Strange M1G behavior

[maknoll]

We just had the smoke/fire alarm trip for apparantly no reason?!

Looking back at the log, I see an event: "1140=Control Over Current Trouble" then all four smokes firing. One minute later, I see an event: "1160=Control over Current Restore." I may have caused the second event by manually resetting the smokes from a keypad when I determined it was a false alarm.

Any ideas on what is going on here?

 

[IVB]

Are you drawing too much current off the M1?

When I had a crapload of devices all hanging off, I started getting random behavior. Once I moved some stuff to a 2ndary power supply it fixed it.

By crapload though, I had 2 keypads, 3 expanders, perhaps 30 devices.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

I think this says it all

Control Over Current Trouble

.

I would move some devices to other power sources. What all do you have connected now?

 

[maknoll]

I really didn't think I had too much stuff. There's a single input expansion board, a UPB interface, four 4-wire smokes, a single CO detector and 4 motions. The magnetic switches don't count, do they? There are only maybe a half dozen of those.

Now that I think of it, it's been acting strange for a couple of weeks. I'm having connectivity issues through ElkRP (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't) and the controller doesn't always save the rules I've sent....

When you say other power sources, or secondary power supplies...what exactly do you mean? Additional batteries?




BTW...there was a thunderstorm in the area at the time. Could that have anything at all to do with it?

 

[IVB]

I got a transformer that produces 12VDC from AO, and a battery backup thingey. I'll see if I can hunt down part #s, but i'm sure Martin and/or Brandon could answer this too.

 

[Steve]

Use the keypad diagnostic menu to see how much current is being drawn. Menu 8 > 6 > 2. With that info you can decide if you have too much and you need an additional PS or there is some glitch. Don't forget to figure in a siren or other devices in alarm mode. If you are pulling > 1 amp I would think about another supply. There are a few choices, the Elk624/transformer and battery is a good option.

 

[maknoll]

Use the keypad diagnostic menu to see how much current is being drawn. Menu 8 > 6 > 2. With that info you can decide if you have too much and you need an additional PS or there is some glitch. Don't forget to figure in a siren or other devices in alarm mode. If you are pulling > 1 amp I would think about another supply. There are a few choices, the Elk624/transformer and battery is a good option.

Must be in the "unexplained" category. Only indicating .38 amps using the keypad diagnostics

The Elk624 looks like a good thing to have, however.

 

[Spanky]

In the log, does the control overcurrent occur before or after the fire alarm entry in the log? If the control overcurrent occurs after the fire alarm entry, then the overcurrent could be from too much current on the siren driver output. It is quite easy to put multiple speakers on the alarm outputs and draw more than the power supply can provide. Excess current will come from the standby battery, thus logging a control overcurrent.

If the control overcurrent occurs before the fire alarm entry, then something is overcurrenting the control system.

 

[Steve]

Be sure to check your wiring for shorts. I once had a PIR wire shorted and got overcurrent messages. Once I removed the short, everything was fine.

 

[maknoll]

In the log, does the control overcurrent occur before or after the fire alarm entry in the log? If the control overcurrent occurs after the fire alarm entry, then the overcurrent could be from too much current on the siren driver output. It is quite easy to put multiple speakers on the alarm outputs and draw more than the power supply can provide. Excess current will come from the standby battery, thus logging a control overcurrent.

If the control overcurrent occurs before the fire alarm entry, then something is overcurrenting the control system.

The overcurrent entry occurs prior to the alarm event. Would that point to a short somewhere? It hasn't happened before or since.

Thanks!

 

[Steve]

If it were a short it would probably happen all the time.

 

[Sandpiper]

Recheck all of your terminations for devices that use 12v power (keypads, motions, smokes, etc). Look for stranded wire "whiskers". Look for wires stripped too far back. Also look at the panel terminations for the same thing.

 

[maknoll]

Recheck all of your terminations for devices that use 12v power (keypads, motions, smokes, etc). Look for stranded wire "whiskers". Look for wires stripped too far back. Also look at the panel terminations for the same thing.

Did that and thanks for the idea. I found nothing on the sensor wiring, but did find one "whiskered" wire on the phone line connection at the panel. I was having an intermittant phone fault, so that was at least part of the/a problem.

Thanks!
Mark