MCYSEKA-Maritime Cyber Security Knowledge Archive

This is a Vista 20P system that I need help with. In actuality, it is an ADT installed equivalent, but I don’t think this is pertinent to the problem.

In addition to the Vista alarm board, there is a zone expansion module. There are also 2 touchpads. Because of the additional power draw of the expansion module and 2 touchpads, the installer put in a second transformer and battery for these 3 items. Pretty standard stuff from my research.

The problem is, if the power goes out, the battery for the expansion module and 2 touchpads will drain out first. If the alarm is set, the alarm will go off because it is detecting a tamper fault on the expansion module, because it has gone dead due to the dead battery. To make matters worse, I can’t even turn it off because the touchpads are dead too. I end up having to pull the terminals off the batteries to stop it. Mind you, this is happening in the middle of the night with the power off. Fun.

2 possible solutions come to mind.

1. This is wired improperly and the batteries should provide backup to the entire system, not one battery for the main board and the other for the expansion module and touchpads, as it is now.
2. The expansion module needs to be somehow excluded from the tamper circuit.

Any alarm installers out there that can provide some insight?

If there is a better place to ask this question of a Vista 20P expert, please let me know.