Is anyone familier with the ademco compass download software? I acidentially disabled a panel after downlaoding it's new programing (wanted to update the time and must have clicked disbale instead), Now I cannot get the modem to reconnect to try and enable the panel. Does anyone know how to enable the panel? I am also now unable to enter installer mode from the keypads

Never disabled a panel with compass, I presume it is to disable a non-pay account so it would also probably disable the installer access to the panel so they could not easily change companies. Have you tried going into programming the "other" way upon power up from the keypad instead of the installer code route?

Wow you guys are quick, actually It turns out I was having a modem issue the baud rate some how got changed and I was not getting a proper handshake with the panel, once I corrected that I was able to log back into the panel and re enable it. Panel is up and working properly.

Thanks for the quick response and tip.

You have to keep an eye on those modem settings, or least I did. We used compas for FBI panels too, and always had to switch setting back and forth. What modem do you use any way? We had one of the old Hayes Smartmodem 1200s but it finally give up the ghost. It's a shame the software and panels will not work with the newer modems.

tell me about it.. I broke down and bought the ademco compass modem. I use a usb to serial converter to connect it to my laptop. It works failry well, tonight was the first time I had trouble with it.

Keep your eyes open in those server rooms, that's where I normally find those old Hayes Smartmodems. The I.T. guys will give them to your for free too. There are a few manufacturers that only work with these modems. I also keep a laptop that has a real serial connector just for this. I find the USB adapters hit and miss to working properly.

I am finding the same thing about the USB adaptors, though the one I am using now is from key span, and is working real well. I do need to pick up a new laptop in teh future I think Dell still makes one with an available serial port.

Is their a way for me to connect to the panel with compass using the same phone line the panel is connected to? Currently I have two phone lines so I just plug the panel in to an RJ31X I have set up on the bench and dial in from the other line. I figure their has to be a way to connect to the panel without a second line. I have the direct connect cable but can never seem to get it to work properly.

At one time you could buy an adapter from them that lets you connect diretly to the panels even without a phone line. It's been so long ago I don't remeber the part number or even what their exact name for it was. I only used the one we had a few times but it worked. If memory serves, I remember a little box with several wires with aligator clips to attach to the panel. The only reason I remeber this is because like everybody we alway mount our panels as high as possible, and with the weight of the computer cord the d@%*n clips would keep coming off about halfway through the upload/download.

I carry one of these in my service van: https://www.vikingelectronics.com/products/view_product.php?pid=38

Very handy to have. It simulates CO dial tone so you can connect your laptop modem and the alarm panel to it. On new installations or business relocations, often there are no working phone lines yet when I am installing a system. I have even used it to program voice dialers, plug the dialer and your buttset into it.

cool, thanks I am going to take a look at that

Just a quick follow up, I got my viking dle200b today, I was able to use it to connect to my panel right out the box. definitely a good tool to have around, thanks again for the suggestion

Glad it worked for you, never thought to check into a viking product. The ones we had was made by Ademco and was cumbersome to use. I think I'll check into the viking unit myself.

it is very small, smaller then my dmm. as far as ease of use. I plug the modem into one end, I made a cable with a mod plug on one end and a rj31 on the other. plug the panel into rj and you are all set. just dial in.

Yep, for the price of that Viking unit, you can't beat it. Comes in very handy even for telecom work/troubleshooting. It's nice to have a private CO company in your tool bag!

Very nice info, guys. I am getting the viking unit too.

Welcome to the board Archie, you will not be disappointed with the viking unit

wow, just found this place this morning, and have learned a bunch already. great site.

Hi Anthonyh and everyone,
I got the viking DLE-200B a while ago, haven't use it yet - too busy for more than a year

Now I just bought the Ademco CIA modem (Ademco Group Compass) and the Ademco Compass software, trying to connect to my Vista-10SE alarm panel.

My PC connects the modem via a serial cable to the RS232 port in the back of the modem; and the modem connects to the wall phone jack with a phone line. This is exactly described in the spec sheet of the CIA modem. (I also tried to put the Viking unit between the modem and the wall jack, getting the same error.)

The communication was set to initiate from PC, First Time Commnication, Panel Phone # is my home phone/alarm line number.

The Error message said: Modem reported error [No Dialtone] Result code was 6.

I have checked the phone wall outlet has dial tones, and unplugged all phones with answer machine and fax.

Any clew may help. Thank you!

Archie are you trying to use the same phone line your panel is connected to?

The way i connect is I plug a line in from the viking unit into the back on the modem and then I have another line wired to an RJ31x. I plug The alarm panel into the rj31x and I am good to go. If you are two different phone lines Then you should be able to use it like a regular modem.

Good luck

Anthonyh,

Thank you very much for the quick feedback.

My home line connects to the alarm panel. I plugged the CIA modem to the wall jack (so it is the same line).

If I understand right, you have two lines to the Ademco CIA modem, Line#1 to panel via RJ31 and Line#2 to Viking unit. The Viking unit has two jacks, labeling 1 and 2. Does the Line#2 connect to the jack 1 or 2? Where did the other jack of the Viking unit connect to? Do I need to connect it to the wall jack?

Isn’t that the Ademco CIA and the Compass software should do the job? Do we need the vicking unit?

It may be my CIA modem is defected – no sure, I tried couple ways and the modem got no response. I unplugged the modem and its power, getting the same error "no response from modem". I may have to contact the seller.

You cannot use the modem on the same line as your panel, it does not work that way.

The second line on the compass modem is just a pass threw so you can plug the modem into your phone line and then plug a phone in as well...it will not connect you to your panel. The CIA is nothing more then a standard modem.

You either need a second phone line or the Viking unit (or something similar).

If you use the Viking unit then you do not connect anything to your phone line. You connect jack one to your modem and then jack two to your panel. Via an RJ31X. I wired an rj31x to a mod plug to make this easier, just unplug the panel from the rj31x installed and plug it into the one connected to your modem, when you are done just reverse the process.

If you use the second phone line then you just plug the modem into any line not attached to your panel and dial that lines number. I do not think your modem is defective, I just do not think it is being used properly.

Good luck.

Thanks Anthonyh for the very helpful comments. So in my case, I only have one phone line, I tried the modem with the Viking unit as you mentioned.

I removed the home phone line that connected to the panel (with a phone jack already there, doesn’t like RJ31, it is a RJ11 – regular phone jack with four lines to the panel connection bar) and hooked it up to the Viking jack 2, then the Viking jack 1 to the modem “TO LINE” jack. The modem is connected to the PC via a serial cable (I also check each pin of the cable on both ends to make sure the cable is working).

I put a phone to the modem “TO PHONE” jack and picked up the phone, and I heard the ring down tone from the Viking unit. Then unpluged the phone.

Then I tried the connection via Comm Port 3, modem selected as Ademco CIA 2400. The modem's LED "TX" is always on. No other LED was on or flash at any time. Initialized from TelCo. First I got same error “Command AT&F timed out. No response from modem” and then a message “Unable to Initialized Modem, check modem selection and try again. No response from modem.”

I realized that the command on the default “Reset Command “ from the Ademco CIA 2400 is “&F”, it was different to the spec sheet form the "Ademco Group Compass Downloading Modem" that I bought (it didn't labeled CIA 2400), so I added custom modem with the command “Z&F”. I still got no response. The error said “Command ATZ&F timed out. No response from modem”. There was an extra Z on it which I added to the custom modem.

Would you remember during the connection should the modem sound a little bit like computer modem? Or any LED on the modem should be changing? Like CD, OH, RX, TX, and DTR leds? My TX led is always on and nothing changed during connection trial and didn't sound at all.

I did switch to different computers but still didn’t get through yet.

not really sure what is going on their, sounds like your pc is not communicating with the modem. When my modem connects it sounds like any other modem would. Looks like it may be a lot easier just to program this one from the keypad.

I might have to check with the seller if the modem is defective next week when they open.

My keypad is not an English keypad, that will be difficult to deal with. Do you have any suggestion of models of English keypad that easy to program/add devices to the Vista-10SE? Thanks a lot Anthonyh.

The 6160 is your best bet for programming

Appreciate that Anthonyh.

Where did you get the panel and keypad and what language is the keypad?

The modem and system may not be designed for US standards. I don't know much about foreign standards from Ademco but that may be part of the problem.
Just a guess on my part. :confused:

Bobby, thanks for the post.
I have Vista-10SE panel and an alpha keypad (labelled as ADT), few years ago installed by ADT in New York.

It is possible that ADT locked out the panel for remote programming or changed the default programming code. Just a thought

I might have the installer code since I worked with the system setup manually two years ago when I was moving to the monitoring service, got to look up notes before. I talked to the seller support today and hopefully will try the connection again tonight. Thanks guys.

Ohhh, you meant a "Plain English" keypad!
Sorry...... my mistake.

It sounds like you are correct that you have a faulty modem but Anthony is also correct that without the correct codes you aren't going to get into the system regardless. And you can bet ADT locks their panels!

It was the cable's problem - it needed to be a 25-pin to 9-pin serial modem cable. Once changed that, every thing just went through.

Using TelCo connection, didn't need the viking unit, and used the cable with RJ11 on one end and other end with four clips connected to Aux power and phone tip and ring in the panel.

It needed the installer code once I initialized the connection. Pressed XXXX#1 to the keypad then it was connected, where XXXX is the installer code.

I was able to upload info from the panel, haven't downloaded back to the panel yet.

Thanks all your supports!

glad to hear you got it working

Thanks Anthonyh. I will be hunting devices to add to the system ...

Hi Anthonyh and All,

I am back here with questions! Can someone give me a hint see what is going on with the upgrade of a keypad from 6128 to 6150 and everything seems fine. Ready, Armed, worked out the door, came back in... the system supposed to sound - nothing happened. My panel is Ademco Vista 10SE.

Do I need to program the keypad - like adding a serial number to the panel?

I did have a problem right after I replaced the keypad, it showed CHECK 9 always, what I did is to have someone hold the * and # while I restored the panel power, and replaced the backup battery as well, because it's been showing BAT for few months. Then the keypad showed d1 and I entered to the programming mode 20 and I went out of it, then the keypad showed READY.

I have Ademco CIA modem, not sure if I need to do the upload and download all over to make it work?

Thanks.

hey archie...Did you set the correct address on the 6150 keypad? You would do this at the keypad itself.

anthonyh,thanks.
1) What steps to show the keypad address? and how to set it for the new keypad?
2) I removed the new keypad now and put back the old one, after power up and down I believe I got it back to what I have before, though I get FC error as before too - would this because of I switched to a VOIP phone? I just bought a TG-4 cellular unit and will be signed up for wireless anyway. If you have any instructions of hocking up the TG-4 may help or the company I will sign up may help.

Thanks.

pm sent

I just moved into a new house that has an alarm system installed (I loosely interpret this) because half of it was not hooked up. I have done a bit of research and am now down to the programming. The Compass downloading software has several specific modems that can be used. I have looked around at buying these specific brands and they are grossly overpriced for 1200 and 2400 baud modems. The other option is to purchase the Ademco model with a price that is even more insulting.

To make matters worse, the installer installed the system with a fixed word keypad that makes installation almost impossible.

I have a First Alert FA148CPSIA controller with a FA270 Keypad manufactured by ademco (I think it is comperable to their Vista 15P series.

Question is while I understand that newer modems don't work because of the different command set, is a compatable modem acceptable (if I have a 9600 baud that will emulate a Hayes 2400 command set will it work)?

The only way to find out is by trial and error. It will not hurt a thing if the modem won't connect because the panel will simply hang up if the modem is incompatible.
As mentioned above you will need the correct installer code and password.

I've always felt the same as you about the inflated price for antiquated modems. I'm not sure why the manufacturers don't upgrade to new technology but I suppose it does provide a measure of security because not many hackers are going to be War Dialing with a 1200 or 2400 baud modem.

If the system is going to be monitored I would bet the alarm company will program the system for you since they are going to have to program it to communicate with their receivers anyway.

Thanks Bobby. That is what I was going to try...just wanted some reassurances. I am not quite ready for monitoring but want to get the system to where it will monitor my house and at least call my cell so I can alert the authorities.

Thanks again for the help. I will let you know if it works.