M1XEP disconnecting

[drvnbysound]

I just took some screen shots. For this first one, I first connected eKeypad [Pro] and then initiated ElkRP. You can see that the system was Ready To Arm in the background, but the Paused message has come up since starting the ElkRP connection:
 

 
Next, I waited a few seconds until the virtual keypad showed that ElkRP was connected. Then I used the "Disconnect" function in ElkRP, which is when you see the next screen:
 

 
I don't believe the XEP actually restarts, but rather just re-initiates the connection with eKeypad.

 

[mikefamig]

It;s good to see so many defending CQC but all evidence points to it causing my problem.
 
The disconnect problem began occurring, I backed out of my most recent change which was installing CQC and the problem went away. It has been 24 hours and the xep is still working perfectly. If the system were rebooting I would have seen it on the keypad and I have had no problems since I removed CQC. I'm happy with the fix and think that the evidence points to a software incompatibility.
 
Keep in mind that it may not have been a complete or good install of Quark and I did go into it and poke around at some settings in an attempt to learn how it communicates with the elk with no success. It was late in the evening, I installed it, poked around a little and shut the pc down for the night. The next morning the disconnects began. I removed CQC and all is well again. Take it for what it's worth.
 
Mike.

 

[drvnbysound]

I'm not trying to defend nor promote CQC in this instance. As I stated earlier, I have purchased a license but I not using it at this point. I've actually never installed it; I just haven't got to a point with my automation where I felt it was needed yet. Dean on the other hand, is the owner/prime developer, so it would make sense that he would work to resolve any issues.
 
I'm simply trying to help diagnose the problem. My only guess is that ElkRP uses some form of higher priority connection, that temporarily disconnects anything else (e.g. eKeypad). Based on your symptoms, my guess would be that both CQC and ElkRP are (were) fighting over that connection.

 

[mikefamig]

I'm not trying to defend nor promote CQC in this instance. As I stated earlier, I have purchased a license but I not using it at this point. I've actually never installed it; I just haven't got to a point with my automation where I felt it was needed yet. Dean on the other hand, is the owner/prime developer, so it would make sense that he would work to resolve any issues.
 
I'm simply trying to help diagnose the problem. My only guess is that ElkRP uses some form of higher priority connection, that temporarily disconnects anything else (e.g. eKeypad). Based on your symptoms, my guess would be that both CQC and ElkRP are (were) fighting over that connection.

I wish I had more to offer that would be helpful in diagnosing the problem but I've spent so many hours installing this system in the past month that I didn't want to pursue troubleshooting software problems at this time. I am in the middle of a new install covering my house and detached garage and am most interested in proving the wiring and stability of the basic security system.
 
I, like you, have no immediate use for CQC and installed it to see if it was something that I may use in the future. The elk security is up and running in the house and I have installed the wiring box and components in the garage, pulled and connected cat6 and speaker wires through and underground conduit and have yet to install zone sensors in the garage. It'll be a while before I need any more software than the elkrp.
 
Mike.

 

[mikefamig]

I just took some screen shots. For this first one, I first connected eKeypad [Pro] and then initiated ElkRP. You can see that the system was Ready To Arm in the background, but the Paused message has come up since starting the ElkRP connection:
 

 
Next, I waited a few seconds until the virtual keypad showed that ElkRP was connected. Then I used the "Disconnect" function in ElkRP, which is when you see the next screen:
 

 
I don't believe the XEP actually restarts, but rather just re-initiates the connection with eKeypad.

I have noticed something similar when starting M1togo with elkrp connected via the xep. The m1togo software would not connect reporting that the elk was in programming mode.
 
Mike.

 

[mikefamig]

In this case it's not possible, trust me. CQC doesn't make random connections to things. It only connects to something if you load a driver to make it do so. So it would have to be something else besides that.
 
Are you sure you didn't somehow get the XEP on the same IP address as the computer or something like that?
 
The only thing otherwise that they could be fighting over is if RP opens a listening port to listen for connections and it happened to use one that one CQC's servers uses. The thirty second thing would be explained in that case by the RP program attempting for 30 seconds to open the listening port, then giving up.

Dean
 
I have only a basic understanding of elkrp and know nothing about cqc so I wouldn't even attempt to say what may have been happening between the two programs if it was indeed a problem between the two. I DID go into cqc and change some settings in an attempt to communicate with the elk but having no success and it being late I just shut down the pc and went to bed.. Maybe it was the configuration changes that I made in cqc that caused me trouble.
 
Mike.

 

[Dean Roddey]

Per the keypad discussion, as I mentioned above, when you run RP, the Elk sends out a message asking everyone to back off. CQC watches for this message as well, and should stop talking until it gets a message saying it's ok to come back in. I'm sure that's what is going on with the keypads as well.