M1DBH problem on new install

[Ira]

Powered the M1G up for the first time today. It's mounted in the can, but the can is not in the wall yet. I want to bench test as much as I can before putting it in the wall. I started out with very few things wired up. No input zones, no outut zones. The only thing attached is an M1DBH with one M1KPB keypad attached to the M1DBH at J1. The terminating RJ45 jack is in J2 on the M1DBH. JP3 is jumpered on the main board. JP2 is not jumpered on the keypad. The only other things attached to the M1G are the ethernet adapter, the battery, the main power supply, and the phone line connection (which isn't plugged in on the other end yet).

When I power up, the LED's on the M1G look good -- power LED on steady, status LED blinking once per second. However, I got nothin' at the keypad. No lights, no sounds, no nothin'.

I shut it down, disconnected the keypad from the M1DBH, and disconnected the M1DBH from the M1G. I rewired the keypad to connect it directly to the M1G, jumpered JP2 on the keypad and powered up again. This time, instant reaction at the keypad. After a few seconds, it complained about output 2. I figured out that I needed to put a resistor across output 2 since I hadn't hooked up the siren yet. Shut it down, put in the resistor, powered it back up, everything works fine.

So, I know the keypad works and I know the M1G works and that it can communicate with a device on the data bus. So the problem must be in the M1DBH or the wiring attached to it. I checked all of the wiring to make sure it was connected correctly, and it looked good. I checked end to end continuity on all the wires and plugs. No problems.

So where do I go from here? Am I missing something in the installation/startup process? I have another keypad. Should I connect it to the M1G along with the M1DBH/keypad, remove the JP3 jumper on the M1G, and install the JP2 jumper on the homerun'ed keypad? Will that give me access to any diagnostic info?

I have the Elk RP software but haven't installed it yet. The ethernet adapter looks like it is working. It's blinking, and the switch it is connected to shows a connection. Should I go that route to help troubleshoot the M1DBH/keypad problem?

Thanks,
Ira

 

[pipeman]

Two possibilities that hampered me.
I must have been blind, but what I thought was J2 on the DBH was really J3.
I also have a problem with the RJ45 jacks on the DBH. I use the "EZ" type and they fit snugly on everything I've done except the DBH.
They will not seat unless I jam a small piece of insulation between the RJ45 body and its clip.

Sonny

 

[Ira]

I use the EZ plugs, too. I cut it off and put on a different kind. That one worked. Just for grins, I tried another EX plug. That one worked, too, so I guess the first one wasn't done well, or maybe the tolerances were a bit off like what you've seen.

Thanks,
Ira

 

[blmxm]

You may want to take a look at the differences between T568A and T568B RJ45 wiring. If your making your own connector it won't matter, but I had several unused cables that I cut off and used for my connections. If you did the same and used the colors in the ELK manual, (I believe they are to the "A" standard), with a "B" cable, that could be the issue.

Edit.... A little late. Just saw you resolved it...

 

[gmad]

Powered the M1G up for the first time today. It's mounted in the can, but the can is not in the wall yet. I want to bench test as much as I can before putting it in the wall. I started out with very few things wired up. No input zones, no outut zones. The only thing attached is an M1DBH with one M1KPB keypad attached to the M1DBH at J1. The terminating RJ45 jack is in J2 on the M1DBH. JP3 is jumpered on the main board. JP2 is not jumpered on the keypad. The only other things attached to the M1G are the ethernet adapter, the battery, the main power supply, and the phone line connection (which isn't plugged in on the other end yet).

When I power up, the LED's on the M1G look good -- power LED on steady, status LED blinking once per second. However, I got nothin' at the keypad. No lights, no sounds, no nothin'.

I shut it down, disconnected the keypad from the M1DBH, and disconnected the M1DBH from the M1G. I rewired the keypad to connect it directly to the M1G, jumpered JP2 on the keypad and powered up again. This time, instant reaction at the keypad. After a few seconds, it complained about output 2. I figured out that I needed to put a resistor across output 2 since I hadn't hooked up the siren yet. Shut it down, put in the resistor, powered it back up, everything works fine.

So, I know the keypad works and I know the M1G works and that it can communicate with a device on the data bus. So the problem must be in the M1DBH or the wiring attached to it. I checked all of the wiring to make sure it was connected correctly, and it looked good. I checked end to end continuity on all the wires and plugs. No problems.

What Ira has described in his post is exactly my scenario: bench testing first, no zones, M1DBH with 1 keypad. The keypad works fine when wired directly into the M1, but once I connect the M1DBH, plug the keypad into J1 jack, terminate the J2 jack with the RJ45 resistor, jumper J3 on the board, and fire it up, I get nothing out of the keypad. I'm using CAT6 cable and the EZ jack for the keypad connection. I've rewired that twice and quadruple checked that my connections on the jack match the T568A standard and that my keypad connections are correct. The M1DBH I've got has the option to use the 4-wire ribbon to connect to the M1, so I've tried that as well as the standard 4-wire connection, with no luck.

Is there any way to test that my M1DBH is functional?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Greg

 

[Del91574]

DBH is passive, so should be easy to read the terminating resistor if "loop back" methods are used for making up some dummy plugs or short stubs of wire for testing purposes.

99% of the time, the issues are field wiring, either termination of the RJ45, the 485 isn't wired correctly or bad splices.

 

[gmad]

As you said, 99% of the time it's a wiring issue, as it was in this case... Thanks for your reply.

Greg

 

[archstenton]

Beginning to purchase hardware and run wire for M1EZ8 system. Figured if I expand later, can always get add-ons like the voice recorder module or input expander. Plus, for where I'm placing this, only the 12" box will fit, which appears tight for the bigger M1 board.

Anyways, definitely want to take advantage of the data bus hub.

Is there any difference to the M1DBH over the retrofit version besides cable termination?. I'm leaning mainly to the retrofit model, because I have some long runs and would use bulk wire and don't want trust myself with crimping on the RJ-45 connector needed for the M1DBH. I guess the M1BH has 9 possible runs, where the M1DBHR has 8.

One thing I noticed with the M1DBHR, I found a couple different instructions online, I think one must be outdated, hopefully the one that spells out "DO NOT remote M1DBHR(s) away from the M1. Mount within main M1 Control".
Is that critical?. I won't have space in my M1EZ8 enclosure and will be about 2 feet away. Can't imagine it's a big deal?

 

[jpmargis]

Please start a new thread.

 

[archstenton]

Please start a new thread.

OK, sorry about that.