the number of states this object has, as well as the text values of each state. Depending on the type of BACnet device on which the input was configured, and depending on how the MultistateOutput itself was configured, the number and types of states may vary.

If it was configured as an InfinityOutput object for an Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), or b3 controller, with a Tristate multistate electrical type — ElecType on the Settings tab of the InfinityOutput editor — then the MultistateOutput has three states named Off, On, and -On, as shown below:

However, if the MultistateOutput was configured on a third-party BACnet device, it may have a different number of states, configured with text names from that device.

Note: You may change the state of this MultistateOutput via the Present Value field on the General tab.

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Each state listed in the State Text field has a its own text and numeric value beginning with 1:

1 <= value <= number of states

Number of States

This is an integer that defines the number of states for this object. The number must be greater than zero.

State Text This is a BACnet array of character strings (text values) representing all possible states of the object. The number of text values matches the number of states defined in the Number of States field.

MultistateOutput Basic Alarms Tab

With the exception of Feedback Value (described below) the remainder of properties on this tab is covered under BinaryInput Basic Alarms Tab.

Feedback Value

This specifies the value that the MultistateOutput must equal for an alarm to occur.

MultistateOutput Advance Alarms, Triggers, and Security Level Tabs

These tabs are covered under AnalogInput Basic Alarms Tab.

BACnet MultistateValue Editor

A MultistateValue is a BACnet object that is created, and assigned state values, via the InfinityNumeric editor and third-party BACnet devices. (Refer also to Chapter 13.) They can be learned from a third-party device, or created via the MultistateValue editor. MultistateValues are associated with BACnet devices. When you create an InfinityNumeric for an Infinity controller and select MultistateValue in the BACnet Object Type field of the InfinityNumeric editor's General tab, a BACnet MultistateValue is created if the controller on which it resides was created as an Andover Continuum BACnet device — specifically:

• As a b4920 or bCX1 (40x0 series) controller • As a b36xx, b38xx, or b39xx controller Note: For third-party BACnet devices that become part of the Andover Continuum

system, MultistateValue objects were already created as objects on those third-party BACnet controllers. Therefore, Continuum Explorer already lists these objects as MultistateValues within third-party devices.

Typically, a MultistateValue is used as a control system parameter whose value can be any one of a set that you define. For example, you can create a MultistateValue object named DayofWeek whose value can be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Note: The Triggers and Advanced Alarms tabs are unselectable (appear gray) for all BACnet objects because they are enabled only for CyberStation/Infinity objects only. Also, the Basic Alarms tab is supported for BACnet objects attached to third-


party BACnet devices, not for objects attached to Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controller devices.

Creating and Assigning State Values for a MultistateValue

As mentioned on the previous page, on an Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), or b3 controller, you create a MultistateValue object as an InfinityNumeric point. For example:

As shown above, on the General tab of the InfinityNumeric editor, select MultistateValue from the BACnet Object Type field’s dropdown menu. Enter a value, in the Value field, and select the corresponding units of measure from the dropdown menu in the Units field.

A MultistateValue, when it is created as an InfinityNumeric, can have a wide variety of different sets or “clusters” of values. In addition to assigning an integer or floating-point numeric value and units, you may also assign such things as days of the week, or months of the year, or other non-numeric (text) state values. In the Value field, when you enter a non-numeric text value, such as “Monday,” CyberStation searches its internal System Value Cluster (SVC) tables for the cluster of states to which “Monday” belongs — in this case, a cluster that lists seven states (index 1…7). In the MultistateValue editor, you may change the Present Value field of the General tab to select another cluster member. (See the subsection, MultistateValue General Tab.)

An InfinityNumeric that has been designated as a MultistateValue can also be assigned a “value cluster” that resembles a binary object. For example, it can have three states (index of 3) with state values of On, Off, and –On. Or, it can have two states with state

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values of Active and Inactive. Entering “On” or “Inactive” in the Value field triggers an automatic search to the CyberStation SVC tables, for the appropriate multistate cluster member. Those values are then reflected in the MultistateValue object editor.

CAUTION: You must assign a value for multistate objects (in this case, a cluster type) in the InfinityNumeric editor. You may reassign a state (a member of a cluster) in a Multistate editor, but you cannot assign a cluster itself. If you do not assign a value in the InfinityNumeric editor, then by default, the MultistateValue is assigned a dummy value of “State-1” with an index of 256 — State-1 through State-256.

MultistateValue General Tab

Refer to BinaryOutput General Tab for a description of all the items that appear on this tab. (Note that this tab does not have the Device Type field that appears on the BinaryOutput and MultistateOutput General tabs.)

MultistateValue States Tab

If the MultistateValue was created as an InfinityNumeric for an Andover Continuum b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), or b3 controller, the States tab reflects the multistate cluster value that you entered on the General tab of the InfinityNumeric editor. For example, if you entered “Wednesday,” the cluster representing days of the week is shown in the MultistateValue editor. The integer 7 appears in the Number of States field, and the values Sunday through Saturday appear in the State Text field. As mentioned earlier in


this section, in the InfinityNumeric editor, you can assign a wide variety of different clusters of values.

MultistateValue Basic Alarms Tab

The items on this tab are covered under the MultistateInput editor.

MultistateValue Command Priority Tab

This tab is covered under the AnalogOutput editor.

MultistateValue Advanced Alarms, Triggers and Security Level Tabs


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BACnet Program Editor The Program Editor allows you to run, suspend, restart, halt, and check the status of BACnet programs, running on Andover Continuum BACnet devices – b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series) and b3 controllers – and third-party BACnet devices.

Note: On third-party BACnet devices, you can also load and unload BACnet programs

via the Program Editor, depending on whether the third-party device supports these capabilities. You cannot load and unload programs on Andover Continuum BACnet devices.

The properties on the General tab are compliant with the BACnet standard.

If an InfinityProgram object is created on a b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), or b3 controller via the Plain English IDE then the program can be viewed in two places in the CyberStation system because:

• b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers exist as Infinity controller and InfinityInfinet controller objects, respectively, on the "Infinity side" of the system. In this case, the program is an InfinityProgram object.

• b4920, bCX1 (40x0 series), and b3 controllers also can be viewed as Device objects. In this case, the program is a BACnet Program object.


Note: Refer to the Plain English Language Reference Guide, 30-3001-872, for complete details on the IDE.

The Program Editor General Tab

The General tab provides you with the following information, some are read only and others you fill in.

Program State This status line displays the current state of the process executing the BACnet program. One of the following values is displayed:

Idle — The process is not executing

Loading — The program is being loaded

Running — The program is currently executing

Waiting — The program is waiting for some external event.

Halted — The program is halted because of some error condition.

Unloading — The program has been requested to terminate.

Reason for Halt and Description of Halt

These status lines display a numeric error code, a text value, and a text description, of an error that has caused the executing program to halt. (It also tells you when the program is executing normally.)

Reason for Halt — The Reason for Halt status line displays an integer plus one of the following values:

Normal — The program is not halted due to any error condition.

Load Failed — The program could not complete loading.

Internal — The program is halted by some internal mechanism.

Program — The program is halted by a program-change request.

Other — The program is halted for some other reason.

Description of Halt — The Description of Halt field displays a user-written text description (originating in the local BACnet device on which the application program resides) that accompanies to the error code and value displayed in Reason for Halt.

Program Location

Depending on the local BACnet device and programming environment, this field may display the line of code that is currently executing (or that is halted) within the program. For example, it may display a line number, program label, or section name. The content of what is displayed is defined locally.

Instance of Displays the local name (originating in the local BACnet device) of the program being executed. The content of what is displayed is defined locally.

Load and Upload

Loads and unloads the content of a program, are available only in some third-party BACnet devices. They are not available on Andover Continuum BACnet devices.

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Run Executes the program.

Restart Restarts execution of the program after it has been halted.

Halt Halts the program while it is executing.

Description Describes the application being carried out by this process.

Out of Service Check this checkbox if you wish to put this program out of service (disable it). You must check this box while the program is running.

When it is out of service, it loses communication with its attached device. It is a good way to test the program and the processes that rely on it.

Status Displays one of four flags that indicate the general status of the program. Three of the flags are associated with the values of other properties of this object. A more detailed status could be determined by reading the properties that are linked to these flags. The four flags are:

In_Alarm — The program is in an alarm state.

Fault — The program is in a fault state.

Overridden — The program has been overridden by a mechanism that is local to the corresponding BACnet device.

Out_Of_Service — The program is in an out-of-service (disabled) state.

Reliability Displays information about whether or not the controller has detected a malfunction that might compromise the integrity of the program.


Configuring Schedules and Calendars

The Schedule editor allows you to create Continuum Infinity and/or BACnet Schedule objects. A schedule is essentially a collection of scheduled events that typically determine, for example, when equipment runs, processes occur, personnel have access to an area, doors are locked or unlocked, and so on. A schedule comprises standard days and user defined standard days, such as holidays. A schedule also includes BACnet exception schedules, special calendar entries based on the BACnet Calendar object, which Continuum supports. These Calendar entries can be single days, a range of days, or recurring days, in accordance with the BACnet standard. You can therefore create or reference Calendar object values and integrate them into a Schedule object.

This chapter covers:

• Schedule views – finding your way around • The Configuration tab • Working with exception schedules • Working with standard days and user-defined days • The Current State tab • Proprietary Schedule properties for programs • Mass Create – populating devices with a schedule • Mass Change – updating multiple schedules • Calendars and the Calendar editor

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Schedule Views – Finding Your Way Around This section discusses the various schedule views, and also offers some information for finding your way around in the Schedule editor.

Schedule Views The Schedule editor presents yearly, weekly, and daily views. To see each view, simply click the Yearly, Weekly, or Daily tab, respectively:

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To move to the next/previous year, week, or month, click the right-arrow button (next) or left-arrow button (previous) at the top of the respective tab.

On these various views, there are scheduled events for standard days and user-defined standard days, as well as exception schedule calendar entries. Continuum supplies only one default user-defined day — Holiday. You may create other user-defined standard days. The standard days, Monday through Friday, appear in one default color (light blue) while the weekend standard days, Saturday and Sunday, appear in another default color (medium blue). The user-defined day, Holiday, appears in red, by default.

Note: You may change the color of a standard or user-defined day when you edit one of these days.

Note: To see more of the schedule events on the weekly and daily views, increase the size of your Schedule editor window, as you would increase the size of any Microsoft window.

Exception and Standard Day Tabs On the left side of the Schedule editor, you see two tabs — Exception and Standard Days. Each tab shows an expandable tree structure. For example:

The Standard Days tab lists the Weekly Schedule tree (Monday through Sunday) as well as the User Defined Days tree (Holiday by default, plus any other user-defined standard day you create). For more information, see: Working with Standard Days and User-defined Days, later in this chapter.


The Exception tab lists the Exception Schedule tree, which includes calendar entries (single days, ranges of days, recurring days) that have been assigned (selected) or referenced. The Exception Schedule tree includes user-defined standard days. For more information, see: Working with Exception Schedules, later in this chapter.

Note: An exception-schedule entry is sometimes based on the BACnet Calendar object, which Continuum supports, in accordance with the BACnet standard. These Calendar object values can be integrated into a Schedule object. (See Calendars and the Calendar Editor, later in this chapter.)

Note: To see more of the entries in the Exception and Standard Day trees, increase the size of your Schedule editor window, as you would increase the size of any Microsoft window.

Configuration You configure all Schedules, both for Infinity and BACnet controllers, using the Configuration tab. The attributes on this tab define a schedule, when and where it takes effect, when it is enabled or disabled, how it is downloaded to a controller, and so on. When you create a Schedule object on a BACnet controller, such as an Andover Continuum b4 controller, the Infinity-related attributes on the Configuration tab are not visible. Likewise, when you create a Schedule object on an Infinity controller, the BACnet-related attributes are not visible. For more information, see: Configuration Tab, on the next page.

Note: When you create a Schedule object on a BACnet controller, such as an Andover Continuum b4 controller, the Infinity-related attributes in the Schedule editor, such as some attributes on the Configuration tab, are not visible. Likewise, when you create a Schedule object on an Infinity controller, the BACnet-related attributes are not visible.

Note: When you make changes to standard days in a schedule, they take effect globally for all years within the schedule and affect all objects set by that schedule.

Current State

The Current State tab, which is visible only for a BACnet controller’s Schedule object, displays information about the value of the current event. For more information, see Current State Tab later in this chapter.

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Mass Create and Mass Change The Schedule editor allows you to copy and distribute (populate) a Schedule object to two or more devices on your system. It also allows you to make Schedule-object changes to many other Schedule objects.

Click the Copy button to expose the Mass Create and Mass Change tabs appended to the right side of the editor. These tabs are normally hidden. To expand and retract the width of the Mass Create/Mass Change tab area, place your cursor on the right edge of the yearly, weekly, or daily view (typically the yearly view) until it becomes a double right-left arrow cursor. Drag this cursor left or right to expand or retract, respectively. To close the Mass Create/Mass Change tab area, click the X button.

For more information, see Mass Create - Populating Devices with a Schedule and Mass Change - Updating Multiple Schedules, later in this chapter.

Configuration Tab Use the Configuration tab to configure schedules, both for Infinity and BACnet controllers. The attributes on this tab define a schedule, when and where it takes effect, when it is enabled or disabled, how it is downloaded to a controller, and so on.

Note: When you create a Schedule object on a BACnet controller, such as an Andover Continuum b4 controller, the Infinity-related attributes on this tab are not visible. Likewise, when you create a Schedule object on an Infinity controller, the BACnet-related attributes are not visible.

The Configuration tab attributes on a BACnet controller are shown on the next page.


The following table provides descriptions of attributes that appear on the tab for a Schedule object created on a BACnet controller.


Description Enter a description for this Schedule object.

Clear Past Events

Check this box when you need to delete BACnet special events that no longer impact an exception schedule. This may become necessary to conserve memory in controllers on your system when updated exception schedules are sent to controllers.

By default, this box is not checked. When you check this box, save the Schedule, and re-open the editor, the box is checked.

Important things to know about this feature:

• If you do not check this box, exception schedule event data (everything ever created) are re-sent to controllers. This can quickly consume memory, especially in controllers with limited memory capacities.

• Events must be at least three days old before they are automatically removed. Continuum calculates this by comparing the day on which the event expires to the current workstation time.

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Of the four types of exception choices (Date, Range of Dates, Recurrence, and Calendar Reference) only Date and Range of Dates may be automatically removed.

Newly created exceptions that take effect and expire in the past are removed immediately — Exception entries that meet the above criteria are automatically removed from view either when the box is initially checked or when the editor opens with the box already checked. If you inadvertently add new exceptions whose expiration dates are in the past (more than three days old) these expired events will also be removed from view the next time the editor opens.

In all cases, the exception value is written as it appears in the view when you click the OK or Apply button.

In addition to using this checkbox, you can also conserve memory by creating partial-day exception schedules. See Partial-Day Exception Schedules, later in this chapter.

Effective From/To

Using Effective From and To fields to select a day that designates when the schedule becomes active and inactive. Click the dropdown-menu down arrow to use the calendar to select a day that designates when the schedule becomes active and inactive. Or, as an alternative, click (highlight) the month, day, or year field and enter the digits for the month, day, or year.

Show BACnet Date Fields — Check this checkbox to use the BACnet properties for these date fields. (Remove the check to use the "system" Effective From/To.) The BACnet date fields, which are self-explanatory, allow you to enter any month, day, year, and day of week. Using the month dropdown menu, you may select a specific month, Any month, Even months, or Odd months. Using the day-of-week dropdown menu, you may select a specific day or Any day.

Note: To select any day or any year, simply enter the word "Any" into the day or year field, respectively.

Right-click switching between fields — To switch between the BACnet fields and From/To (or "system") fields, right click anywhere in or near the fields, and select BACnet or System from the popup menu, depending on which fields you prefer.

Priority Using the dropdown menu, select a BACnet command priority for this Schedule object.



Time Scale From the dropdown menu, select the number of minutes with which you want to partition an hour in the daily and weekly views. Selections are: 5 minutes, 6 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes. The time scale applies to the entire schedule.

For example, if you select 15 Minutes, four time slots (demarcated by gray lines) appear within each hour in the daily and weekly views throughout the schedule. For example, if you select 5 Minutes, 12 time slots (demarcated by gray lines) appear within each hour in the daily and weekly views.

Default Data Type

To apply a certain data type to all new Schedule events by default, select a type from the dropdown menu.

Note: It is recommended that you first assign a default data type before creating new events for this schedule. BACnet standard revision 2004 requires that one data type is specified for schedule events.

The data types of old events are not affected by this selection. However, when you assign a default data type, a message appears, telling you that some existing scheduled events have different (non-default) data types. If you receive this message, you should manually delete them.

When you set this default type, it also assigns this type as the default in the Value Type fields in the Schedule Default section and in the "apply at midnight" section.

Schedule Default Value

Value Type

This section (enabled only for devices that support the BACnet standard revision 2004 and higher) displays a default value/type for the entire schedule when no other value is assigned. That is, the scheduled default is used as a "last resort" for the present value when no other exception or weekly scheduled event is in control. Check the NULL checkbox to relinquish control of a commanded property when no scheduled events are in effect.

Note: When you set the Default Data Type (see above) the schedule default value type is set to that default data type automatically.

Note: The Schedule Default value also works with partial-day exception schedules. Please see Partial-day exception schedules , later in this chapter.

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Apply value and type to all Schedule events at midnight.

Value Value Type

Check this checkbox to ensure that all weekly and exception Schedule events are reset at midnight to the value and data type specified in the Value and Value Type fields. An event is scheduled at midnight automatically so that you do not have to do it manually.

Note: This checkbox is checked by default for pre-revision 2004 schedules. If your schedules do not support revision 2004, do not remove the check from this box. This ensures that a value/type are applied at midnight, thereby allowing a "whole day" schedule.

Note: With the introduction of the Schedule Default in revision 2004, you can use the Schedule Default section (see above) to apply a value/type, whereby this schedule default is applied to events at midnight automatically, in absence of any other event in control at midnight.

When this box is checked, the value/type specified here takes effect at midnight (00:00) for any new exception schedule that you create. (See also: Working with Exception Schedules and Working with Standard and User-defined Days.)

Enter a value, and from the dropdown menu select a data type, to be applied at midnight to all weekday and schedule event entries. They must be applied at midnight to comply with the BACnet standard. (For more information on Value, Value Type, and the Time Value dialog, please see: Working with Exception Schedules and Working with Standard and User-defined Days.)

Note: These fields are selectable only when the Apply this value and type to all Schedule events at midnight checkbox is checked.

Object Property List

This window lists BACnet objects that are set by this schedule. To add a schedule to the list, click the Add button and from the Search for an object property reference dialog, search for and select an object, then click the Select button. The selection appears in the list. To remove an object from the list, highlight it in the list, then click Delete.


The Configuration tab attributes on an Infinity controller look like this:

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The following table provides descriptions of attributes that appear on this tab for a Schedule object created on an Infinity controller.


Description Enter a description for this Schedule object.

State Use the dropdown menu to enable or disable the schedule.

Point Configuration

In the Occupancy field, enter the path or click the browse button to search for Infinity DateTime point that designates when the schedule becomes active. In the Unoccupancy field, enter the path or click the browse button to search for an Infinity DateTime point that designate when the schedule becomes inactive. In the Occupancy Point field, enter the path or click the browse button to search for the InfinityNumeric or InfinityOutput object that will be set by this schedule.

A schedule is used to turn the object on (active) or off (inactive).

Time Scale From the dropdown menu, select the number of minutes with which you want to partition an hour in the daily and weekly views. Selections are: 5 minutes, 6 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes. The time scale applies to the entire schedule.


Events These five fields display current information about this schedule's events.

Present Value — Displays the current event value: Active or Inactive.

Occupancy Time — Displays the specified occupancy time from Occupancy time field, above.

Unoccupancy Time — Displays the specified unoccupancy time from Unoccupancy time field, above.

Next Occupancy Time — Displays the next day/time the schedule becomes active.

Next Unoccupancy Time — Displays the next day/time the schedule becomes inactive.

Note Enter information about this schedule. This note appears in weekly and daily calendar views.



Automatic Schedule Download

Check this checkbox, and select a day and time, to download this schedule's values automatically from the workstation database to the controller on which this schedule was opened. Use the day dropdown menu to select a day.

To select a time, click and highlight the hours, minutes, seconds, or AM/PM field to select the hour, minute, second, and AM/PM, you want the automatic download to occur. Use the up and down arrows to move to the previous hour/minute/second and to select AM or PM.

Action To download this schedule’s values to the controller immediately (and not wait for the designated download day/time) click the Download Events to Controller NOW button.

Working with Exception Schedules This section covers:

• Overview • Creating an exception entry • Partial-day exception schedules • Exception schedule icons • Editing, deleting, and moving an exception entry • Making user-defined standard days exception schedules • Creating an exception entry via Daily and Weekly tabs • Selecting (highlighting) an entire month or an entire week on the yearly view

Overview Using the Exception tab, you may create and/or reference a BACnet exception schedule to your Schedule object. An exception schedule is a special schedule entry that is sometimes based on the BACnet Calendar object, which Continuum supports. These exception entries can be single days, a range of days, recurring days, or a referenced Calendar object, in accordance with the BACnet standard. You can therefore integrate Calendar object values into a Schedule object.

Note: Exception schedules can also be partial days, as of the implementation of the BACnet protocol revision 4. That is, you can create two or more exception schedules for the same day. See also Partial-day exception schedules, later in this chapter.

Note: You may not use a recurring-day entry or referenced Calendar-object exception entry for a schedule created on an Infinity controller — only a BACnet controller.

The Exception tab lists the Exception Schedule tree, which includes single days, ranges of days, recurring days, and referenced calendar days that have been assigned

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(selected). This includes the assignment of user-defined days, as well as any new exception entry that you create or reference via the Exception Schedule tree.

Creating an Exception Entry To create a new exception entry, follow this procedure:

1. Click the New Exception button beneath the Exception Schedule tree (or right click Exception Schedule and select New Exception from the popup). The Special Event dialog (or BACnet Special Event dialog for BACnet controllers) appears:

2. In the Entry Type section, select one of the following radio buttons:

Date

Range of dates

Recurrence

Calendar Reference

Notice the data fields on the right side of the dialog are different for each selection.

Note: The Recurrence and Calendar Reference radio button selections do not appear for a Schedule on an Infinity controller.

3. Enter the desired information in the data fields on the right side of the dialog. These fields are self-explanatory.


Note: For year, month, day, and day of week, you can select "any," as opposed to a specific selection. To do so, check the respective Any checkboxes. Also, for Month, you may use the dropdown menu to select Odd Months or Event Months, as opposed to a specific month.

For range, enter a starting and ending date.

For recurrence, enter a recurring weekday for a particular month. For example, if you were defining "Thanksgiving," you could choose Last, Thursday, and November.

For a calendar reference, click the Calendar Reference Object field's browse button. The Select an object dialog appears. Search for and select the Calendar object (on a BACnet controller) that you want to reference and integrate into your Schedule object. Click the Select button. The Calendar object path appears in the Calendar Reference Object field.

4. Select either the Time Value List radio button (when you want to add one or more unique time values to apply to the new entry) or the User Defined Standard Day radio button when you want select the time value of an existing user-defined day, such as Holiday.

If you select Time Value List, go to step 5. If you select User Defined Standard Day, go to step 6.

5. Click the Add button. The Time Value dialog appears:

In the Time field, select a time at which you want this entry's event to apply a value — hour, minute, second.

Note: If you want to use BACnet time fields (in which you can specify a specific time or any time) check the BACnet Time Fields checkbox. There are four BACnet time fields. From left to right, enter the hour, minute, second, and hundredth of second. To enter any hour, any minute, any second, or any hundredth of second, enter the word "Any" in the desired field.

In the Value field and Value Type field (schedule on a BACnet controller) enter a value and value type. For example, on a BACnet controller, for a temperature value, you could enter a real number and select Real from the Value Type field's dropdown menu. For example, you could enter a text value, then select Character String as a value type.

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For a schedule on a BACnet controller, choices for Value Type are:

Boolean

Unsigned Integer

Signed Integer

Enumerated

Date

Time

Character String

Real

BACnet Object Identifier

Double

Octet String

Bit String

Note: Check the NULL checkbox to relinquish control of a commanded property when no scheduled events are in effect.

Note: The Value Type field is not available for a schedule on an Infinity controller. Value field choices on an Infinity controller are Active and Inactive (on/off). For example:

In the Notes field, describe the entry's event. These notes, along with the values, appear in the weekly and daily views. Click OK. The time/value entry appears in the Time Value List window in the Special Event dialog.

Repeat this procedure if you want to apply two or more times/values for this entry. For example, you may create one time/value to raise the temperature at 7:00 a.m. to 70 degrees, and another to lower the temperature at 9:00 pm to 55 degrees.


CAUTION: Too many exception-entry events scheduled on one day can create time/value conflicts. If this happens, the following warning appears on the Daily tab, as well as the Weekly tab for each conflicted day:

There are too many events in this day. Please double-click to see details.

Double click over this warning on the Daily or Weekly tab. The Time Values for Day dialog appears, displaying a list of times/values for events scheduled on that day.

Note: The values you select are applied to the attached objects listed in the Object Property List (BACnet controller) on the Configuration tab. On an Infinity controller, values are applied to the InfinityNumeric or InfinityOutput point specified in the Occupancy Point field on the Configuration tab.

Note: You may also access the Time Value dialog (and create a new exception event) by clicking in the time margin or a non-event slot in the Daily or Weekly tab. The Time Value dialog accessed from those tabs asks for a start-time event, as well as an end-time event. For example:

"Rest of the day" end time — As described above, when you access the Time Value dialog on the Daily or Weekly tab, and you are asked to specify both a start time and an end time. Here you have the option of specifying a midnight end time by checking the Rest of the day checkbox. Check this box when this event needs to be active for the remainder of the day. It also saves you the time of filling in the End time fields.

Again, if you want to use BACnet time fields (in which you can specify a specific time or any time) check the BACnet Time Fields checkbox.

Go to step 7.

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6. From the dropdown menu, select the user-defined standard day whose value you want to apply to this new entry.


7. In the Event Priority field of the BACnet Special Event dialog, select a BACnet command priority (1...16) from the dropdown menu. This priority is useful if there are exception schedule event conflicts. For more information on BACnet command priority, see the Help topic, Working with Command Priorities, in your Continuum online help, and Chapter 14, BACnet, and your BACnet Standard.

8. In the Name field, enter a name or description of the day, range, recurrence, or referenced entry. This name appears for this entry in tree.

9. Click OK. The new entry is added to the tree.

Note: At this point, you may right click the Daily or Weekly tab and from the popup menu and select the number of minutes with which you want to partition an hour in the daily and weekly views. Selections are: 5 minutes, 6 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes. (This is known as the Time Scale, which you may also set on the Configuration tab.) The time scale applies to the entire schedule.


Partial-Day Exception Schedules The BACnet standard, revision 2004, introduces partial-day exception schedules. Before revision 2004, an exception schedule governed an entire day, an entire day for each day in a range or days, or an entire day for each day of recurring days. This meant that an exception schedule would stay in control for an entire day and never relinquish control back to weekly scheduled events for that day, since a weekly schedule yields to an exception schedule.

Passing Control Back to Weekly Schedule on Same Day -- Partial-day exception scheduling allows you to control a portion of a given day, rather than the whole day. This means that exception events and weekly events can be integrated into the same day, as needed. Important one-time exception events now can temporarily interrupt the weekly schedule (for only as many hours as it needs to) and then hand control back to the weekly schedule. That is, regularly scheduled events are no longer completely ignored when a weekly and exception schedule fall on the same day.

Before revision 2004, to overcome this dilemma, weekly schedule events were often included in the exception schedule. This was the only way to add additional events to that day.


For example, take a classroom that is normally controlled by a weekly schedule, where the room is occupied from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. But suppose that one particular Wednesday a special lab takes place from 6:00 to 8:00. Before revision 2004, if an exception schedule were added to allow this room to be occupied from 6:00 to 8:00 on a particular Wednesday, that exception would also need to specify the room as occupied from 9:00 to 3:00 because all Wednesday's normal events would be overridden.

Partial-day scheduling removes that limitation. When an exception event ends, control can be passed back to the weekly schedule. In the classroom example, this allows you to specify an exception entry only from 6:00 to 8:00. You can pass control from the exception back to the weekly schedule by specifying a special value (NULL) in the exception's time value list. In the classroom case, it means that the exception could look like this:

• 6:00 a.m. - Specify the value (for example, turn on heat or light) that makes the room occupied.

• 8:00 a.m. - Specify the value that makes the room not occupied. • At a time after 8:00, but before 9:00 - Specify NULL. Note: The exception and weekly schedule properties can also interact with the Schedule

Default property, which might allow the above schedule to be specified differently, but control identically. See also the Configuration tab.

Using Two Exception Schedules on the Same Day -- Before revision 2004, it was not possible to use different exceptions to control different parts of the same day. Now, one exception can control a morning's events and another exception control the evening's events. Using the previous classroom example, suppose that, on a Sunday, the room must be occupied from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., and again from 9:00 to 3:00 p.m. No weekly schedule is in effect for Sunday. This means that the exceptions could look like this:

Exception 1

• 6:00 a.m. - Specify the value that makes the room occupied. • 8:00 a.m. - Specify the value that makes the room not occupied. • At a time after 8:00, but before 9:00 - Specify NULL. Exception 2

• 9:00 a.m. - Specify the value that makes the room occupied. • 3:00 p.m. - Specify the value that makes the room not occupied.

Partial-Day Exceptions and Schedule Default -- Partial-day exception schedules can also work with the schedule default value, established in the property, Schedule Default. (See also the Configuration tab.) The value of the schedule default is the value the schedule takes at any moment where there are no exception or weekly events in control. Using the first classroom example (exception vs. weekly events), the 8:00 value, which makes the room unoccupied, is not necessary if the schedule default has the same

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value. Instead, the exception can just specify the NULL value and cause the schedule default to take control because there are no weekly events at 8:00 a.m.

Exception Schedule Icons As you add exception entries, the Exception Schedule tree identifies them in the list with the following icons:

Single day

Range of days

Recurring days

Calendar object reference

When you expand an entry, its time values and command priorities appear in the tree. The exception entries are highlighted on the yearly view and noted in the weekly and daily views.

Note: Dates listed in the tree appear in red on the yearly view. If you select a day in the tree, it appears in blue on the yearly view.

Note: When you click and select a date in the yearly view, you may right click and assign a user-defined standard day. Any day that is assigned in this manner also appears in the tree. See also: Working with Standard Days and User-defined Days, later in this chapter.

Editing, Deleting, and Moving an Exception Entry Editing an Entry — To edit an existing exception entry in the Exception Schedule tree, simply right click its icon/entry in the tree, and select Edit from the popup menu. The Special Event dialog appears. Use the procedure for creating an exception entry, above, as guidelines.

Deleting an Entry — To delete an exception entry in the Exception Schedule, simply right click its icon/entry in the tree, and select Delete from the popup menu. The entry is removed from the tree and the calendar view.

Moving an Entry in the Tree — To move an entry up or down in the tree, simply right click its icon/entry, and select Up or Down from the popup menu. The entry is inserted above the previous or next entry in the tree, respectively.

Making User-Defined Standard Days Exception Entries From the Standard Day tab, in the User Defined Day tree, when you assign a user-defined standard day (or a range of user-defined standard days) on the yearly view, the day or range also becomes part of the exception schedule. For more information, see: Working with Standard and User-defined Days, later in this chapter.


Creating an Exception Entry via Daily and Weekly Tabs On the Daily and Weekly tabs of the Schedule editor, you may click inside a time slot, or the time margin, to bring up the Time Value dialog and add a time/value event. (See procedures above for information on the Time Value dialog.) When you access the Time Value dialog from these tabs, it provides two sections for the Start time and End time. Hence you are creating two time/value events in using one dialog — a start event and an end event.

Selecting an Entire Month or Entire Week on the Yearly View To select (highlight) an entire month or an entire week:

1. Select the Yearly tab.

2. To select (highlight) an entire month, click inside the day initials for that month (S M T W T F S). To select (highlight) an entire week, click to the left of that week (to the left of Sunday "S" of that week).

Working with Standard Days and User-defined Days This section covers the following:

• Overview • Editing a weekly standard day • Creating and editing a user-defined standard day • Assigning one or more single user-defined standard days • Assigning a range of user-defined standard days in the yearly view • Resetting a user-defined standard day as a weekly standard day • Deleting a user-defined standard day • Using exception schedules exclusively (deleting weekly standard day events) • Selecting (highlighting) an entire month or an entire week from Yearly tab

Overview The Schedule editor, by default, supplies weekly standard days (Monday through Sunday). These standard days are listed on the Standard Day tab, in the Weekly Schedule tree.

You may modify any weekly standard day. Within each standard day, you add and edit events, specifying the time these events become active and inactive during the day, as well as values for these events — for example, temperature values, on/off switches, and so on.

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Note: For schedules on an Infinity controller, an event value can only be either on (active) or off (inactive). However, on a BACnet controller, you may apply many different types of event values — for example, real numbers, character strings, arrays, Boolean values, and so on, and change these values during the course of a day, as needed.

Event information, including notes on and the current state of each event, appears within the daily and weekly calendar view of a weekly standard day.

Also on the Standard Day tab, in the User Defined Day tree, you may create user-defined standard days. Only one user-defined standard day is supplied by default — Holiday.

Note: When you edit standard days and user-defined standard days, you make global changes that affect all weeks of all years within that schedule, and all objects that are attached to that schedule.

Editing a Weekly Standard Day To edit a standard day and add/modify events within that standard day, perform this procedure:

1. Select the Standard Day tab.

2. In the Weekly Schedule tree, right click the standard day you want to edit (Monday...Sunday) and select Edit from the popup. The standard day dialog appears. (The name of the standard weekday is the title of the dialog.)

3. Check the background color, and change this color, if desired.

If you wish to pick a new color for this weekday, click the color box. From the Color dialog, select a new color, as you would in Microsoft Windows. Click OK, after selecting the new color.

This color is shown in all the views, as well as in the Standard Day tab, for this weekday.

4. To add a new standard-day event, click the Add button.

To edit an existing standard-day event, in the Event List highlight the event you want to change, and click the Edit button.

The Time Value dialog appears.

Note: To delete an existing standard-day event, in the Event List highlight the event you want to delete, and click the Delete button. The event is removed from the list.

In the Time Value dialog:

In the Time field, select a time at which you want this event to apply a value — hour, minute, second.

Note: On a BACnet controller, if you want to use BACnet time fields (in which you can specify a specific time or any time) check the BACnet Time Fields checkbox. There are four BACnet time fields. From left to right, enter the hour,


minute, second, and hundredth of second. To enter any hour, any minute, any second, or any hundredth of second, enter the word "Any" in the desired field.


Note: The Value Type field is not available for a schedule on an Infinity controller. Value field choices on an Infinity controller are Active and Inactive (on/off).


Boolean

Unsigned Integer

Signed Integer

Enumerated

Date

Time

Character String

Real


Double

Octet String

Bit String

Check the NULL checkbox to relinquish control of a commanded property when no scheduled events are in effect.

In the Notes field, describe the entry's event. These notes, along with the values, appear in the weekly and daily views.

Click OK. The event appears in the Event List window in the standard day dialog.

Repeat this procedure if you want to apply two or more time/value events for this entry. For example, you may create one time/value to raise the temperature at 7:00 a.m. to 70 degrees, and another to lower the temperature at 9:00 pm to 55 degrees.


Note: You may also access the Time Value dialog (and create a new event) by clicking in the time margin or a non-event slot in the Daily or Weekly tab. The Time Value dialog accessed from those tabs asks for a start-time event, as well as an end-time event. For example:

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"Rest of the day" end time — As described above, when you access the Time Value dialog on the Daily or Weekly tab, and you are asked to specify both a start time and an end time. Here you have the option of specifying a midnight end time by checking the Rest of the day checkbox. Check this box when this event needs to be active for the remainder of the day. It also saves you the time of filling in the End time fields.

5. Check the Apply events to all weekdays in weekly schedule checkbox to copy this weekday's events to all other weekdays.

6. Click OK.

The standard day changes appear throughout the Schedule editor.

Note: At this point, you may right click the Daily or Weekly tab and from the popup menu select the number of minutes with which you want to partition an hour in the daily and weekly views. Selections are: 5 minutes, 6 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes. (This is known as the Time Scale, which you may also set on the Configuration tab.) The time scale applies to the entire schedule.



Creating and Modifying a User-defined Standard Day To create a new user-defined standard day, or modify an existing one, perform this procedure:


2. To add a new user-defined standard day: Click the New User Defined Day button beneath the User Defined Day tree (or right click User Defined Day, and select New from the popup).

To edit an existing standard day: In the User Defined Day tree, right click the name of the user-defined standard day you wish to change.

The Standard Day dialog appears.

Note: Only one user-defined standard day is provided, by default — Holiday.

3. Check the background color, and change this color, if desired.

If you wish to pick a new color for this user-defined standard day, click the color box. From the Color dialog, select a new color, as you would in Microsoft Windows. Click OK, after selecting the new color.

This color is shown in all the views, as well as in the Standard Day tab, for this user-defined standard day.

Note: The default color for Holiday is red.

4. To add a new user-defined-standard day event, click the Add button.

To edit an existing user-defined standard day event, in the Event List, highlight the event you want to change, and click the Edit button.

The Time Value dialog appears.

Note: To delete an existing user-defined standard day event, in the Event List highlight the event you want to delete, and click the Delete button. The event is removed from the list.

In the Time Value dialog:

In the Time field, select a time at which you want this event to apply a value — hour, minute, second.

Note: On a BACnet controller, if you want to use BACnet time fields (in which you can specify a specific time or any time) check the BACnet Time Fields checkbox. There are four BACnet time fields. From left to right, enter the hour, minute, second, and hundredth of second. To enter any hour, any minute, any second, or any hundredth of second, enter the word "Any" in the desired field.


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Note: The Value Type field is not available for a schedule on an Infinity controller. Value field choices on an Infinity controller are Active and Inactive (on/off).


Boolean

Unsigned Integer

Signed Integer

Enumerated

Date

Time

Character String

Real


Double

Octet String

Bit String

Check the NULL checkbox to relinquish control of a commanded property when no scheduled events are in effect.

In the Notes field, describe the entry's event. These notes, along with the values, appear in the weekly and daily views.

Click OK. The event appears in the Event List window in the Standard Day dialog.

Repeat this procedure if you want to apply two or more time/value events for this entry. For example, you may create one time/value to raise the temperature at 7:00 a.m. to 70 degrees, and another to lower the temperature at 9:00 pm to 55 degrees.

CAUTION: Too many exception-entry events scheduled on one day can create time/value conflicts. If this happens, the following warning appears on the Daily tab, as well as the Weekly tab for each conflicted day:

There are too many events in this day. Please double-click to see details.

Double click over this warning on the Daily or Weekly tab. The Time Values for Day dialog appears, displaying a list of times/values for events scheduled on that day.


Note: You may also access the Time Value dialog (and create a new event) by clicking in the time margin or a non-event slot in the Daily or Weekly tab. The


Time Value dialog accessed from those tabs asks for a start-time event, as well as an end-time event.

5. Click OK.

The user-defined standard day changes appear throughout the Schedule editor.

Note: At this point, you may right click the Daily or Weekly tab and from the popup menu select the number of minutes with which you want to partition an hour in the daily and weekly views. Selections are: 5 minutes, 6 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes. (This is known as the Time Scale, which you may also set on the Configuration tab.) The time scale applies to the entire schedule.


Assigning One or More Single User-defined Standard Days To assign one or more single user-defined standard days in your schedule:


2. In the yearly view, select (left click) the day you wish to assign, and then right click. From the popup menu, select Assign a User Defined Standard Day, as well as the name of the user-defined day you wish to assign.

The yearly view shows that day as the user-defined day you selected, in its designated color.

The Exception Schedule tree also lists that day as a single exception day, with its single-day icon. (See: Working with Exception Schedules, earlier in this chapter.)

Note: To assign two or more individual (non-consecutive) user-defined standard days, hold down the CTRL key, and click (highlight) the individual days you wish to assign. Right click, and proceed as described, above. (Holding the SHIFT key in this way allows you to assign two or more consecutive days.)

Assigning a Range of User-defined Standard Days in Yearly View To assign a range of user-defined standard days:


2. In the yearly view, click and hold the mouse button on the first day of the range (for example, February 15).

3. Drag the cursor on the calendar to the last day of the range (for example, February 22). The range (February 15...22) is highlighted.

4. Right click, and from the popup menu, select Assign a User Defined Standard Day, as well as the name of the user-defined day you wish to assign for that range.

The yearly view shows a range of that user-defined day, in the designated color.

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The Exception Schedule tree also lists these days as an exception range of days, with its range icon. (See: Working with Exception Schedules, earlier in this chapter)

Resetting a User-defined Standard Day to a Standard Day To reset a user-defined standard day to a weekly standard day:


2. In the yearly view, select (left click) on the user-defined day you wish to set back to a weekly standard day, and then right click.

3. From the popup, select Reset to weekly schedule.

Note: This also applies to ranges and recurrences.

Deleting a User-defined Standard Day To delete a user-defined standard day:


2. In the User Defined Day tree, right click the user-defined day you wish to delete.

3. From the popup menu, select Delete.

Caution: The user-defined standard day is deleted and removed from everywhere it is used, including the Exception Schedule.

Using Exception Schedules Exclusively (Deleting Weekly Standard Day Events) If you do not wish to use the weekly standard day schedule (as listed in the Weekly Schedule tree), and want to use exception schedules exclusively, perform the following procedure. Using an exception schedule exclusively is beneficial when you need non-repetitive schedules — for example, when students are entering and leaving a laboratory, based on their course requirements and the amount of time it takes them to finish their work, rather than a weekly scheduled time-allotment.


2. Right click Weekly Schedule.

3. From the popup, select Delete Weekly Events.

WARNING: When you make this selection, all existing events in all weekly standard days are removed from your schedule.

Selecting an Entire Month or Entire Week on Yearly View To select an entire month or an entire week:


2. To select (highlight) an entire month, click inside the day initials for that month (S M T W T F S).


To select (highlight) an entire week, click to the left of that week (to the left of Sunday "S" of that week).

Current State Tab This tab displays information about the value of the current event. This tab is not visible on Schedules for Infinity controllers.


Present Value Displays the present value of the current event. This can be of any BACnet time/value type. (See Working with Exception Schedules and Working with Standard and User-defined Days.)

Reliability Indicates whether or not a malfunction has been detected, compromising the integrity of the present value of the current event. Possible reliability settings are:

• NoFaultDetected – Indicates that the present value is reliable and that no fault has been detected.

• UnderRange – Indicates that the sensor connected to the input is reading a value that is lower than the normal operating range.

• OverRange – Indicates that the sensor connected to the input is reading a value that is higher than the normal operating range.

• UnReliableOther – Indicates that the sensor has detected that the present value is unreliable and that none of the above conditions describes the nature of the problem.

Status Flags Provides information on the condition of the value of the current event. The condition can be one of the following:

• InAlarm – Indicates that the event state has a value other than NORMAL.

• Overridden – Indicates that a local device has manually overridden the object.

• Fault – Indicates that the Reliability has a value other than NoFaultDetected.

• OutOfService – Indicates that the object is disabled. Transition Time Note: These Transition Time fields appear only on controllers

that support the BACnet Standard protocol revision 4.

Displays the day/time when objects in the object property list (Configuration tab) transition from one value to another.

Previous — Displays the last day/time objects transitioned (changed) from one value to another.

Next — Displays the next day/time that objects will transition

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(change) from one value to another.

Following — Displays the day/time, following the next transition, that objects will transition (change) from one value to another.

Note: See also Proprietary Schedule Properties for Programs, below.

SetValue Check the Out Of Service checkbox when you want to assign a fixed value to schedule event — when you do not want to compute the value from the weekly schedule, exception schedule, or schedule defaults.

When this box is not checked, the fields are not selectable.

Proprietary Schedule Properties for Programs Andover Continuum BACnet controllers support proprietary Schedule-object properties that are used in Plain English programs to optimize the start and stop times for scheduled events in HVAC systems. These proprietary properties are based on scheduled occupancy times — for example, when rooms need to be prepared with heating before occupancy or when lights need to be shut off after occupancy.

Note: See also the Transition Time fields on the Current State tab.

The properties are:

Property Identifier Meaning

PreviousTransitionTime 512 The time when the Schedule's Present_Value most recently changed value

NextTransitionTime 513 The time when the Schedule's Present_Value is next scheduled to change value after the time indicated by Next_Transition

FollowingTransitionTime 514 The time when the Schedule's Present_Value is next scheduled to change value after the time indicated by Next_Transition

These properties are unsigned integer values, each giving a date and time expressed as the number of seconds.

Plain English, which specifies the behavior of Program objects, can compare these times with the present time and compute time intervals.

In a Plain English program, the value of the each property would be specified as follows:

ScheduleName PreviousTransitionTime

ScheduleName NextTransitionTime

ScheduleName FollowingTransitionTime


where ScheduleName is the name of the Schedule object, whose event start and stop times are being computed.

Each transition indicates a scheduled change in the value of the Schedule's Present_Value property. These values are stored as, and can be read or written as, InfinityDateTime objects.

Note: In a Plain English program, the ReadProperty function can be used to retrieve the values of these properties. (These properties are read-only.)

When determining a transition, time-value pairs that specify the same value as the Schedule's PresentValue (that do not change the value) are not considered transitions. Similarly, if two or more time-value pairs have the same time, only the last pair with that time is used for determining a transition.

For more information on Plain English, please see the Plain English Language Reference, 30-3001-872, and the Continuum online help.

Mass Create – Populating Devices with a Schedule Using the Schedule editor's Mass Create tab, you may immediately copy and distribute (populate) this Schedule object to other devices on your system. This is very useful when other controllers throughout your system need to use this schedule.

In the Schedule editor, click the Copy button to expose expose the Mass Create tab and Mass Change tab, appended to the right side of the editor. These tabs are normally hidden, as shown below:

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When you click the Copy button, the tabs become visible, as shown below:

To expand and retract the width of the Mass Create/Mass Change tabs, place your cursor on the left border of the tab area until it becomes a double-arrow cursor. Drag this cursor left or right to expand or retract, respectively. When the tab area covers part of the Yearly, Weekly, or Daily view, as shown above, use the horizontal scroll bar to see the right side of the view.

To close the Mass Create/Mass Change tab area, click the X button, located in the upper-right corner of the tab area.

As the tab indicates, there are three general steps for populating a schedule:

• Search for controllers you want to populate. • Select the controllers to receive this schedule. • Populate (distribute) the schedule to the selected controllers. To “mass create” a schedule, follow this procedure:

1. On the Mass Create tab, in the search field of Step 1 (Search for devices to populate with this schedule), use the wildcard asterisk to enter an alphanumeric string contained in the paths of controllers that need to have this schedule.

For example, *fan* would list all the controllers whose paths have the string "fan".

Note: If you want to list all controllers, and not narrow the list, leave this field blank (with just the asterisk).

2. Click the Search button.

Based on what you enter in the search field, controller paths are listed under the Device column in the window of Step 2.


Note: If your schedule is created on a BACnet controller, BACnet devices are listed. Likewise, if it is created on an Infinity controller, Infinity devices are listed.

3. In the list, highlight (select) one or more controllers with which you want to populate this schedule. Also:

To select them all, right click a controller and choose Select All from the popup menu.

To deselect them all, right click a controller and choose Select None from the popup menu.

To remove entries from the list, highlight them and click the Remove button. (Or you may right click an entry, and select Remove Devices from the popup menu.)

Adding a controller to the list — To add device entries to the list, click the Add button (or right click an entry and select Add Devices).

The Selection dialog appears.

Note: As an alternative you may also drag and drop device objects from Continuum Explorer to the member object list window.

From the Selection dialog, search for and select the device objects you want to add.

Use the Objects of type dropdown menu to select the object class you want to add: InfinityController, InfinityInfinetCtrl, or Device. Only objects of that object class type appear. (For Infinity schedules, the Device object is not available in this dropdown menu.)

Click the Select button. The paths of the newly added objects appear in mass-create list.

Note: In the Selection dialog, you may use the network view button, folder-view button, and other buttons, as well as the Folder dropdown menu to expose the tree (as you would in Continuum Explorer) to adjust view of directory paths and available objects.

Click the Populate button (Step 3). The schedule is copied to the selected devices in the list.

Note: Look at the Status column in the list in Step 2. For each list member, this column states whether the population process has succeeded or failed.

If the process fails — If the process fails, some possible explanations are:

• One or more controllers are offline. • The schedule contains a Calendar object reference and you are attempting to

populate a BACnet controller that does not support Calendar objects. • You are attempting to copy a schedule to your own controller (the one on which the

schedule was created). • You are attempting to copy a schedule to a controller that does contain the objects

listed in the Object Property List of the Configuration tab (BACnet) or that does contain the attached Occupancy Point object of the Configuration tab (Infinity).

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Mass Change – Updating Multiple Schedules Note: In the Schedule editor, click the Copy button to expose expose the Mass Create

tab and Mass Change tab, appended to the right side of the editor. These tabs are normally hidden. For details on expanding and collapsing these tabs in the editor, please see the previous section, Mass Create.

Using the Schedule editor's Mass Change tab, you may immediately copy your Schedule configuration to other Schedule objects on your system, thereby "updating" them. This is very useful when other schedules require the exact same events, special calendar days, attached objects, and so on. Click the right-arrow button in the right-hand corner of the editor to expose the Mass Change tab (along with the Mass Create tab) appended to the right side of the editor:

As the tab indicates, there are three general steps for updating a schedule:

• Search for schedules you wish to update. • Select the schedules whose configurations need to be updated. • Update the selected schedules by copying (overwriting) this schedule's configuration

over theirs. To “mass change” a schedule, follow this procedure:


1. On the Mass Change tab, in the search field of Step 1 (Search for schedules to update), use the wildcard asterisk to enter an alphanumeric string contained in the paths of schedules that need to be updated. For example, *sched* would list all the controllers whose paths have the string "sched".

Note: If you want to list all schedules, and not narrow the list, leave this field blank (with just the asterisk).

2. Click the Search button.

Based on what you enter in the search field, schedule paths are listed under the Device column in the window of Step 2, and the names of those Schedule objects listed under the Schedule Name column.

3. In the list, select one or more schedules you want to update. Also:

To select them all, right click in the list and choose Select All from the popup menu.

To deselect them all, right click in the list and choose Select None from the popup menu.

To remove entries from the list, highlight them and click the Remove button. (Or you may right click an entry, and select Remove Devices from the popup menu.)

To edit any schedule in the list, right click the schedule you want to edit, and select Edit Schedule from the popup menu (or simply double click the schedule).

The Schedule editor for that schedule appears with its current (last-saved) configuration. If at any time you wish to return to the original (previous) original schedule, click the Return to path at the bottom, beneath Step 3.

Adding a schedule to the list — To add schedule entries to the list, click the Add button (or right click an entry and select Add Schedules).

The Selection dialog appears.

Note: As an alternative, you may also drag and drop Schedule objects from Continuum Explorer to the member object list window.

From the Selection dialog, search for and select the Schedule objects you want to add.

Only objects of object class type, Schedule, appear.

Click the Select button. The paths of the newly added objects appear in mass-change list.

Note: In the Selection dialog, you may use the network view button, folder-view button, and other buttons, as well as the Folder dropdown menu to expose the tree (as you would in Continuum Explorer) to adjust view of directory paths and available objects.

4. Click the Update button (Step 3).

Your schedule configuration overwrites the configurations of the selected schedules in the list.

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Note: Look at the Status column in the list in Step 2. For each list member, this column states whether the update process has succeeded or failed.

Calendars and the Calendar Editor Calendar is a standard BACnet class object. A Calendar object is typically used with and referenced by Schedule objects. You use Calendar simply to select a day on a yearly view of a calendar, as you would according to the BACnet standard. Specifically, via the Calendar Entry dialog, you establish:

• A single-day • A range of dates • A recurrence of a day You create a Calendar object on an Infinity b4920, b40xx series, or b3 controller, in the Infinity view of the Continuum Explorer. A Calendar object, like other BACnet objects on the Continuum system, is placed in both an Infinity Calendar class folder beneath the b4, b40xx series, or b3 controller, and in a BACnet Calendar class folder beneath its corresponding b4, b40xx series, or b3 controller in the BACnet view.

Note: In the BACnet view, you may create a Calendar object on a third-party BACnet device, but not on an Andover Continuum BACnet device.

Note: Some BACnet controllers support a Schedule but do not support a Calendar. Others support both objects. Infinity legacy (non b4 and b3) controllers support Schedule objects, but not Calendar objects.


Adding or Removing a Calendar Entry The Calendar editor's right-hand pane displays a yearly calendar on the Yearly View tab. The left-hand pane contains a Date List tree:

The Date List tree lists all established dates single days, ranges of days, and recurring days and identifies them in the list with the following icons:

Single day

Range of days

Recurring days

Note: Dates listed in the Date List appear in light blue on the calendar. If you select a day in the Date List, it appears in yellow on the calendar.

The Present Value field displays the current value of the Calendar object.

Enter a description of the Calendar object in the Description field.

Adding and Removing a Single Day via Calendar Click — You may add a single day to the Date List by clicking once on an individual day on the calendar. The single day entry immediately appears in the Date List.

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Note: When you add a day in this way, notice its entry is not named in the Date List. To name it, right click its new Date List entry, and from the Calendar Entry dialog, enter a name in the Name field. (Or in the tree, you may simply click inside its empty name field and enter a name the way you would for a file in Microsoft Windows Explorer.)

Note: You may also use the yearly calendar to assign two or more individual (non consecutive) dates. Hold down the CTRL key, and click (highlight) the individual days you wish to assign. Right click, and proceed as described, above.

You may also remove a day by clicking once on a single established "red" or "blue" day on the calendar. When you do so, you are asked:

Do you want to remove all calendar entries that reference this date?

Click Yes to remove the date or No to keep it.

Adding Calendar Entries via Calendar Entry Dialog — Add a single day, range of days, or recurring days, using the Calendar Entry dialog. To add an entry:

1. Click the New Calendar Entry button, or right click an entry in the Date List, and select New Calendar Entry.

The Calendar Entry dialog appears.

2. In the Entry Type section, select one of the following radio buttons.

Date

Range of dates

Recurrence

Notice the calendar data fields on the right side of the dialog are different for each selection.

3. Enter the desired information in the calendar data fields on the right side of the dialog. These fields are self-explanatory.

For range, enter a starting and ending date.

Note: You may also use the yearly calendar to assign a range of days. In the yearly view, click and hold the mouse button on the first day of the range (for example, February 15). Drag the cursor on the calendar to the last day of the range (for example, February 22). The range (February 15...22) is highlighted. Enter a name by editing its calendar entry in the Date List.

For recurrence, enter a recurring weekday for a particular month. For example, if you were defining "Thanksgiving," you could choose Last, Thursday, and November.

4. In the Name field, enter a name or description of the day, range, or recurrence entry. This name appears for this entry in the Date List.

5. Click OK. The new entry is added to the Date List.


Editing or Removing an Entry via Date List — To edit an existing entry, right click the entry, and select Edit from the popup menu. The Calendar Entry dialog appears for that entry. Modify the data as needed.

To remove an entry from the Date List tree, right click the entry, and select Remove from the popup menu. The entry is immediately removed from the tree and the calendar view.

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Configuring Loops

Overview A Loop is a BACnet standard object that allows you to create a feedback system without manually creating or editing Plain English code. The loop feedback system is comparable to cruise control for a car. Just as cruise control automatically adjusts variables to maintain the desired speed, the loop object automatically adjusts input values to achieve the desired setpoint and remain at the setpoint indefinitely. The ultimate goal is for the input to reach the setpoint in the shortest amount of time possible. It does so by using a PID (Proportional, Integral, and Derivative) control algorithm.

The controller obtains the value of the input when it polls the current value of the input reference (sensor, valve, and so on.). Then, the controller uses the PID algorithm to adjust the input to come as close as possible to the setpoint. The result of the PID algorithm determines an output that is then assigned to the output reference, or an object whose values control such things as sensors and dampers. The controller continues to alter the value of the output to maintain the input value at the value of the setpoint.

The error, or the difference between the input value and the setpoint value, is used to adjust the output value. The PID algorithm uses the error's value to measure how much the loop should be adjusted. The Tuning tab gives you the opportunity to adjust these values or to tune the loop to fit your particular preference.

You create a Loop-object feedback system using the Loop editor and its tabs. Using the General tab, you can monitor and alter the current state of the loop. The Tuning tab also contains a dynamically updating graph that displays loop, output, input, and setpoint values as they change over time. This tab is interactive because you can tune the loop and customize the graph to your liking.

This chapter presents the following topics:

• General Tab • Tuning Tab • What Is PID?

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• Tuning the PID Loop • Customizing the PID Graph • Basic Alarms Tab and Advanced Alarms Tab

General Tab The General tab allows you to view and/or alter the current state of the loop object.

Note: All output-reference, setpoint-reference, and input-reference values are references to objects that were originally created either as points on Andover Continuum controllers, or as BACnet objects on third-party BACnet controllers.


The following table describes the attributes on the General tab.


Description Enter up to 32 characters including spaces to describe the loop.

Units From the dropdown menu, select the type of units desired for the output value.

Present Loop Value

Displays the result of the most recent PID calculation. This value is used to set the output reference object and the priority defined by the present pool priority.

Present Output Value

Displays the present value of the output reference object. This value is usually equal to the present loop value. However, if the output reference object is commanded at a higher priority or disabled (out of service) then the present value of the output may have a different value.

Present Loop Priority

Specify the desired BACnet command priority of the Loop object.

Present Output Priority

Displays the BACnet command priority of the object (output reference) to which the loop is writing. This command priority is configured within the individual BACnet object, in its object editor.

Output Reference Select the object/attribute to which the loop writes.

Using the browse button, search for and select the object. Then select an object attribute, such as Value, from the dropdown menu. The attributes that appear in the menu vary, according to the object that is selected.

Note: The Index field is read-only and the user cannot alter the value. See also Index below.

Input Value Displays the current value of the input reference object

Input Reference Select the object from which the loop obtains the current value.

Using the browse button, search for and select the object. Then select an attribute from the dropdown menu. The attributes that appear in the menu vary, according to the object that is selected.

Index This field allows you to specify the element of a BACnet array property.

If you select an array as the input reference (PriorityArray from the dropdown menu) the Index field enables and allows you to reference a specific element of the array.

Specify the array element by selecting the up and down arrows or by entering the desired array-element number.

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Setpoint If you prefer to enter a specific setpoint value for this loop, select this radio button. When you select this button, the field enables and the Setpoint Reference fields (see below) disable.

In this Setpoint field, you can only enter numeric values. Numbers with decimals are acceptable entries.

Setpoint Reference If you prefer instead to reference an object whose value becomes the loop's setpoint, select this radio button. When you select this button, the fields enable and the Setpoint field (see above) disables.

Click the browse button, and search for and select the object whose property value become the setpoint. Use the dropdown menu to select the type of property. The properties that appear in the menu vary, according to the object that is selected.

Index This field allows you to specify the element of a BACnet array property. If you select an array (the PriorityArray attribute from the dropdown menu) the Index field enables and allows you to reference a specific element of the array.

Specify the array element number by using the up and down arrows or by simply entering a number.

Update Interval Enter the time (in milliseconds) the PID loop should wait before re-evaluating its output.

Note: Do not make this value too small because you want to give the environment a chance to react to the output.

If the loop updates the output too frequently, the equipment can burn out. Check the manufacturer's recommendations to avoid causing harm to the equipment.

Out of Service Check this checkbox to indicate that the loop object is out of service and has lost communication with its attached device.

Putting the point out of service is a good way to test the point and the functions that rely on it. You can simulate various situations by manually changing the value or reliability attributes. This allows you to see how associated functions react to these changes.



Status Provides information on the loop's condition. The condition can be one of the following:

• InAlarm -- Indicates that the Event State attribute has a value other than NORMAL.

• Overridden -- Indicates that a local device has manually overridden the point.

• Fault -- Indicates that the Reliability property has a value other than NoFaultDetected.

• OutOfService -- Indicates that the point is disabled.

Reliability Provides an indication of whether or not the controller has detected a malfunction that might compromise the integrity of the loop's present value.

The attribute can read one of the following:

• NoFaultDetected -- Indicates that the present value is reliable and that no fault is detected.

• OpenLoop -- Indicates that the connection between the point and the device is providing a value resulting from an open circuit.

• UnReliableOther -- Indicates that the controller detects an unreliable present value, and that none of the above conditions describes the nature of the problem.

More About an OpenLoop State – Here are some conditions that could cause an OpenLoop state:

The Controlled_Variable_Reference or Manipulated_Variable_Reference properties reference an AnalogInput or AnalogOutput, where the Channel (Infinity property) is not configured. This causes the Out_Of_Service property for the AnalogInput or AnalogOutput to always have a value of True, which in turn causes the Loop's Reliability property to have a value of OpenLoop.

• The Present Loop Value is different than the Present Output Value, after the Loop updates the output value. This can occur when the output value (Manipulated_Variable_Reference) is currently commanded by another process at a higher priority than that at which the Loop writes. This could be a common occurrence when the Loop is configured to write to the Present_Value property of an object that has a priority array, and the Loop is writing at a lower priority than something else.

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• When the Loop is initially configured and saved, the Reliablility property may initially be displayed as "OpenLoop", even though it is properly configured. If the editor is refreshed (generally within a few seconds) the Reliablity property should change to NoFaultDetected.

Note: The editor only shows the Priority Array attribute in the Input and Setpoint Reference dropdown menus if the reference is an AnalogValue. The dropdown menu also displays all attributes that are float values; therefore, it might show attributes that the controller does not support.

Tuning Tab The Tuning tab contains all the PID (proportional, integral, derivative) loop variables. It also contains a dynamically updating graph that displays loop, output, input, and setpoint values as they change over time.

This tab is interactive. That is, you can tune the loop and customize the graph to your liking.

Before Version 1.73, Continuum users created Plain English programs to set the PID gain constants and tune the loop. Now you can accomplish these tasks via the Tuning tab. (See also What Is PID? later in this chapter.)



Loop Value Check this checkbox to display the loop value on the graph.

Click the Loop Value hyperlink to bring up the Graph Configuration dialog, where you can customize the graph's Loop plot properties.

Using the dialog's navigation tree, you can click Output, Input, or Setpoint to switch to those plot properties, respectively. Click Display to show the graph's display properties.

The Loop Value field is read-only and cannot be changed.

See Customizing the PID Graph, later in this chapter.

Output Value Check this checkbox to display the output value on the graph.

Click the Output Value hyperlink to bring up the Graph Configuration dialog, where you can customize the graph's Output plot properties.

Using the dialog's navigation tree, you can click Loop, Input, or Setpoint to switch to those plot properties, respectively. Click Display to show the graph's display properties.

This field is read-only and cannot be changed. See Customizing the PID Graph, later in this chapter.

Input Value Check this checkbox to display the input value on the graph.

Click the Input Value hyperlink to bring up tthe Graph Configuration dialog, where you can customize the graph's Input plot properties.

Using the dialog's navigation tree, you can click Loop, Output, or Setpoint to switch to those plot properties, respectively. Click Display to show the graph's display properties.

This field is read-only and cannot be changed. See Customizing the PID Graph, later in this chapter.

Setpoint Value Check this checkbox to display the setpoint value on the graph.

Click the Setpoint Value hyperlink to bring up the Graph Configuration dialog, where you can customize the graph's Setpoint plot properties.

Using the dialog's navigation tree, you can click Loop, Output, or Input to switch to those plot properties, respectively. Click Display to show the graph's display properties.

This field is read-only and cannot be changed.

Note: In order to change the value of the setpoint, go to the General tab and change the value. Select the Apply button to activate the value change.

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Maximum Loop Value

Enter the maximum value that the PID algorithm can assign to the loop. If the output should never go above a certain value, set the limit in this field.

Minimum Loop Value

Enter the minimum value that the PID algorithm can assign to the loop. If the output should never go below a certain value, set the limit in this field.

Poll Frequency Specify the number of seconds the graph should wait before polling the controller for the new setpoint and input values.

Sample Size Select the intervals of time for the X axis. The maximum sample size is 10; the larger the sample size, the more points the graph displays.

Note: Non-default values that you select for Poll Frequency and Sample Size take effect immediately, as you manipulate a live graph in real time while the Loop editor is open. Non-default values cannot be saved they revert back to the default values when you close the Loop editor because these attributes are technically not part of the Loop object. When you change these values, the Apply button does not become selectable.

The Graph The graph displays the effects the PID algorithm has on the input, output, and setpoint values. The graph dynamically shows how the values you assign to the proportional, integral, and derivative constants alter the value of the loop.

To start the graph, right click the graph and select Start from the popup menu.

Double-click the graph (or right click the graph and select Maximize from the popup menu) to maximize the graph into its own separate window.

You can also customize the graph configuration by right clicking the graph and selecting the Display from the popup menu.

Capturing the Graph: You may capture a screenshot of the current graph (create a graphic file) by right clicking the graph and selecting Save Screenshot. This feature makes it easy to distribute the graph to others and to illustrate documents.

See Customizing the PID Graph, later in this chapter.

Proportional Specify the value for the proportional constant in the Value field and select the type of units from the dropdown menu

Integral Specify the value for the integral constant in the Value field and select the type of units from the dropdown menu.

Derivative Specify the value for the derivative constant in the Value field and select the type of units from the dropdown menu.



Error This field displays the difference between the input and the setpoint.

Last Error This field displays the previous difference between the input and the setpoint.

Bias The bias is the amount of the initial value of the output reference. If the PID algorithm produces a value of X, then the final value of the loop will be X plus the bias. For example, if the valve starts at 10% open, as opposed to 0, you have to add that initial value (the bias) to the value of the loop.

Action Select one of the following from the dropdown menu.

• Direct — Select this when you want an increase in the output value to cause an increase in the input value, and vice versa. For example, select this option if the valve must open in order to increase the temperature.

• Reverse — Select this when you want an increase in the output value to cause a decrease in the input value, and vice versa. For example, select this option if the valve must close in order to increase the temperature.

What Is PID? Note: In order to tune a loop, you should already have some experience with PID and

feedback loops.

PID control refers to three types of control actions that are used in the process of modulating equipment, such as valves, dampers, and variable-speed devices. It is essentially a balancing act between the Proportional, Integral, and Derivative controls to reach the desired setpoint. These three types of controls are defined as follows:

• Proportional - Control based on how far the input is away from the setpoint. • Integral - Control based on the average error over time. (The error is the • difference between the input and the setpoint.) • Derivative - Control based on how quickly the input is approaching the setpoint. PID control combines the three types of control actions, which improve control accuracy and lessens the time it takes for the input to reach the setpoint.

Note: The input is also referred to as the controlled variable because it is the environmental factor you want to control.

Proportional Control Proportional control produces a control signal based on the difference between an actual condition and a desired condition — for example, the difference between the actual temperature and the setpoint. The controller sends a signal that is directly proportional to this difference, or the error. (the difference between the input and the setpoint). Although

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simple and fast, proportional action alone produces a small amount of error, or an "offset," which prevents the system from reaching the desired setpoint. The Proportional control algorithm is as follows:

Proportional = Kp * Err

where Kp is the Proportional Gain and Err is the error (the difference between the input and the setpoint)

Proportional Integral (PI) Control PI control sums the error over time, or takes the integral of the error. By adding the value of the last error to the proportional signal, the control loop produces a control action over time. In turn, the current value moves closer to the setpoint value. Combining proportional and integral actions reduces offset error but produces a different kind of error overshoot. Essentially, the integral action overcompensates, causing the value to go past the setpoint. This is called the "overshoot."

Another limitation to the PI control is that the algorithm produces a problem called "integral windup." Integral windup occurs when the output and input reach their maximum values and cause a large error to exist. This persistent error causes the sum of errors to become very large, and this, in turn, requires a large error in the opposite direction to bring the sum back to zero. Integral windup is detrimental because the equipment is forced to stay at its extreme for long periods of time, which impacts comfort and results in a waste of energy. The PI algorithm is as follows:

PI = Ki * ∑Err δTime

where Ki is the Integral Gain, ∑Err is the sum of errors since the error became greater than the threshold, and δTime is the change in error since the last PID update.

Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Control Derivative action provides an additional control action that anticipates the difference between the current and desired conditions. The derivative action significantly reduces overshoot by counteracting the result of the proportional and integral algorithm. To reduce the overshoot, derivative action determines the rate of change of the error. The controller then uses this derivative to pace the device, producing a more stable output. The PID algorithm is as follows: Output = (Kp * Err) + ( Ki * ∑Err δTime) + (Kd * δErr / δTime) + Bias

where Output is the output of the controller, Kp is the Proportional Gain, Err is the error (the difference between the input and the setpoint), Ki is the Integral Gain, ∑Err is the sum of errors since the error became greater than the threshold, δTime is the change in error since the last PID update, Kd is the Derivative Gain, δErr is the change in error since the last PID update, and the Bias is the offset adjustment parameter.


Tuning the PID Loop The process of setting values to the Proportional, Integral, and Derivative (PID) gain constants is called tuning the PID loop. (See Tuning Process below.)

Tuning configures a feedback loop so that the input value reaches the setpoint value in the shortest amount of time possible. You perform this configuration by entering values in the Loop editor's Tuning tab. The Tuning tab also includes a dynamic graph that displays the realtime changes in the loop's values.

PID control tells the controller how much to adjust an output reference, such as a valve or damper setting, so that the setpoint value is reached in the shortest amount of time possible. (See also Loop Tuning Hints later in this chapter.)

Note: To ensure a more effective result, it is recommended you test the loop before starting the actual tuning process. By testing the loop performance, you can avoid any problems that may arise when actually tuning the loop. Check the Out of Service checkbox on the General tab to test the loop wi

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