M1XEP: Connect.ME seems to have fried

TriLife

Active Member
Greetings;
 
While out of the country we had a severe storm, with lightning. While the house mostly survived, it seems the Elk M1 Gold took a hit. Likely because I have an 80m cat6A going from the car gate to a relay board. I'm guessing the surge travelled up the ground wire and did some damage. It took the M1XEP and a Netgear switch.
 
Now that I'm back and troubleshooting, I notice that the DIGI Connect ME on the XEP gets very hot and doesn't seem to link up. These things cost $60, vs a replacement M1XEP $200. does anyone have experience replacing this piece, or is it not worth the effort?
 
The Main M1Gold seems to be working, including indicating "Ethernet Trouble".
 
To avoid future mishaps of the sort, I just ordered a Surge Protector for Ethernet, which I'll install on that 80m run of Cat6A. I'm guessing that will help protect. The rest of the house is protected by a 140KA Siemens surge protector and the surge protection built into my Sol-Ark 12k hybrid charger/inverter.
 
 
Cheers.
 
I would buy a surge protector for the purpose at hand.  Even though you ran Cat6a, if it isn't being used for Ethernet, then why buy an Ethernet surge protector?  The reason I state this, with PoE, it can have up to 60VDC on the line.  If the device that is connected on each end is a 5VDC or 12VDC, that 60VDC is a lot more than they can handle.
 
The Elk uses an RS-485 bus.  Here is a surge protector for RS-485:
https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/portal/us?uri=pxc-oc-itemdetail:pid=2762265&library=usen&tab=1
 
You could a device like this on each end to make sure both sides are protected.  Notice the maximum continuous voltage as well as the voltage limitation.
 
Maximum continuous voltage UC

12 V DC

Rated current

450 mA (25 °C)

Operating effective current IC at UC

≤ 10 µA

Nominal discharge current In (8/20) µs (line-line)

10 kA

Nominal discharge current In (8/20) µs (line-earth)

10 kA

Pulse discharge current Iimp (10/350) µs

500 A

Output voltage limitation at 1 kV/µs (line-line) spike

≤ 22 V

Output voltage limitation at 1 kV/µs (line-earth) spike

≤ 600 V

Output voltage limitation at 1 kV/µs (line-line) static

≤ 22 V

Output voltage limitation at 1 kV/µs (line-earth) static

≤ 600 V
 
Compare that with that of an Ethernet surge protector:
 
https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/portal/us/pxc/product_detail_page/!ut/p/z1/3Vdbb9owFP4rvPCY2LkYQqU9hEBXKA1twy15iXIxqTdyaeJA4dfXBroNxkBThaYlshTbOd_5zneSY-UAB8yAk3hLEnmUpIm3YGvbabij9qjbfZQb0vAJtWGvg4zuQH2W7kwZTIADHOr5wJb4bEH83MvXwC4LnPCNjITAlltQa8qNrSmhCwxsq8wjXMvylOKAU9VCvCQBrgm1zkgY6KZg6COxobP1B3Z6NhKdsZ8PdIeHf7h0eAlvM3zT1eR74-6rKj3ASc-AT8qwr5sDJBumBCwujyQF9ZIAc9Un8_EzVTlmZkuc7wxZKsIyoB1MPbIoehTHvcPEHScyC-dxGuI9Oi0IT-OBL7Ye4Te63wuC7_tZOF94SVR6EQdfkKVUUtYtrKYsuZqyqllbt9WsrUk1a2tSzdqaVLO2JpWsLQvK1ZQFqykL_aey2EaZE2Bnb4GQBgJhxOE2hhtG-OWDr8-U-bG4CmIRisxU3FO4O1s3485Y_0C-vb46OnCCNKGcelaHXHgdrrBfh7FH2HQPLeoQJzRfb7G_zrkfPfEVLeI5muMc52KZs_bkhdKsuKlD5m21EqM0jRZYDNK4Dk9BXtKC8R9assbAOfvvr0t7gzO9g4UTd2y5jzNjbF34KoYITJcEr8A4SfOYtVjW7lXwVykhRWn5GAkSClVBbTZDodVU5oLkNWBL0ZAqQRXcwUsMzU8ynHevoqu6v5ev6166qnsDXtf9daO3Pht9_1wltWT55Hnw96dBFseawsaaCJ6_wQdDg8ru4Y-BsqWJDsZmdIjZzOMjTOyaRxjzn1Ix2FSjyG88aw9dRbX7y03bFH6_DfR3qsHYkw!!/?uri=pxc-oc-itemdetail:pid=2881007&library=usen&pcck=P&tab=1
 
Maximum continuous voltage UC (wire-wire)

≤ 3.3 V DC (± 60 V DC/PoE+)

Rated current

≤ 1.5 A (25 °C)

Operating effective current IC at UC

≤ 1 µA

Residual current IPE

≤ 400 µA

Nominal discharge current In (8/20) µs (line-line)

100 A

Nominal discharge current In (8/20) µs (line-earth)

2 kA (per signal pair)

Total discharge current Itotal (8/20) µs

10 kA

Nominal pulse current Ian (10/700) µs (line-line)

≤ 40 A

Nominal pulse current Ian (10/700) µs (line-earth)

≤ 160 A

Output voltage limitation at 1 kV/µs (line-line) spike

≤ 85 V (PoE)

Output voltage limitation at 1 kV/µs (line-earth) spike

≤ 700 V

Output voltage limitation at 1 kV/µs (line-line) static

≤ 9 V

Output voltage limitation at 1 kV/µs (line-earth) static

≤ 700 V
 
Thanks Ian,

You bring up a really good point. Let me try to elaborate a little on the set up.

The underground cat6A connects the gate controller to relays, which are in turn controlled by the ELK output ports.

In theory, this already isolates the gate control circuit from the ELK, since the contacts of the relay are not connected to the control coil. The relays are rated 250V. The spike must have been big enough to jump from the relay contacts to the coil. It seems to have fried the 2 outputs fo the ELK and then fried the Digi Connect.ME of the M1XEP. It also fried the Netgear Ethernet switch inside the ELK cabinet. The upstream survived.

So, if I put a surge protector at the end of that cable, before it connects to the relays contactor, I should be good, even at 60V or 90V...

Does this make sense?

Cheers
 
TriLife said:
Thanks Ian,

You bring up a really good point. Let me try to elaborate a little on the set up.

The underground cat6A connects the gate controller to relays, which are in turn controlled by the ELK output ports.

In theory, this already isolates the gate control circuit from the ELK, since the contacts of the relay are not connected to the control coil. The relays are rated 250V. The spike must have been big enough to jump from the relay contacts to the coil. It seems to have fried the 2 outputs fo the ELK and then fried the Digi Connect.ME of the M1XEP. It also fried the Netgear Ethernet switch inside the ELK cabinet. The upstream survived.

So, if I put a surge protector at the end of that cable, before it connects to the relays contactor, I should be good, even at 60V or 90V...

Does this make sense?

Cheers
It depends on what voltage you have on the relay contacts.  If it's 12V or even 24V, a 60V surge protector will be fine.  You want a bit of headroom above the normal operating voltage, which might really be 13V or 14V and not a true 12V.   You wouldn't want to use a surge protector with a MCOV rating of 12V in that case.
 
I have two gates and they're electronically actuated by relays.  They can be 12/24VDC or VAC.  I went the 24VDC route.  On the inside where the 24VDC is coming from I placed a surge suppressor on it.  So it sits between the 24VDC transformer and the wiring to the outside.  I went a DIN rail mounted unit to go with the DIN rail mounted transformer.  The surge suppressor was designed for 24VDC use.
 
I went with this:
https://www.phoenixcontact.com/online/portal/us?uri=pxc-oc-itemdetail:pid=2906798&library=usen&tab=1
 
Cost was around $20 and is very slim.
 
Thanks RAL and Ian;
 
Forgot to include the Voltages: One circuit is 48VDC, the other is 15VAC.
 
The motorized gate is 48VDC. It activates the latch and the motor.
The  latch for the pedestrian gate is15VAC.
 
So, I'm guessing the $18 non-POE WatchfulEyE WTH-SG/RJ45-O DIN-Rail Mounted Ethernet Surge Protector 1-2, 3-6 GDT Surge Protection
by Watchful Eye Solutions
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CHXQRDG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_80VA7A00GTY766EWMQH0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
 
should do the job.
 
We did get sidetracked, however. The main question was, if it makes sense to just replace the Digi Connect.ME on the M1XEP or just bite the bullet and buy a new M1XEP.
 
Seem like I may have to replace the M1 Gold controller board as well, since it outputs 7&8 are fried. The rest of the board seems to work ok. Since I cannot access the M1 without the XEP, and insurance is paying for this, I might as well go for the XEP and the M1...
 
 
Cheers!
 
If insurance is paying then consider it fried.  Plus, it might work today but tomorrow is a new day.  Replace it now and don't worry about it.  Plus after you get the new parts, you can see what still works and what doesn't.  If it still works, set it aside as a test box or if the other fails.  Same for the M1 board.  If you ever needed to setup a test rig for any purpose, you at least have it.
 
lanbrown said:
If insurance is paying then consider it fried.  Plus, it might work today but tomorrow is a new day.  Replace it now and don't worry about it.  Plus after you get the new parts, you can see what still works and what doesn't.  If it still works, set it aside as a test box or if the other fails.  Same for the M1 board.  If you ever needed to setup a test rig for any purpose, you at least have it.
YUP!
 
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