SIA, Contact ID, 4/2, 3/1

I'll let Mark Leuck answer about SIA, but I can tell you about 4X2 3X2 and CID.

There is an old telephone calling method where you turn a little dial and as the dial rotates back into place it momentarily breaks the contact between the telephone and the telephone line. If it does it nine times in a row without a pause then the phone has dialed the number nine. ten a zero, three a three etc etc... Alarm panels took advanatge of this format to send numbers to an alarm central station. Its as reliable as your phone line's ability to rotary dial. I have been told there are some telephone exchanges out there that no longer support rotary dialing, but I have not personally worked on any except private branch exchanges where that is the case.

In pulse format the panel is set to send a 3 or 4 digit string of pulses for the account number and then a 1 or 2 digit string of pulses for the alarm signal. The receiver sends a recongnition signal and its done.

CID works basically the same way except it sends individual tones just like a touch tone telephone. CID has an extended charachter set as it supports 16 digits instead of the ten digits of a rotary format. This gives the ability to assign more account numbers and more zones and more information strings. Because CID just sends a momentary tone insead of a string of pulses seperated by a pause for each digit in can send the information much faster. This has two benefits. It can be more cost effective from a time connected standpoint. It can also allow for more information to be sent. In most CID format reporting it sends the account number, a report type, and an identifier such as a zone number or user number and sometimes partituion information. Some panels like the P800/1 by Napco send an abbreviated CID format, and some like the FBII XL4 allow you to redefine the CID types.

One possible disadvantage to CID is that it can get distorted beyond the ability to recognize the individual tones by over utilized long distance carriers. Basically their service sounds like two tin cans on a string. It is echoey and distorted. This is often caused by over compressing the voice data to force it over limited bandwidth. The human ear can discern variations in sound and often voice users don't complain because they can get the message, but the hardware is looking for clean clear tones.

Also, some manufacturers and some older models of panels don't implement CID well. I have experienced that the FBII XL3 and XL31 seem to have problems in CID mode and send the signals over and over again. I have also experience random lockups during testing with some FireLite panels sending CID.

In general I prefer to send CID because:

1. It costs me less money.
2. Sends more precise information
3. Because the types of signals received are predefined it reduces the likelihood of programming screwups by technicians.

However: Whenever I have a problem with funky communications problems I switch to pulse format and see if the problem goes away.

I hope this is a good basic laymans description of how it works so that you can wrap your mind around it.

P.S. Most pulse format panels are capable of reporting upto sixteen digits in pulse format also, but I always tended to use lower digits when possible to reduce reporting time.

Appendix A: Reporting Codes The following tables contain Contact ID and Automatic SIA format reporting codes. The first digit (in parentheses) will automatically be sent by the control. The second two digits are programmed to indicate specific information about the signal. For example, if zone 1 is an entry/exit point, you could program the event code as [34]. The central station would receive the following:

*BURG - ENTRY/EXIT - 1 where the "1" indicates which zone went into alarm. SIA Format - Level 2 (Hardcoded) The SIA communication format used in this product follows the level 2 specifications of the SIA Digital Communication Standard - October 1997. This format will send the Account Code along with its data transmission. The transmission will look similar to the following at the receiver: N Ri01 BA 01 N = New Event Ri01 = Partition /Area Identifier BA = Burglary Alarm 01 = Zone 1 NOTE: A system event will use the Area Identifier Ri00. Section # Reporting Code Code Sent When... Dialer Direction* Automatic Contact ID Codes SIA Auto Rep Codes** [320]-[323] Zone Alarms Zone goes into alarm A/R [324]-[327] Zone Restorals Alarm condition has been restored A/R [328] Duress Alarm Duress code entered at keypad A/R (1) 21 HA-00 [328] Opening After Alarm System disarmed with alarm in memory A/R (4) 58 OR-UU [328] Recent Closing Alarm occurs within two minutes of system arming A/R (4) 59 CR-00 [328] Zone Expander Supervisory Alarm/Rest. Panel loses/restores supervisory transmission over the Keybus from zone expansion modules, or keypads with zone inputs A/R (1) 43 UA-00/UH-00 [328] Cross Zone (Police Code) Alarm Two zones on the same partition go into alarm during any given armed-to-armed period (incl. 24Hr zones) A/R (1) 39 BM-00/BV-00 [328] Burglary Not Verified A/R (3) 78 BG-00 [328] Alarm Cancelled A/R (4) A6 BC-00 [329] [F] Key Alarm/Rest. Keypad fire alarm (alarm and restore rep. codes sent together) A/R (1) 1A FA-00/FH-00 [329] [A] Key Alarm/Rest. Keypad auxiliary alarm (alarm and restore rep. codes sent together) A/R (1) AA MA-00/MH-00 [329] [P] Key Alarm/Rest. Keypad panic alarm (alarm and restore rep. codes sent together) A/R (1) 2A PA-00/PH-00 [329] Aux Input Alarm/Rest Option#23/24: a panic button wired to PGM 2 is pressed/access code is entered Option #04: a 2-wire smoke detector wired to PGM 2 goes into alarm/alarm is cleared. A/R A/R (1) 4A (1) 11 UA-99/UH-99 FA-99/FH-99 [330]-[337] Zone Tamper/Restoral Zone is tampered / tamper condition restored T/R (3) 83 TA-ZZ/TR-ZZ [338] General System Tamper/ Rest. Enrolled module with tamper inputs has a tamper alarm/all module tampers restored T/R (1) 45 ES-00/EJ-00 [338] Keypad Lockout Maximum number of incorrect access codes has been entered at a keypad T/R (4) 61 JA-00 [339-341] Closings System armed (user 01-34, 40-42 indicated) O/C (4) A1 CL-UU [341] Partial Closing One or more zones bypassed when system armed O/C (4) 56 CG-ZZ [341] Special Closing Closing (arming) using one of the following methods: quick arm, auto arm, keyswitch, function key, maintenance code, DLS software, wireless key O/C (4) AA CL-00 [341] Late to Close Whenever the Auto-arm prealert sounds (if the Late to Close option is enabled) O/C (4) 54 CI-00 [341] Exit Fault O/C (3) 74 EE-00 [342-344] Openings System disarmed (user 01-34, 40-42 indicated) O/C (4) A1 OP-UU [344] Auto-arm Cancellation Auto-arm cancelled O/C (4) 55 CI-00 [344] Special Opening Opening (disarming) using one of the following methods: keyswitch, maintenance code, DLS software, wireless key O/C (4) AA OP-00 [345]-[346] Battery Trouble/Rest. PC1616/PC1832/PC1864 battery is low/battery restored MA/R (3) A2 YT-00/YR-00 [345]-[346] AC Line Trouble/Rest. AC power to control panel is disconnected or interrupted/AC power restored (Both codes follow AC Failure Comm. Delay.) MA/R (3) A1 AT-00/AR-00 [345]-[346] Bell Circuit Trouble/Rest. Open or short circuit detected across bell terminals/bell circuit restored MA/R (3) 21 YA-99/YH-99 [345]-[346] Fire Trouble/Rest. Trouble occurs/restores on a fire zone MA/R (3) 73 FT-99/FJ-99 PowerSeries - PC1616/PC1832/PC1864 [345]-[346] Auxiliary Power Trouble/ Rest. Aux voltage supply trouble/restoral MA/R (3) 12 YP-00/YQ-00 [345] TLM Failure Telephone line monitoring trouble MA/R (3) 51 LT-01 [346] TLM Restore Telephone line restored MA/R (3) 51 LR-01 [345]-[346] Gen System Trouble/Rest. "Service Required" trouble occurs (view troubles using [*][2])/trouble restored MA/R (3) AA YX-00/YZ-00 [345]-[346] Gen System Supervisory Trouble/Rest. Control panel loses/restores communications with module(s) connected to the Keybus MA/R (3) 3A ET-00/ER-00 [347] Phone# 1 or 2 FTC Restoral Control panel has restored communications to central station on Phone# 1 or 2 (after FTC) MA/R (3) 54 YK-00 [347] Event Buffer is 75% Full Event buffer is almost full since last upload MA/R (6) 22 JL-00 [347] DLS Lead In Downloading session start MA/R (4) 11 RB-00 [347] DLS Lead Out Downloading session complete MA/R (4) 12 RS-00 [347] Zone Fault/Rest. One or more zones have faults/restored MA/R (3) 80 UT-ZZ/UJ-ZZ [347] Delinquency Programmed amount of time (days or hours) for delinquency has expired without zone activity, or without system being armed MA/R (6) 54*** CD-00 [347] Wireless Device Low Battery Trouble/Rest. Wireless zones, panic pendants, handheld keypads, wireless keys have low battery/all low batteries restored MA/R (3) 84 XT-00/XR-00 XT-ZZ/XR-ZZ**** [347] Installer Lead In Installer's mode has been entered MA/R (6)27 LB-00 [347] Installer Lead Out Installer's mode has been exited MA/R (6)28 LS-00 [348] Walk Test End End of test T (6) A7 TE-00 [348] Walk Test Begin Beginning of test T (6) A7 TS-00 [348] Periodic Test with Trouble Periodic system test transmission with trouble T (6) A8 RY-00 [348] Periodic Test Periodic system test transmission T (6) A2 RP-00 [348] System Test [*][6] bell/communications test T (6) A1 RX-00 [349] PC5700 Ground Fault Trouble/ Restore Ground/Fault/Trouble occurs on the PC5700 MA/R (3) 1A US-00/UR-00 [349] PC5700 TLM Line 1 Trouble/ Restore TLM Trouble /Restore occurs on the PC5700 MA/R (3) 51 LT-01/LR-01 [349] PC5700 TLM Line 2 Trouble/ Restore TLM Trouble /Restore occurs on the PC5700 MA/R (3) 52 LT-02/LR-02

• A/R = alarms/restorals; T/R = tampers/restorals; O/C = openings/closings; MA/R = miscellaneous alarms/restorals; T = test transmissions

** UU = user number (user01-42); ZZ = zone number (01-64) *** Use the "Fail to close" event code [(4)54] to report closing or activity delinquency. Ensure the central station is aware that this code is used. **** Zones are identified, panic pendants, wireless keys, and handheld keypads are not. Section # Reporting Code Code Sent When... Dialer Direction* Automatic Contact ID Codes SIA Auto Rep Codes** Contact ID Zone Alarm/Restoral Event Codes (as per SIA DCS: 'Contact ID' 01-1999): Program any of these codes for zone alarms/restorals when using the standard (non-automatic) Contact ID reporting format. SIA Format Automatic Zone Alarm/Restoral Codes Medical Alarms (1)34 Entry / Exit (1)AA Medical (1)35 Day / Night (1)A1 Pendant Transmitter (1)36 Outdoor (1)A2 Fail to Report In (1)37 Tamper Fire Alarms (1)38 Near Alarm (1)1A Fire Alarm General Alarms (1)11 Smoke (1)4A General Alarm (1)12 Combustion (1)43 Exp. module failure (1)13 Water Flow (1)44 Sensor tamper (1)14 Heat (1)45 Module Tamper (1)15 Pull Station (1)4A Cross Zone Police Code (1)16 Duct 24 Hour Non-Burglary (1)17 Flame (1)5A 24 Hour non-Burg (1)18 Near Alarm (1)51 Gas detected Panic Alarms (1)52 Refrigeration (1)2A Panic (1)53 Loss of Heat (1)21 Duress (1)54 Water Leakage (1)22 Silent (1)55 Foil Break (1)23 Audible (1)56 Day Trouble Burglar Alarms (1)57 Low bottled Gas level (1)3A Burglary (1)58 High Temp (1)31 Perimeter (1)59 Low Temp (1)32 Interior (1)61 Loss of Air Flow (1)33 24 Hour Zone Definition SIA Auto Rep Codes* Contact ID Auto Rep Codes* Delay 1 BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A Delay 2 BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A Instant BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A Interior BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A Interior Stay/Away BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A Delay Stay/Away BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A Delayed 24-Hr Fire FA-ZZ/FH-ZZ (1) 1A Standard 24-Hr Fire FA-ZZ/FH-ZZ (1) 1A 24-Hr Supervisory US-ZZ/UR-ZZ (1) 5A 24-Hr Supervisory Buzzer UA-ZZ/UH-ZZ (1) 5A 24-Hr Burg BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A 24-Hr Holdup HA-ZZ/HH-ZZ (1) 22 24-Hr Gas GA-ZZ/GH-ZZ (1) 51 24-Hr Heat KA-ZZ/KH-ZZ (1) 58 24-Hr Medical MA-ZZ/MH-ZZ (1) AA 24-Hr Panic PA-ZZ/PH-ZZ (1) 2A 24-Hr Emergency (non-medical) QA-ZZ/QH-ZZ (1) A1 24-Hr Sprinkler SA-ZZ/SH-ZZ (1) 13 24-Hr Water WA-ZZ/WH-ZZ (1) 54 24-Hr Freeze ZA-ZZ/ZH-ZZ (1) 59 24-Hr Latching UA-ZZ/UH-ZZ (1) 4A Interior Delay BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A Auto Verified Fire FA-ZZ/FH-ZZ (1) 1A 24-Hr Fire Supervisory FS-ZZ/FV-ZZ (2) AA Day Zone BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A Instant Stay/Away BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A 24-Hr Bell/Buzzer UA-ZZ/UH-ZZ (1) 5A Night Zone BA-ZZ/BH-ZZ (1) 3A Delayed 24-Hr Fire (Wireless) FA-ZZ/FH-ZZ (1) 1A Standard 24-Hr Fire (Wireless) FA-ZZ/FH-ZZ (1) 1A

• ZZ = zones 01-64

"JohnO" wrote in message news:MWOQi.34506$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr13.news.prodigy.net...

That's an excellent description, Bob. Thanks a bunch.

-John O

Don't forget that both pulse and CID formats can use 16 digits, not just 10 to an alarm receiver. My initial description seemed to say otherwise.

CID format above 4 digits technically requires Honeywell's MX-8000 receiver although the SurGard MLR-2000 supports it with a software upgrade

"Appendix A" of what? It's usually polite to also quote your source.

(I've been out of town a few days...) I appreciate the SIA code list, but that doesn't give me much in the way of the SIA Big Picture. Help me out, Mark...

After a bit of googling, I found some posts from 2002 that say SIA is a modem-based approach, where SIA has defined the signaling protocols and alarm codes.

Questions: Is SIA widely used? Why or why not? Still 110 and 300 baud? ---Is the idea that 110/300 is plenty fast enough for a pile of codes, and more reliable than V.42bis and all that new fast stuff? These modems, are they typically standard external boxes with serial cables, or built into the panel or mainboard?

Thanks!

-John O

For the most part modems are built into panels these days. There are add on dialers for fire panels, as well as old slave dialers here and there. Modem speeds in alarm panels are a function of the price of the panel itself. Unless or until folks are willing to pay more, or the cost of the chips themselves change, it's likely to stay the way it is.

Yep... You are. If you think about the limitations of some of the older formats... Let's say on a 83 zone system... I'd like to see you dream up the zone communication scheme for that in 4/2. :-)

There's a reason for that. If you're using a multi-format receiver, it sends each possible handshake tone, waits a second or two, tries again (or not) and then sends the next one, repeating until the communicator hears a tone it likes and begins transmitting. I used a number of different receivers over the years. The last ones were O/H QuickAlert II. Because we used almost exclusively Ademco CID once it became available, I had O/H make us a set of custom chips. Our receivers would first try Contact ID, then pulse, etc. This shaved a few seconds off the connect time for newer systems.

BTW, I said "receivers" as in two of them. We were small. We only needed one 4-line receiver and another for backup. O/H machines rarely failed. Other than when we tested it the backup receiver never was used.

I don't know if newer receivers offer custom configuration. Also, the delay between trying various formats may be shorter (or longer). You might want to inquire of your receiver manufacturer if there's an option. O/H was always very accommodating in the old days. Now that they've been "assimilated" (apologies to Bugs) they might not be so responsive. :^)

Ancient technology, SurGard's MLR-2000 and System III remember the last working format then gives it as the first handshake the next time the panel calls

"custom chips"? LOL!

How cheap, a backup receiver but no backup central station tsk tsk

He obviously doesn't eat at McDonald's.

Of course he had a "backup". If the "primary" central went down, he'd unplug the receiver on his nightstand and "hot foot transfer" it to the garage telephone outlet.