Optima XM question

[MerseysideMorph]

Hi

I'm looking to replace my Optima XM alarm panel with a newer one and have been mapping out the existing wires. Everything maps out good, I can see the tamper circuit in place but I have some shock sensors which seem to be wired to a little black box within the Optima XM which doesn't appear to be on the Engineers Manual.

Can anybody tell me what it is. It gets power from the 13V connection on the main panel. I can see red and black wire coming into it from zone 3 on the main panel and two other wires seem to create a loop via the shock sensor cables.

I have uploaded a couple of photos, if anyone can identify what its I'd be extremely grateful.

Also, will I need to put this box in my new alarm panel?

Cheers

MerseysideMorph

 

[Handymanjo]

The black box is a itec Shock analyser board.
This unit is for your shock sensors.
Where is your control panel ?
A replacement for your optima xm could be a Texecom 8 onboard.
Most control panels now have a remote keypad and end station.only a few have on board keypads like the xm.
If you change the panel you will need to re use the analyser board or your shock sensors will not work.

 

[MerseysideMorph]

The black box is a itec Shock analyser board.
This unit is for your shock sensors.
Where is your control panel ?
A replacement for your optima xm could be a Texecom 8 onboard.
Most control panels now have a remote keypad and end station.only a few have on board keypads like the xm.
If you change the panel you will need to re use the analyser board or your shock sensors will not work.

Thanks for the speedy response, much appreciated.

I thought that box was something to do with the shock sensors.

I plan to just update the box to Optima Gen 4 panel with an onboard keypad and replace the bellbox with a newer compatible one.

 

[Handymanjo]

The optima gen 4 is compact panel.Make sure you will you have enough room for the analyser and battery.
Texecom 8 onboard ,you can get 7.0ah battery and analyser in without a problem.
All compact control panels generally only allow you to fit battery and nothing else.

 

[MerseysideMorph]

Thanks for your help Handymanjo. I guess I'll have to sacrifice the shock sensors if the analyser won't fit.

 

[sparkymarka]

Go with joes advise the Texecom veritas will be better in the long run, it can take all battery sizes up to 7.0ah and will have room for the analyser board , also you may find it better to program...

 

[ConfidentChappy]

Go with joes advise the Texecom veritas will be better in the long run, it can take all battery sizes up to 7.0ah and will have room for the analyser board , also you may find it better to program...

I had already ordered the Optima Gen 4 panel before I realised about the analyser board. Wish I'd have posted here first now.

 

[MerseysideMorph]

So now I know what that little black box is, a Shock Analyser Board, I've been looking at what's wired into it and at present on the sensor loop I have 1 x shock sensor on the cable labelled HALL, 1 x shock sensor on the cable labelled LOUNGE and 2 x shock sensors and 1 x door contact coming from the cable labelled REAR. Figure 1 below shows the sensor loop configuration on the Shock Analyser Board, the relay circuit on the board goes to ZONE 3 on the main panel.

I'm assuming that the 2 shock sensors and the door contact coming from the cable labelled REAR are wired in series but I don't know which way round they're wired up as I can't open them up without the risk of damaging them and I know they're all working fine as it was the Optima XM panel that died.

Given how the shock analyser board works, and knowing that the door contact is wired into the sensor loop too along with the shock sensors, does it mean that if that rear door is opened it immediately registers as a continuous shock on the shock analyser thus causing an alarm condition?

With the EXIT door contact being on the same zone as the two shock sensors it's not going to be feasible now to sacrifice that zone as I'd first hoped and therefore I might have no option but to send back the compact Gen4 panel and order the larger one so I can accommodate the shock analyser board.

Not as straightforward as first thought, but enjoyable all the same.

Figure 2 shows the tamper circuit as mapped out at the main panel from the 5 cables that come from the HALL, PIR, REAR, LOUNGE and EXIT.

EDIT

I had a good look at the surface contact and I've identified it as a 4-Core Aluminium Mini Surface Contact. It's a sealed unit so I'm assuming it must be wired from one of the two shock sensors on the REAR circuit.

 

[Handymanjo]

You will need the analyser board for the shock sensors to work.
Are the shock sensors wired in 4 core back to the control panel ?
If they are you could isolate the shocks and use the cable for the door contact,is not ideal because you will lose cove on the window/doors.
Other option is to install movement sensors in rooms with shocks?

 

[MerseysideMorph]

Yes Jo there are 3 x 6 core cables in main panel that go to three separate locations but the cable marked REAR has 1 x door contact and 2 x shock sensors on it. Isolating the other two locations is easy enough but I need to see how the sensors on EXIT cable are wired up together, assuming they'll be in series.

 

[Handymanjo]

Is the cable to the rear a 6 core ?

 

[MerseysideMorph]

Jo, it's 4 core. I managed to carefully open the sensors this afternoon and have now mapped the wiring out.

Basically from the panel it goes out to the first Aritech 610 shock sensor via a 4 core cable then from there a short 4 core cable goes off to the second Aritech 610 sensor and from that sensor two wires go off to the sealed aluminium mini magnetic door contact.

I can now see how the tamper circuit is wired up and should I not be able to get the shock analyser board in the new panel then I should be able to easily isolate the shock sensors whilst keeping the door contact.

Having now fathomed out the wiring, out of interest, how does the magnetic door strip interact with the shock analyzer board given that it runs from it? Does opening the door mean the board counts multiple tampers in rapid succession therefore triggering the alarm?

 

[Handymanjo]

When the door is opened the alarm circuit will go open circuit to cause the alarm condition.
The shock sensor is ball bearing on a rail,the analyser counts the vibration to cause the alarm condition.
If you had a 6 core you could of changed the sensors ,but this is not possible with 4 core cable.
If you still require the shocks to work you could put the analyser board in a small plastic box above/below panel and put microswitch on box ?
This is not ideal but the sensors could still work

 

[MerseysideMorph]

Jo, thanks for all your help on this one.

Luckily I have been able to get the Shock Analyser Board into the new smaller panel. I was able to slot it in sideways down the left hand side using some double sided tape to keep it in place. After re-connecting all the wires back up to the new panel, a quick walk test confirmed that all the zones are working correctly and the shock sensors are up and running again.