Optically Isolated Repeater

Hi cocooners...anybody have any experience with these? http://www.bb-elec.com/Products/Serial-Connectivity/Isolators-Repeaters/Optically-Isolated-RS-422-485-Repeaters/485OP.aspx
 
 
I was instructed by Leviton to install one of these at either end of a long direct burial cat 5 running between our Omnipro 2 controller and an expansion enclosure in another building. I'm pretty sure I wired it correctly according to the instructions sent by Leviton but there is no indication of communication between said expansion enclosure and the omnipro 2. Just a shot in the dark here. Any troubleshooting ideas? 

There is a confirmation of function test on the website here:
 

FAQ: Check RS-422 Port or Converter
 
Noticed a new name for the company.  I still have 4 Quatech serial servers here.  PO'd a bit that they wouldn't update their Linux drivers for the device as it is still mentioned on their web site.

Thanks Pete, I was able to get the connection between the Omni Pro 2 and the one expansion enclosure to function properly, but only when those are the only devices involved in my data line. When I connect my data buss to the a b terminals on the OP2, PC access indicates that the connection to the expansion enclosure in the other building turns suddenly "bad". 

Good news then eh?  Is it working? 
 
 
Dunno with your setup as I have never used one of those devices.
 
My one expansion box uses two wires of a 22/4 cable (well other two are for battery sensing).
 
Manual checking...(did you give it an address?)
 
ADDRESS SETTINGS

DIP switch "S1" is used to set the communications address for the Expansion Enclosure. Up to four
Expansion Enclosures can be addressed and used with OmniPro and up to eight Expansion Enclosures
can be addressed and used with OmniPro II.

Expansion Enclosures 1-4 are addressed by setting the corresponding switch to on and all others off.
For example, to set the address for the first Expansion Enclosure, set switch S1-1 on and all others off;
for the second, set switch S1-2 on and all others off. The third and fourth are addressed similarly, using
S1-3 and S1-4, respectively.

Expansion Enclosures 5-8 are addressed by using the sum of all switches set to on. For example, to set
the address for the fifth Expansion Enclosure, set switch S1-1 and S1-4 on and all others off. To address
the sixth Expansion Enclosure, set S1-2 and S1-4 on and all others off. To address the seventh
Expansion Enclosure, set S1-3 and S1-4 on and all others off. To address the eighth Expansion
Enclosure, set S1-1, S1-3, and S1-4 on and all others off.

Multiple switch combinations are possible for certain addresses. For example, to set the address for the
fifth Expansion Enclosure, you can set S1-1 and S1-4 on and all others off or you can set S1-2 and S1-3
and all others off.
 
COMMUNICATIONS CHECKOUT

The STATUS LED blinks at a rate of one blink per second if the Expansion Enclosure is communicating
properly with the controller. If the STATUS LED blinks at a rate of four blinks per second, it indicates
that the Expansion Enclosure is not communicating properly. In this case, check the following:

1. Verify that the "A" and "B" terminals on the Expansion Enclosure are connected to the
corresponding "A" and "B" terminals on the controller. If the wiring for the Expansion
Enclosure is daisy-chained to a console, verify that the entire chain is connected properly.
2. Verify that DIP switch S1 on the Expansion Enclosure is set properly.
3. Verify that the number of Expansion Enclosures has been properly set-up at the controller.
4. Verify that the controller is operating properly.

Have you put a meter on it to see what the voltage is?
Have you made the power common to the panel?
Data pair might be reversed. Very common with repeaters in my experience, you might need to cross over the TX/RCV pair on the opposite end.

Thanks guys...it turned out that there was one keypad with a bad wire that was messing everything up. I discovered it by disconnecting everything from my data buss and the reconnecting one by one until the problem recurred. Strangely, the keypad had been functioning although not perfectly prior to installing the repeaters. I guess the have a lower tolerance for electrical shenanigans.