How to troubleshoot problems with popits and Zonex.

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 Determining if a POPIT is Faulty

• Measure the voltage of the Zone Output with the EOL resistor off the output. If the zone output is oscillating more than 2VDC in either min/max direction, the POPIT should be replaced.
• If a point is showing normal on the meter but faulted on the panel, switch points with another before replacing it. The simplest way to accomplish this is to swap dipswitch settings, then Disable/Restart the panel.
• When observing a group of POPITs that fail and then restore, assume that there is a wiring problem before assuming there is a POPIT problem. If it is a POPIT problem, review the reports to the Central Station or the log. If one point reports out of place, or is in the report all the time where others are not, this POPIT is suspect. Replace it, but do not throw it away until you are satisfied that this POPIT is faulty.
• False alarms (indicative of a detection loop fault rather than a “Missing” condition) are caused by bad detection loop devices or device connections rather than by data loop or POPIT issues.

POPIT Installation Guidelines

• Always use POPIT covers and ensure the OctoPOPIT and other modules are properly mounted in enclosures.
• Always use mounting screws. Do NOT let points hang by their wires.
• Whenever possible, mount the panel toward the center of the system to reduce data loop distance.
• Install the points in a location that is easy to troubleshoot. If possible, avoid locations where you must use a forklift or large ladder to check the point.
• D8128s are connected differently to each of the following control panels. Use this simple guide and refer to the documentation accompanying each Control/Communicator and/or Module.
  · D7112: This is the ONLY panel that requires the extra resistor in the D8128A pack.
  · D8112: The silkscreen terminal markings on the D8128 match the terminal blocks of the D8112.
  · D7212/D9112: Terminal 3 (ZX) goes to Zonex “IN” of the panel. Terminal 2 (31) goes to Zonex “OUT” of the panel. On these panels you can use any Positive (+) Terminals to power the D8128A, including keypad power.
• D8112: It is acceptable to parallel another D8125 Zonex driver off the panel.
• D7112/D7212/D9112: These do not require the use of another D8125 in parallel with the panel connections.
  Simply "break-out" the +/- side of the loops by having a terminal block with jumpers for each side that will allow multiple loops to be connected.  Heavy-jacketed wire tends to cause the removable terminal block on earlier versions of the D8125 to fully or partially disconnect. Make sure you shape the wire to minimize stress on the block. Newer D8125’s do not feature the removable block.  Extra point reporting is different on D8112s than D9112s. In summary, D8112s will report when polling an unprogrammed POPIT.
• D9112/D7212 only report if the loop input of the POPIT is detected as faulted.
• D8112s: Extra points will report to the Central Station, display locally on printer and CMD44 (View Untested for D7112).
• D7212/D9112s [B & B1 Versions]: Extra points will not report to the Central Station. They print out locally, show in the [VIEW POINTS], [VIEW UNTESTED] and <99> [VIEW LOG]. Only if the extra point has its loop input faulted or if there is AC induction/capacitance causing the panel to see point addresses and state changes that really do not exist.
• OctoPOPITs are more susceptible to detection loop noise affecting data loops than are POPIT’s.

 Power Supply

• Ensure the batteries are less than 3 years old, and that the panel’s Yellow Charging Circuit Status LED and Red Low Battery LED are unlit.
• Ensure that the panel is not drawing more than the specified amount of current.
• Marginal battery condition and/or incorrect or improperly wired D1640 (16.5V 40VA) transformer will cause missing POPITs due to lack of power (inability to maintain POPIT C-1 capacitors above 5VDC on discharge) and more vulnerability to noise.
• Always connect a common wire from the Auxiliary Power Supply "common" to a "common" terminal on the panel. This will prevent differential grounds and keep voltage fluctuations and spikes spread out evenly in the whole system, not just the panel. 

 First Verify Earth Ground to the Panel

• Earth ground is the "main drain" for noise being induced into the panel and is a requirement of NEC-70, FCC as well as manufacturers’ installation instructions.
  To avoid the risk of fatal electrical shock, observe all standard safety practices and procedures when dealing with energized electrical lines.
• Caution while testing: Connect one end of your meter to earth ground rod or other verifiable ground. Do not assume that cold water pipes are grounded without checking first. Connect the other end of the meter to an electrical ground.
• Reading should be 2 ohms or less from the rod to the end of the wire going to the panel. If it is not, shorten the wire or find another source.
• CAUTION: Normal readings between both ground and electrical ground will reflect very high resistance (e.g., meg-ohms) because a reference between the panel ground source and the electrical conduit (earth) does exist.
  If you have a low resistance reading between your earth ground reference and the electrical conduit then a high noise level may be induced from the electrical conduit throughout the building. In certain cases where this does exist, it is sometimes better to connect the panel to earth ground. These cases are very rare. They can be confirmed if data problems stop after removing the earth ground connection from the panel.

 Wire Worksheet Instructions

The following tests make up the Point Validation Process, which allows the on-site Technician to isolate causes of “Missing” point conditions.

IMPORTANT! You must include all data wiring going from the panel that shares a common connection with the point bus. For example, whatever terminals the point bus uses requires all wires on that terminal (i.e., D8112 keypads from Data In terminal) to be tested. They are all possible noise conductors.

TEST 1: Wire Identification Method

(This is more of a “process” than it is a “test”.)

Purpose: Before you troubleshoot “Missing” points, you should identify which points are connected to which (of 6 possible) data loop pairs. You may, after comparing the history of missing points verified by the panel’s memory logger and by central station receiver records with a confirmation of which points are connected to which pairs, narrow (divide and conquer) the troubleshooting effort down to one wire pair instead of six.

Desired Results: All wires identified and labeled by function [e.g., “ZX1, Loop 1 of 3”]

TEST 2: Earth Short Validation

Earth Short Validation is used primarily to ensure that the wires are isolated from other objects (Water, Metal) that are referenced to Earth Ground. This is a good test for underground cables and inter-building connections to determine differential grounds.

Use CAUTION when working with wires and Voltage

Set Up: Disconnect the wires from the panel before taking the reading.

Meter Setting: 0K to 10k ohms

Lead Placement: Black: Earth Ground wire to panel. Red: Data loop wiring.

Desired Results: A reading of Infinity between data wires and the earth ground wire. Any resistance reading indicates a wire in not ground-isolated.

Symptoms: The system will be experiencing missing conditions, missing alarm and hot resistors on the D8125 if there is a short on the loop. “Runaway” (repeated “Missing”/”Restore” reports), typically related to a single data loop pair (unless, for example, the entire building has been flooded).

 TEST 3: Conduit Short Validation

(If no conduit on premises, skip Test “C”)

Conduit Short Validation is used primarily to ensure that the wires are not shorted to the electrical conduit and will also indicate if the wiring is shorted to the building conduit since, in most cases, the conduit is strapped to the building frame somewhere.

Set Up: Disconnect the wires from the panel before taking the reading.

Meter Setting: 0K to 10K ohms

Lead Placement: Black: Electrical conduit screw/clip. Red: Field wiring to the devices.

Desired Results: A reading of Infinity between the field wiring and conduit reference.

Symptoms: The system will be experiencing missing conditions, missing alarms, and hot ceramic resistors on

the D8125 if there is a short on the loop. In addition you may be able to relate “Missing” conditions to occasions when the Public Address (PA) system, or similar devices which can feed noise back into nearby AC conduit and spread it throughout the building, are activated.

TEST 4: AC Noise

AC Noise is very common throughout any building and will usually not be a sufficient problem in and of itself to cause “Missing” points if other noise issues are minimized.

Set Up: Disconnect data wires from the panel before taking the reading.

Meter Setting: 0 to 12 VAC

Lead Placement: Black: Common of panel. Red: Field wiring to data devices.

Desired Results: 0 Volts. Any voltage indicates that a potential source for power surges exists.

Radionics’ systems have worked with up to 10V transient AC on the data loops; points were not reported

“Missing” until devices on the AC circuit were switched on.

NOTE: If you have a data loop with points that are functioning properly, compare it to the data loop on which points have been reported “Missing”. If transient AC voltages are identical, you have confirmed that the existing AC – in and of itself – is insufficient to cause “Missing” points; otherwise, both loops would reflect such a history. That you have two choices with respect to the “problem” data loop: Isolate and correct the other cause, so that the loop can function despite the AC, or; isolate and correct the transient AC source, with the likelihood that the loop can then function despite the other cause(s).

 Symptoms: The system will be experiencing erroneous missing and trouble conditions and false alarms. Multiple service calls will result even after replacing equipment. There may be runaway points at certain times of the day, which are often easy to isolate (e.g., points go missing when the chicken feeder augers turn on). The pattern may be broader: Points only go “Missing” while the system/area is disarmed; never when armed or when no one is at the site to switch the powered devices on.

TIP: Reverse Method: Placing the black lead and the field wiring and then touching the transformer terminal should result in 0 VAC.

 TEST 5: Capacitance

Capacitance is one of the most confusing and hardest to isolate of all the noise issues. It is also rare. A capacitance problem is related to long wire runs or wire runs shorted to a conduit (where the conduit is actually adding capacitance and being inadvertently used as a carrier since it is shorted directly to the wire conductors). Most of the time, if Test A, B, C, D and F are completed properly this test will not be necessary. Capacitance is also increased when shielded wire is used and the wiring is run with other wires in a conduit.

Set Up: Disconnect the wires from the panel. Use a valid capacitance meter.

Meter Setting: 0 to 10 microfarads.

Lead Placement: Black & Red across each data loop one at a time. Add readings from all loops to calculate total system capacitance.

Desired Results: 0.4 microfarad maximum.

Tip: Group the POPIT’s to reduce data wire. Use a low capacitance wire on long wire run applications.

NOTE: Wire up a panel in the shop prior to installing. Connect the wire reels together and do a pre-test on the emulated wire run. Review the Wire Specifications guidelines on Page 3 to calculate capacitance.

Symptoms: Points 101 (ZX1), 109 (ZX2), and 501(ZX2) on a D8112 are the most vulnerable to capacitance, as these are the first "addresses" to “start up.” In a capacitance scenario, three or four points go “Missing”; all except one [101, 109 or 501] immediately restore. That single point may restore only after several minutes, hours, or days. Extra points “Ghost” points are typically caused because capacitance affects the timing of legitimate point responses. There is a random frequency and pattern of the symptom. Common denominators: Shielded wire with drain wire grounded, and long data loop(s) run in conduit.

TEST 6: Data Loop Resistance

Set Up: Disconnect data loop wires from the panel before taking the reading.

IMPORTANT! Place a jumper across the data loop terminals of the last device on each data loop so that only the wire resistance is being read.

• Points: Wire across Data In and Data Out terminals.
• OctoPOPIT: Wire across 31 and ZX terminals.
• Keypads: Disconnect and wire across female connector data.

Meter Setting: 0 to 50K ohms.

Lead Placement: Black: Data out to data devices. Red: Data in from Data devices.

Desired Results: 1 ohm per 1000 feet of data wire.

Symptoms: Low voltage at the last point(s) on the longest data loop. High voltage but low currents due to the high impedance open. “Missing” point conditions due to high resistance.

Pattern: The most distant points are consistently those that go “Missing”.

Suggestion: Keeping Ohm’s Law in mind, it may be simpler to supplement the panel’s Auxiliary Power output than to clear resistance in the data loop wiring.