ARC156 Wiring

Technical Instructions

Rev. 5/14/2009 Verify that you have the most current version of this document. Go to http://accounts.automatedlogic.com, then select Support > Download > Documents > Technical Instructions.

Contents
What is ARC156? ........................................................................................................................ 1 ARC156 vs. ARCNET ..................................................................................................... 1 ARC156 network configurations and requirements ........................................................................ 1 ARC156 network configurations ................................................................................... 1 ARC156 network requirements ..................................................................................... 2 ARC156 network segment requirements ....................................................................... 3 Communications wiring ............................................................................................................... 4 Avoiding noise.............................................................................................................. 4 ARC156 wiring specifications ....................................................................................... 4 To wire the communication cable .................................................................................. 5 Adding multiple ARC156 networks to a router ............................................................................... 7 Token passing ............................................................................................................................. 8 To upgrade a legacy control module network to ARC156 ................................................................ 8 Troubleshooting an ARC156 network ............................................................................................ 9 ARC156 reconfigurations ............................................................................................. 9 Locating the problem ................................................................................................... 9 Using an oscilloscope to troubleshoot the network ...................................................... 11

2009 Automated Logic Corporation. All rights reserved throughout the world. Automated Logic Corporation, the Automated Logic logo, WebCTRL, EIKON, BACview, SuperVision, and InterOp are registered trademarks, and Alert is a trademark of Automated Logic Corporation. BACnet is a registered trademark of ASHRAE. All other brand and product names are trademarked by their respective companies.

What is ARC156?
For communications on an ExecB or Exec 6 control module network, ALC uses ARC156 which is a unique implementation of the industry standard ARCNET (Attached Resource Computer Network) protocol.

ARC156 vs. ARCNET

ARC156 Speed Coupling Mode Connector type Wire type Topology Termination 156K bits/second Opto coupled, d.c. Backplane 3 pos screw terminal twisted pair daisy chain BT485 or 120 Ohm

ARCNET 2.5M bits/second Transformer coupled Dipulse Hybrid BNC RG-59/U coax star, with active hub 75 Ohm

ARC156 network configurations and requirements

ARC156 network configurations

An ARC156 network can be in a daisy-chain or hybrid configuration if repeaters are used as described in ARC156 network requirements (page 2). Each network segment must be in a daisy-chain configuration. See Network segment requirements (page 3).

Sample daisy-chain configuration:

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Sample hybrid configurations:

ARC156 network requirements

An entire ARC156 network must have: Exec 6 or later firmware and control module driver for each control module No more than 99 control modules, excluding repeaters NOTE If your system requires more than 99 control modules on the ARC156 network, see Adding multiple ARC156 networks to a router (page 7). A unique MAC address for each control module on the network

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A REP485 repeater after every 31 devices or after 2000 feet (whichever is reached first), and at each branch of a hybrid network. NOTES

Each repeater begins a new network segment. See Network segment requirements (page 3). A repeater counts as the last device in one segment and the first device in the next segment.
M
1

M
2

M
3

M
4

M
30

M
2

M
3

M
4

M
30

M
2

M
3

M
4

...

29

31 32 1

...

29

31 32 1

...

A communication packet from one control module to another cannot pass through more than 4 repeaters. See the REP485 Technical Instructions (http://accounts.automatedlogic.com).

A PROT485 for surge protection at each place wire enters or exits the building and within 250 feet (76 meters) of every control module. For maximum protection, place a PROT485 within 6 feet (1.8 meters) of each control module. See the PROT485 Technical Instructions (http://accounts.automatedlogic.com).

ARC156 network segment requirements

An ARC156 network can consist of multiple network segments. See the samples in ARC156 Network configurations (page 1). Each segment of an ARC156 network must: Be wired in a daisy-chain configuration. Be no longer than 2000 feet (610 meters). Have 32 or fewer devices (control module and repeaters). Have one of the following:

A BT485 at each end (unless the segment is less than 10 feet [3 meters] long) to add bias and prevent signal distortions due to echoing. See the BT485 Technical Instructions (http://accounts.automatedlogic.com) A 1/2 watt, 120 Ohm terminator at each end to prevent signal distortions due to echoing and one DIAG485 near the center of the network segment to add bias. You must put the DIAG485s Bias jumper in place. See the DIAG485 Technical Instructions (http://accounts.automatedlogic.com).

NOTES

Whether using BT485s or terminators/DIAG485, you can add one or more DIAG485s to a network segment for diagnostic purposes. You must remove the Bias jumper on the diagnostic DIAG485s. To attach a 120 Ohm terminator, turn off the control modules power, then attach the terminator to the Net + and Net terminals.

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Communications wiring
ExecB and Exec 6 control modules can communicate on a high-speed 156 kbps control module network.

Avoiding noise

Avoid running communication wires or sensor input wires next to AC power wires or the control module's relay output wires. These can be sources of noise that can affect signal quality. Common sources of noise are: Spark igniters Radio transmitters Variable speed drives Electric motors (> 1hp) Generators Relays Transformers Induction heaters Large contactors (i.e., motor starters) Video display devices Lamp dimmers Fluorescent lights Parallel runs with power lines Other electronic modules

If noise is a problem and you cannot move the wiring, use ferrite clamp-on chokes on the cabling to improve signal quality.

ARC156 wiring specifications

Below are the specifications for ARC156 wiring. The wire jacket and UL temperature rating specifications list two acceptable alternatives. Halar has a higher temperature rating and a tougher outer jacket than SmokeGard, and it is appropriate for use in applications where you are concerned about abrasion. Halar is also less likely to crack in extremely low temperatures. NOTE Use the specified type of wire and cable for maximum signal integrity. Description Conductor Single twisted pair, low capacitance (12pF), CL2P, 22 AWG (7x30), TC foam FEP, plenum rated cable 22 AWG (7x30) stranded copper (tin plated) 0.030 in. (0.762 mm) O.D. NOTE 24 AWG can be used for segments <200 ft. (6.7 m). Insulation Foamed FEP 0.015 in. (0.381 mm) wall 0.060 in. (1.524 mm) O.D. Black/white 2 in. (50.8 mm) lay on pair 6 twists/foot (20 twists/meter) nominal Aluminum/Mylar shield with 24 AWG (7x32) TC drain wire

Color code Twist lay Shielding

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Jacket

SmokeGard (SmokeGard PVC) 0.021 in. (0.5334 mm) wall 0.175 in. (4.445 mm) O.D. Halar (E-CTFE) 0.010 in. (0.254 mm) wall 0.144 in. (3.6576 mm) O.D.

DC resistance Capacitance Characteristic impedance Weight UL temperature rating

15.2 Ohms/1000 feet (50 Ohms/km) nominal 12.5 pF/ft (41 pF/meter) nominal conductor to conductor 100 Ohms nominal 12 lb/1000 feet (17.9 kg/km) SmokeGard 167F (75C) Halar -40 to 302F (-40 to 150C)

Voltage Listing

300 Vac, power limited UL: NEC CL2P, or better

To wire the communication cable

Partially cut, then bend and pull off 1" of the outer jacket of the cable(s). Do not nick the inner insulation.
1 in. (2.5 cm) Outer jacket Inner insulation .25 in. (.6 cm) Foil

2 3

Strip about .25 inch (.6 cm) of the inner insulation from each wire. If wiring two cables to the control module, twist together the shield wires from both cables.

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Insert the wires into the terminal block.

Shield

CAUTIONS

Do not allow more than .125 inch (.3 cm) bare communication wire to protrude.
.125 in. (.3 cm)

Correct Incorrect Incorrect

If bare communication wire contacts the cable's foil shield, shield wire, or a metal surface other than the terminal block, communications may fail.

NOTE Do not ground the shield to earth ground or to the control modules power ground. The PROT485 and the individual control modules allow the shield to float a limited amount so that there are no ground loops. If the voltage on the shield becomes too great relative to the earth ground, then the excess voltage is bled off with protective devices on the PROT485 or on the control modules.

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Adding multiple ARC156 networks to a router

If your system requires more than 99 control modules on an ARC156 network, you can use AAR control modules to add multiple ARC156 networks to a router. The AAR is a BACnet router than provides communication between two ARC156 networks. For more information, see the AAR Technical Instructions (http://accounts.automatedlogic.com).
Router
T

ARC156 network
P P

A T ARC156 backbone A T A T A T
T A T

M M M M M

M
P

M M
P

M M M M M

M M M M M

M
P

M M
P

M M M M M

M M
P

M M
P

M M
P

M M
P

M M

M M

ARC156 network

M Module

PROT485 Earth Ground

A AAR

T BT485

NOTES The AAR can be located anywhere on its ARC156 network; it does not have to be at one end of the network. Do not place another AAR on an AAR's ARC156 network. Cascading AAR's greatly reduces performance of the network. The ARC156 backbone is an ARC156 network and must follow the above rules for ARC156 networks.

TIPS Put control modules on the AARs' networks where possible instead of on the ARC156 backbone to improve network performance. If possible, put all control modules for related terminal units and their air source below one AAR to localize network traffic between them. If this is not possible, try to put the air source control module on the backbone. Although an ARC156 network can contain up to 99 control modules, use +50 control modules as a starting number for the network. Numerous factors such as network configuration and performance affect the number of control modules that an AAR's network can have.

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Token passing
On an ARC156 network, each control module's ARCNET coprocessor controls the token passing scheme. The token passes rapidly from control module to control module without intervention. Because the token passes only to control modules that exist on the network, control modules do not need to be sequentially addressed. If a control module does not respond to its token, the control module drops from the loop and does not receive its token again until the network is reconfigured. A network reconfiguration allows control modules that were not participating in the token passing to enter their address into the token passing loop. This process takes about 3 seconds. If a control module has just been powered up or has not received the token for about 13 seconds, the control module initiates a network reconfiguration. Each control module can send only one data packet each time it gets the token, then the control module passes the token. No control module can keep the token. The longest time a control module typically waits for its token is 0.5 seconds. Workstations can communicate with the ARC156 network without stopping the token. Control modules can continue to communicate global points, colors, alarms, and heat/cool requests even while a workstation transfers memory to a control module.

To upgrade a legacy control module network to ARC156

PREREQUISITES Verify that wiring is adequate. See ARC156 wiring specifications (page 4). Verify the network configuration is acceptable. See ARC156 network configurations (page 1). Verify that all control modules can use Exec 6.0 or later. To determine this, see each control module's Technical Instructions (http://accounts.automatedlogic.com) or the Technical Handbook.

To upgrade: 1 With the control module network running at 38.4 kbps or 9600 bps, download an Exec 6.0 (or higher) driver into every control module. Do this over a direct connection through a router, or set the control module to 38.4 kbps or 9600 bps and connect to the control modules local access port using an APT in 485 mode. Add a 120 Ohm terminator to each end of the network segment. Add at least one DIAG485 to the middle of the network segment. Set the Bias jumper to add bias. You can have more than one DIAG485 per network segment, but only one DIAG485 should have the Bias jumper set to add bias. 4 On each control module, set the baud rate jumper for 156 kbps communication. The control modules will not be able to communicate on the control module network until all control modules are set to 156 kbps and a network reconfiguration starts the ARC156 network.

2 3

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To reconfigure the control module network immediately, remove and then restore power to one of the control modules. Otherwise, wait up to 30 minutes for the control modules to reconfigure themselves. NOTE A control module network divided into segments may experience several reconfigurations until all the segments are synchronized.

Add other devices (like a REP485 or PROT485) to the network as necessary to improve the signal quality.

Troubleshooting an ARC156 network

If WebCTRL cannot communicate with one or more control modules on an ARC156 network or if the network continually reconfigures, you have a network problem and must determine if the problem is caused by: The network wiring The network configuration A particular control module The network's environment

ARC156 reconfigurations

An ARC156 network normally reconfigures itself when a control module is added to or taken off the network. For example, turning a control modules power off or on. If communication with control modules is intermittent or downloads are excessively slow, see if the network is continually reconfiguring. To do this, check any control modules: Transmit and Receive LEDs. These turn off for 1 second each time the network reconfigures. Modstat to see if an unexpected number appears in the Total field shown below. ARC156 reconfigurations during the last hour (cleared upon reset): Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Locating the problem

NOTES If the network was working correctly and then began to have problems, consider any recent changes to the network as a possible source of the problem. If the network that is reconfiguring is downstream from an AAR and it contains a repeater, the AAR may be causing the reconfigurations. See http://info.automatedlogic.com/beagle/link?id=AIT-23091-1 for more information.

Follow the steps below until you locate the problem. 1 Verify that the ARC156 network uses the recommended cable. See ARC156 wiring specifications (page 4).

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Check drawings of the completed network to verify that it meets the ARC156 network requirements (page 2) and the Network segment requirements (page 3). Try to obtain a modstat for each control module.

If the Initiated by this node field shows a number, check the network wiring connection for that control module, the control module with the next lower MAC address, and all control modules located between these two control modules. ARC156 reconfigurations during the last hour (cleared upon reset): Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Initiated by this node. . . . . . . . 15

If you cannot obtain a modstat for a control module, check the control module's LED's to see if it is running correctly. (See the control module's Technical Instructions for a description of its LED's.) If the control module's LED's do not indicate a problem with the control module, check the control module's network wiring connection.

To check a control modules network wiring connection, verify that: a) The shield wire is connected properly. The shield must not touch the metal housing or tie to earth ground. b) The cable's outer jacket is not stripped more than one inch. If so, the wires may have become untwisted, causing noise. c) The wires are connected correctly to the terminal blocks. Black wire to Net White wire to Net + Shield wire to Shield d) No external source is causing noise or interference. See Avoiding noise (page 4). 4 Isolate the problem network segment. a) If the network has a repeater, disconnect it, then check the Transmit and Receive LED's or a modstat of a control module on each network segment to determine which segment is reconfiguring. If the network has multiple repeaters, perform this step for one repeater at a time. b) Divide the questionable segment in half, placing a BT485 or a 120 Ohm terminator at both ends of each segment. If using a 120 Ohm terminator, add a DIAG485 to the new segments. c) Determine which of the new segments has the problem, then repeat step a. on that segment. d) Continue splitting each problem segment in half until you identify the cause.

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Using an oscilloscope to troubleshoot the network

To help diagnose problems with the ARC156 network, use an oscilloscope that has the following features: 1MHz or greater bandwidth 5 megasamples per second sampling rate Battery power (not 120VAC) When capturing waveforms, use the following guidelines: Property Differential mode connections Vertical scaling Horizontal scaling Recommended setting The scope probe's ground is connected to the Net- connector and the probe's tip is connected to the Net+ connector 12 Volts/division >1 s/division to view transition to idle 15 s/division to view shape of waveform 2050 s/division to view bias level and larger portion of signal DC 0.51V (can be adjusted based on amplitude) Positive or rising edge to view transition from idle Negative or falling edge to view transition to idle.

Coupling mode Trigger level Trigger slope

When troubleshooting, view a waveform capture from a trouble-free network segment, then compare it with the normal examples below. Look at several frames of the problem segment. Use the figures and descriptions below to discover a possible cause. Waveform Normal character waveform with short cable and 2 BT485's Notes

A normal waveform has sharp vertical transitions at change of bit levels. The corners of the waveforms have near-90 transitions. For differential connections, the signal is symmetrical above and below the 0-volt line. For differential connections, the signal swings from 12 volts. If signal swings are <0.75 volt, check for too many terminators on the segment. If the signal swings are >2.5 volts, the segment may not have 2 terminators.

Approx. 150-200 mV of bias

1v/div vertically

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Waveform Normal character waveform with long cable and 2 BT485's

Notes

Approx. 150-200 mV of bias

1v/div vertically

Normal packet waveform with long cable and 2 BT485's

Data packet from distant module Data packet from near module

1v/div vertically

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Waveform Excessive capacitance

Notes

The waveform has slow, curving transitions at the change of bit levels. This indicates that the cable may be too long or may not be the recommended type, or a non-ALC protection device may be on the segment. Each negative transition should go at least 0.5 volt below the 0-volt line. With too much capacitance, this will not happen with all negative transitions. For differential connections, the waveform is not symmetrical above and below the 0-volt line.

Lost bit; negative swing is barely below 0-volt line

1v/div vertically

Excessive bias current

For differential connections, bias level is incorrectly greater than 0.250 volt. Can be caused by a segment having more than 1 DIAG485 with its bias jumper in place, excessive line resistance, bad wiring junctions, or defective modules.

>250 mV of bias negative swing is less than positive swing

1v/div vertically

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