Performing Periodic Maintenance for an Mx-1 or Mx-1-ME Controller

Owned by Aparna R R (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Mar 08, 2022 by Del Gonzalez
4 min read

Search

 

The Mx-1 or Mx-1-ME controller was designed to be a reliable long-lasting product, with periodic maintenance consisting of these tasks:

  • If you are obtaining power from PoE+, occasionally testing that the voltage is within specifications

  • Gathering diagnostic information (including the voltage status of the standby battery and the memory battery) once every 6 months

  • Visually inspecting the controller once every year for signs of:

    • Exposed wires or loose connections

    • Corrosion around the battery terminals

    • Damaged battery leads

  • Replacing the memory battery when necessary (after several years)

  • Replacing the Mx-1-ME’s standby battery pack when necessary (after several years)

Gathering Diagnostic Information

The Velocity software includes a Diagnostic Window which enables you to gather diagnostic information about a connected controller. To access this tool, click Velocity’s menu button, and then select Diagnostics/Reporting > DIGI*TRAC Diagnostic Window.

To gather information about a controller:

  1. Select the desired controller from the Controller drop-down list.

  2. Select the appropriate diagnostic command from the Diagnostics drop-down list.
    This list includes all the basic 88 command options, such as 25 - System Power Status (of the AC input power, the standby battery, and the memory battery).

  3. Click the button located just to the right of the Diagnostics drop-down list.
    The information generated by the selected command is displayed in the Results pane.
    To learn more about Velocity’s Diagnostic Window, see the topics in the Diagnostic Window section of Velocity’s help system.

Interpreting the System Power Status Information

The results of the 25 - System Power Status diagnostics command are somewhat cryptic. Here is what those results mean for an Mx-1 controller (starting with the 7.6.20 release of the CCM/CCMx firmware ). Because an Mx-1 controller can be powered by a combination of PoE+ and AC power, it is able to operate within a broader range of power levels.

Main Power: This is the voltage of the main power after it has been transformed from AC to DC. The normal range when using AC input is 22 - 26VDC. The normal range when using PoE+ is 13 - 22VDC. AC Low is reported when the voltage is 11 - 13VDC, and AC Failure is reported when the voltage is less than 11VDC.

UPS Battery: This is the DC voltage of a connected standby battery pack or Uninterruptible Power Supply. The “under charge” number shows the voltage when the standby battery is being charged. The “open cell” number shows the voltage when the charging circuit is bypassed. The normal range is above 23VDC. The voltage is considered Low when it is 17 - 23VDC. When the voltage is less than 6VDC, the battery is considered to be Bad and UPS Failure is reported. A weak battery will have a high “under charge” number and a low “open cell” number.

Memory Battery: This is the DC voltage of the memory protection battery, which provides up to 10 days protection of the controller’s data. The normal range is 3.47 - 4.5VDC. If the value remains below 3.47VDC, the memory battery should be replaced.

Replacing the Mx-1 or Mx-1-ME Controller’s Memory Battery

The Mx-1 or Mx-1-ME controller’s memory battery is a rechargeable Li-ion coin cell battery that supplies backup power to the controller’s memory, so critical information is not lost during a power outage of up to 10 days. That information includes user credentials, configuration, and date/time.

If the Mx-1 controller will be part of an access control system which must meet a particular UL standard, you must include a UL-listed UPS or backup battery which provides the required duration of standby power for that standard. For more information, see the table about “Standby Power Requirements for Various UL Standards:” in section ”General UL Information”.

This memory battery should provide several years of reliable service, but will eventually have to be replaced when its voltage remains below 3.00VDC. The location of this battery on the Mx-1 controller’s main board is shown in Figure 3-2 in section “Mx-1 Controller Main Board”.

The battery installed at the factory is model PD3048 by Route Jade (formerly Route JD or Korea Power Cell), which provides 3.7VDC, and has a 300 mAh capacity. Its dimensions are 30.0 mm in diameter by 4.9 mm thick. When diagnostic information determines that there is a problem with the performance of the memory battery, you should replace it with a battery that has equivalent specifications.

The controller’s power should remain on while you replace its memory battery.

If the Mx-1 controller lost data because you replaced the memory battery while the main board was disconnected from both the main AC power and the standby battery power, you can easily download its data again using Velocity. In the Administration pane of Velocity’s main window, locate the controller in the system tree, right-click on the controller, and select each of the following commands from the pop-up menu:

  • Download > Date/Time

  • Download > Configuration

  • Download > Credentials

After these three downloads have completed successfully, the Mx-1 controller is ready to use again.