Help with ISY settings for the IOlinc low voltage probe kit

[tim2u]

I am having trouble getting my ISY to sense a change in my IOLinc sensor, when voltage is turned on to my low voltage input probe. I've tried a variety of settings and am beginning to wonder if it is a faulty IOLINc.

 

My end goal is signal my ISY when a hard-wired smoke detector goes off.

 

I have a wired smoke detector that has a third 'signal' wire that carries 9V when the alarm is going off. I have verified this with a multimeter, even when fire alarm is in test mode. The wire carries 9V the whole time the alarm is sounding. It then hits 0V, when alarm is off. I have the low voltage IOLinc probe kit connected to the neautral wire (of power source for detector) and the signal wire. These were the two wires I measured with the multimeter. The probe kit is then plugged into my IOlinc. I also have my IOLinc linked into my ISY.

 

Other information:

The ISY receives a sensor on/off status when I click the set button located on the IOLinc box (this tells me ISY is receiving signals OK?)

When the fire alarm first goes off, the sensor status (on my IOLinc) LED blinks on and off once. When the alarm stops going off, the sensor status LED blinks on and off once more. Does this tell me the probe is working OK? The smarthome guy told me it did.

 

My problem is that I can't get the ISY to know when the low voltage probe kit on the IOLinc senses a change. Its almost like there is a disconnect between the probe sensor and IOLinc.

 

As a side test, I did connect two wires to the IOlinc sensor (S-sense, and gnd-ground terminals). I would then connect them together to close the circuit and still nothing happened. However, I found I needed to check the 'relay follows input' check in the ISY settings. Now, when I close the test circuit, my ISY did register the Sensor 'on' for the IOLINC. When I opened the circuit, the sensor registered as off in my ISY. Unfortuneately, this did not fix my problem with my detector. It looks like the probe kit does not follow this behavior and only 'blinks' on/off with voltage on, the on/off with voltage off. How do I get my ISY to read this behavior as a sensor on/off?

 

My current checked settins are (LED on TX, Relay Follow Input, Momentary C (trigger based on sensor input) and 20 momentary hold time. However, Ived tried all 4 momentary settings with each at both 200 and 5 hold times. No combinations worked for me.

 

For you IOLINC experts, does this sound like a faulty device, or just a bad setup on my part?

[Brian H]

What happens if you disconnect the low voltage probe signal from the IOLinc S and GND terminals and connect a short piece of wire between S and GND.?

When you linked the IOLinc was the sensor activated or not? I believe you can link the sensor to send an Odd when activated and an On when not.

 

Pushing the set button toggles the relay and maybe you are seeing the relay status and not the sensor status.

[tim2u]

When i disconnect the low voltage proble (it is connected via the 1/8 jack), and connect a wire as you mentioned between the sense and ground terminals of the IOLINC, the green sensor status LED turns on and stays on and the ISY IOLINC sensor status says on. When I disconnect, the LED goes off and the ISY status changes to off.

 

I believe the sensor was not activated when I connected it. Does that matter? Wouldn't I see a change either way on the ISY IOLINC sensor when the low voltage sensor had a change? If it does matter, how do I 'activate' sensor when I connect it (see paragraph below also)

 

I think my problem or my set up issue is that when the fire alarm sounds, the LED sensor status blinks on and off once and does not stay on. When the alarm turns off, the light blinks on and off once again. Should the LED status remain on when the alarm is sounding?

 

BTW, I measured voltage on the end of the 1/8 jack of the low voltage probe when the alarm is sounding. When sounding V=0.39 V DC, when off V=O VDC.

[LeeG]

The jack plug may be disconnecting the normal Sensor input. The fact the Green Sensor LED turns On/Off as GND is applied and removed from S (with jack plug removed) the I/O Linc Sensor is working. The I/O Linc Sensor node is following the same On/Off status as the Green LED when using the wire jumper.

 

“I believe the sensor was not activated when I connected it.â€

 

Was this describing the use of the low voltage probe?

 

“Should the LED status remain on when the alarm is sounding?â€

 

That is a question for Smarthome. No experience with the low voltage probe. Does the event viewer show a command from the I/O Linc Sensor when the alarm is tripped?

 

With the plug removed what does a continuity check between the two plug connections show, both when no alarm and when alarm.

[tim2u]

Yes that was describing the use of the low voltage probe.

 

I could not get any change in continuity between the two plug connections when the alarm was on and off.

 

The low voltage probe appears to be a voltage reducer, so that the voltage input into the IOLINC is below the 5v max. In my case, it is converting 9v, down to 0.4v. The 1/8 plug is used to connect the probe into the IOLinc.

[Brian H]

The IO/Linc Sensor input is for a dry contact only. It has a sensing voltage on it already. Putting an external voltage into the sensor input would not be a good idea.

I believe the low voltage probe is an optocoupled device. So the input voltage is isolated from the output.

The .4 volts you are reading on the sensor to ground is the low voltage probes pulling the sensors input low.

[ELA]

Hello Tim2U,

Unfortunately I do not have a low voltage probe to be able to test and answer directly. As a follow up to Brian's comments on this probe being isolated:

 

You said you measured 9V out of the alarm. Was that open circuit, before you connected the low voltage sensor, or with the sensor connected? The reason I ask is that Smarthomes specifications are incomplete and they do not list an input impedance or current for that sensor. Listing only a voltage does not assure it will work with any 3-24V source. To be sure you either need to know the current requirement or you have to measure with the probe connected ( at alarm side) to be sure you are attaining the correct voltage level. (sorry if you posted that result and I missed it).

 

Also what is your result if you substitute a 9V battery in place of the alarm as input to the low voltage sensor?