Another Pentair MobileTouch Data Retrieval Question

[Anhthuan2000]

Hey Rob,
The fact that your mobile touch can see changes made on the outdoor controller makes me think that the mobile touch can receive but not transmit (or that the outdoor transceiver can transmit but not receive). The "can't retrieve data error" leans me toward the outdoor transceiver not being able to receive (but the error could have occurred simply because the button commands couldn't be sent).

The fact that you're getting the "can't retrieve data" error also tells that the buttons are physically functioning (they're on a separate board in the mobile touch 2). When you pressed the button the controller tried to talk to the outdoor unit, so we know the button works.

The comm port is an rs485 bus with each device (mobile touch, indoor controller, pump, is10 spa remote etc) having it's own driver to send/receive. rs485 needs both data lines to send or receive - so the fact that you're getting some communication is a good sign.

Unplugging all other comm port items would just be an additional test... I try to isolate the suspected bad component - which is the mobile touch in your case - so I'd unplug everything except the mobile touch and see if the outdoor controller then responds to mobile touch button presses. The reason for doing this is that another device can load the rs485 bus and disrupt all communication.

**Disconnect power before you unplug any comm port connectors or unscrew any wires from any terminal blocks**

The rf-link is of course separate from the rs485 bus and is the other piece in the puzzle. The mobile touch 2 is still basically a wired indoor controller with a 900mhz transceiver slapped onto it, and either the mobile touch or the outdoor transceiver could be faulty - or experiencing interference from something else. I'm assuming you've tried running these tests with the units in close proximity to each other? Is your transceiver board a 520946, with 3 LEDs... left is rs485, middle is rf link, and power is on the right?

I have the same issue. I’ve tried everything possible to fix the issue. Pentair support showed me to unplug the transceiver, reset, F button, plug the transceiver back when the lights on IntelliTouch scrolling. Remote, menu, setup, advance, 2&4 buttons at the same time. MAN, put in the flashing numbers on the IntelliTouch. Save, exit. Hit reset. Still can’t retrieve data. Power light on the transceiver 520946 is solid
485 and RF flash 6 times then 485 flashes 3 times. The cycle repeat. Do I have a bad transceiver? What should I do? Please help

 

[ogdento]

I'm not sure what the flash sequence means (it could be that it's searching for an address), but...
- do you see the 485 led flash at all if you press a button on the intellitouch? (you may have to go into service mode)
- do you also have a wired indoor controller? if so, do you see the 485 led flash if an indoor controller button is pressed (can't be in service mode for this)

 

[Pool Clown]

485 and RF flash 6 times. Do I have a bad transceiver?

If the 485 AND the RF illuminate at the same time (talking and listening at the same time), that indicates that the transceiver board has failed. You can call Pentair to confirm this, however, you will need to talk to one of the higher tier techs to get this conformation of failure. For some reason, not all the techs share all the same knowledge.

 

[ogdento]

hey pool clown, are the led codes for these boards described anywhere? i found them for the screenlogic wireless links, but not for the et/mobi transceivers (new or old versions)

 

[Anhthuan2000]

Hello Ogdento and PoolClown. Thanks for the quick response. I called pentair to confirm the transceiver board is bad but they said it is not. They instructed me to do the following:
Unplug the transceiver
Hit reset on IntelliTouch
Lights will scroll
Plug the transceiver back
Remote. Menu. Setting. Advance. 2&4 same time
Manual. numbers. Save
Reset.

520946 transceiver
485=communication
RF=buttons on remote pressed
I tried this direction without any luck.

485 flash 3 times (without buttons pressed) after flashing 6 times along with the RF led.
I don’t have any wired control panel inside the house. The only thing we use is the Mobiletouch.

 

[ogdento]

what firmware version is the mobiletouch? (if you have a copy of the mobiletouch manual it says there's a slightly different step if you've got 1.160/2.160 firmware)

 

[Anhthuan2000]

Hello Ogdento and PoolClown. Thanks for the quick response. I called pentair to confirm the transceiver board is bad but they said it is not. They instructed me to do the following:

what firmware version is the mobiletouch? (if you have a copy of the mobiletouch manual it says there's a slightly different step if you've got 1.160/2.160 firmware)

Hi ogento.
The one with an Man address lock Auto.
Yes , I did 5, 10, 20, 30-50 feet away from the transceiver but didn’t work. I just got off the phone with Pentair. This tech said I got a bad transceiver board. Thinking of calling pinch a penny to come out. I’ve tried power off, unplugged everything except the transceiver. Still no luck. I’m beginning to think that I have a bad board.

 

[ogdento]

Interestingly, I just obtained two "dead" 520946Z transceiver boards (firmware ver 2030) that both appear to be behaving the same as yours.

What is the firmware version printed on the back of your bad board?

On power up, they go into a loop where the 485 and RF leds flash together, six times as you said. After that finishes the 485 flashes by itself from 1 to 3 times, then the cycle repeats.

I determined that the 485 comms are working because before the "flash loop" repeats, there's a second or two where I can send a command from an indoor controller and the 485 light flashes (and I see data coming out of the 485 chip itself).

The pic micro is as least partly working because my programming tool recognizes it and it's driving the LEDS and the read/transmit line of the 485 chip. Not sure if the radio is dead - I can't sniff it because it's a "frequency hopping spread spectrum" device and I don't know the sequence.

I have the equipment to flash new firmware onto the device but I don't think Pentair makes it available.

It would be fun to figure out what is wrong with these, but it might not be worth the effort!

 

[mjmorykwas]

I have the same issue. I’ve tried everything possible to fix the issue. Pentair support showed me to unplug the transceiver, reset, F button, plug the transceiver back when the lights on IntelliTouch scrolling. Remote, menu, setup, advance, 2&4 buttons at the same time. MAN, put in the flashing numbers on the IntelliTouch. Save, exit. Hit reset. Still can’t retrieve data. Power light on the transceiver 520946 is solid
485 and RF flash 6 times then 485 flashes 3 times. The cycle repeat. Do I have a bad transceiver? What should I do? Please help

Did anyone figure out a solution to this problem? I too have the same issue - same LED error code flashing, with NO COMM. I priced replacement boards, but at $250 I'm thinking I may just scrap the

 

[ogdento]

I'm pretty sure your card is dead, in that no amount of fiddling/resetting/rebooting is going to get it working again

That isn't to say it can't be repaired... but I haven't yet been able to fix one that exhibits this particular problem. I think the radio module (Laird AC4790-1X1) is dead, but it's a $65 part and last time I checked the usual suppliers were out of stock - and there's no guarantee that's the issue anyway!

It also seems like the price has gone up on these silly cards... I thought sunplay used to have them for under 200, now they're 250+. I've gotten them on the auction site for 150 or less in the past.