We are a Gamewell FCI dealer so we familiar with these since a few of our customers have it. We also have the installer code for it so we know how to get in there and make modifications like if we are adding or removing devices or editing the DACT accounts etc.
We have a situation where a customer has an IFP1000 power supply (which is built onto the board) is failing. Only way to fix it is to replace the entire main board which then means we have to reprogram the whole thing.
Now I took the pain staking liberty of writing down every setting and device and its setting/name, etc. Same going for groups, zones, etc. Now from what I can tell, it seems like i could reprogram this whole thing manually from the front display annunciator but getting conflicting info on this.
First, I noticed some training guides on Farenhyt site and it mentioned that you could program from display or software, but display portion has some limitations like mapping. However didnt see that on me running through it. This site does have two elevators and shutdowns so we have to assign the point to the zone to fire the relay on that.
I tried to ask my rep, but they wouldnt really help me get the info, they sent me to a Farenhyt dealer, but they really wouldnt tell me either. I mean i get it, Im an FCI dealer so I would want the business, but i dont mind helping out a fellow dealer if they asked what they can or cant do with an FCI panel if they asked me and its their customer. This is my customer and they want to deal with my company only. So option is i either subcontract someone else to do this, or i just manually reprogram it via display (which honestly doesnt seem horrible, yea i might spend a few hours, but in the end customer wont mind).
So basically just want to know what can i not do from the display and will I be forced to get a dealer to help me reprogram the new one?
I’m fairly certain that most Silent Knight Systems, as long as a display or a remote annunciator is present, is keypad programmable. I work for a company that does mostly Notifier systems these days, but I’ve never heard of a Silent Knight system that couldn’t be thumbed. It’d take all day to thumb if you were programming a hospital.
Im estimating it could take me about 2-4hrs to do this programming.
This is a Silent Branded but its the wierd time where it was them but its actually a Farenhyt panel so you need their software which like Gamewell FCI needs a hardware key.
I don’t know what to tell you then. I suppose the best you can do is do what your boss says. If you jotted down the building zones, then at least you’ll know how to program it, even if the boss says “screw it, I’m giving you one of our panels”. Customer’s prefer you just fix it, but customers sometimes can’t appreciate that proprietary equipment makes an already tricky job damn near impossible without a renovation.
hi since most of the IFP guys use the software probably non can give a straight answer for the manual programming, most probably at some point, you will need the software since is proprietary, and is no reason to give the choice to do it 100% manual knowing that you need to be factory cert and need the Hasp key for the software to work…
We are going to get the part and attempt it, and if we fail, we got a backup plan of having a dealer come help take the program from the old panel and get it on the new one.
Right now been waiting on the replacement board since that seems to be like 2mo out before we can get it.
Yep. That was the job I did on Friday, we’re waiting on a power supply to come in and the electrician and I are discussing how we’re going to get the smoke above the panel cuz it’s kind of like underneath the staircase where this panel’s going. He’s upset cuz he can’t do half of the conduit because the power supply can ain’t there, but the same time this is what we’re assigned to do today.
I realize your last post on this was back in Feb 2022 so Im late to the bus on this one. But im curious if you ever got what you needed to program the Farenhyt panel. Im running into a similar situation. I just need to program 3 annunciator keypads. Do you think this can be done from they keypad or do I need the software?
You do need a special license key for that sofware like we need for our Gamewell panels. It’s a USB key (Gamewell doesnt do that anymore as they have you login your software to connect to the internet and it renews the license to work for 30days).
On the Farenhyt, eventually we just swapped the whole mess out as it was a mess and a half to deal with and we got the opportunity to swap it out since an HVAC contract sent 120v down the SLC line, blew the Ditek and then blew the panels SLC as well. You could manually program in an annunciator from the front keypad, you just gotta go to modules and add it in like if you gave it an address of 1 or 2 or 3 etc. You just set that as an annunciator and its model.
any IFP product requires the hardware dongle as it is propietary. You can keypad program most of the panel, although the mapping and the descriptors are a major headache without software.