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Can Obi200 be installed with Doorbell/intercom system?

Started by RR001, May 16, 2017, 06:33:58 AM

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RR001

Hello,

I have just installed an OBI200 and activated it.  All seemed to be working fine until we tested our doorbell.  We have a door bell that when the button is pushed it rings the phones inside and allows you to speak to person outside. It appears that when the door bell is pushed it seizes the line but the indoor phones do not ring and you cannot talk to the person outside.  I am guessing that the OBI200 does not like ringing coming into its analog line port.  Once the door bell is removed from the circuit the OBI200 and voice services resume working fine.  Is there a filter that could be used on the OBI200 port or another solution to resolve my issue?

Attached is the specs for the doorbell.....Thanks

http://www.smarthomeusa.com/product_images/a/ACNC/AC-DP28C/ACDP28C_Cutsheet.pdf

drgeoff

Others may be able to give you fuller advice but in the meantime you need to be aware that (incorrectly) attaching the PHONE port of any OBi to a device or circuit that is intended to ring and/or talk to a POTS type phone risks permanently damaging the OBi.  And possibly the device/circuit too.

I suspect your wiring is wrong.  The centre two pints of the OBi200 PHONE jack should be wired to the points marked "From TEL Company". My understanding is that when the doorbell is pushed the PHONE jack output from the OBi would be disconnected inside the AC-DP28C control box.

There is at least one major error in the spec sheet you linked to. "750Vrms/25 +/- 2Hz (Ringing)" is enough to fry many phones and doesn't do humans much good either.

hwittenb

The homephone unit was designed to be used with an analog PSTN phone line.  The OBi200 is a voice over ip adapter that uses an analog phone handset. 

If you read the FAQ section of your www.homephone.com web site they have the following entry which I believe is relevant:

"The DoorBell Fon system needs to be hooked up to a PBX system.
• Please use a vacant FXO port instead of FXS.  The FXO port may also be know as the CO port or trunk line.
• If there is no telephone company line connected to the Main Controller, please use a N8NC chip inside the Main Controller.  Contact Customer Service or your DoorBell Fon provider to order one."

http://www.homephone.com

The OBi200 itself does not have an FXO port.  By itself, it only has an FXS port to attach an analog phone.  An FXS port provides the signal and ringing voltages for the attached phone. 

The OBi200 has an optional add on unit, the OBiLINE.  The OBiLine, plugs into the OBi200 USB port and provides an FXO port for the OBi200.  I believe you would need this to be able to accept the ringing voltage provided by the door unit and the analog signal voltage which your sheet seems to indicate is 17-28 vdc.   

The function of the N8NC chip they mention is not clear.  I would contact the Doorbell unit customer support unit for clarification.

drgeoff

Quote from: hwittenb on May 16, 2017, 09:57:29 PM
The homephone unit was designed to be used with an analog PSTN phone line.  The OBi200 is a voice over ip adapter that uses an analog phone handset.  

If you read the FAQ section of your www.homephone.com web site they have the following entry which I believe is relevant:

"The DoorBell Fon system needs to be hooked up to a PBX system.
• Please use a vacant FXO port instead of FXS.  The FXO port may also be know as the CO port or trunk line.
• If there is no telephone company line connected to the Main Controller, please use a N8NC chip inside the Main Controller.  Contact Customer Service or your DoorBell Fon provider to order one."


The OBi200 itself does not have an FXO port.  By itself, it only has an FXS port to attach an analog phone.  An FXS port provides the signal and ringing voltages for the attached phone.  

The OBi200 has an optional add on unit, the OBiLINE.  The OBiLine, plugs into the OBi200 USB port and provides an FXO port for the OBi200.  I believe you would need this to be able to accept the ringing voltage provided by the door unit and the analog signal voltage which your sheet seems to indicate is 17-28 vdc.  

The function of the N8NC chip they mention is not clear.  I would contact the Doorbell unit customer support unit for clarification.
All of that does not apply in this case.  Perhaps hwittenb is misinterpreting that 'needs' sentence.  It does not mean that the system can only be connected to a PBX system. That section means that if the customer requirement is that the doorbell system must ring into a PBX system then the "To Phones" must connect to an FXO port on the PBX and, if present, the telco line connects to the "From TEL Company" interface. If there is no telco line then the chip should be changed.

In all cases the system sits between a FXS port (wired to the "From TEL Company) and a FXO port (wired to the "To Phones").

For the PBX case the telco line is the FXS and the PBX is the FXO.

For an ordinary POTS user, the telco line is the FXS and his phone instrument is the FXO.

For a VoIP installation the phone jack on the ATA is the FXS and his phone instrument is the FXO.

The PHONE jack of the OBi is an FXS port and emulates a POTS CO line.  Indeed the lower diagram on page 5 of http://www.homephone.com/PDF%20Installation/DoorBell%20Fon%20User%20%26%20Installation%20Manual.pdf titled 'VoIP Wiring Diagram' matches RR001 's situation.
http://www.homephone.com

No OBiLINE is required. No chip change is required.