Comfort Automation/ Security System Forums

We have a lot of comfort installations that we look after and maintain.
Many of them are Comfort 1 installations.
We made a policy some years ago of upgrading the files wherever possible from the old .ccl to the new .cclx so that everything we \'as up to date as it could be\'.
This policy has worked well BUT is now showing serious flaws!
The \'new\' format does in some way stabalise the old C1 boards, not so many odd things happen and we have never had a problem in upgrading and downloading a file.
HOWEVER over the past few months it has become apparent that adding components is \'fine\' BUT adding anything other than the most simple program turns into a nighmare. Basically when using Comfigurator 3 you have NO WAY of knowing which functions work with C1 and which don\'t and even the ones you think should work like simple \'announce\' commands fail to work.
Its time for us as an installation company to stop adding any further programming to Comfort 1 boards - the time spent testing things that do not work could be far better spent in replacing with an upgrade board.
I feel the same goes for the iphone app - we find that several of our customers have added iphone apps to their C1 systems which is great BUT its all about expectations and well iphone app and C1 is a place we will not go!
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Perhaps it time for Cytech to be definitive about older C1 boards and to say that they are unable to support programming with Comfigurator 3 and that only Comfigurator 2 should be used with C1 boards. 

The iOS and  android  apps require UCM and Comfort version 7 firmware, this is stated in the minimum requirements. Some things may work for Comfort 1, but not fully so we do not support that

Comfigurator 3 is always getting enhanced with every version so it is possible that it may break with Comfort 1. At the very least you should not use any new actions that are supported only by comfort 2. The actions normally state the minimum firmware version

It is probably true that you should not add any new programming to Comfort 1. The last Comfort 1 was manufactured in 2005, and electronic components do have a maximum life, following the bathtub curve. That means that the failure rate will drop very rapidly to a plateau which should last many years, then will rise rapidly towards the end of the life. The life depends on the design (very good), the individual component quality (very good), and the number of components (a lot). The point is that although most Comfort 1 are still working well, in a number of years there will be more failures. It is recommended to upgrade to Comfort 2. This is much cheaper than a new system because you only need to replace the PCB with an upgraded Comfort 2 PCB and upgrades are discounted. The connections and wiring do not need to be replaced (well they do if the wires have deteriorated but that will happen whether you upgrade comfort or not). I believe it is worth the cost.

Please note that Comfort 1 systems are not compatible with Comfigurator 3 with  new UCM/USB or ETH03

The old Comfort 1 does not recognise the commands issued by Comfigurator 3 eg the scanning commands

Comfigurator 2 must be used for Comfort 1. This can be downloaded from https://www.cytech.biz/comfigurator_v2.html

If you are using UCM/USB, Comfigurator 2 does not support USB directly - it only supprts Serial (COM) port. You can find out what serial port is assigned to the USB and use that COM port, or get a UCM to serial convertor

NO NO NO
You CANNOT turn around after many years and tell me that comfigurator 3 is not compatible !
ALL of our comfort 1 installations ( and we have quite a few as it appears that there are very few UK installers left ) are programmed using C3.
We are aware of all of the limitations and have never had a problem - in fact as per other posts the C3 program appears to stabalise many of the issues that occurred with C2.
In fact I\'ve just literally re-programmed a 10 year old basic comfort install using C3 as the customer had no record of the installer or files etc. For basic functionality there is no problem.
  

What I should have said is  that we cannot get Comfigurator 3 to work with Comfort 1
When you log in, using UCM/USB, Comfigurator sends commands that are not recognised by Comfort 1

What UCM do you use?

OK an old serial interface
!

We could not find a UCM01 so we could not check if it can work with Comfort 1
So a clarification is needed;
Comfort 1 and UCM/USB or UCM/ETH cannot work with Comfigurator 3. 
However (according to Home), Comfort 1 and UCM01 (photo below)  can work with Comfigurator 3



If you have Comfort 1 and UCM/USB then you need to use Comfigurator 2

Tech07

Are you pretty sure that Comfort1 will work with UCM/USB using comfigurator 3 ???  I have a comfort1 and have lost my UCM01 which is a rs232 interface and in dire need of another rs232 UCM01 or preferably a UCM that will interface to USB ???  Any thoughts ??  Thanks in advance,   Carl Ford

 

Hi, I am pretty sure I have the rs232 board if you need one. Let me check in the loft in my box of comfort bits. You are welcome to it if I still have one.

Yes I need it if you still have one.  I am in the US  I can paypal you or I can send you a USPS International money order and after you get the $$ then you can ship it to me.  If you find one I want to pay you for it I would not take it unless I can pay you.  It wouldn\'t be right after you will be helping me out of a bad spot.  I recently finished 35 radiation treatments and am somewhat broken for the moment but I will be OK.  Anyway if you find one let me know how much and where to send the $$ or if you need it in another way just let me know how.  Thanks for replying and I\'ll keep my fingers crossed. Respectfully,  Carl Ford