Troubleshooting guide - Metasys - LIT-1201519 - MS-NAE35xx-2 - MS-NAE45xx-2 - MS-NAE5510-2U - MS-NAE5510-3U - MS-NAE551S-2 - MS-NAE55xx-3 - MS-NCE25xx-0 - MS-NXE85SW-x - Supervisory Device - NAE35 Network Automation Engine - NAE45 Network Automation Engine - NAE55 Network Automation Engine - NAE85 Network Automation Engine - NCE25 Network Control Engine - 11.0

NAE Commissioning Guide
Product
Network Engines > Network Automation Engines > NAE85 Network Automation Engine
Network Engines > Network Automation Engines > NAE35 Network Automation Engine
Network Engines > Network Automation Engines > NAE45 Network Automation Engine
Network Engines > Network Automation Engines > NAE55 Network Automation Engine
Document type
Commissioning Guide
Document number
LIT-1201519
Version
11.0
Revision date
2022-02-09

Table 1 provides information for troubleshooting an NAE , hereafter referred to generically as the network engine.

Table 1. Troubleshooting the Network Engine

Problem

Solution

The network engine does not operate when powered on (and the POWER LED is on).
Corrupted flash memory or data loss are the most common causes of this problem. To resolve this problem:
  1. If the unit has a data protection battery, ensure that the battery is connected and charged. (Refer to the unit's Installation Instructions for more information on handling, installing, and charging the data protection battery.)
  2. Ensure that the database does not exceed the network engine flash memory capacity.
  3. Reload the disk image and download the archive database to the network engine while the network engine is disconnected from the network.

The network engine does not operate after updating the disk image, downloading an archive database, or installing a patch.
Corrupted flash memory and data loss are the most common causes of this problem. To resolve this problem:
  1. Ensure that the database does not exceed the network engine flash memory capacity.
  2. Reload the disk image and download the archive database to the network engine while the network engine is disconnected from the network.

Only the host name or the IP address of the network engine changes, even though you changed both attributes.

In some instances, you need to make each change in separate steps. To resolve, change the host name first, reboot, then change the IP address. This scenario can occur if the network engine is placed online to a network that does not have an active DHCP server.

The network engine does not come online or populate in the navigation tree of the Metasys Server or the network engine Site Director.

Specify the domain of the Site Director in the completion domain list of the network engine. Locate this attribute in the SMP UI under the engine's Network tab.

If a network engine is either offline in the Site Director navigation tree, or did not populate in the tree, try to pair the engine manually with the Pair Device with Site Director command at the engine. Or, try SCT to manually pair the engine. Then, save the configuration by uploading the affected network engine and the Site Director.

Use the IP address of the Site Director in the Local Site Director attribute instead of the host name. This attribute is located under the engine’s Focus tab.

If a network engine is not paired as indicated by the blue icon next to its name on the navigation tree of the Site Director, use the Pair Device with Site Director command at the Site Director to manually pair the engine. Then, upload the impacted network engine and the Site Director to the SCT archive to save the configuration.

From the Metasys server, try to ping the network engine by its IP address or host name. If the ping request does not return a response, check the building network and verify all network connections.

The network engine does not communicate with any other device.

Check to make sure that 24 VAC power is connected correctly and that the 24 VAC and POWER LEDs are on.

Check to make sure that communication terminal blocks and other communication connectors are firmly in place.

Check that the wiring is the correct size (18 AWG minimum for power, 18 AWG for N2 Bus, 26 AWG for Ethernet communication).

Check that you have set the correct baud rate on each connected device.

Check the integrity of the wires and cables.

Check that N2 EOL switches are correct. Refer to the Setting Terminations section of the N2 Communications Bus Technical Bulletin (LIT-636018) for details on N2 EOL terminations.

N2 communication (on devices that support the N2 Bus protocol) is not present

Check that the N2 wires are connected properly and are not loose in the termination block.

Check that the N2 LEDs indicate communication.

Check that the N2 EOL switches are correctly set. Refer to the Setting Terminations section of the N2 Communications Bus Technical Bulletin (LIT-636018) for details on N2 terminations.

Check the entire N2 Bus. Refer to the N2 Communications Bus Technical Bulletin (LIT-636018).

LonWorks communication (on devices that support the LonWorks protocol) is not present

Check that the LonWorks network wires are connected properly and are not loose in the termination block.

Connect the Metasys system Connectivity to LonWorks network Tool, the COM.PRO Tool, or a third-party LonWorks network configuration tool to the LonWorks network. Verify that it is possible to communicate with the devices on the network including the network engine. If communication is good, verify that the network engine database has been generated correctly and that the LonWorks enabled device data corresponds to the devices installed. If the network engine does not respond, verify that the network engine has been correctly installed in the LonWorks network database and that the network configuration image has been sent to the network engine. If the network engine cannot be installed, replace the network engine. Refer to the LonWorks® Network Integration with NAE and LCS Technical Bulletin (LIT-1201668) for network engine database generation information.

Check the entire LonWorks network. Refer to the LonMark Guidelines - Physical Layer for details (http://www.lonmark.org).

The network engine is showing no Ethernet communication.

Verify that you are using a patch cable for a hub or switch and a crossover cable for a single computer connection.

Check the port and cable integrity. Make sure that either the 10/Link, 100/Link, or 100/1000 Link LED is green or yellow (indicating an established Ethernet connection; 1000 Mbps Ethernet connection is yellow). Check that the hub or switch into which the LAN connector is plugged works and is connected correctly.

The network engine is showing no modem communication

Beginning at Release 9.0.7, network engines no longer support modem communication.

The USR 5637 modem connects, but garbled characters appear and eventually communication drops.

The network engine does not dial in or dial out.

The network engine loses data.

Check to make sure the battery is installed and that the BATT FAULT LED is not lit. Replace, if necessary, with appropriate replacement battery.

Periodically load-test the battery. The battery protection circuit in the network engine does not load test the battery, so data loss can occur even if the battery fault LED is not illuminated.

Do not unnecessarily press the system RE-BOOT switch.

The network engine runs slowly.

The amount of data you are trying to process is too much for the network engine to handle. A value of 50% or less for the CPU Usage attribute of the network engine is considered acceptable, although other performance indicators should also be assessed. Refer to the Metasys SCT Help (LIT-12011964) or Metasys Site Management Portal Help (LIT-1201793) system for more information. Reduce the size of the database.

The network engine is generating high CPU alarms.
Programming objects (LCT, Signal Select, Global Data) referencing analog objects with small COV values (0.5%) are the most common cause of this problem. To determine the source of the high CPU usage, follow these steps:
  1. Add a Trend extension to the Last Idle Sample of the network engine. This attribute is the inverted instantaneous CPU Usage. For example, if this number is low (5%), then the CPU usage is high (95%). The CPU usage is an average over a 15–30 minute period.
  2. Locate programming objects (Control System objects [LCT] or Signal Select) that reference objects with small COV increments and disable them one at a time. Monitor the Last Idle Sample value after disabling the object. Within 30 seconds, the Last Idle Sample should significantly increase if that object was a contributing factor to the high CPU usage.
  3. When the problem object is determined, then either manually or with Mass Edit Live, update the COV increment to a larger value before re-enabling the programming object.

All network and bus communication is disrupted.

Check for possible external interference. To reduce RF interference, do not use cell phones or handheld transceivers within 3 meters (10 feet) of the network engine.

Check that the power transformer secondary is not shared with another load.

The network engine overheats.

When the internal temperature reaches the high limit, the network engine issues an alarm and lights the GENL FAULT or FAULT LED, allowing you a chance to intervene before heat-related damage results.

Check that the unit has been installed according to the installation instructions and that the mounting orientation is correct.

Make sure cables are not blocking the ventilation of the unit.

Clean out the dust in the unit with canned air (pressurized air used to clean computers and other sensitive devices).

The internal modem no longer functions.

Beginning at Release 9.0.7, network engines no longer support modem communication.

The unit has been damaged or all external causes of failure have been checked.

Replace the network engine.

The following message appears in the Focus window for a network engine:

Item Not Found

The network engine has become unpaired with the Site Director. This issue may occur after you set the Advanced Security Enabled option under the Site Director's Site object to True. To resolve, use the Tools > Pair NxE with Site Director option to force network engine pairing. If this action does not restore communication, either restart the Metasys Server or the network engine that has not paired.

During the process of replacing an NAE with an SNE, you successfully downloaded the SNE with SCT, but an NAE pairing error occurs with the status of:

Unable to Login

Or, you try to manually pair the engine to the Site Director, but you get the error:

Unable to communicate with site director.

When you migrate an NAE to an SNE, the SNE can get stuck into a bad pairing state. This happens when you turn power off from the NAE, but you do not remove that engine from the site's archive database. If you leave the device object in the site's database, and you add a new engine with the same name or IP address, the pairing process with the Site Director fails.

To resolve, promote the SNE to Site Director status, allow the engine to reset, then demote the SNE as a child device to the Site Director. The pairing process between the Site Director and its child SNE engine should now work.