Re: Quality Ademco Engineering

["Robert L Bass" <no-sales-spam@bassburglaralarms>]

"Nomen Nescio" <nobody@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:75aac47eb9320f5d5d078b53dae44364@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> 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.

Agreed.  One other problem is that EEPROM real estate is always at a premium.  As a result, manufacturers frequently find it
necessary to shift the addresses of data points when designing new panels.  This is rarely so when a new version of the same panel
so in those cases it is usually easy to transfer the data.

> 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.

You're absolutely right about that.  There
is one manufacturer that has sort of addressed
the problem -- Edwards.  I know because I
was involved in designing their software.
The downloader employs an XML schema to
define every aspect of the data.  Although the
design was originally intended only to
facilitate rapid deployment of future models
it lends itself to solving this problem.  The
app as written does not specifically address
panel upgrades.  However, it would be far
easier to write an add-on routine to enable
it because none of the panel characteristics
are hard-coded into the app.  Everything is
in the XML schema.

>> 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.

That stinks.  I hadn't run across that before
since I've not had occasion to provide a new
keypad for one of those.

I just ran up against a related Napco foul-up.
Due to the new DST parameters, Napco offers
upgrade chips.  Their tech support assured me
that the new chip for the P3200 would work
fine for a customer's Version 11.  When he
tried it though, it did not work at all.  I called
tech support again and was told it muyst be
a bad chip.  I sent the client a replacement
chip.  Same problem.  This time I called and
got a different tech support guy.  He informed
me that version 11 is *not* upgradable.
%^&$^!

I gave the customer a refund, sent a call tag
to pick up the useless chip and thought mean
thoughts about Napco.  :^)

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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