I am posting this reply I wrote from another forum regarding RCS Technologies TR65R RS-485 communicating thermostat. This may be helpful to anyone else experiencing similar trouble.
I had two (2) ZCV1 control boards fail due to an electrical storm, resulting in no control of either HVAC system. The wall display units still lit up, but the ZCV1 control boards had NO blinking status light. I located two (2) new ZCV1I control boards and installed in place of the failed ZCV1 control boards (no I at the end). Now we have blinking status lights on both control boards. However, the wall display units behaved as others have described, with extreme latency when trying to navigate the TS65R thermostat menu and could not change any program functions or save any selections into memory of the control board. The area above the schedule mode button was blank. After much frustration and troubleshooting I was able to locate new wall display units TS65I and replaced the TS65R wall display units. Powered up the control boards and we now had full menu navigation and could save program selections into memory, including the ability to program the time and date saving selection and data to the ZCV1I control board. The only exception was that there was still NO schedule mode option and missing Hold / Run function of the 4thh button. The schedule mode button did nothing. Apparently there are firmware differences between the TS65I and the TS65R wall display units or ZCV1 and ZCV1I control boards, in that they are a non-programmable version of the paired devices. I have not been able to locate manuals or any information for the TS65I wall display unit or ZCV1I control board.
Conclusion: The TS65R wall display unit is not compatible with the ZCV1I (single zone) or ZCV2 (two zone) control board. If you replace the control board with a ZCV1I (single zone) or ZCV2I (two zone) control board to match a new TS65I wall display unit, you will have to sacrifice the ability to schedule setbacks, unless you are integrated with an automation security panel, such as the ELK M1 GOLD, which is what I have connected to the thermostat control boards, by way of ELK M1XSP RS-485 communication module and cable installed between the two (2) devices. Scheduled set backs are accomplished by writing lines of program code in the rules section of the ELK M1 GOLD security panel and NOT programmed into the ZCV1 or ZCV2 control board. Unfortunately the ZCV1I control board does NOT communicate with the ELK M1 Gold panel and does not communicate with RCS Thermostat Control Program (TCP) nor will the control board communicate with Windows 7 Hyper Terminal emulation using a USB to RS-485 converter. This control board must have special firmware that differs from the standard RCS RS-485 Communication Protocol. RCS Technologies has ZERO information anymore for their RS485 thermostats. I have called them several times and all I get is an automated attendant with instructions to leave callback information, but no one ever returns the call. Hope this helps you solve your situation.
I had two (2) ZCV1 control boards fail due to an electrical storm, resulting in no control of either HVAC system. The wall display units still lit up, but the ZCV1 control boards had NO blinking status light. I located two (2) new ZCV1I control boards and installed in place of the failed ZCV1 control boards (no I at the end). Now we have blinking status lights on both control boards. However, the wall display units behaved as others have described, with extreme latency when trying to navigate the TS65R thermostat menu and could not change any program functions or save any selections into memory of the control board. The area above the schedule mode button was blank. After much frustration and troubleshooting I was able to locate new wall display units TS65I and replaced the TS65R wall display units. Powered up the control boards and we now had full menu navigation and could save program selections into memory, including the ability to program the time and date saving selection and data to the ZCV1I control board. The only exception was that there was still NO schedule mode option and missing Hold / Run function of the 4thh button. The schedule mode button did nothing. Apparently there are firmware differences between the TS65I and the TS65R wall display units or ZCV1 and ZCV1I control boards, in that they are a non-programmable version of the paired devices. I have not been able to locate manuals or any information for the TS65I wall display unit or ZCV1I control board.
Conclusion: The TS65R wall display unit is not compatible with the ZCV1I (single zone) or ZCV2 (two zone) control board. If you replace the control board with a ZCV1I (single zone) or ZCV2I (two zone) control board to match a new TS65I wall display unit, you will have to sacrifice the ability to schedule setbacks, unless you are integrated with an automation security panel, such as the ELK M1 GOLD, which is what I have connected to the thermostat control boards, by way of ELK M1XSP RS-485 communication module and cable installed between the two (2) devices. Scheduled set backs are accomplished by writing lines of program code in the rules section of the ELK M1 GOLD security panel and NOT programmed into the ZCV1 or ZCV2 control board. Unfortunately the ZCV1I control board does NOT communicate with the ELK M1 Gold panel and does not communicate with RCS Thermostat Control Program (TCP) nor will the control board communicate with Windows 7 Hyper Terminal emulation using a USB to RS-485 converter. This control board must have special firmware that differs from the standard RCS RS-485 Communication Protocol. RCS Technologies has ZERO information anymore for their RS485 thermostats. I have called them several times and all I get is an automated attendant with instructions to leave callback information, but no one ever returns the call. Hope this helps you solve your situation.
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