Is there a status flag for detecting when communications go down? Or dirty data flag? Something so the we can tell when there are no updates happening with network data.
Would prefer something that doesn’t rely on updating a bit or tracking differential in panel time etc
Ideas?
I guess you want to detect one controller from another controller and do some programming based on that, I can add this to our list. There is an alarm generated by the controller when other controllers go offline, I will have to ask my crew about the details of that.
Important Note: It is good practice to have key IO wired to a single controller so that a network outage doesn’t create havoc. If you do rely on the network for critical info make sure to have logic that lets the system degrade gracefully.
There is a command called power-loss, it evaluates to TRUE (1) on the first time the program runs it, after that it evaluates to FALSE (0). I have to confess we haven’t tested out this command on the latest hardware, we’ll get it working.
Agreed regarding keeping loops on the same boards. However even if you don’t have points spread across panels it is important to know when devices disappear and go offline.
Power Loss feature is nearly done, will push it out later today. You will need to update the firmware, trust you are familiar with it but here’s the steps for others.
Hi,
Was Power Loss feature completed? Does this do what I was looking for in terms of knowing when a panel has gone offline? The scenario is this: 1 panel has outputs for alarm company when there is a comm fault for the other panels. Basically, tell someone if the remote panels disappear or restore.
I have looked at using device time and comparing it to local device time, but there is always variation of some degree or setting a bit and unsetting it, if no change for a period of time, then assume offline, but it sure would be nice to just have a flag like: device.reliable or something like that.
10 if device1.reliable then stop out1 else start out1
20 if device2.reliable then stop out2 else start out2
30 etc…
Should have updated you Jim, POWER-LOSS statement was added a while back. You just need to update your firmware and can test it out yourself.
To let the other controllers in the system know about a particular device going offline you would do a small program on each controller to flip a variable, then toggle it off once you’re done processing the event.
Each panel in the system has a program like so, say we’re on panel2 here. The first line turns on a variable when the power comes back on and the second line turns it off once the ‘master’ has acted on the event.
10 IF POWER-LOSS THEN START 2VAR1
20 IF TIME-ON( 1OUT1 ) > 0:0:10 THEN STOP 2VAR1
Let’s use Panel1 to act as the ‘master’ which turns on an LED or takes some other action.
10 IF 2VAR1 THEN START 1OUT1
