Summary

In the event of an isolated No Connect (2-wire decoder communication failure), where a single device alert is present over a large section of 2-wire, read what's below for added information and resolution steps. 

Problematic Splices

The splices on the decoder could be corroded, the result of water intrusion due to improper splice hardware or otherwise. The correct splice hardware is the 3M DBR/Y-6 connector, in the provided waterproof capsule. This is the only splice hardware that meets specifications, and is included with every decoder set. They CANNOT be reused, so ensure to bring a new set if you need to replace the splice.

Malfunctioning Decoder

The decoder may be faulty, which can be seen by looking for the LEDs on the top of the decoder. If none are present when the decoder is in operation or when running a test of that device from the controller, or the WeatherTRAK mobile application, take the decoder to the controller. Plug it directly into the controller without the 2-wire path and verify if the decoder is the issue via test from the controller menu.

Required Tools

#2 Phillips screwdriver

Wire stripper

2-4 NEW 3M DBR/Y-6 connectors

Process Steps

Check the Alert

//This section will walk you through 7X firmware on how to check No Connect Alerts. // 

• Step 1:  Press the ALERTS button once. You will be directed to the Alerts menu. If an ER (error) is present directly below the VL (valve) section, this indicates that there are 1 or more valve errors present on the system.  A _ (dash) this will indicate that no errors (ER) are present for that section. 
  • Note: We are only focused on VL, valve errors.

• Step 2: Press the → button until you reach View Valve Status or sub menu Alerts: 03.

• Step 3: Press the SELECT button to View valve Status.
  • An NC (No Connect) will present directly below any station number and or a Master valve(s) listed at the end of the station numbers (M1, M2, M3, and M4 all represent master valve 1,2,3, or 4 this will depend on how may master valves are being used or not) indicating a solenoid is drawing less than 75 MA.

• Note: You will see the word ALERT flash periodically on the lower right-hand side of the screen if any alert error conditions have been detected by the system. If this is not flashing this means that no alert has been registered by the system. 

What is a No Connect in 7x? 

• Before you start- make sure that the stations Program is NOT configured to OFF. If a Program is configured to OFF mode, it will not run a valve test any station that have been assigned to that program. For examples, say that Program A is set to Off and you have stations 1-10 on program A, the controller sill know that Program A is set to Off and will not run a valve test on stations 1-10.

• No Connect (NC) 
  • This type of alert can happen when the current draw for the valve solenoid is below 75mA. 
     
• Some of the possible causes:
  
  • The number of Max Active Stations exceeds the number of station decoders physically 
    connected to the controller. 
    • (Press Setup, press the → button to menu Setup: 09 displayed on the upper left-hand corner of the screen, and adjust as needed with the + or - buttons to the total of max activate stations needed for your site)

• A leg of the 2-wire path on the 2-wire input of the PCB’s is partially disconnected
•  A clear 48 station key module is missing.
•  No field wire is connected to a specific station decoder output. 
• The field wire terminated in the station decoder output is not making proper contact. 
• The field wire is broken or there is a corroded or failed splice after the decoder output.
• Improperly installed wire connections. 
• A decoder is not properly programmed.
• A decoder has failed and will need to be replaced.
• The Mini chassis has failed and will need to be completely replaced. 
   

• Expected controller behavior with a No Connect?
  • The controller will continue to irrigate when a “No Connect” condition is detected, there are times that some solenoids draw less than 75 mA, in which case users will need these stations to continue to irrigate. 
  • This will now be displayed as NI (Not connected but will Irrigate) within the MANUAL TEST menu (see image below), within the Valve Test sub menu. This is regardless of the Runtime valve test (RTVT) setting found in the SETUP menu, on Setup: 11 screens. 

• Possible Fixes: 
  • Properly connect solenoid to decoder with approved waterproof connections.
  • Properly connect or replace failed decoder.
  • Properly program the station decoder. 
  • Reduce the number of Max Active stations in the SETUP menu. 
  • Re-insert or repair the ribbon cable and verify sufficient number of 2-wire clear 48 station key(s) are installed. 
  • Conduct an Ohms test on the solenoid. If Ohms value is higher than 60-70 Ohms, this will typically indicate open circuit or corroded wiring. OL or Infinity indicate a true Open, this indicates that a wise within the solenoid coil is broken or the solenoid coil is burned, replace the solenoid. 
  • Replace the mini chassis if it has failed.

• Clearing a No Connect (NC) Alert

1. Press the ALERTS button.  
2. Press → until the View Valve Status screen displays.
3. Press * to clear the alert.
4. Once cleared If RTVT is set to On, the controller will run a self-vale test 15 seconds later and will register a valve fault if one is detected.

No Connect in 8X

• Note:

  This section will walk you through 8X firmware, on how to check No connect Alerts.

  If you are trying to access the panel outside the Site Maintenance window you will need to unlock the panel. Click on linked article below for this process.

  Unlocking & Locking an OptiFlow Controller - Article Editor

   

• Step 1:  Press the ALERTS button once. You will be direct to the Alerts menu. If an ER (error) is present directly below the VL (valve) section, this is an indication that there are 1 or more valve errors present on the system.  If there is a _ (dash) this will indicate that no errors (ER) are present for that section. 

  • Note:

    We are only focused on VL, these represent valve error.

     

• Step 2: Press the → button until you reach View Valve Status.
• Step 3: Press the SELECT button to view valve alerts.
  • If an NC (No Connect) is present directly below any station number and or a Master valve(s) listed at the end of the station numbers (M1, M2, M3, and M4 all represent master valve 1,2,3, or 4 this will depend on how may master valves are being used or not).

What is a No Connect in 8x? 

• No Connect (NC) 
  • This type of alert can happen when the current draw for the valve solenoid is below 75mA. This type of alert indicates that the Decoder(s) is not communicating with a solenoid. 
     
• Some of the possible causes:
  •  Improperly wired/connected solenoid to a decoder.
  • The field wire is broken or there is a corroded or failed splice after the decoder on the solenoid side.
  • The solenoid has failed.
  • The solenoid is drawing less than 75 mA but is still operational.
     
• Expected controller behavior with a No Connect?
  • The controller will continue to irrigate when a “No Connect” condition is detected, there are times that some solenoids draw less than 75 mA, in which case users will need these stations to irrigate. 
    • This will now be displayed as NI (Not connected but will Irrigate) within the Manual Test menu, within the Valve Test sub menu. This is regardless of the Runtime valve test (RTVT) setting found in the Setup menu, on Setup: 11 screens. 

• Possible Fixes: 
  • Properly connected solenoid to decoder with specified approved waterproof connections.  
  • Conduct an Ohms test on the solenoid. If Ohms value is higher than 60-70 Ohms, this will typically indicate open circuit or corroded wiring. OL or Infinity indicate a true Open, this indicates that a wise within the solenoid coil is broken or the solenoid coil is burned, replace the solenoid. 

• Note:

   

  • If you are trying to access the panel outside the Site Maintenance window you will need to unlock the panel. Click on the link below for this process.

   

Unlocking & Locking an OptiFlow Controller - Article Editor

• Clearing a No Connect (NC) Alert

1. Press ALERTS. 
2. Press → until the View Valve Status screen displays.
3. Press * to clear the alert.
4. Once cleared If RTVT is set to On, the controller will run a self-vale test 15 seconds later and will register a valve fault if one is detected.

• @Jonathan to fill out the steps for 7x and 8x to check the alert.

Check the Controller

• Note:

   

  • If you are trying to access the panel outside of the Site Maintenance window you will need to unlock the panel. See linked article below to unlock.

   

Unlocking & Locking an OptiFlow Controller - Article Editor

1. Press the MANUAL TEST button.
2. Press the + or - button to Valve Test.

3. Press the → button once.

• Manual 1: 06-01 will display the following screen.
• NC = the total number of stations that registered a No Connect alert.
• DM = Decoder missing. (the controller cannot talk to one or more decoders)  
  • If a message stating Alert See Alerts Menu is displayed press the → once to return to the previous screen.

4. Press the * button to start the Valve Test.
   • If you are trying to test during an Active Irrigation Water Window, a message that states This action might affect scheduled irrigation Continue? < No or Yes >. Press the ← to cancel this action. Press the → to continue with the valve test, to test all stations statuses. 

• This process will take 15 second to run all activate station and return the valve status once it tests all max activate stations and test all active master valves at the end and display those results. 
  • You can advance by pressing the → button as the valve test is counting down to view the stations, each → press will advance it 8 stations. 
  • You will note that once the controller starts testing each station the station will display a ? directly below all of the stations and then fault an error if one is detected, otherwise if no error is detected it will register a _ (dash) to indicate no error was detected for that specific station number. 

5. Press the → you can advance to view the stations, each → press will advance it 8 stations. 
6. If a station(S) has an NI (Not Connected but will Irrigate) directly below the station number and or the master valves (M1, M2, M3 or M4) this will indicate that the decoder cannot communicate with the solenoid or a solenoid is drawing less than 75 mA. (Treat this like an open circuit or No Connect) 

• If a station has a _ dash directly below that station number, this will indicate that that station passed the valve test and did not fault an error. 

How to manual run a specific station. 

1. Press the MANUAL TEST button and press + or down - button to By Station.

2. Press the → button to the first station that faulted an NI.
3. Press the =+ button to add time.
   • If you are trying to test during an Active Water Window, a message that states This action might affect scheduled irrigation Continue? < No or Yes >. Press the ← to cancel this action. Press the → to continue.
4. If the station is counting down, check to see if the station is irrigating. If a flow sensor is configured and properly functioning, you should see flow within the flow menu.
   • If the station is running, this will indicate that the solenoid is drawing less than 75 mA.
   • if the station is not running, the issue will be on the solenoid side of the decoder.

• @Jonathan to fill out the steps to verify the controller in a 2-wire no connect process

Check the Decoder

• @Jonathan to verify these steps and update as needed.

As mentioned in section marked Malfunctioning Decoder, the decoder has 2 LED diagnostic lights that should blink if the 2-wire is actively sending messages, for example if you send a message to turn on a station, or if you run a valve test.

If the LED light is not Blinking, the controller will fault a Decoder Missing or DM alert. The Decoder Not Found alert occurs when the 
controller cannot communicate with the decoder on the 2-wire path.
 

1. Pull 2-wire decoder from the wire path and valve box and bring to controller. 
2. Plug the decoder into the Station Program push release terminal
   located on the lower section of the mini chassis board. It is critical that polarity be maintained (red to red, 
   black to black).
3. Disconnect all other 2-wire from controller, connect 2-wire device and perform a device test from the controller SETUP menu.
4. Plug the decoder into the terminal located on the mini-chassis board. 
5. Press SETUP.
6. Press → until CONFIGURE H2O 2-WIRE displays (Setup: 15). 
7. Press + or – until Program decoders displays. 
8. Press SELECT. 
9. Press *. The controller reads the decoder and assigns it to the next station in sequence. 

10. If you need to change the station number, press + or –. 
11. Press * to assign the decoder to the station shown. 
12. Press + or – to set the power level. Power levels for each station can be adjusted independently. The 
    power defaults to low. For most stations, low power is sufficient.
13. If you are able to reprogram a station decoder, this will indicate an open circuit on the solenoid. Replace the solenoid, re-splice 2-wire device into original field location. Before re-splicing, confirm you are using new DBR/Y-6 connectors. While re-splicing, ensure the wires are not loose in the wire nut, the wire nut is pushed to the rounded base of the grease cap. Before closing the valve box, ensure that the rounded base of the grease caps are pointing up. See WeatherTRAK Install Valve Decoders onto the 2-Wire Path on page 25 of WeatherTRAK 2-Wire Installation Guide.

If you check all of the preceding steps and fail to resolve the issue, consider contacting Hydropoint Support. Hydropoint Support can be reached at support@baselinesystems.com, support@hydropoint.com or 866-294-5847.