Re: Quality Ademco Engineering

[Nomen Nescio <nobody@xxxxxxxxx>]

Robert L. Bass wrote:

>It's the same with most manufacturers.
>One reason is the newer panels may
>have a totally different EEPROM map.
>It's far easier to ensure that all fields
>are correct if they require you to write
>the replacement panel's program from
>scratch.

I understand the difficulty in trying to map every field of the old panel
to the new panel.  But lots of information stays the same.  Receiver
format, receiver phone number, zone types and alpha descriptions all stay
the same.  Even the field numbers are the same, in some cases.  If they
would copy the obvious stuff, I wouledn't mind filling in the blanks now
and then.

This problem will eventually come up with every programmable panel in the
field today.  They'll all need replacing eventually, and when they do, the
old panel will be obsolete, no longer available.  Even if you use the same
brand, it means reprogramming the whole panel.  That isn't so bad for an
eight zone system.  Replace a 60 zone panel and it is a lot of extra work.

>Honeywell's (nee: Ademco's) Myweb Tech
>website has documentation listing compatibility
>of each keypad, panel and accessory.

That's the problem:  the info is wrong.  The website says the 4140XMPT2 is
compatible with the 6160.  It isn't.  Ademco documentation is poor.