Setup and Installation of an Mx Controller

An Mx controller can be operated in ambient temperatures of 0 degrees Centigrade to 49 degrees Centigrade, with a maximum relative humidity of 93%. It must be installed indoors, within the protected premises. Overall, the setup and installation of an Mx Controller is similar to that of most DIGI*TRAC Controllers. For details, see the following sections:

• “General Connection Rules and Procedures”

• “Controller Installation”

Note that compared to a DIGI*TRAC controller, an Mx Controller’s status LEDs are much smaller and are located in the center of the main board, as shown in Figure 2-2 in section “Mx Controller Main Board”.

Wiring Distance Limits

The following table shows the wiring distance limits between the Mx Controller and various components, which is important information when you are designing a security system for a large facility.

Note that the wires must be stranded and pair twisted, with an overall shield.

Configuring the Integrated SNIB2

Before the SNIB3 existed, the Mx controller had a daughterboard on the main board which provided SNIB2 functionality, with a 5-wire RS-485 connector that enables multidrop or long hardwired serial connections, and an RJ45 Ethernet connector for communication between the Velocity host and the master controller. For information about SNIB2 functionality (including multiple-controller configurations), see “SNIB2”.

Now an Mx controller can be ordered with either SNIB2 or SNIB3 functionality. You can also upgrade an Mx controller which has the SNIB2 daughterboard to use a SNIB3 expansion board; for details, see “Preparing an Mx Controller with a SNIB2 to Use a SNIB3” .
To install a set of controllers connected using SNIB2s, perform the following procedure:

1. Run the required network cable to the controller(s) with the master SNIB2s.
   The Ethernet cable you are connecting to each master SNIB2 should be connected to the Velocity host through a hub or switch.

2. Run RS-485 cable downstream from the master SNIB2.
   The run between the master SNIB2 and the second SNIB2 must be wired according to the instructions in “Configuring a Master SNIB2 on the Same Subnet”.

3. Set the DIP switches on each SNIB2, which vary depending on whether it is the master, one in the middle, or the last one.
   The location of the three banks of DIP switches on a SNIB2 expansion board is shown in Figure 1-20 in section “SNIB2”.
   On an Mx Controller’s main board (shown in Figure 2-2 in section “Mx Controller Main Board”):

• SW1 is located near the upper-right corner, by the SNIB2 terminal.

• SW2 is located in the left middle, to the right of the Ethernet daughterboard.

• SW3 is located below SW2.
  In general, set the DIP switches as shown in the following table.

Open	Bank	Switch	Setting	Comments
	Master SNIB2:
	SW1	S1-S4	all ON	Indicates this is the first/master SNIB2 (or the last one) in the run
	SW2	S1	OFF	The SNIB2 communicates with the Velocity host PC in XNET 2, using the encryption keys stored in memory
			ON	Return the encryption keys to their default settings. If this switch is set when the SNIB2 powers up or reboots after a firmware upgrade, the keys reset. This switch should be turned off after the LED patterns begin to light. Because this is the master SNIB2, you must also ‘Reset Encryption’ on the Velocity Port settings. All downstream units must have their encryption keys reset as well.
		S2-S3	OFF	Reserved
		S4	ON	This SNIB2 is first in the sequence (the master) and is connected to the host via Ethernet or direct RS-232 connection (not dial-up). This SNIB2 controls polling.
Open	SW3	S1 S2	OFF ON	Set downstream RS-485 speed (38400 in this example)
		S3-S8	--	Address as required (Address 1 shown)

Refer to “Setting Up the SNIB2” for more configuration options.
4. Plug the RJ45 connector from the cable into the Ethernet connector on the Mx Controller’s main board.
5. Connect the RS-485 cables to their respective SNIB2.
6. Reconnect and power up the controllers.
7. At the host, open Velocity and configure the new SNIB2s.
For more about this, refer to the “DIGI*TRAC Hardware Configuration > Secure Network Interface Boards (SNIB2) > SNIB2 - Configuring” topic in the Velocity online help system.

SNIB2 Network Configuration Options

Most controllers can be networked together and managed by a computer running Velocity, if they use an optional SNIB2 expansion board. For details, see “SNIB2 Network Configuration Options”.

An Mx controller can be included in that network. The primary difference is that an Mx controller does not require a SNIB2 expansion board, because the Ethernet connector and the RS-485 terminal are integrated onto the controller’s main board, as shown in Figure 2-2 in section “Mx Controller Main Board”.

Deploying the SNIB2

Each master SNIB2 (Velocity port) must be assigned a unique IP address so it can communicate with Velocity on the host PC. Depending on the network location of the master SNIB2, this is accomplished in one of two ways:

• If the SNIB2 is located within the same subnet as the host PC, then you can use Velocity to assign the IP address. For more about this, refer to “Configuring a Master SNIB2 on the Same Subnet”.

• If the master SNIB2 is located outside the host PC’s subnet, you must use the SNIB2 Configuration Utility. For more about this, refer to “Configuring a Master SNIB2 in a Different Subnet”.

What is a subnet? Put simply, a subnet is any group of PCs and other devices, such as printers and scanners, connected by network cable to a network router. Anything behind the router is considered part of the subnet. Anything beyond this router is not part of the subnet.

In the preceding illustration, the master SNIB2 and controller labeled 1 is located in the same subnet as the host PC (Subnet A). This SNIB2 can therefore be configured using Velocity; however, the master SNIB2 and controller labeled 2 is located behind a different router, in a different subnet (Subnet B), and must be configured using the SNIB2 Configuration Utility.

Any number of computers and devices can be behind a single router, but for reasons of security and speed, a company network often incorporates many routers. It isn’t uncommon to find that each department within a company has its own router. Routers not only find the quickest way to ferry packets of information between two points, but also could serve as a rudimentary firewall against potential intrusion.

Preparing an Mx Controller with a SNIB2 to Use a SNIB3

Before the SNIB3 expansion board was available, every Mx controller provided SNIB2 functionality using a daughterboard (with an Ethernet connector) attached to the main board, as shown in Figure 2-2 in section “Mx Controller Main Board”. Now when you order a new Mx controller, you have the option to instead have a SNIB3 board installed in an expansion slot. (SNIB3 functionality is a required component of Identiv’s FICAM Solution. For more information, see the FICAM Solution section of the Velocity online help.)

But if you want to use the SNIB3 expansion board with an existing Mx controller that has a SNIB2 daughterboard, you must first remove that daughterboard from the Mx controller’s main board. To do so, perform the following steps:

1. Make sure the controller shows its CCM/CCMx firmware version as 7.5.37 or later.
   (This information can be found in the controller’s Properties dialog within Velocity.)
   If necessary, update the CCM/CCMx firmware. For details, see the “Firmware Updates > Updating CCM Firmware” topic in the Velocity help system.

2. Power down the Mx controller.
   a. Disconnect the battery backup power from the controller.
   b. Disconnect the AC power cables to the controller.

3. Remove the screw in the middle of the SNIB2 daughterboard.
   The SNIB2 daughterboard is mounted on the Mx controller’s main board above the Mx logo, and it includes one RJ-45 Ethernet connector.

4. Carefully unplug the daughterboard from the Mx controller’s main board.
   This usually requires holding opposite corners or ends of the daughterboard, and carefully rocking it out of its socket.

5. After the daughterboard has been removed, see “Providing Surge Protection for a Master SNIB3” to determine whether you have an initial version of the SNIB3 (sold only to a few US federal government agencies) which did not include surge protection.

• If so, follow the procedure in that topic.

• Otherwise, install the SNIB3 expansion board in the normal way, as explained in “Installing the SNIB3 in a Controller without a SNIB or a SNIB2”.