Why Am I Getting Supervision Trouble On My 2GIG PIR1e?

You are getting supervision trouble on your 2GIG PIR1e due to one of several possible factors. You might have followed an improper process when replacing an old sensor, or when moving a sensor to a new partition. You may also be using the incorrect Equipment Code for the 2GIG PIR1e.

The 2GIG PIR1e is an encrypted motion detection sensor from the 2GIG eSeries Lineup. These sensors are built for use with the 2GIG GC3e and 2GIG GC2e Systems. This sensor lineup is known to have some unique quirks regarding supervision trouble conditions. However, you should still be aware of the primary cause of supervision trouble, as that may still apply. Supervision trouble is typically the result of a programmed sensor failing to transmit routine check-in signals to the alarm panel. If a certain duration of time passes without the security system receiving a check-in signal, then a supervision trouble condition will be displayed for that wireless zone. The root cause of this occurrence is usually either the sensor has lost power due to a dead battery or the sensor's signal is not reaching the panel either because of distance or because a new obstacle is blocking the sensor from the panel. For these situations, you should determine the cause of the trouble, fix it, and then clear it from the panel.

But 2GIG eSeries Sensors like the PIR1e are known to experience supervision trouble for other reasons. There are three (3) possible causes that should be explored. The first is that you replaced a sensor on a zone without deleting the zone entirely and reprogramming from scratch. Instead, you only deleted the Serial Number for the old sensor, and you learned-in the Serial Number for the new sensor, without making any other changes to the zone. Even if you are using the same sensor, with the same Equipment Code and same Response Type, you should still follow proper procedure by clearing the zone out and then reprogramming it from scratch. GC3e users can visit this FAQ to learn more. If you are using a GC2e, the basic principles remain the same, but the programming steps are different. You can review this guide to learn about GC2e zone programming.

The second possible cause is similar to the first one, but it involves changing the Partition Assignment for the zone, rather than the Serial Number. The reason why a user would change the Partition Assignment setting for a zone is that they still want to use the programmed sensor, but with a different system partition. This is only applicable on a 2GIG GC3e, where Q69 in System Configuration is set to enable Smart Area Partitions. The 2GIG GC2e does not support partitions, and it does not have this setting. Just like before, if you have a GC3e with Smart Areas enabled, and you want to move an existing zone to a different partition, then you should delete the entire zone and reprogram it from scratch. You should not try to cut corners by just changing the zone's Partition Assignment and keeping all the other settings the same. If you do that, then you may get supervision trouble for the zone. Instead, you should follow the process outlined in this FAQ to properly change a zone's partition assignment.

Lastly, a zone might show supervision trouble if it has been set up with an incorrect Equipment Code based on the sensor model that is being used. Each 2GIG eSeries Sensor type has an Equipment Code that is specific to that model. Some users might try to program the sensor with a different Equipment Code, such as one of the equivalent "generic" options. But programming the exact Equipment Code is very important for the 2GIG eSeries Sensors. If you use the wrong code, then it is very likely that supervision trouble will be displayed. For the 2GIG PIR1e, the equipment code to use is 2869. If you want to learn more about Equipment Codes and how using the wrong one will cause supervision troublem please check out this FAQ.