GEConcord 4 Keyfobs

[bigdaddyo811]

My dealer is not the security system installer so has done basic connections and setup for me. He doesnt know how to do this but can do the programming if explained.

I have a GEConcord4 system and two keyfobs programmed into the system (with the home automation module) all that work fine.

I have two KEYFOBS with a * and a LIGHT button that I want to control the garage doors.

The garage doors are on the outputs on the concord4 system. Thus hitting 771 and 772 on the keypad fires the outputs and opens Garage door 1 and 2 respectively.

I want to program the KEYFOBS.

He couldnt find a KEYFOB "driver" so he added a DOOR CONTACT driver and connected that to the * when in the connectable items with the concord 4 system (C4 gives you FOB ARM, FOB DISARM, FOB LIGHTS, FOB STAR, FOB STAR+LIGHT etc...). He bound FOB STAR to the door contact driver and programmed it to hit 771 on the keypad when the "contact OPENS".

It doesnt work.

Anyone know how to get this to work?

bdo

[RyanE]

That (the keyfob buttons part) should work.

You can test to see what part of it is failing, by putting a different command in the 'when the door contact opens', toggle a light, and then press the button that is bound to the contact.

If the light toggles, you know that the key fob setup / programming is not at fault.

If you hit 'Execute' in the programming window with the 771 being pressed on the panel, and the door opens, you know that part is not at fault.

RyanE

[bigdaddyo811]

Thanks for the reply.

I got it working, sort of.

The programming was correct.

The execute works.

The problem is that it is intermittent. I think it may be something with the speed the system is entering the 7/7/2 into the GE Concord4 system. Does anyone know how that should be programmed to work? 50 millesecond delay between hitting buttons?

If it's not the delay, it would seem that the C4 system is not recognizing the keyfob being hit despite the green button on the keyfob going off. Is there a way to test that? I know the GE Concord4 side is working (i.e. concord4 is seeing the button being hit) because before I tried to get C4 to fire the outputs via hitting 771 and 772, I was having the keyfobs firing an hardware output module relay to open the doors it was working fine (Why not still use that? I abondend that solution, however because it would only work by having the button on the fob open both garage doors, not individual doors).

Thanks

[RyanE]

What version is your system on?

RyanE

[bigdaddyo811]

1.73.2.0

[Mav-Jason]

You may be on to something with the delay. 50 ms is pretty quick, maybe try 500.

[RyanE]

That would also be my guess.

RyanE

[bjeff]

I believe it is the delay also. That is real quick when it comes to something connected through an alarm.

[bigdaddyo811]

Increase the delays to 50, 75, 100, 200, 300, 500 and 1000 and no difference.

When C4 transmitts a "push button" command, is it actually sending a command to hit the buttons on a keypad so one of the keypads should so the buttons being hit or it's a electronic transfer to the Concord4 system (if the latter, shouldnt it be instantaneous ie the delay doesnt matter because it's receiving a set of 1s and 0s sort of?)

bdo

[RyanE]

It sends them as if they were keypad presses. It depends on whether the security panel itself or the keypads do the debounce / delay routines as to whether you should be able to send them as fast as possible.

RyanE

[bigdaddyo811]

I have tried every variation of delays and have had no luck. It does not pass the "hit 7, hit 7, hit 2 " commands on to the concord4 system it seems.

1. When I hit "execute", it works fine i.e the garage door opens. (so the command itself seems to work fine)

2. When I hit the button on the keyfob and have it programmed to turn a light on or off, it works fine.

When I put the program in to open the door in 1 under hit the button on the fob in 2, it doesnt work.

Any ideas?

[RyanE]

The easiest way to solve this issue is to hook the garage door buttons to a relay on the Control4 system.

They could even be parallelled with the Concord's output relay, so the 771 / 772 would still work.

I don't know why the keypresses wouldn't be working, they should work just like the Virtual Keypad presses work on a Navigator.

RyanE

[bigdaddyo811]

Sorry, let me clarify.

I have the following program under

Device: CONTACT->KEYFOB STAR BUTTON

Event: WHEN CONTACT OPENS

Delay 1 second

Press the 7 button on the Rack -> GE Concord 4

Press the 7 button on the Rack -> GE Concord 4

Press the 1 button on the Rack -> GE Concord 4

When I hit execute, it works fine.

When I hit the button on the FOB though, it doesnt open the door.

When I program the button instead of the above to turn on a light, it turns the light on fine. (this indicates to me that C4 is 'hearing' the button being pressed through concord4). I dont understand though why it wouldnt execute the above program when the button is being hit given that the program itself works. It worked once or twice but was completely unreliable.

When I hit the LIGHT button on the fob, the keypad says LIGHTS ON and LIGHTS OFF indicating that Concord4 is 'hearing' the button press as well.

Is the CONTACT the best thing to use for a KEYFOB? Is there a better device my dealer could add that is more aligned with a button on a keyfob?

As for the HC300 contact, I have two garage doors and so need two contacts and I've already blown my cash on the outputs for the concord system et all...

[bigdaddyo811]

I've made a little progress. I wonder if someone could help me with some programming.

When I program a light to toggle when I hit the STAR button on the keyfob, it seems the light toggles 2 to 3 times each time I hit the button. This suggests to me that the system is getting 2-3 cues to fire the programming each time I hit the button. (You have to keep the button pressed on the keyfob until the green led goes off).

I guess this is screwing up the programming since it is running the program 2-3 times and probably not gettin the full "7,7,1" sequence hit on the GE keypad.

I tried putting in a BREAK and a STOP at the end of the program but this doesnt work.

Does anyone know how to program it to just run the programming once ? i.e. ignore any other cues to run the program for maybe 5 seconds or something?

Thanks

[RyanE]

Use a timer.

Don't do any code if the timer is running. Start the timer after the check, and it'll time out after the preset time.

RyanE

[bigdaddyo811]

Can I get a little more guidance?

I found timers but dont exactly understand how to program it so "if the timer is running, dont do anything else"

Thanks so much

[bigdaddyo811]

I tried

IF timer is running

STOP

If timer is not running

START timer

and then in programming under

WHEN TIMER EXPIRES

HIT 7

HIT 7

HIT 1

and it doesnt seem tow work. It puts the alarm system into a protest suggesting that it is still multi-firing.

I would appreciate some help with the programming is someone has time.

[bigdaddyo811]

Ok. This is killing me. I have to get this working if its the one thing I do in life.

Is there some way to see what the system is doing in a log ?

I can get each individual component to work

i.e. hit button and it starts the timer ( I can see that in the timer page)

the script executes fine on the programming page when I hit execute.

But when I try to hit the button on the fob, the thing wont work in concert. I need to see in a line by line format somewhere what the system is doing when the button is pressed on the fob. Is it firing the contact multiple times? Is it hitting 7 multiple times etc?

Help!?!?