Error Application

Prerequisites: The network must have already been created in the project .

SpaceLogic C-Bus units monitor and detect error conditions, and report those conditions using the C-Bus error application. The C-Bus error application is used to report error information detected or generated by C-Bus units over the C-Bus network.

Error reports are screened on the error application. The data transmitted across this application can be used by SpaceLogic C-Bus units which accept error messages.

The reports contain information on the source, severity and nature of the error or fault condition. Events may be reported as OK if the monitored event is operating normally.

Devices that receive error messages take appropriate action in response to the information. This may include publishing information for a user, logging errors or sounding alarms.

Error application is created using a reserved application number 206.

SpaceLogic C-Bus units which support error application are:

DALI/DSI
Digital Dimmer
TE Dimmer
LE Dimmer
Universal Dimmer
Modular Dimmer
Relay
Key Unit
Telecommand and Remote Entry
Temperature Sensor
PSU
BMS Reporting
PWM/LED Dimmer
Sinewave Dimmer
Device Controller
A/C System

The procedure to create an error application is as demonstrated below:

TIP: Alternate method to create error application is shown below:

Operations performed in Error application:

An error message consists of the following additional fields:

The error severity

The severity of an error reflects how critical the error is. The error severity categorized in the order of severity are:
1. Unknown: The current error severity is unknown (no messages have been received)
2. All OK: An Error Severity of All OK is a shortcut used to indicate that all monitored events watched by an error monitoring C-Bus unit are OK.
3. OK: An Error Severity of OK is used to indicate that the status of an individual monitored event being watched by an error monitoring C-Bus unit is currently within normal operating conditions
4. Minor Failure: An error severity of Minor Failure is used to indicate a warning or low priority error for an individual monitored event being watched by an error monitoring C-Bus unit
5. General Failure: An error severity of General Failure is used to indicate an error for an individual monitored event being watched by an error monitoring C-Bus unit
6. Extreme Failure: An error severity of Extreme Failure is used to indicate errors (such as 240 V presence on a DALI Line reporting a Line error, Over Current Protection shutting down a channel on C-Bus Dimmer, C-Bus Product failure etc.) for an individual monitored event being watched by an error monitoring C-Bus unit
Whether the error is latched

Error messages can be current or latched. Current error messages reflect the current status of the error condition. Latched error messages reflect the most severe error which has existed since the condition was last cleared. A latched error can be cleared upon receipt of a C-Bus network command from a C-Bus error receiving unit or software.
Whether the error has been acknowledged

An error can be acknowledged by an error receiving unit. The acknowledgement is transmitted onto the C-Bus for use by the appropriate C-Bus event monitoring unit, such as the DALI gateway.
Additional error data

The data accompanying an error status message depends on the C-Bus unit type. Example, when lighting ballasts fail, the event monitoring unit such as the C-Bus Universal dimmer sends details of the dimmer channel where the error event occurred and the nature of the error.

Monitored event

A monitored event is an event or value that is watched to determine the presence or absence of failure. Example, a DALI gateway can be configured to watch for ballast failure on single or set of DALI lighting units on a DALI network.

Event monitoring units

Event monitoring C-Bus units are units which watch monitored events and transmit the error status onto the C-Bus network. The DALI gateway and the C-Bus Universal dimmer are event monitoring units.

An event monitoring unit can:

Monitor the error status of multiple internal or external events
Transmit error messages whenever a monitored event changes status
Refresh error status of monitored events at regular intervals across C-Bus
When requested, provide a complete error status update of all monitored events
Store (latch) and transmit the most severe previous error states of a monitored event in order to catch transient errors
Accept C-Bus command messages to acknowledge errors
Accept C-Bus command messages to clear latched errors

Error status units or software

An error status unit or software utility accepts error messages from a C-Bus network, but does not watch events directly. Example, the Schedule Plus software receives error messages and is capable of carrying out other operations such as clearing latched errors.