Why Am I Getting Supervision Trouble On My 2GIG DW10e?

You are getting supervision trouble on your 2GIG DW10e because the wrong process was followed either when replacing an existing sensor or switching the sensor to a different partition, or because the incorrect Equipment Code was used. Fix the issue, and acknowledge the trouble to clear it.

The 2GIG DW10e is an encrypted door and window sensor that is part of the 2GIG eSeries Lineup. You can use the 2GIG DW10e with a 2GIG GC3e or 2GIG GC2e System. Like pretty much all 2GIG eSeries Sensors, the 2GIG DW10e has some interesting quirks when it comes to supervision trouble conditions. Normally, supervision trouble is used to indicate that the panel did not receive a regularly scheduled check-in signal from the sensor, likely indicating that something is wrong with the sensor. Some reasons why the system wouldn't receive the check-in signal include the sensor being powered off, possibly due to a dead battery and not sending the signal, or the sensor being moved and/or obstacles being placed between the sensor and panel that prevent the signal from reaching the panel. If the problem is indeed traditional supervision trouble, then fix the cause of the problem so that the sensor can check-in with the panel, and then acknowledge the trouble condition to clear it.

However, there are some other things you should consider with the 2GIG DW10e, as 2GIG eSeries Sensors have been known to cause supervision trouble for other reasons. For one, if you ever go to replace the sensor, then you must clear or delete the zone entirely, and then reprogram the zone from scratch. If you just delete the Serial Number for the old sensor and then apply the Serial Number for the new sensor in its place, then you will most likely get supervision trouble. This has been known to occur even if you are using the exact same sensor model with the exact same Sensor Type or Response Type, and all the other settings are identical. For more information on this issue, please check this FAQ for GC3e users, while GC2e users may want to check this guide to programming zones.

Similarly, you may get supervision trouble if you change the Partition Assignment for a 2GIG DW10e. The Partition Assignment determines which Smart Area Partition the sensor is used with. This setting only applies to the GC3e, as the GC2e is a single-partition system. Smart Area Partitions are enabled or disabled in Q69 of System Configuration, but regardless of this setting, you will still make Partition Assignments for zones as you are programming them. What this means is, you can program a zone and assign it to a Smart Area before you set Q69 to enable Smart Areas. If you ever want to change the Partition Assignment for a zone on your 2GIG GC3e, then you should delete the zone entirely, and reprogram it from scratch, just like you would if you were replacing the sensor. If you simply change the Partition Assignment, while keeping all the other settings the same, then you may experience supervision trouble. Reprogramming the zone from scratch takes longer, but it is the best way to prevent supervision trouble. More information can be found here.

Finally, supervision trouble can occur if you use the incorrect Equipment Code for a 2GIG DW10e Sensor. For older 2GIG Panels, the Equipment Code was of little importance, and it was mostly just used for recordkeeping purposes. But with encrypted sensors like the 2GIG DW10e that use bi-directional communication, having the incorrect Equipment Code can prevent the system from acknowledging the wireless check-in signal from the sensor, and this may result in supervision trouble. For the 2GIG DW10e, the correct Equipment Code to use is 2862. If you find that the wrong Equipment Code was assigned, change it to the proper setting, save the change, and then make sure the sensor can check-in successfully. You should then be able to clear the supervision trouble. If you find that this does not clear the issue, then delete the zone completely and reprogram it using the correct Equipment Code.