ME260 & CV15's -- Touchpanels dropping offline??

RichieG

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with ME260's & CV15 touch panels.

We have done an upgrade on around 10 old Axcent card frames, by attaching an ME260 via AXLink. The CV15 is then connected to the ME260 via Ethernet.

The code that is running in the ME260's is still basically access code, with the majority of push events occuring in the mainline (except for a few new ones which I added)

Now, we are running into a problem where the touch panels are dropping offline, then coming back online anywhere between 2 seconds or 20 minutes later.

We have thoroughly checked the network, and any network setting (100mb full / half / 10mb full / half) and that doesn't seem to be the issue.

I've tried to reproduce the problem, using just an ME260 & CV15 (without the card frames attached), but with no luck.

The problem is very intermittent, sometimes the touch panels will stay online for days without dropping off, other times i have seen them go offline / online about 30 times in the space of 20 minutes.

Has anyone run into this problem before?

Also, on another point, certain parties are adamant that it is the code that we are running that is causing the touch panels to go offline?

I would be extremely interested to know if anyone is able (or was able at some point) to get a touch panel to drop offline, via something in their code. To me it seems impossible for the ME260 to be running fine, and for the touch panel to drop off because of a code problem.

There are also no run time errors in the code before the touch panel drop offs, or anything else that might indicate that the code can cause a touch panel to go offline.

thanks for you help.

LegacyUser

i dont have experience with the Axcent, but i support you in not blaming the code.

all to often that is blamed, when there are other problems.

check firmware versions, check power supplies and if applicable run the Queue_and_Threshold_Sizes.axi (see tech support).

DHawthorne

I've had this happen too, quite a lot. In most cases, it's short enough a blip that it is inconsequential. I made a rudimentary device logger to help track this, and here is a clip of Monday's activity on a system with 8 CV12's and 4 MVP's:

03/14/05 00:01:28, --> Family Room MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 00:02:03, --> Master Sitting MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 00:07:08, --> Master Sitting MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 00:19:42, *** Master Sitting MVP is OFF LINE. ***
03/14/05 00:19:42, *** Master Bed MVP is OFF LINE. ***
03/14/05 00:19:49, +++ Master Sitting MVP is ON LINE. +++
03/14/05 00:19:51, +++ Master Bed MVP is ON LINE. +++
03/14/05 00:25:29, --> Great Room CV12 reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 00:27:27, --> Library Lower CV12 reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 00:30:34, *** Library Lower CV12 is OFF LINE. ***
03/14/05 00:31:20, +++ Library Lower CV12 is ON LINE. +++
03/14/05 00:37:07, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 00:38:07, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 00:40:46, --> Great Room CV12 reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 00:45:04, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 00:46:57, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 00:47:26, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 00:49:02, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 00:49:53, --> Library Lower CV12 reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 00:53:34, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 00:55:37, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 00:57:22, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 00:59:17, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 01:03:59, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 01:05:57, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 01:52:54, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 01:56:21, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 01:56:23, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 01:57:21, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 02:00:26, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 02:01:26, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 02:03:15, --> Master Bed MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 02:04:11, --> Master Bed MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 05:10:59, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 05:11:10, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 05:11:15, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 05:11:27, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 05:12:44, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 05:12:55, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 05:40:28, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 05:45:29, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 08:09:08, *** Basement Pub CV12 is OFF LINE. ***
03/14/05 08:09:16, +++ Basement Pub CV12 is ON LINE. +++
03/14/05 08:09:16, --> Basement Pub CV12 reports: STARTUP
03/14/05 09:43:48, --> Great Room CV12 reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 09:44:28, --> Great Room CV12 reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 11:30:48, *** Basement Theater CV12 is OFF LINE. ***
03/14/05 11:30:54, +++ Basement Theater CV12 is ON LINE. +++
03/14/05 11:30:55, --> Basement Theater CV12 reports: STARTUP
03/14/05 12:49:17, *** Master Bed MVP is OFF LINE. ***
03/14/05 15:07:13, *** Family Room MVP is OFF LINE. ***
03/14/05 15:07:24, +++ Family Room MVP is ON LINE. +++
03/14/05 17:04:26, *** Basement Theater CV12 is OFF LINE. ***
03/14/05 17:04:33, +++ Basement Theater CV12 is ON LINE. +++
03/14/05 17:04:33, --> Basement Theater CV12 reports: STARTUP
03/14/05 19:53:18, --> Family Room MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 20:00:39, --> Family Room MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 20:52:06, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 20:52:55, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 21:08:33, --> Family Room MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 21:13:29, --> Family Room MVP reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 23:43:57, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 23:48:27, --> Master Sitting MVP reports: WAKEUP
03/14/05 23:49:30, --> Master Bedroom CV12 reports: SLEEP
03/14/05 23:54:53, --> Master Sitting MVP reports: SLEEP

I'm not too concerned with online and offline events associated with startup , wakeup, or sleep events; it's the random drops that bug me. Nor am I particulrly worried about dropoffs on wirelss MVP's; I have come to accept it as part of the way wireless connections are maintained. But it puzzles me that only certain hardwire panels ever have issues, and oddly enough, they are the ones physically closest to the network switches, while others never have an issue at all. It almost has to be a network problem, and probably in the switch itself (I'm using NetGear).

DHawthorne

I'm just looking over that clip I posted, and realized it's a bad example. All of the CV12 dropouts there are associated with restarts, and I remembered I was loading new panel screens that day. Silly me.

However, to avoid posting a log that is full of days and days of activity, I can tell you there are random offline and online events on this system. They don't happen very often, like once or twice in a three day period. Sunday's log (which is too full of wakeup and sleep events to just post) shows two panels with no other activity whatever dropping off line and coming back 30 seconds later.

It could be this is just normal and to be expected.

Spire_Jeff

I was having a similar problem when using AMX UI code when I didn't have the associated TPD file on the touchpanel. I haven't had time to narrow it down to specifically being a problem that occurs when sending data to a nonexistant button or page, but that was the direction everything was pointing. The module I was dealing with happened to be a security module and everything functioned fine as long as you stayed still and didn't trip the security motion sensor. The minute the sensor was tripped (and data was sent to the TP), the touchpanel would reboot. So, to make this long post longer, have you verified that you aren't sending any commands to nonexistant buttons or pages on the touchpanel?

Jeff

HARMAN_icraigie

Just had a similar issue at a job where the file on the panel became corrupted. Beyond the main page the file no longer exsisted, and when a button was pushed that sent a page flip command to the panel it rebooted.

RichieG

Sunday's log (which is too full of wakeup and sleep events to just post) shows two panels with no other activity whatever dropping off line and coming back 30 seconds later.

It could be this is just normal and to be expected. [/B]

30 seconds is an extremely long amount of time for a customer to be pressing a button and nothing happen.

All it takes is this to happen to them two or three times and they will lose confidence in the system.


Anyway, I've been running a test today, trying to get a panel to drop offline by sending it invalid page flips, and text to buttons that aren't on the panel. Nothing has happened thus far.

Beyond the main page the file no longer exsisted, and when a button was pushed that sent a page flip command to the panel it rebooted

Was the panel rebooting, or just freezing?

Mine stays on the same page, but just won't react to button presses.

If i've got a page flip in the Data Online event (which I do alot of the time in case of power failures, etc).. it flips back to that page when it comes online.

DHawthorne

Originally posted by RichieG
30 seconds is an extremely long amount of time for a customer to be pressing a button and nothing happen.

All it takes is this to happen to them two or three times and they will lose confidence in the system.

Except for the fact that it only seems to happen when the panel is idle, I've never had a complaint of things not happening on a button press. I'm wondering if there isn't some manner of connection refresh going on. Now I did have things not happening on the MVP panels, but that was a WAP issue and has been resolved.

HARMAN_icraigie

Originally posted by RichieG



Was the panel rebooting, or just freezing?

Mine stays on the same page, but just won't react to button presses.

If i've got a page flip in the Data Online event (which I do alot of the time in case of power failures, etc).. it flips back to that page when it comes online.

Panel was rebooting - there would be no response then the telltale panel reboot beep - with the offline/online events showing up in the system log. I hadn't seen this particular behaviour before as I send PAGE- and PPON- commands for non-existant pages all the time - just in this case this is what I was seeing.

Spire_Jeff

The panel was rebooting for me as well. I know for a fact that the GE NX8E module exhibits this problem if you run the COMM and UI modules. Just don't have the included TPD file loaded on the panel and then emulate a security zone tripping or untripping. It caused a panel reboot EVERY time this occured (unless the panel was already in the process of rebooting)

Since you tested the page flips and button text commands, I don't have any good ideas as to what is next on the possible causes list. Anyone have any thoughts? If someone has any ideas, I could probably try something on a weekend here and attempt to verify/disprove the theory.

Jeff

Charles Law

I have a programmer who write parts of the codes as push and release event in the mainline of an NI3000. May be it is more simple to type push and release instead of button_event and then push and release.

The result is that the response of the controller to pushes is delayed for a few minutes. changing the codes to button_event under define_event seems retified the problem.

I cannot figure out what could be the problem.

Charles

[Deleted User]

I have seen similar problems with NI3000/CV12 or CA12 combinations for around two years now.

I doubt it is a code issue as these are at different sites with entirely different code. One of the sites is a Video Conference setup in a client's Boardroom and if the panel goes offline mid call, some very senior guys get very upset - I know, I've been there!

I have tried changing network settings, changing ethernet switches and upgrading firmware, nothing helps.

It is so intermittent, it is hard to track down. Sometimes a panel will go for days (or even weeks) then at other times, drop offline several times an hour. I have even tried a direct crossover lead between panel and master to eliminate any network congestion problems, but to change!

Paul Scott

Fabrizio Lorenzini

I am having the same trouble in two different places.

1. Client System. NI-3000 and CV15
2. Our Company showroom. NI-3000 and CV12

I think it is not due to program code

In both case, the latest firmware 2.55.78 is running.
I am going to try to downgrade the firmware as these problems never ran before (firmware 2.46.69)
Could it be a good idea?

Regards
Fabrizio

Fabrizio Lorenzini

I made a lot of tests.
The problem is not due to firmware

It is due to network traffic
I simply changed the Ethernet mode to 10 FULL DUPLEX and I start seeing touchpanel on AMX Network
It is better to slow the network speed, as the Auto mode is not working perfectly or for any other reason

Regards
Fabrizio

[Deleted User]

I have tried 10Mbs on both full and half duplex, still the same.

Paul Scott

Spire_Jeff

As recommended by tech support at one time, I set all of my installations to 10 HALF.

Jeff

VLCNCRZR

I am experiencing this same problem recently with a new installation.

I have a divisable room with 2 individual systems via ethernet
through a fast switch. No connection to a facility LAN.

Each room has an NI-3000 with NXT-CV12.

I have tried different ethernet settings
with no improvement, firmware, etc.

95% of the time, everything works perfect.
5%, the customer hates the system.

This problem is frustrating because it is
SO intermittant.

The panel decides to work eventually on its own.

I also have other rooms with a single system that seem
to work fine 100%.

Maybe there is something in my room-room setup that
is aggravating the problem. I am simply using a URL list,
with opposing room devices defined in the code for each room.

Ferrograph

I can confirm that there existed or exists an issue where sending commands/feedback to non-existent buttons can cause TP's to drop off line. Im not able to confirm if this was the panel itself dropping the connection or the Master - there was some question over this.

Also there has been a problem effecting CV12/15/17 where with certain network switches the panels do not communicate over CAT5 cables shorter than 30m.

Hope this helps someone.