Equipment:
Qolsys IQ Panel 2
16 channel hardwire takeover module
Setup the IQ Hardwire 16 as per the instruction manual. I had to restart the alarm panel at 2:21pm yesterday to clear the panel showing a tamper (unrelated to the hardwire module installation). Exactly 24 hours from that restart, the hardwire module came up with a ? as the status on the alarm panel. ADC shows the sensor offline.
Why would that sensor go offline exactly 24 hours after a restart of the panel?
The sensors programmed into the panel connected through the hardwire module continue to work correctly.
What should I do to resolve this problem?
Why would that sensor go offline exactly 24 hours after a restart of the panel?
That is the programmed supervision interval. The status should only affect the “Hardwire Translator” zone itself, which has no functional effect except to be supervised.
What should I do to resolve this problem?
Qolsys suggests this error may be due to the way the Hardwire 16 is learned in via the tamper terminals. The tamper terminals should have a short piece of jumper wire connected between them if otherwise not in use.
You would then want to fully power cycle the translator and then the panel. Does the status return or does it operate as expected?
I did not have anything connected to the tamper terminals. I now shorted the tamper terminals with a short piece of wire. I disconnected the battery from the translator, then power cycled the translator. After, I rebooted the panel. Hardwire translator zone still shows up with a ? and as a malfunctioning zone on ADC.
Does Qolsys have a step-by-step instruction for the proper way to learn in the Hardwire translator to the IQ Panel 2? For now I deleted the zone from the panel, but I would like to have supervision for low battery signal.
I am attaching the Qolsys instructions below. Did you originally learn in by shorting the tamper terminals with wire or with a resistor?
Now that the zone is deleted, if you remove one end of the Tamper wire, then learn the HW in by shorting the tamper terminal (connecting the wire between the tamper terminals and leaving it there) does that resolve the issue?
I am having this issue with my IQ 2 Panel and Hardwire 16. It all triggered and learned correctly (I believe). But now I get a random beep like every four hours and I have question marks on all the window in my house that has sensors.
I tripped the panel during set up… Any advice would be considered.
I’m not seeing a connected suretyDIY service subscription, is that correct? To confirm, you are seeing alerts on sensor zones learned in through the translator, not on the translator zone itself?
Are you seeing tamper alerts on those zones? Keep in mind how the Hardwire 16 functions with regard to learning zones and resistance. When a zone is learned in through the Hardwire 16, it registers the current resistance of that zone and looks for that specific resistance value to determine status.
If the resistance value changes after installation or if you swap zone wires around, etc., you are likely to see tamper alerts for those zones. A resistance value outside of the expected value but not enough to show open will result in a tamper.
It’s interesting. Around the same time of this post last month, I too started to see tamper popping up and false alarms on a single zone. Per previous question and response on the forum, I reinstalled all of the hardwire window/door sensors (pulled them out, cut to expose new wires on sensor and hardwire translator end) and reinstalled. This started in one zone and has now moved to 3 separate zones - so I reinstalled those as well. I removed the zones from the translator and relearned them back into the system in case the resistance value changed, but it is no better. Is there something else I can try? I got another middle of the night false alarm this morning…this is proving more hassle than it is worth over ADT/Vivint/etc. I am on 2.2.1
It’s interesting. Around the same time of this post last month, I too started to see tamper popping up and false alarms on a single zone. Per previous question and response on the forum, I reinstalled all of the hardwire window/door sensors (pulled them out, cut to expose new wires on sensor and hardwire translator end) and reinstalled
Note that this thread and original question is not about zone tampers, but loss of supervision. These two issues are distinct from one another.
If you are seeing tampers intermittently on zones and tamper alarms from those zones if the panel is armed, that generally suggests that resistance is the underlying issue.
Tamper is reported on a security sensor zone on the Hardwire 16 if the resistance moves outside the expected two states of Open (infinite resistance) and closed (the resistance value of the closed circuit, the resistor you have attached.)
Do you have a multimeter to check the resistance on those circuits? What is the resistance on the circuits you are seeing an issue on? It must be between 1 and 10 kohm. I wouldn’t recommend being at or near the ends of that range, (1 or 10), as all resistors have a margin for error and slight deviation may cause tampers.
When you say you cut and exposed new wire on the hardwire 16 end, did you re-splice the resistors on the circuits? Are no resistors present?
I do have a multimeter, but I didn’t think to use it today. I can check it and report back. However, today I did remove all of the sensor zones, removed the hardwire translator from the system, removed the old box that all of the wires came from, and recut all connections and used all new wire crimps. Now both ends have fresh wire ends, and clean connections. Resistors that came with the hardwire 16 were in place before, and they were replaced. If there are any more issues, is it safe to assume that there is an issue somewhere in the wire between the sensor and the translator? Any other suggestions?
If there are any more issues, is it safe to assume that there is an issue somewhere in the wire between the sensor and the translator? Any other suggestions?
If the tampers are on specific zones, it is always possible that the hardwire itself is malfunctioning, though it is much more likely an issue with those zones, so it would be good to verify the resistance on the circuits just to be sure. old cable, cable with sheath damage along its run, pinched, etc., can have out of the ordinary resistance readings.
Did you perform a memory reset on the Hardwire translator itself via the Memory Reset button? This would be necessary to re-learn the accurate resistance values.
Resistance on a particular circuit is measured when learning in that zone on the Hardwire itself. The memory reset is a factory default process which allows you to re-learn those resistance values.
If you cut and re-spliced cable but did not reset the memory and re-learn all zones into the Hardwire 16 (not just the panel) then the hardwire 16 would be looking for the originally set resistance values, which would explain why more zones showed the tamper issue after you respliced them.
Hi Jason. Yes, I did a memory reset (hold down the reset bottom while powered off/unplug and then power on while still holding button). Is that the correct procedure?
Yes, as long as the LED’s flash to indicate success: “Hold down “Memory Reset” for 3 seconds while re-applying power to the device. Processor, RF Xmit and EOL Cal LED’s will begin to flash indicating that the module has been reset”
