vav ucm 4.2

[SomeOldGuy]

Hello
I need the tools to access these controllers. And the VariTrac head end. It has no display. Just a phone jack for rs232. I dont care if it is DOS or Windows. I can make a cable if needed. The system is old and there is only the one. Comm4. Any advice or help appreciated.
The last outfit just disabled all the vav controllers and left them wide open.
A display option would be great if I could make changes through it.

[gbfromsd]

You need Rover.
You need a Tracker panel.
Both are from Trane.
Beware, software licensing permits Rover on one and only one computer for the life of the license. Choose wisely.

[willf650]

Does the main panel open with a hinged door with the jack and control board inside or does it just have jacks on the outside on the bottom?

There are a few versions of the varitrac panel and depending on which one it is determins how you can connect.

If it is a CCPII you can connect via a serial connection ussing hyper terminal with no additional software. Chances are either way there is a very good possibility you would never need Rover as you can edit allot of the VAV functions from the varitac panel. How you do it is determined by vintage/model.

[SomeOldGuy]

Ok I read that Hyperterminal may be enough. But did not know if that applied to this panel. It has the hinged door. I would post a pic of it if wanted. I took the part# off a sticker on the door and had no luck with Google or Trane's own search engine. The ucm 4.2 was recognized though so I started from there.
X13650529-01 and vavt2ccpdsb0
On a sticker pasted to the diagram on the inside of the "hinged door"
How much does Rover cost and will they sell it to me? If HyperTerminal will work where do I find the list of commands? Can I just send an ? <enter> or H <enter> to get a list of available commands? Thanks for any advice people. Fun stuff.

[scrooloose]

yes hyperterminal will work. A ? will bring up the menu once connected. From there it is pretty easy to figure on your own.

[SomeOldGuy]

If you were going to upgrade such a system what would you choose. Leaving the controllers as they are. What else speaks comm4?

[summit-dude]

Did your hyperterminal connection work? Comm-4 is a Trane proprietary communication protocol. The new varitrac system will work with these controllers if an upgrade is needed it can give you a much easier software interface and a much easier to operate touchscreen display panel. A BAC-Net integration would far too costly for a single "Change-over Bypass system".

[SomeOldGuy]

Well as it is Sunday and my boss grudgingly gave me the day off. I cant say that I have tried it ;} Seriously though the job is for an animal hospital. And the owner is a friend of the boss sort of thing. I showed up because the building was hot and only one stage was being called for. The fan and one stage relay led were lit. The second stage came on a time or two for a minute or so. I jumped it out so they would cool off while I looked things over.
Generally if there is a display I can figure out what is wrong. But no display! I saw the jack for the rs232 cable but did not have one for my laptop with me. I mostly work on equipment for the power company and there is nothing so antiquated. Or nothing related to HVAC anyway.
The office manager told me some other outfit had just left and said they did not work on these systems. So they contacted my boss and he asked me to look at it. I did not want to walk away with the building hot. I mean it was full of pretty nurses and pets on operating tables and so on. And I am a sucker for such things.
So I looked at a few of the vav's and saw that the thumbwheels had/have no apparent efffect on them though they were powered up. And knew that somebody had hosed the config. And I could not get in to fix it. So I hung a two stage Honeywell on the lab wall and wired it up right quick and told them that I would look into getting it made right as soon as I could and in the meantime this would give them some control of the system. They were delighted. Now my boss wants to talk Monday about the options. So I came here where you guys have educated me before to learn about what I have to work with. So far I have gleaned the system is a rs485 half duplex serial network that speaks ModBus sorta. And that I can access the front end using HyperTerminal and a serial cable. Great stuff.
Only I know my boss would rather sell them something than my do a wizard act on the old stuff. But I know doctors and they aint going to want to spend a lot. But they will spend what they have to to prevent disruptions to their business. So changing out the controllers to LonWorks stuff would make me happy but aint gonna happen.
I need a panel with a remote display preferably, that speaks the lingo and gives access to the settings without the need of a laptop. That I can sell them. We sell a lot of Trane stuff but generally leave the controls to them.
I would prefer a panel from a source that did not have an attitude. One more like the open source attitude of Linux in the PC world if I can help it. I understand proprietary well enough but when a system is a few years old and you no longer support it then failure to release full documentation so others can fix the crap is annoying to me. And I would rather not support or reward it.
Sorry about the wordy post but I am just sitting here procrastinating. The grass is getting pretty high out there. My wife is giving me the eye. It's 98 outside. Life is good.
Tony

Did your hyperterminal connection work? Comm-4 is a Trane proprietary communication protocol. The new varitrac system will work with these controllers if an upgrade is needed it can give you a much easier software interface and a much easier to operate touchscreen display panel. A BAC-Net integration would far too costly for a single "Change-over Bypass system".

[gbfromsd]

You can enable the thumbwheels in software. While you're there you'll want to test that bypass to make sure it's configured / working. Still after all this . . no user interface. The newer Tracker stuff is much more user friendly.

You got an older tracker system. You can without too much trouble upgrade to the newer CCP's which replace the relay packs and install a Tracker panel which is the user interface. Most likely will need a new bypass controller too.

[SomeOldGuy]

Thanks gbfromsd
That is no doubt what will happen. A newer model of the same stuff. Thanks for the tip on the bypass controller. I know there is little point in my learning much about the old system I just like doing it. It is an excuse to sit in my garage shop and stare at my computer in the airconditioning instead of sitting on a lawnmower in the heat.
I just read something else at B&B that said Modbus was 4 wire not two wire rs485. And the panel I have been yammering about is two wire so if it actually is rs485 physical then maybe the protocol is Data Highway? My hobby is electronics. I like to build boards with PIC chips to do all sorts of things. I grok rs485 and so on. So I like to dig into these things when I run across them. The knowledge I gain seeing how others solved the problems helps me in my own projects. Mostly by knowing what I dont want to do.
For instance my plans for an animatronic Velociraptor to patrol the perimiter of my property might use LonWorks for some of the internal communications. But I may need something faster to control the "rear mounted" rapid fire stink gun and dog repellent capsules.
I would be interested in a panel from other sources that could talk to the ucm4.2 controllers and the bypass controller with a display. Just to have options. If anyone knows of any. That is one reason I am trying to learn more about the actual communications the current panel uses so I can look for alternative equipment that will work. And also so I can test what is there with some small degree of competence.

You can enable the thumbwheels in software. While you're there you'll want to test that bypass to make sure it's configured / working. Still after all this . . no user interface. The newer Tracker stuff is much more user friendly.

You got an older tracker system. You can without too much trouble upgrade to the newer CCP's which replace the relay packs and install a Tracker panel which is the user interface. Most likely will need a new bypass controller too.