New Install not working

Hi,

I am finally at the end of the testing (on the bench), programming and today was the final switch on for my new house with my C-Bus system by the sparkies. When first powered up all the lights came on the controllers and lights in the house. After a while they all went away and I can switch lights via the controller LED/switch. DIMMER 2 stopped working when I tried to make it the burden but then it came good. I can now switch everything connected to them via the LED/Switch on the DIMMER/RELAY module.

HOWEVER.... No light switches work at all, no display on the 5085DL or the 584NL type. I also have sensors in the chain. When I plug the C-Bus line in all the lights come on the controller and house as shown!

Now... I am using the attached breakout, I have 5 of these 9 Port breakouts in the ceiling. I connected only the controllers to one and one switch and did not get anything on the switch, I have not yet measured the voltage at the switch. I have wired from the controller pin for pin, that is 8 pin to 8 pin RJ45 pin, so like a patch lead, then only use the blue/orange and apposing pairs into the switch/sensor. The breakout tests pin for pin as all common, that is pin 1 goes to all pin 1's. pin2 to goes to all pin 2's...etc. No cross shorting on the breakout. My next step is to cut all the cables and krone them!

9 way Port in Roof interconnect
1-------1
2-------2
3-------3
4-------4 From this take Orange/Blue (4,6)to switch/sensor (+)
5-------5 From this take Orange/White / Blue/white (3,5) to switch/sensor (-)
6-------6
7-------7
8-------8

Is the fact that I am going pin to pin and not commoning the blue/orange together in the roof mucking with the supply/signal?

I can plug a switch direct into the controller and it works, so points to the breakout PCB. But why??

Thanks

 

Hi Jaden,

Bummer to hear it's not working.

As a start, Dimmer 2 seems un-powered in your photo? Is it DOA? Is it getting power to the A/N?

The C-Bus lights being off on all other units suggests there is no active C-Bus clock (or possibly a short on the C-Bus) on the network?

Did you turn all the local override buttons on on Relay 1, Relay 2 and Dimmer 1? or did they come on themselves when you powered up? You mentioned you used a standard patch lead somewhere and I assume you just cleaved the end off the other end to attach to something? You need to ensure that the RJ-45 end of that patch lead is TIA-568A wired otherwise if it's TIS-568B wired you'll be across the the green pair instead of the orange pair which will trigger a remote On in the adjacent module.

Brad

 

Hi Brad, no mate, as stated above it came good, it went like that when I tried to enable the burden in it. I wire as per the ‘A’ standard for Oz. I say patch lead to say all my roof wire ing is to the 8 pin A standard, I just break out the pairs at the device. I crimped all the leads in the roof to go into the shown PCB breakout board. This is where the problem is for some reason.

Ok I will have to look at why the clock is not working. I now only have all the controllers plugged into a 9 way breakout with only 1 switch into it, still no display on the switch. Switch bypassing the breakout board will work.

 

I also thought that the C-Bus light lit when it had the burden enabled on it?

 

Hi Jaden,

I use possibly (probably?) the same 9 way RJ45 bus joiner for C-Bus connections on my workbench and on several client sites, they normally work pretty well.

The C-Bus lights are telling you whether the C-Bus network is up or down. When it is lit, the network is within spec, with correct burden, enough power and correctly clocked. If it is off on any off the modules, or is flashing, the C-Bus network is 'down' or out of spec.

As a test, try putting one of your 9 way bus joiners in the electrical board, linking the modules to it directly and have a switch attached. It should all work fine and all the C-Bus lights should be solid on if your network is stable. Once that's working, expand out from there.

Just checking, I see two pinks going out to the house distribution from the electrical board. There's no loops between the joiners?, ie duplicate paths? If there is a loop, it is an incorrect configuration. It's either a daisy chain or a star network or a combination of these but no closed loops are allowed.

How many light switches and other modules (shutter relays?) are there on the network. If you just have these four modules providing power, you are probably good for about 32-36 non-powered devices. Do you have more than that?

 

Agree with Brad, try the breakout at the board. If that works go to the first breakout in the system remove all leads except the incoming from the board and test a single switch there, if it works then start adding more in. I would also test voltage at each stage.

A faulty (“noisy”) power supply in one or all of the output units could also give you issues like this. Are the new units?

 

OK thanks for all the replies, some useful stuff there!

I went back this arvo with a laptop to check the clock and burden. I set up one of the controllers with the clock and burden. Here's what I recon I did wrong... bmerrick put me on the righteous path! As I was using the 5500PCU to do all my pre-programming work I recon this is where the clock was coming from, I am sure I set a relay controller up to do this but must not have! I now have all my controllers and the SHAC looped and connected to 1 9 way PCB and into a switch out of the PCB breakout board, the switch now shows me what I want (LCD 7 channel switch). I am yet to connect the rest of the network back in.

bmerrick I have a star network, the second output, bottom from SHUC is going to my downstairs string so as not to overdo the current limit.

You were all correct, LOOK AT THE LIGHTS . They were telling me something. When the tilers are out I will connect the network back up.

The sparkies wired my extractor fans/heaters up directly to 240, not on my C-Bus network.... they will only work if I have the ensuit light on (C-Bus wired)!!!! Another battle there, but happy this has been solved. Thank you for all your help. I cannot wait to put my C-Bus into overdrive! Very happy with the path I have chosen.

 

Like the old Knight from 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' said, 'You have chosen wisely'

Enjoy your REAL home automation system.

Brad

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