Author Topic: Open Protocol or what?? (Read 11253 times)

Davo · « **on:** October 17, 2008, 03:31:55 PM »

Company A installed this (350 plus outputs) fire alarm three years ago as they had our contract.
Now Company B has it.

Company A's claims OP, indeed the software is but you need a special lead to download from the panel so Company B cannot do this. (I doubt if the lead is for sale)

What do the experts think?

We just had a what appeared to be a serious fault on the same panel.
Company B had to call out Company A
It turned out that one of the two reset options inside the panel has an intermittent software fault which disables the sounders (!!!). Unless you count 'em out and count 'em back you would not be aware of this

touch wood all sorted now, phew!

davo

Big_Fella · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2008, 03:35:21 PM »

Still could be open protocol.

What manufacturer of panel have you got and we could answer instantly as to open or closed protocol.

Allen Higginson · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2008, 03:44:47 PM »

Quote from: Davo

Company A installed this (350 plus outputs) fire alarm three years ago as they had our contract.
Now Company B has it.

Company A's claims OP, indeed the software is but you need a special lead to download from the panel so Company B cannot do this. (I doubt if the lead is for sale)

What do the experts think?

We just had a what appeared to be a serious fault on the same panel.
Company B had to call out Company A
It turned out that one of the two reset options inside the panel has an intermittent software fault which disables the sounders (!!!). Unless you count 'em out and count 'em back you would not be aware of this

touch wood all sorted now, phew!

davo

You need a download lead for all panels as some stage for software changes.Give us a clue of the manufacturer (although the count them out and count them in again disablements sounds like a Menvier to me)

Allen Higginson · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2008, 04:09:40 PM »

Quote from: Davo

Buzzard905

The lead is different from all the others or so I am lead to believe.
Company A has the same initial as our leading poster!

davo

An anagram of COPTER??Either way,the Advanced lead is different to the one for Morley,the Kidde lead is different to the Kentec one but they are all open.
However,if it is the one I have opted for I wouldn't say it's too open (IMO of course!).

Allen Higginson · « **Reply #4 on:** October 17, 2008, 04:17:29 PM »

Quote from: Davo

Buzzard905

Eddik!

davo

Thats not the initial of the top poster (by quantity!!).
Ahh,DIKED used to be good at supplying leads/software to third party fire companies (at a cost of course!).
Easy enough to work on and it's open protocol

Big_Fella · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2008, 04:20:14 PM »

Indeed...

Anyone could potentially purchase a panel and communitions lead from them to work on the panel.

So they are correct, open protocol

Galeon · « **Reply #6 on:** October 17, 2008, 04:29:43 PM »

You would be better to spec your panels when you have work done , and then you wont have any problems.

Allen Higginson · « **Reply #7 on:** October 17, 2008, 04:48:24 PM »

Quote from: Davo

Times are hard, Company B just laid off 53.
Company B said they could work on Company A's products - the contract is a few months old now- but the engineer does not have a lead!

davo

Company B shouldn't really have taken on Company A's equipment if they are not prepared to spend £50 or so on a lead if they already have the spftware.
Can I be company C?

GregC · « **Reply #8 on:** October 17, 2008, 04:56:15 PM »

I would question how Company B were chosen to take over a 350 plus site without the knowledge and training to be able to ensure the system is fully operational.

Did they not raise this in their initial take over visit.

Of the OP systems that would suit the site (350 plus) out there I dont know of any that you cant get a lead for them, you may (should) have to go on a training course but these are generally free.

Would the manufacturer be from Kent ? Not sure about the count them out and in but autolearns impossible without a lead and software.

Wiz · « **Reply #9 on:** October 17, 2008, 05:30:47 PM »

Prof K is our leading poster, in every respect. And until someone else is prepared to wear the crocodile skin boots, nothing will change.

So knowing that K is the first letter and the clue is eddik, it should be easy to work out!

How much easier does Davo have to make it!

A lead is just a lead unless it has a dongle in it.

If it has no dongle, then surely it is only a matter of getting the right style plugs and wiring the Tx, Rx and Ov to the correct pins.

What is so difficult about that?

Unless you have a hard dongle! (oh arr missus!)

p.s. Why has the Prof. started using a gay flying pig as his avatar?

Benzerari · « **Reply #10 on:** October 17, 2008, 07:21:07 PM »

Quote from: Galeon

You would be better to spec your panels when you have work done , and then you wont have any problems.

Indeed that's the first thing, that needs to be done first you take over a new site for maintenance..., why wating till faults come up on panel, and then you start to look for software and the lead... etc ?

Benzerari · « **Reply #11 on:** October 17, 2008, 07:25:42 PM »

Quote from: GregC

I would question how Company B were chosen to take over a 350 plus site without the knowledge and training to be able to ensure the system is fully operational.

Did they not raise this in their initial take over visit.

Of the OP systems that would suit the site (350 plus) out there I dont know of any that you cant get a lead for them, you may (should) have to go on a training course but these are generally free.

Would the manufacturer be from Kent ? Not sure about the count them out and in but autolearns impossible without a lead and software.

Indeed because most companies I have known they work on a basis of; just go and do it...etc

Thinking money money..., its the legislation that brought up people from every disciplines to invest in fire alarm industry because it becomes now a good fashion.... (Money is in fire industry...) while in fact things has to be done by the book just like in other disciplines...

Benzerari · « **Reply #12 on:** October 17, 2008, 07:31:09 PM »

In my understanding it's only the 'legislation' and/or 'the standards' that could be deeply involved with the issue of open and closed protocols to sort it out for ever, especially now with the new fashion one; called 'managed protocol' which means open for sales but closed for using its own software and lead...etc. even they say it can use open protocol devices such as Apollo and Hochiki,… it’s in fact another way of making money… etc but not sorting out the main problem of open and closed protocols…etc

Galeon · « **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2008, 08:33:41 PM »

(Money is in fire industry...)

Particularly if you are in the closed protocol market !!!

Allen Higginson · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2008, 08:57:10 PM »

Quote from: Wiz

Prof K is our leading poster, in every respect. And until someone else is prepared to wear the crocodile skin boots, nothing will change.

So knowing that K is the first letter and the clue is eddik, it should be easy to work out!

How much easier does Davo have to make it!

A lead is just a lead unless it has a dongle in it.

If it has no dongle, then surely it is only a matter of getting the right style plugs and wiring the Tx, Rx and Ov to the correct pins.

What is so difficult about that?

Unless you have a hard dongle! (oh arr missus!)

p.s. Why has the Prof. started using a gay flying pig as his avatar?

I think you'll find I worked it out and no KIDD(e)ING!!
Prof K may be the top poster in all senses of the word other than total number of posts!
Comp B may not have software either but if they do there be plenty in these parts who could give the pin out for the lead.

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Author Topic: Open Protocol or what?? (Read 11253 times)

Davo