Panel not acknowledging PG9935 shock events

Support
1

A few prerequisites:
-My IQ Panel4 is not currently logged in through alarm.com as I am still installing my new system and I don’t want/need to start monitoring service yet.
-I have several Power G motion sensors and basic contacts enrolled and functioning properly at this time.

My problem:
-I’m trying to get a PG9935 set up to work as a combination contact and shock sensor, but the panel seems to only recognize contact open/close (when viewed on status monitor) and in the event log.
-The sensor itself appears to recognize shock events–if I give it a firm tap in my hand the red led will give a long flash, followed by ~3 green flashes (I believe indicating good communication/signal).

Other info:
-The panel properly recognizes and logs open/close events from this sensor
-After pressing the sensor’s enroll button, I manually configured the sensor on the panel as follows:
Sensor type: Door/window-M
Group: 13
Sensitivity level: 2 (for easy testing)
Sensor Input: Reed Switch
Activation LED: Enable
Name/chime/etc. as desired
Source: PowerG

Thanks for any assistance

2

The programming looks correct.

After enrolling the sensor, try opening it and pressing and holding the enroll button until the orange LED lights up. Then close the sensor and try testing the reed switch and the shock on it.

Let us know if this worked

Thank you

3

Thank you for the quick response.

I completed the following, but it did not fix the issue:

  1. I deleted the sensor from the system
  2. I manually re-entered the same enrollment programming as above. I hit SAVE and then pressed and held the enrollment button until the orange LED lit steady. I held the button until the orange LED went out and went to red.
  3. I think at that point the sensor was still not networked so I had to tamper it again at which point it became networked.
  4. I tested and the system logs open/closure of the contact (accompanied by 1 red led flash followed by 3 green flashes). When I jar the sensor, I also get 1 red then 3 green LED flashes, but the panel does not log or acknowledge any shock or other event whatsoever.
  5. Subsequently, I re-opened the case, pressed the enroll button until the orange LED just lit and then released it. Went through a few tamper cycles to get the sensor back into a responsive state and re-tested. No change in behavior–sensor still responds to both event types but panel only notices open/close.

Other ideas? Thank you in advance!

4

Is the the only PG9935 in use/tested?

Is this sensor mounted?

  • What type of material is the sensor mounted on, or is being tested on?

Also, what is the signal strength of the sensor at the panel?

  • Settings > Advanced Settings > Enter Installer/Dealer > System Tests > Sensor Test

if I give it a firm tap in my hand the red led will give a long flash, followed by ~3 green flashes (I believe indicating good communication/signal).

Correct. Removing the cover of the sensor will tamper it. It will also put the sensor into placement test mode for 15 minutes. When you trip the sensor, youll get 1 red flash followed by 1 to 3 green flashes indicating strength.

5

Thanks for the response Tyler. To answer your questions:

Yes, it’s the only 9935 currently enrolled with the panel. I do have several PowerG door/window contact only sensors and PowerG motion sensors successfully enrolled and working as well.

The sensor is currently unmounted. I’m hoping to avoid drilling into window frames until I know I can get the sensor to work how I want it to work. As for testing, I have set the sensitivity to 2 and just give it a firm tap on my palm.

When the sensor is in placement test mode and I give it a firm tap on my palm to simulate a shock, it does give a long red flash followed by 3 green flashes, which I interpret to mean it is indeed registering the shock event on the sensor (but for some reason the panel is not acknowledging it).

Signal strength for the 9935 is “Strong” and “0 dBm”. The sensor has been within 5-20 feet of the panel during all tests. Also, to me the fact that the panel has without fail registered all open/close contact events suggests communication must be OK.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it a lot!

6

The flashes during placement test indicate signal strength.

The sensor is in placement test for 15 minutes after tamper/tamper restoral. Try testing the sensor outside of placement test mode. Do this on a flat surface with the magnet next to the sensor in the closed position.

Does the sensor detect vibration, does it report to the panel?

7

TL;DR: Problem solved. Turns out (in shock+contact mode anyway) the panel registers the shock events from this sensor as “open” and “close” events in rapid succession; there is no distinct “shock” event (which is what I was watching for). So it was probably working all along and I just didn’t realize it.

Looking at #13 in this thread got me thinking about this possibility, and perhaps it’s where Tyler G was trying to lead me.

I did as Tyler said, taping the magnet to the sensor to ensure the contact stayed closed and then did some shock tests, which registered as “open” followed immediately by “close” events on the panel, all while the reed switch contact definitely stayed closed.

So it came down to a bad assumption on my part. Thanks much for the help Surety Team, much appreciated :slight_smile: !