MAC36 - Station - Installed station does not start

Quick Diagnostic Guide

If your station shows "Failed" status in Application Director, follow these steps to identify and fix the problem.

How to Check Station Status

1. Log in to the platform

2. Go to Platform → Application Director

3. Check the station status indicator

Status indicators:

• ✅ Running = Station is working normally

• ❌ Failed = Station has startup issues (use this guide)

• ⏸️ Stopped = Station is intentionally stopped

Common Causes & Solutions

1. Missing JAR Module

Symptom: Station won't start after adding new functionality or moving SD card to another controller.

How to identify:

• Application Director logs show: Cannot load module '[module-name]'

• Example: ModuleNotFoundException: clIOcreation

Solution:

1. Identify the missing module name from the error log

2. Install the required module via Software Manager

3. Click Start button in Application Director (or restart controller)

Common missing modules:

• clIOcreation - Custom I/O modules

• hx - History extension (see Section 2)

• Third-party integration modules

2. Missing HX Module

Symptom: Error shows Cannot load module 'hx=hx' or ModuleNotFoundException: hx

What is HX? The History Extension module required for data logging and trending.

Solution:

Enable the required runtime profiles:

Method A: Quick Re-commission

• Run the commissioning process again (this automatically enables profiles)

Method B: Manual Enable

1. Go to Platform → Platform Administration → Configure Runtime Profiles

2. Window appears: "Update Enabled Runtime Profiles"

3. Enable these profiles:

   • ☑ UX (User Experience)

   • ☑ WB (Workbench)

4. Click OK

5. Restart station in Application Director

3. Outdated Certificate

Symptom: Station fails to start, and you see a red shield icon next to Tridium certificate.

How to check:

• Go to Platform → Certificate Management → User Key Store

• Look for red shield icon on certificate

Solution - Refresh Certificate:

1. Stop the station:

   • Go to Platform → Application Director

   • Click Stop button

2. Refresh the certificate:

   • Go to Platform → Certificate Management → User Key Store

   • Select the outdated certificate

   • Click Reset

3. Restart the station:

   • Go back to Application Director

   • Click Start button

Alternative (Not Recommended): Lower security verification to minimum (only use if certificate refresh fails).

4. Wrong Passphrase (Hardware Replacement)

Scenario: You replaced a faulty MAC36 controller and inserted the old SD card into the new hardware.

Symptom:

• "Change Platform Defaults Wizard" appears on login

• Attempt to set new passphrase fails

• Error message: FACTORY DEFAULT SYSTEM PASSPHRASE DETECTED, CAN NOT START!

Cause: The passphrase doesn't match between the new hardware and the station on the SD card.

Solution:

If you know the passphrase from the old SD card:

1. Go to Platform → Platform Administration

2. Click System Passphrase button

3. Enter passphrase details:

   • Current Passphrase: niagara (factory default)

   • New Passphrase: [passphrase from old SD card]

   • Confirm New Passphrase: [same as above]

4. Click OK

5. Station should now start

If you don't know the passphrase:

• You must use the last backup copy of the station

• Re-run the commissioning process with a new passphrase

• ⚠️ There is no workaround due to security requirements

Quick Reference Table

Step-by-Step: How to View Error Logs

1. Open Platform → Application Director

2. Select your station from the list

3. Look at the bottom panel for error messages

4. Scroll through logs to find Cannot load module or other error messages

5. Note the specific module or error mentioned

Prevention Tips

✅ Before hardware replacement:

• Document the system passphrase

• Keep backup copies of station configuration

• Note all installed modules

✅ Regular maintenance:

• Keep certificates up to date

• Monitor certificate expiry dates in Certificate Management

• Check Application Director logs periodically

✅ After adding new functionality:

• Verify all required modules are installed

• Check Application Director to confirm station starts successfully

When to Contact Support

Contact iSMA CONTROLLI or Forest Rock technical support if:

• Module installation doesn't resolve the issue

• Certificate reset fails repeatedly

• Passphrase is unknown and no backup exists

• Station fails with errors not covered in this guide

Product: iSMA-B-MAC36 Series
Category:Troubleshooting - Station Startup
Difficulty:Intermediate

Related Guides:

• MAC36 Software Manager

• MAC36 Platform Administration

• MAC36 Certificate Management

• MAC36 Backup and Recovery

• MAC36 - Station - Installed station does not start | iC Knowledge Base