C-touch connection

1. I am connecting to a C-bus network using a USB lead connected from a PAC controller on the C-bus network to a USB socket (Com16) on my laptop.

2. Using Toolkit I can successfully connect to the C-bus network, see all the installed units, match up (by scanning) with my existing database (given to me by the installer).

So far, no problem!

3. I have a B&W 5000CT touch screen.
4. I can 'see' this unit on the network, using Toolkit. Its address is 90.
5. I close the network in Toolkit.
6. I want to get to the 5000CT's programme. I have the latest version of PICED.

7. In PICED, if I try to 'Transfer the project from unit', and select "B&W C-Touch Mark 2", connection type USB Com16, first I get a dialog box saying 'connecting to unit on Com 16", then an error message saying "Project type is C-touch Mark 2, connected unit is Pascal Automation Controller".

8.

• How do I connect to the C-Touch?
• I know the 5000CT has an RJ45 socket on the back, which is not a network socket.
• But can I connect to it through the connection I have on the PAC?
• If I have to connect via the RJ45 socket on the back, using a DB9 to RJ45 cable, do I need anything other than the cable?

 

5000CT touch screen

You need to program the 5000CT directly using a USB cable connected between the PC and the USB port on the front of the touch screen.

Installation manual here:

http://www2.clipsal.com/cis/__data/...I Touch Screen Installation Instructions2.pdf

Hth.....

 

It sounds like there are a couple of confusing points here, so let's try and clear them up.

The first point to confirm is that the unit is a 5000CT (original B&W C-Touch), and not a 5000CT2 (MKII B&W C-Touch). If it has an RJ-45 connector on the back for programming, and if there is no USB connector under the front fascia, then it is definitely an original Black and White C-Touch, not a MkII.

The USB connection type is only available for MKII B&W touchscreens and this is only used when the computer is connected directly to the USB socket on the touchscreen.

PICED can have multiple connections, both direct to the physical unit (USB, RJ-45 cable, Ethernet, depending upon product) and indirect to the unit via C-Bus (COM port, USB port, Ethernet) and you're not the first to get the two confused.

The reason your project upload fails is that PICED is expecting to find a touchscreen on the end of the USB cable, not a PAC, and your project type is set to the wrong type of Touchscreen. PICED is also not expecting for there to be a lump of C-Bus cable in between itself and the touchscreen.

To get the C-Touch project from the unit you will need to have the corresponding Toolkit project already on your machine, or at least one you're prepared to add the C-Touch information into. You then have 2 options for sucking the project out of the touchscreen:
- Using the DB9 - RJ45 connector, plugged into the back of the unit
- Over C-Bus

At this point, I recommend you take the time to connect to the back of the unit and use the DB9 - RJ45 cable. It is so much faster than extracting the project from the unit over C-Bus. The only time you'd use the 'over-C-Bus' method is if you were forced to.

With all of this sorted out, you're ready to get the project out of the unit:

1. Open PICED and create a new project
2. Select the radio button option of 'Transfer Project from Unit' and click Next
3. Select your unit type, which is the first one in the list, Black and White C-Touch and click Next
4. Select the C-Bus project and the Serial port that the DB9-RJ45 cable is connected to and click Next
5. The project should then be sucked out of the C-Touch.

One small point to keep in mind is that the data that comes out of the original C-Touch is not an exact representation of the original PICED project. This is because the original project gets compiled prior to downloading to the C-Touch and this mashes it about to suit the physical unit. In this process some data is lost. PICED regenerates as much information as possible, but there might be some data that you need to manually re-create yourself. It's pretty good, but it's not perfect.

Let us know how you go.

 

RS232-RJ45 connection

Is life ever simple?

1. I need an RS232 to RJ45 cable to connect my laptop to the 5000CT touch screen. I do not have one.
2. I cannot find one on the Clipsal website.
3. Eventually, after much probing, I found what pins are connected to what:

RS232.....RJ45
5.............4
2.............5
3.............6​

No other pins appear to be used.
4. I buy myself an RS232 to RJ45 adapter, where I can configure the pins as I desire. I then discover I do not have an RS232 socket on my laptop!
5. From the Internet, I find that I can get a USB/RS232 converter.
6. That means the connection will be Laptop USB - RS232 female/RS232 male - RJ45. And I may then be able to get my laptop to talk to the 5000CT!
7. Is there a simpler way??

 

Not really. There are several options:
1. Clipsal recommends using a USB to RS232 converter if you have no serial COM port on your computer.
2. You could also use an Ethernet to RS232 converter, but the USB one is much simpler.
3. You can get serial cards which plug into the PCMCIA slots.