Where is the VISTA-20P Bell Supervision?

Supervision of the bell circuit wiring has evolved over the life of the Vista-20P Panel. In early versions, bell supervision was always enabled. The manner of supervision could be changed by cutting a jumper and installing a resistor. Later versions allowed bell supervision to be disabled.

In revisions 1 - 5 of the Vista- 20P Panels, bell supervision is always enabled. Out of the box, the alarm panel supervises the bell circuit for a short, or for reversed polarity. If either of these conditions were to occur, a Bell Failure (Alpha Keypad) or a Check 70 (Fixed Keypad) error would be displayed.

To supervise for either a short or an open circuit on the bell output, power down the panel, cut the red jumper indicated on the schematic and install the provided 2K resistor in parallel on the last sounder in the circuit. A trouble condition on the bell circuit is always treated as a trouble, even if the system is armed when it occurs. It will not prevent the user from arming the system:

In panel revision 7, the ability to enable or disable bell supervision was added to the Vista-20P Panel. If bell supervision is not desired, it can be disabled through programming location *91.

If bell supervision is desired, enable it in *91. Additionally, power down, cut the bell supervision jumper on the circuit board and install the provided 2K resistor. If a short or an open occurs on the bell circuit when supervision is enabled, a Bell Failure (Alpha Keypad) or Check 70 (Fixed Keypad) will be displayed. Bell Failure will always be treated as a trouble, even when the system is armed. It will not prevent the user from arming the system.

In panel revision 9, the process for supervising the bell output was streamlined. In this version, if you want to supervise the bell wiring for an open or a short circuit, you must enable bell supervision processing in *91. You must also install the supplied 820 Ohm resistor in parallel across the last sounder in line. An open or a short on the bell circuit will cause a Bell Failure (Alpha Keypad) or a Check 70 (Fixed Keypad). These situations will always be treated as trouble conditions. A Bell Failure will not prevent a user from arming the system.

Complete the following steps to enable bell supervision:

1. Connect the resistor to the siren- The resistor must be connected to the positive and negative terminals on the siren. These are the same terminals that will be used to connect the siren to the Vista-20P Panel. Install one leg of the resistor on the positive terminal and one leg on the negative terminal. Also make sure to install the wire connecting the siren to the system on these terminals. Make a note which wire is going to which terminal.
2. Connect the siren to the system- The siren connects to terminals 3 and 4 on the alarm panel. Terminal 3 is positive, and terminal 4 is negative.
   
   
   
   
3. Enable Bell Supervision in programming- Bell supervision must be enabled in system programming. At a keypad enter your installer code (default is 4112) + [8] + [00]. You will see "Installer Code 20" or just "20" depending on the type of keypad being used.
   
   Enter [*91] plus the appropriate entry. Remember, you will need to add the digits for all the features you wish to enable here. For example, if you want to enable Bell Supervision and Exit Delay Restart/Reset, you will enter a 9. If you need to enter a 2-digit number, such as 13 (all options enabled), enter [#] + [13].
   
   In panels with revision 9.12 and 9.18, there is a 2nd entry in this field for enabling RIS (remote interactive services) for Total Connect 2.0. To enable it, enter a 2 in the 2nd digit entry of this field.
   
   Once you have filled in the field, you will hear a triple beep, and the keypad will advance automatically to the next field in programming. Press *99 to exit programming.