Four By Two Signal Format

There are three ways a signal using the 4x2 format can be interpreted by Patriot. Depending on how the panel is programmed will generally determine which 4x2 interpreter you should be using.

Four By Two Binary with Zone

Format:

CCCCTT

Where:

CCCCClient Code
TTType + Zone/User

The last two digits combine to produce a type with a range 0 to 255, and a zone/user with a range of 0 to 15 (represented by the last digit).

For example:

B2 gives: type = 178 (the decimal conversion of B2 hex) zone/user = 2

C4 gives: type = 196 (the decimal conversion of C4 hex) zone/user = 4

Four by Two Binary with Zone is the default and recommended format to use. Clients receiving 4X2 signals will use this format if ‘None’ is selected in the Interpreter field.

There is also a 4x2 Binary with Zone option in the Interpreter on the Event Types tab, which can also be selected to use this format.

Four By Two Binary with Zone (interpreter showing ‘None’ or ‘4x2 Binary with Zone’) should always be used for Four By Two formats unless otherwise advised by your distributor.

Using this option means that Zones / Users must be between 0 – 15 (or 00 hex to 0F hex). Four By Two format was really only ever intended to have no more than 16 Zones or Users. If you have a panel using four by two format communicating with your central station that has more than 16 zones or Users for example say 32 zones (A0 hex to BF hex) there will not be any gain entering more than 16 of these into the client site zones page. This is because signals received for A1 and B1 will both retrieve Zone 1 and signals A2 and B2 will both retrieve Zone 2 and so on.

The way to get around this problem is to enter the first 16 zones (A0 to AF hex) in the Zones tab, but do not enter them for the last 16 zones (B0 to BF hex). Instead enter B0 to BF hex as event types in the client site (overriding any template used) and select an Action Plan for each of these event types that has the No Zone / User Info Signal Type option. Zone descriptions can be entered in the Event Type description field, so these will be logged when a signal is received.

Conventional Four By Two (Interpreter Needs to be set on the Client Record)

Format:

CCCCTZ

Where:

CCCCClient Code
TType
ZZone/User

Example:

200541

Client ID = 2005, Type = 4, Zone/User = 1.

Whether the Z’s are taken to be a zone or user depends on the type code and its associated action plan. If the corresponding type is closing or opening the Z is taken to be a user code else they are treated as a zone code.

For manually entered signals, the digit in the type field must first be converted from hex to decimal. Secondly the digit in the zone field must also be converted from hex to decimal.

For example:

B2 gives: Type = 11, Zone/User = 2

Important Note: If you are using a 4x2 Conventional template, make sure that the Signal Interpretation is set to 4x2 Conventional on both the template and each client record that has been assigned that template.

Four By Two Binary (Interpreter Needs to be set on the Client Record)

Format:

CCCCTT

Where:

CCCCClient Code
TTType

Four By Two Binary signals have the same format as conventional four by two signals above but are interpreted differently.

Instead of interpreting the last two digits as a type between 0 and 15 and zone/user between 0 and 15 respectively, these two digits are combined producing a type with a range 0 to 255. Patriot duplicates the type number to produce the same zone/user code. If a client transmits 4 x 2 signals in this format, it must have a Signal Interpreter set up on the Event Types Tab in its client record: 4 x 2 Binary Interpreter.

Manually entering a 4x2 signal.

When manually entering 4x2 signal, signal must be entered in 4x2 binary with zone format irrespective of the interpreter chosen.

For example to enter in the raw data signal 0596 89

Enter in client number 0596

Type number 137 (decimal conversion of 89)

Zone number 9 (decimal conversion of 9)