Texecom JAL-0001 ComPort+ Digi Modem Port Pinout?

[texecom]

I'm currently working on a project to directly interface to the Digi Modem port connector on my panel and I would be grateful if anyone with a JAL-0001 board and a multi-meter could confirm the direct through pinout of the board?

This picture is a blind educated guess only and it could be (probably is) totally wrong but before I go probing my panel I thought I would ask in here.

Getting hold of a JAL-0001 board seems difficult and very expensive, and in my case I do not need it and will connect straight to the pins on the alarm panel to open up Com Port 3.

Thanks

 

[sparkymarka]

I’ve got loads kicking about ….be easier to send you one PM me

 

[secureiam]

dont think you should using the texecom name to be honest, unless you own the rights to it could result in legal action, dont know if any of the Texecom team are on here anymore though.

I agree that the parts are overpriced for what they are.

 

[texecom]

Thanks @sparkymarka

Reverse engineered a JAL-0001 board and attach my crude drawing here in case the information is useful for others.

The Zener diode (shunt regulator?) circuit looks like it is designed to reduce noise and stop the RXD input floating with nothing connected to the port and ensure TTL levels are either Low (~0V) or High (~5V) if something is connected to the port. In practice, if a device is permanently connected to this port you can probably make a direct connection without consequence.

DO NOT USE THE PINOUT DRAWING A FEW POSTS AGO IN THIS TOPIC BECAUSE IT IS WRONG!

 

[sparkymarka]

I take it , it’s arrived ?

 

[texecom]

Yes, thank you Sir!

You are an asset to the Forum

 

[texecom]

UPDATE:

After a recent outage I wanted to build a WiFi Backdoor that did not rely on the Texecom broker/proxy service and could be accessed via IP from the local network over WiFi through Wintex whilst also running a SmartCom 4G. I run my panel in Monitor Mode which adds more detailed event reporting over the legacy configuration and I have found that this means that you cannot directly access the panel via an IP address through the SmartCom (you can still use Wintex via the SmartCom and the broker/proxy service).

I appreciate that this is far outside the scope of a standard install and programming but for anyone interested I'll detail what I am doing/have done...

I configured and programmed a Wemos D1 ESP8266 module with esp-link and tested on the bench using PuTTy and sending data across the network at (19200 8N2) and I even included a level convertor module to interface the 3v (WeMos) & 5v (Texecom) TTL levels. This setup works flawlessly between 2 modules across the network and also works fine programming a number of other items using a serial port over the WiFi network. Basically, what this module does is offer a straight forward serial port to WiFi/IP bridge so the panel sees the connection as a straight forward UART connection (USB-COM). The issue I have is that the Com Port 3 on the Premier Elite 64-W just does not want to communicate properly and I am starting to think this could be related to Monitor Mode being enabled. Com Port diagnostics on the panel just outputs occasional gibberish on RX but never seems to respond.

There is some dated (5 years+) information online of similar projects to what I am trying to create but this was all worked on before the firmware addition of Monitor Mode (which makes a number of Com Port related options unchangeable) and all previous projects were using Com Port 1 or 2.

Unfortunately, I am not able to get a laptop or PC near to my panel to test if you can connect directly to Com Port 3 over USB so I would be grateful if anyone who works on these panels can confirm 2 things:

1) If a panel is running in Monitor Mode with a SmartCom installed on Com Ports 1 & 2, can you still connect via Wintex on Com Port 3 with a ComPort+ adapter and a USB-COM cable?

2) If a panel is running in Monitor Mode with a SmartCom installed on Com Ports 1 & 2 can you install another ComIP on Com Port 3 with a ComPort+ adapter?

The options to select USB-COM or ComIP are still available for Com Port 3 when running Monitor Mode but I am beginning to wonder if I am wasting my time trying to get something work that will never work if the panel is Monitor Mode.

 

[sparkymarka]

Have you tried putting the smart com on com ports 1 and 3 ( you will have to strip back the smartcom lead for it to reach , then use com 2 as you can alter the baud rate on this comm port …

 

[secureiam]

Monitor mode is supposed to make things easier for monitoring using the smart com.

The comports I haven’t used in monitor mode with another comip module attached however do have panels using smart com and comp ip on port 3 for control 4 automation.

You need to make sure your sending/ receiving data on the correct com port.

So different ip address and port for the smart coms comip and other comip port.

Dont know enough about your settings to comment in any depth.

But have seen it where there have been issues if the port number is different, the internal ip addresses will be different.

 

[texecom]

I appreciate the input on this discussion, after all this is far outside the remit of what normal people do in their spare time and I doubt that most would ever think about Com Ports in their alarm panel, let alone ask about Com Port 3 access!

I agree that the introduction of Monitor Mode makes life much easier and locks down most of the communication settings so that the SmartCom just works, and it does for me without question. The added benefit being that when Monitor Mode is enabled the Reboot SmartCom option (for Master user) is available in case it drops of the WiFi network (rare) and also the Received Events reported in the cloud with even a basic subscription are far more detailed than when the panel and SmartCom are setup manually. Both of these factors mean that for me, running the panel in Monitor Mode is better than not.

The issue, as I previously mentioned, is that by running the panel in Monitor Mode I can no longer directly access the panel through my LAN via it's IP address for either Wintex or the iOS Keypad App and must go via the Texecom broker/proxy service which is vulnerable in case of an outage (the recent TCS upgrade ATS disaster for example) and I therefore want to create a totally separate WifI Backdoor to the panel on Com Port 3.

I'm all up to speed with TCP/IP networking, ports and also Com Ports, TTL data exchange and electronic engineering in general etc. and if I am honest I am surprised this does not work because on paper, it should be straight forward, but to a degree, I am working blind. I just cannot get the panel to offer any sort of response to a command over Com Port 3 which makes me suspect that Monitor Mode may be preventing serial access to the panel on Com Port 3... However, if I can verify that using a USB-COM lead the panel can still be accessed via Wintex on Com Port 3 then I know that there is mileage in my project and I should be able to get it to work!

I think the next step is to pick up a cheap used Premier or Elite panel from eBay which has been removed to simply check that what I have will communicate on Com Port 1 or 2 without changing my working system and taking it out of monitor mode. I will also borrow a Windows laptop from work and install Wintex and see if the panel can be read over Com Port 3 with Monitor Mode enabled.

Image below showing where I am at currently. The ComPort+ module has been omitted and the components put directly on the back of the development board to save space (second picture). Also, not in the picture is the TTL level translator that is now part of the project as well to make sure that the ESP8266 (3.3V) and Texecom Panel (5V) TTL levels are correctly aligned.

 

[secureiam]

Ask on Texecom forum and hope John responds.

To be fair if you have a comip module on the comport you don’t have to program it as comip to use it.

From memory you can connect to a comport without it being programmed as comip, just left blank.

Just need the ip address and port number of the ip unit. Used to do that on the Premier 24 from memory which didn’t have the option for com ip.

Might even be mentioned on here and think it was mentioned on my own forum man many years ago.

 

[texecom]

Thanks, I'll see if I can get John's attention.

This is not actually going to spoof a ComIP module, it will spoof a USB-COM cable connected to Com Port 3 and relay the serial data across an IP connection.

The principal is extremely simple and straight forward but I need to find out why the panel will not respond on Com Port 3.

 

[RandomGrinch]

Sorry, I don't know the much about alarm systems, but am starting to play with some ESP12F's, so am interested to see how this might go!

Forgive me if these are silly questions,
Are you sure the COM ports on the panel are 5V TTL? - if the panel is capable of communicating to a computer via a USB to serial adapter/serial cable, then the panel should be able to accept signals at RS232 specs, via charge pumps etc.

For me playing with these, I would definitely borrow that laptop, and try and connect directly, as a first troubleshooing step.
Alternatively, have you got anything else with serial capabilities you can start the ESP8266 talking to - test equipment often has com ports for example?

 

[texecom]

The ESP8266 is a bit dated now but still a great piece of kit for IOT - I think mine are 12E but essentially the same module.

The COM port on the alarm panel is confirmed 5V TTL logic and does not communicate directly with a PC using RS232 levels, but via a bog standard FTDI/CH340 etc USB TTL adaptor and although I have also used a TTL level convertor (3.3V<>5V) in my project, both the ESP & panel are reported to tolerate 3.3v & 5v levels.

The ESP8266 is confirmed programmed and setup working with esp-link and talking to other equipment using VSPE with a virtual COM to IP connector. I also tested back to back with another ESP8266 module over IP and WiFi using PuTTY without any issues.

I think (hope) this is simply a case that with the panel firmware addition of Monitor Mode which seems to hard code a number of the communication settings, the additional Com Port is impacted in some way and prevents me doing what I want to do. It may be that although the panel has 3 com ports, the microprocessor can only directly communicate with one com port at a time.

 

[secureiam]

yes but usb com and comip can connect to the port if its not programmed.

so you could use the old online keypad or Wintex for windows with a P24 using internet connection or usbcom lead.

if the monitor mode locks out all comports that will be good to know but doesn't help you in the way you would like.