Dry Contact - Help

[ILoveControl]

Hi all,

 

I have a dry contact wired up to my EA5 as per the manual on the +12 and SIG terminal on Contact 1 on the EA5 terminal block. The contact type is one of those that is typically used by alarm systems on doors and windows (uses a magnetic connection).

 

It is on my front gate and is a simple dry contact that shows the gate open or closed. This has worked really well for over 4 years.

 

On Gate open (contact > open) I send a notification via 4sight to notify me the gate is open with a snapshot of the gate camera.

 

Last two weeks it’s been going nuts. Random notifications and false alarms that the gate is open through notifications. So this is where the journey that is driving me nuts started.

 

This is what I have done to trouble shoot:

1. Checked that the contact is making the right contact and the gate isn’t bent or too far away from the contact. There is less than 1mm between the two parts of the dry contact, no play on the gate.

2. Changed out the dry contact (just to make 100% sure) at the gate with the same make/model - same issue.

3. Because 2 didn’t work - took the wire out the terminal at the EA5 on +12 & SIG and cleaned it up stripped some new wire and reinserted - Same issue.

4. Because 3 didn’t work - Pulled a new wire (over 40M) incase there was some sort of breakage for some reason in the wire between the dry contact and the terminal on the EA5 - same issue.

5. Because the physical connection side hasn’t worked - I have even added a 10 second delay on the programming of electronic gate > Open, incase its some sort of movement on the dry contact, then it checks gain to see if the gate is open > delays another 10 seconds before doing one more if open check to send me a notification - I keep getting random notifications,.

 

So what happens with the notifications - it can go the whole day without notifications then randomly (and I am starting to notice a pattern of late at night say 10pm on wards) I get about 40 notifications of gate open with a snapshot (which shows gate was never actually open).

 

Not sure what else to check or if I have missed some updated setting on this contact driver to make it more/less sensitive?

 

So on such a simple thing a bit stumped here…. willing to try any suggestions.

 

I also have a C4-Z2IO almost in the mood to take the dry contact that is connected to the EA5 Terminal block out and try it on the C4-Z2IO incase its something gone wrong on the EA5 - but surely it cant be a dry contact is like one of the dumbest things

[J to the D]

Slightly different but I had a similar issue with the Chime. It kept sending notifications saying the doorbell had been rung when it hadn’t. I had to do a full system reboot to fix. Not sure if you have tried this but have you tried connecting a simple relay or meter to the dry contact on the gate? This would help you determine if the gate contact is working correctly or not. 
 

I’ll put a bet on there is a software glitch somewhere but hopefully I’m wrong. 

[Shoe]

4 hours ago, ILoveControl said:

I also have a C4-Z2IO almost in the mood to take the dry contact that is connected to the EA5 Terminal block out and try it on the C4-Z2IO incase its something gone wrong on the EA5 - but surely it cant be a dry contact is like one of the dumbest things

If it were me I'd do this, but mostly because I wouldn't want to risk my controller to a lightning event with a direct connection over 40m.

[BXTR]

I would suggest disconnecting the sensor at the gate temporarily to see if the issue disappears 

If it does go away then the problem is the sensor

It could also be that the magnet is on the fringe of triggering the contact an a small movement of the gate by wind or whatnot is triggering the sensor

[RAV]

You could put the second magnet you’ve got on the sensor temporarily to keep it set.

if you get a trigger it’s wire, length, emi or controller.

if not, it’s spacing.

( I also would have a relay before the controller, which can also halt some low level voltage emi )

[ILoveControl]

Quote

Slightly different but I had a similar issue with the Chime. It kept sending notifications saying the doorbell had been rung when it hadn’t. I had to do a full system reboot to fix. Not sure if you have tried this but have you tried connecting a simple relay or meter to the dry contact on the gate? This would help you determine if the gate contact is working correctly or not. 
 

I’ll put a bet on there is a software glitch somewhere but hopefully I’m wrong.

I have rebooted a few times tbh so don't think its a reboot thats needed. Good point though! I have changed the dry contact three times already to new ones I bought same outcome.

[ILoveControl]

Quote

If it were me I'd do this, but mostly because I wouldn't want to risk my controller to a lightning event with a direct connection over 40m.

Yeah I didn't think of it that way and you 100% right - esp where I live on a hill in a region lighting is just nuts I didn't think about the possibility of long run wires in the ground and transmitting that to my EA5 and causing more damage - Have moved it to the C4-Z2IO as both a best practice  and to see if I stop getting all those dam notifications.

[ILoveControl]

Quote

I would suggest disconnecting the sensor at the gate temporarily to see if the issue disappears 

If it does go away then the problem is the sensor

It could also be that the magnet is on the fringe of triggering the contact an a small movement of the gate by wind or whatnot is triggering the sensor

As per point 2 above I have changed the Dry Contact twice (two new ones), I have also checked the distance (less than 1mm between both parts of the dry contact), in addition put some padding in the gate and using forceful movement by hand the gate does not move one bit, so I can confidently rule out "natural movement" as a cause. These Dry Contacts (as I tested it) have quite a tolerance in terms of distance like 2cm apart it still picking up as closed.

I have no connected it to the C4-Z2IO Contact (Dry Contact for open close of gate) and Relay (to send msg to open close gate) - I am going to test this first before your next suggestion of just disconnecting the sensor all together and see if I am still getting notifications.

[ILoveControl]

Quote

You could put the second magnet you’ve got on the sensor temporarily to keep it set.

if you get a trigger it’s wire, length, emi or controller.

if not, it’s spacing.

( I also would have a relay before the controller, which can also halt some low level voltage emi )

I have removed it completely off the EA5 and to a C4-Z2IO (most expensive relay / Contact switch in the world :D) to remove any potential EMI from a long outside wire to my EA5. Would rather blow the C4-Z2IO than my EA5

 

What this should also show me is if there is/was an issue on that contact port on the EA5 Terminal (if the notifications stop sending when the gate is closed).

 

[ILoveControl]

So update for all following this:

Moved the Dry Contact and Relay from EA5 Terminal blocks to C4-Z2IO and everything has stabilized its acting as intended. Wonder what happened on the EA5 side of things.