Bought a house with HAI system - totally lost!

[ano]

Wow i can't believe they are charging $75 for the upgrade chip. This part unprogramed costs $2.
 
The door bell/temp sensor confusion isn't strange. Temp sensors can connect to a zone like a door door bell button can. It was probably one initially then changed with the labeling not updated.

 

[Keebert]

A direct connection from PC to controller will use a "crossover cable". Using a router will require a straight through(normal ethernet) cable. There are also IP configurations which must be done to use a router. If you connect a PC to a modem or router using that "crossover" cable it will not work. (I don't think)
I am only just getting back into the "automation game" after installing and programming my system 12 years ago. I am learning all over as I go!

 
Thanks - I think what I have are two regular Cat5 cables connected from OPII to switch and PC to switch. Communication to the OPII is via a serial cable from PC direct to the OPII. Since the switch is not working right now, I guess it's good to have the backup route but I'm also thinking that in future I should be able to connect to the OPII via the switch so should not need the serial connection.

 

[JonW]

The OPII only has one ethernet connection, so if one of the serial ports has a Cat5 cable also going to the switch, you'll want to remove that.
 
Yes, once setup, you can do all connections via ethernet and not need the direct serial cable.

 

[pete_c]

Here I keep one serial port with HAI serial cable (flat cable with an RJ-XX on one side and an RS-232 9 pin connector on it) plugged into a PC which is running automation software.
 
That said I have used the same cable and PCA to program my panel. 
 
You can set up the network IP / keys using the serial connection if you want rather than the keypad and then connect with PC Access via the network for the rest of your programming.
 

 

[Keebert]

OK, I have PC Access working now. With nothing open, only the File and Configure menus show and it's Off-Line. I can find the last .pca file and if I open that I get On-Line status.
 
I went to "Upload to PC" and it says Beginning upload... and then just times out and retries multiple times.
 
Same if I try Show-Status it just keeps trying then timeout finally saying "There was no response from the system (timeout error). Check the connections and configurations settings."
 
Any suggestions?
 
-edit-
 
Pete, thanks for the picture. The cable you labeled as Russound goes to the serial port on the PC and looks like the HAI cable pictured. I switched it to the 3rd serial port and get the same results as above.
 
By the way, under the Serial Configuration it was set to COM8 and Baud Rate 75. I had to change this to COM1 to get On-Line status. What should the baud rate be?

 

[pete_c]

By the way, under the Serial Configuration it was set to COM8 and Baud Rate 75. I had to change this to COM1 to get On-Line status. What should the baud rate be?

 
You can leave the serial cable where it was as probably it was used that way.
 
The baud rate should be at 9600 in the PC Access configuration.
 
Try this
 
1 - file new
2 - connect via serial port
3 - read from controller (old PCA program was upload / download to pc)
 
It should read what is in the configuration on the panel and you should see some stuff then.

 

[Keebert]

Pete, you're a legend! I did exactly as you have written and it works! Now I can see all the zones and settings. I've also ordered the new software version and the current one is crap.
 
The PC is a windows XP device and while it's fine with managing the panel nothing else works on it. I may have to replace it. It's seeing the internet now so that's good although the web pages are rubbish since it's IE6 and I can't update to a more modern browser as wither they don't support XP or the PC specs are not enough.
 
Next step is to be able to access the panel remotely so I can check with the programming while at work

 

[pete_c]

A quickie overview of Help / _Release_Notes.txt in PCA will show you firmware and software revisions levels and what was added.
 
The names you see for Units on your panel might give you a clue to where the switches are in the house and what codes they are using.  The X10 stuff is basic.  The codes are two wheels on the switch.  One has alpha characters and the other numbers 1-16.  The two will match what is configured on the panel under the units section.  You can also turn on and off the lights from PCA under status to test your switches which might be working fine via remote. 
 
If you want, go after the one or two switches lowest on the WAF that are not working as this will give you automation points with your wife.  You do want to fix them one way or another.  Think of the WAF points as travel miles on your road to automation.
 
You really don't really need the the PC serial connection to manage the panel when you go to the network stuff.
 
My serial PC connection is running automation software and an HAI OPII plugin written to talk to the panel via serial mode.  I installed PCA on it to see how the serial connection would work.  The box is running Windows 2003 standard server 32 bit.  Its headless.  I do everything remotely on it these days. 
 
"Danger, Will Robinson" relating to surfing the web on that computer. as maleficent malware can take over the computer without you even knowing these days.
 
baby steps....
 
First you want to get to the panel via IP in the house internally before setting up the firewall to allow access to your panel via the internet.
 
You know know the IP and the two rows of keys configured on your panel.  If not configure this stuff via your current serial connection.
 
If you can browse fine with that PC you mention; just check the IP of the computer.  It will tell you the subnet, gateway and DNS.    IE: do a status/support and details.  From here go to the gateway address with the browser and you will be at the configuration of the router.  Here you will know the router.  Get familiar with it.  What is the mfg and model number of the box?  You will need to utilize the static IP of the OPII panel.  It has to be in the same subnet.  There is nothing else to configure.  Plug a network cable from your router to your panel network port.   On the pc you mentioned; just do a run/cmd to get to a command text box.  Type "ping IPADDRESSOFYOUROPII".  It should respond OK.  Next run PCA and connect via the network.  It will connect or not connect right away if all is configured OK.
 
After the above works then you can configure the router to allow the OPII out to internetlandia. 
 
Note too if your work has firewalls in place you may have to talk to the security folks there to allow you access to your home OPII panel.
 
Meanwhile I think you are trying to figure out the other connections on your panel to sensors.  Zones.  Here you can also use the description and more than likely will want to do a physical review of that topology writing down stuff in the one section of PCA under remarks.  You will have connections there with two wires and four wires.  Two wires are just switches and four wires are active (12VDC) switches like for example a PIR.  Updating or replacing these is reasonable in price.  Here utilize a thermostat, temperature and humidity sensors and water flood sensors ...list goes on and on.  

 

[Frunple]

Just remote desktop into the PC to work on the OPII remotely.