M1 Newsletter

October 28, 2005

Manual Activation of Two Way Listen-In

Adding the two way listen-in feature to the M1 Gold allows audio monitoring via the Central Station and can be initiated from the telephone remote control.  This feature can also be manually activated using rules.  This newsletter will cover an M1Gold application using manual activation of the two way listen-in feature.

Scenario: 
Several employees have arming authorization and may be the last to leave the building.  When one of those employees is ready to leave, he or she must verify that they are the last person in the building before arming the system.  This can present an issue, as it may be hard to tell if the building is in fact empty, especially if it is a large building and/or has several levels.

Solution: 
Using rules, an F key can be programmed to announce a warning message that would inform anyone who may be in the building that the system is about to be armed.  Then the listen-in microphones are manually activated, allowing any occupants to announce their presence.  If no one responds, the employee at the keypad can arm the system.  If someone does respond, the employee at the keypad can press a different F key, which will inform the occupants that they should arm the system when they leave.

Parts Needed:

• ELK-M1Gold System

• ELK-M1TWI Two Way Listen-In Interface

• ELK-M1TWS Speaker/Microphone and/or ELK-M1TWM Microphone (up to 12)

• ELK-800 10 Watt Audio Amplifier

• Relay Output 3 – (If this output is already in use, you can use an ELK-924 activated via one of the voltage outputs (10 thru 16), or you could use one of the outputs on an ELK-M1XOVR Output Expander.)

• 8 ohm speaker(s) (Recommended speaker- ELK-73 Compact Echo Speaker)

Wiring:

The ELK -M1TWI is connected to the M1 Gold as shown in the installation manual.  The ELK -M1TWI has 3 zones and can support up to 12 microphones.  Normally, during a listen-in session, audio from the microphones is directed back to the central station or the telephone (if the session was initiated from the telephone remote control.)  In this application the audio needs to be directed to speakers in the facility.  In order for the two way listen-in feature to function as normal when needed, and to avoid audio feedback, when the listen-in feature is manually activated with the F key, the audio signal will be fed into and ELK -800 amplifier which will drive a separate set of speakers that will be located near keypad arming locations.   To switch the audio signal from its normal output to the ELK -800, a relay is used (in this example, output 3 from the M1 Gold is used to switch the audio signal.)

Click Here for a Printable Wiring Diagram

Note:  It is important to consider the placement of the two way listen-in microphones to avoid audio feedback.  The microphones should not be installed near the speakers at keypad arming locations.  Also, do not install the microphones too close together.  The appropriate distance between microphones will vary from install to install. Adjust the volume level of the ELK -800 to the lowest audible level to further avoid audio feedback.

Rules:
A custom message is recorded and programmed as Miscellaneous 1.  This message warns any occupants that the system is about to be armed.  In this example the message lasts for 6 seconds.  The rule below will announce that message and turn on an unused output (Output 100 in this example) for 6 seconds when the F key (F5 in this example) is pressed.  Turning on the unused output creates a delay to allow the message to be announced before the microphones are activated, to avoid feedback.  Adjust the time that the unused output is turned on to match the duration of your custom message

In the next rule, outputs 3, 7, 8, and 9 are turned on for 15 seconds when the unused output turns off.  Output 3 is the relay output that will direct the audio signal from the microphones to the ELK -800 amplifier.  Outputs 7, 8, and 9 are turned on to manually trigger all three listen-in zones on the ELK -M1TWI.  If all the listen-in zones are not being used, only the outputs for the zones being used should be turned on.

Another custom message is recorded and programmed as Miscellaneous 2.  This message announces that the remaining occupant(s) should arm the system when they leave.  The rule below turns off outputs 3, 7, 8, and 9 and announces the message when the F key (F6 in this example) is pressed.  Turning off the outputs will turn the microphones off to prevent any feedback from occurring when the message is announced.

ELK RP Tips 

Database Synchronization
The “Synchronize…” command is found in the File menu.  This command allows you to synchronize two different accounts databases.  If an account is open, this item will be unavailable.  You must close the account to synchronize databases.

Synchronization is a useful utility for several scenarios.  Suppose, for example, you have a master database on a computer in the office and your installers each carry laptops to the job sites.  At the end of the day, whenever they return to the office, they can connect their laptops to the company network and synchronize their databases with the master database.  By so doing, they may update the Master Accounts database with the changes they made to their own databases during the day.

When you select this menu item, ElkRP prompts for the locations of the master and remote databases.  Use the browse buttons to locate each.  If either database is on another machine (i.e. networked), that machine’s disk drive must be mapped to a letter drive on your computer.  Browse to that drive and locate the database on it.  The remote database may also be copied to your machine and placed in a temporary location.  In that case, browse to the temporary location and select the database.

ElkRP will examine both databases to find any differences.  If it finds any, they will be displayed.  The differences are listed in two columns, one showing the Master database and the other, the Remote database.  ElkRP separates the differences into two types – accounts that exist in one database but not the other, and accounts that exist in both databases but are different.  You may choose which account(s) to copy from one database to the other.

Accounts that exist in one database but not the other
To copy one or more selected accounts, select them in the list to be copied from, then click one of the “Copy Selected” buttons.  The selected accounts will be copied in the direction of the arrow.  To select more than one account, hold down the Ctrl or Shift keys while clicking on the accounts.  To copy all accounts listed, click one of the “Copy All” buttons.  All accounts on the “from” side of the arrow will be copied to the database on the “to” side of the arrow.  If there are accounts in each database that don’t exist in the other and you want to copy all accounts from each to the other, click “Merge All.”

Accounts that exist in both database but are different
These accounts deserve special attention.  If you indiscriminately copy these accounts, you may accidentally overwrite an account you didn’t intend to.  Before copying these accounts, make sure you know what changed.  Suppose, for example, you know your laptop’s database was in-sync with the Master database before leaving on a service call.  Upon returning to the office, you know that the changes you made to that account should be copied to the Master database.  Before synchronizing the databases, you should confirm that no one at the office modified that same account in the Master database while you were out.  If they did, and you copied your version of the account to the Master database, whatever changes they made will be lost.

You may possibly create an account on your laptop with an Account ID that already exists in the Master Database.  Whenever you try to synchronize the databases, if you are not aware that the account already exists, you could inadvertently overwrite the Master’s copy with your own.  ElkRP helps to prevent this by comparing the serial numbers of the accounts you are copying.  If they are identical, ElkRP will overwrite the one with the other.  If the serial numbers are different, ElkRP will warn you and will not copy the account.  The “View Accounts” button is useful in this situation.  Select an account from the Master Database and click it to view the Account Details of both accounts.  This will help you determine whether the two accounts are for the same or for two different customers.

Got Questions or Ideas?
Email me at amy.strickland@elkproducts.com