iSY-994i and Insteon Smoke Bridge

[gbirk]

I have the First Alert SA521CN Interconnected Hardwire Wireless Smoke Alarm and the Insteon Smoke Bridge.  I am running ISY 4.4.3.  The Smoke Bridge appears in my device list with 7 nodes:

• CO
• Clear
• Low Bat
• Malfunction
• Smoke
• Test
• Unknown Message

The Current State of CO, Clear and Smoke is blank.  The others are “Off.”  If I run Query on CO, Clear and Smoke nothing the Current State Remains blank.  The others will refresh.

 

How do you get CO, Clear and Smoke to show the status?  Also what is Unknown Message?

[paulbates]

The smoke bridge device leaves some things to be desired. I had mine starting on Homeseer and migrated it to the ISY, with the same results you are reporting... eg that's working as designed 

 

I am able to get test to turn on when I test the system. And a cooking malfunction a few years ago set off the smoke indicator. 

(?) 

 

I'm not sure what unknown is, probably in case a newer model of detector adds a new message that the bridge doesn't know about, Its never turned on for me

 

One other foible to report.. the low battery indicator only reports low battery for the detector the smoke bridge is linked to. If you link other detectors to your first detector, they're battery states will not be reported.

 

Paul

[LeeG]

Press the Set button on the Smoke Bridge for about 1 second.  When released the Smoke Bridge LED will change to Red and several Insteon Messages are sent.   The Smoke and CO nodes will cycle to On, then to Off.   From memory the Low Bat and Malfunction nodes will turn On.  When test is complete right click on Low Bat node and select Query to turn Low Bat Off.  Same sequence is needed for Malfunction node to reset it to Off. 

[Teken]

One other foible to report.. the low battery indicator only reports low battery for the detector the smoke bridge is linked to. If you link other detectors to your first detector, they're battery states will not be reported.

 

Paul

 

Hello Paul,

 

Not sure why I see a different behavior then what you stated above? I understood what you stated above as being correct but during the course of many years. I have received many low battery indicators from the Smoke Bridge and none of them were from the primary linked One Link smoke alarm.

 

It should be noted my primary unit is integrated to a hard wired one link detector(s). All of the remaining 12 units are the battery only smoke / co units.

 

I am curious what type of sensors you have and how its linked and perhaps this might explain the difference?

[paulbates]

Hello Paul,

 

Not sure why I see a different behavior then what you stated above? I understood what you stated above as being correct but during the course of many years. I have received many low battery indicators from the Smoke Bridge and none of them were from the primary linked One Link smoke alarm.

 

It should be noted my primary unit is integrated to a hard wired one link detector(s). All of the remaining 12 units are the battery only smoke / co units.

 

I am curious what type of sensors you have and how its linked and perhaps this might explain the difference?

 

I retried the the testing step Lee posted and compared to the manual, including unplugging and replugging the unit. I am getting the same results I usually receive, including now the malfunction node being on after the test. However if I query it, malfunction clears. I need to go and check each FA unit

 

Paul

[LeeG]

Paul,

 

This is what I posted about Low Bat and Malfunction nodes when Set button test complete.  What is different about your results?

 

"From memory the Low Bat and Malfunction nodes will turn On.  When test is complete right click on Low Bat node and select Query to turn Low Bat Off.  Same sequence is needed for Malfunction node to reset it to Off." 

[paulbates]

Thanks Lee

The malfunction is on after the test and queried off as you indicate, but  CO and smoke are blank, no setting either way.  

 

I've been checking the sensors, and I'm going to factory reset  and re-link the smoke bridge to see if that helps

 

Paul

[JSchumann]

Press the Set button on the Smoke Bridge for about 1 second.  When released the Smoke Bridge LED will change to Red and several Insteon Messages are sent.   The Smoke and CO nodes will cycle to On, then to Off.   From memory the Low Bat and Malfunction nodes will turn On.  When test is complete right click on Low Bat node and select Query to turn Low Bat Off.  Same sequence is needed for Malfunction node to reset it to Off. 

Worked on mine, now all that is blank is clear......

[LeeG]

Paul,

 

Could be a link record problem.  Both the On and Off messages for Smoke and CO nodes did not get posted to the respective nodes. 

 

If nothing is resolved after factory reset and relink of Smoke Bridge run Event Viewer at LEVEL 3.  Run the Smoke Bridge Set button test and post the Insteon message trace.  Could also be a Smoke Bridge failure but that is far down the list.

[paulbates]

Paul,

 

Could be a link record problem.  Both the On and Off messages for Smoke and CO nodes did not get posted to the respective nodes. 

 

If nothing is resolved after factory reset and relink of Smoke Bridge run Event Viewer at LEVEL 3.  Run the Smoke Bridge Set button test and post the Insteon message trace.  Could also be a Smoke Bridge failure but that is far down the list.

 

Lee-

I factory reset the SB, then relinked one of the sensors, then tested. Now it all works as documented by you / pdf.  I'm guessing something wasn't right in the bridge for some time. 

 

Thank you.

 

Paul

[LeeG]

Paul

 

Thanks for the feedback and great news.

[Teken]

Now the real question is will you see a low battery warning from a smoke detector NOT linked as a primary device to the SB?

 

Again, this is what I have seen and goes against what others are saying.

 

 

=========================

To bestow knowledge is power - But only if it promotes positive results in others.

 

The highest calling in life is to serve ones country faithfully - Teach others what can be. Do what is right and not what is popular.

[paulbates]

Now the real question is will you see a low battery warning from a smoke detector NOT linked as a primary device to the SB?

 

Again, this is what I have seen and goes against what others are saying.

 

 

=========================

To bestow knowledge is power - But only if it promotes positive results in others.

 

The highest calling in life is to serve ones country faithfully - Teach others what can be. Do what is right and not what is popular.

 

Teken,

That's a great question, that might be related. I'm keeping an eye on it, but I have a battery swap schedule for most of my battery sensor devices, so I may not find out.

 

Paul

[Teken]

Teken,

That's a great question, that might be related. I'm keeping an eye on it, but I have a battery swap schedule for most of my battery sensor devices, so I may not find out.

 

Paul

 

Paul,

 

Being proactive in my mind in this area is simply good practice. Given what this devices primary function is and that is life and safety.

 

I don't lose any sleep spending a few extra dollars on high output lithium cells which offer much longer service life. I've resisted installing rechargeable AA cells forever in these units and just chalk it up as cost of doing business.

[paulbates]

Follow up topic:

 

The SB is i2cs. I'm wondering if anyone has upped the retries for messages initiated from it. I have no problems in general insteon signal wise, but want to be sure that SB messages get through,

 

I set it to 3 retries. Since the SB is not very active, my assumption is that a setting of 3 would be reasonable and increase the insurance that the message makes it to the PLM. My SB is not linked to other devices, it just notifies the PLM

 

Thoughts?

 

Paul

[LeeG]

Should not create a problem.   Mine is also I2CS.   Three is what all 120v devices used before I2CS.   It means that a good transmission takes more mili-seconds to account for potentially more hops but the Smoke Bridge sends so few messages it makes no meaningful difference.  

[arw01]

Just hooked up a battery powered SA521CN, and went looking for a thread like this about why so many items would not query.

 

Pressed the button for 1 Mississippi, watched the flurry of messages and sure enough they all cleared up except for clear.

 

Now i have 2 of them interconnected, one hard wired, the other wireless with the CO.

 

Will pick up a couple more to wire into bedrooms over the next few months and feel much better over the cheapie Kiddie units.

 

Alan