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UCMA/4G7608 LTE GSM Module instructions - Printable Version +- Comfort Automation/ Security System Forums (https://www.comfortforums.com) +-- Forum: Products (https://www.comfortforums.com/forum-3.html) +--- Forum: GSM Module (https://www.comfortforums.com/forum-48.html) +--- Thread: UCMA/4G7608 LTE GSM Module instructions (/thread-5862.html) |
UCMA/4G7608 LTE GSM Module instructions - slychiu - 05-19-2026 ![]() UCMA/4G7608 — 4G/LTE GSM Module for Cytech Comfort Complete Installation, Setup and Configuration Guide Introduction The UCMA/4G7608 provides a 4G (LTE) cellular network connection to the Cytech Comfort alarm and home automation system. It acts as both a primary or backup communication path for alarm dialout, SMS notifications, and remote access by authorised users. The UCMA/4G7608 consists of a baseboard with an ARM microcontroller and a pluggable 4G/LTE submodule (A7608). All configuration is done through Comfigurator — no special software or app is required. The latest version of this manual can be downloaded from: http://www.cytech.biz/product_details.php?item_id=588 Capabilities
Key Features
Differences from UCM/4G The older UCM/4G module (based on SIM7600) does not support Voice over LTE (VoLTE). It uses the 3G voice band for voice calls and will not be able to make voice calls on networks where 3G has been discontinued. The UCMA/4G7608 supports VoLTE — voice calls are made entirely over the 4G/LTE network. It also uses a new ARM processor baseboard. The A7608 GSM submodule cannot be plugged into the original UCM/4G baseboard PCB. Specifications Code: PCB Size 108 x 88 mmEquipment Required
What Is Included
Note: Package contents are subject to change without prior notice. Contents of This Guide
Post 2 of 7: Hardware Overview — Connectors, ICs & LEDs - slychiu - 05-19-2026 Post 2: Hardware Overview — Connectors, ICs & LEDs PCB Overview The UCMA/4G7608 consists of two main parts:
![]() 3.1 Baseboard Connectors
3.2 GSM Submodule (Daughterboard) Connectors
3.3 ICs
4.1 LEDs on the Baseboard (UCM) Code: D1 "RDY" Green Should be ON at all times during normal operationNote: D9 and D10 should blink rapidly once RS485 communications between Comfort and the UCMA/4G7608 has been established. 4.2 LEDs on the GSM Submodule Code: STATUS (D3) Red Flashes SLOWLY = 3G connection4.3 Comfigurator Status Bar — GSM Signal Quality When viewing the UCM/GSM Modules screen in Comfigurator, the status bar at the bottom shows real-time GSM connection quality. This information is not in the printed manual but is very useful for diagnosing signal issues. Two separate values are displayed: Network Strength (0–10) — indicates the received signal power level from the 4G/LTE tower. Higher is better. Code: 0-2 Very weak or no signal![]() Status bar showing Network Strength 4/10 — Fair Signal/Noise ratio — SINR (0–10) — indicates how cleanly the tower signal can be distinguished from background noise and interference. A high Signal Strength with a low SINR means local interference is degrading the link quality. Code: 0-2 Very poor — SMS delivery or voice calls may be affected![]() Status bar showing Signal/Noise 2/10 — 4 dB Weak Tip: If either value is consistently low, try repositioning the antennas, or use a higher-gain or longer external antenna. If Network Strength is OK but SINR is low, the problem is local interference rather than distance from the tower. Contact Cytech for antenna advice. To read the current values: click Get Status in the Comfigurator UCM Menu Bar. Post 3 of 7: SIM Card, UCM ID Setting, Mounting & Setup - slychiu - 05-19-2026 Post 3: SIM Card, UCM ID Setting, Mounting & Setup 5. SIM Card A Nano-SIM card must be inserted into the SIM card holder (U4) on the GSM submodule. The SIM card may be prepaid or postpaid. Note: A prepaid card does not notify the user when the remaining credit is depleted.
7. UCM ID Setting Comfort supports up to 8 UCM modules on the RS485 bus. Each UCM must have a unique ID, set by the SW7 DIP switch on the UCMA/4G7608. By convention, ID 1 is reserved for the UCM/USB, Wi-Fi, or ETH module. Set the UCMA/4G7608 to ID 2 or above so that RS485 communications failures can be detected and reported by Comfort. ![]() UCM ID DIP switch setting table as shown in Comfigurator Important:
8. Mounting Important: Do not mount the antennas inside a metal enclosure — this will severely degrade the GSM signal. If the UCMA/4G7608 is inside a metal enclosure, route the antenna cables to the outside. Normally the UCMA/4G7608 is mounted in the same enclosure as Comfort because the 5-way audio cable (J3 to J54) is short. If it needs to be mounted elsewhere for better network coverage, use the ADM02 (Auxiliary Distribution Module) to extend the connection. Refer to the ADM02 manual for details. 9. Setup — Step by Step Follow these steps in order before proceeding to Comfigurator configuration:
Note: If there is no network available, BUSY1 turns off and ERR turns on. The UCMA/4G7608 will retry the network connection every 10 seconds. Note — DTMF Detection: If you have difficulty entering your user code during a dial-in or dial-out call, press each key for 1 second and allow 1 second between key presses. Post 4 of 7: Configuration Part 1 — UCM Properties, Security & Phone Numbers - slychiu - 05-19-2026 Post 4: Configuration Part 1 — UCM Properties, Security & Phone Numbers All programming of the UCMA/4G7608 is done through Cytech Comfigurator (version 3.14.10 or above). 10.1 Scanning for UCMs In Comfigurator, click the Modules tab → UCMs. Right-click on UCMs and select "Scan for UCMs" or "Scan for All Modules" to detect connected UCM devices. If you are not connected to Comfort, select "Add UCM" and choose the type as GSM4. ![]() Right-click on UCMs to scan — or Add UCM if offline 10.2 UCM Properties Click on the UCM entry in the left pane (e.g. UCM02) to open the Properties screen. ![]() UCM/GSM5 Properties screen in Comfigurator
![]() Right-click the UCM entry to check for firmware updates 10.3 Help Messages The Help Messages screen shows the SMS help text sent to a mobile phone when it sends "?" or "1" to the UCMA/4G7608. This text can be edited to support other languages. ![]() Help Messages configuration screen 10.4 Security Mode The "Security Mode Names" field defines the text used in security mode SMS messages. The default names (Off, Away, Night, Day, Vacation) can be changed for other languages. The Phone Numbers field in this tab allows entry of up to 2 mobile phone numbers that will be notified when a GSM RS485 Communications Failure occurs — i.e. when Comfort loses RS485 communication with the UCMA/4G7608. ![]() Security Mode names and communications failure phone numbers 10.5 Phone Numbers Go to Security → Phone Numbers to program phone numbers for SMS dialout and voice calls. Click on a Phone Number entry to open its properties. ![]() Phone Number Properties — type, number, and SMS permissions
Note: "SMS" appears as a Phone Type option only when a UCMA/4G7608 or UCM/GSM module is configured as one of the UCMs. ![]() Phone numbers list showing SMS and Voice types Post 5 of 7: Configuration Part 2 — Names, Messages, Control & Status Bar - slychiu - 05-19-2026 Post 5: Configuration Part 2 — Names, Customised Messages, Control & Status Bar 10.6 Zone Names This screen shows zone text initially copied from Comfort's Zone assignments. You can assign different text for GSM SMS messages (up to 32 characters) and add support for other languages. Zone names appear in outgoing SMS alarm messages. ![]() Zone Names — edit zone text for SMS messages 10.7 Alarm Names These are the Alarm Names used in outgoing SMS messages, initially copied from Comfort's Alarm Types. Names can be up to 32 characters and edited for other languages. Default names should generally be left unchanged to maintain consistency across systems. ![]() Alarm Names — alarm type text used in SMS messages 10.8 User Names User names are copied from Comfort (16 characters maximum). They appear in SMS messages for arm/disarm events — e.g. "System Armed by Mr. Big". ![]() User Names screen 10.9 Customised Messages Up to 64 customised messages can be programmed to be sent by SMS. To trigger one, use the Comfort action "Send SMS Message" in Comfort programming, then select the Phone Number and Message number. ![]() Customised Messages — text for up to 64 programmable SMS messages ![]() Comfort action — Send SMS Message to a programmed phone number Important: The number of customised messages that can be sent at one time is currently limited to 3. If more than 3 messages are needed simultaneously, use a Timer Delay between groups of messages. 10.10 Control This screen shows the text for Comfort's Home Control groups and menu items, initially copied from Comfort. Edit names to suit your installation or to shorten them to fit within the 160-character SMS limit. ![]() Control menu — group and item names for SMS control commands Important: Every Control Group MUST have a name assigned for the SMS Control menu commands (4x) to work. If Group 0 has no name, control commands will not respond. 10.11 Menu Bar The menu bar at the top of each UCM configuration screen provides: ![]() Comfigurator UCM menu bar
Understanding the GSM Status Bar (Additional Information) This section contains information not in the printed manual. When you click Get Status, or whenever the UCM/GSM screen is open, the bottom-left status bar shows two real-time quality indicators for the 4G/LTE connection: Network Strength — 0 to 10 The received signal level from the 4G/LTE tower (equivalent to RSSI/RSRP). Think of it like the bars on your mobile phone — higher means stronger signal from the tower. ![]() Network Strength 4/10 — Fair Signal/Noise ratio (SINR) — 0 to 10 The Signal-to-Noise Ratio of the 4G/LTE connection. It measures how clearly the tower signal stands out from background noise and interference. You can have a strong signal but poor SINR if there is significant local interference (e.g. nearby electrical equipment, metal surfaces reflecting the signal). ![]() Signal/Noise 2/10 — 4 dB Weak Code: Reading Strength SINRTips for improving signal:
Post 6 of 7: SMS Messages from Comfort — Format, Examples & Restore - slychiu - 05-19-2026 Post 6: SMS Messages from Comfort — Format, Examples, Restore & Dial In/Out 11.1 SMS Buffer Comfort maintains a buffer of 16 events for SMS reporting, to handle multiple alarms occurring simultaneously. If the buffer fills up (because network problems have prevented sending), new events will not be added and will be lost. Messages not sent due to a temporary signal loss will be sent when the network is restored. Important: If there is a communications failure between Comfort and the UCMA/4G7608 on the RS485 network, SMS messages will be lost and will not be recovered when communications is restored. 12.1 SMS Message Format The format of outgoing SMS alarm messages from Comfort is: Code: HH:MM XXXXXXXXXX - AlarmName - ZZ ZoneName12.2 Alarm Message Examples Code: Intruder alarm, zone 2 (Kitchen Window):12.3 Trouble Alarm Restore Messages When Trouble alarms (Power Failure, Low Battery, RS485 Comms) are restored, the word "Restore" is automatically appended. Reporting of Trouble alarm restores is always enabled and does not require programming. Code: 04:03 100 ABC Road - PowerFail Restore12.4 Zone Restore Messages "Restore" is appended to a zone alarm message when the zone is restored, provided the Zone Restore field is enabled in Security → Zones/Inputs. Code: 09:10 100 ABC Road - Intruder - 02 KitchenWindow Restore![]() Security → Zones/Inputs — set Restore to Yes for zone restore reporting Tip: Zone Restore is useful for smoke sensors, gas sensors, or industrial equipment where knowing when the sensor returns to normal is important. Do not enable it for PIR motion detectors or magnetic contacts — restore reporting would double the SMS traffic without useful purpose. Note: Zone Restore can also be programmed using Engineer Menu 1, 4. 12.5 Armed / Disarmed Messages When the system is armed or disarmed, SMS messages are sent to phones whose dialout is enabled for Alarm Type 19 (System Armed) or Alarm Type 17 (System Disarmed). Messages include the time, the SMS Alphanumeric Id, and the user name. ![]() System Armed and System Disarmed SMS confirmation messages 13. Dialling Out via GSM Normally Comfort will not dial via GSM if a working fixed telephone line is connected. It will dial via GSM only when:
If Comfort is connected to a PABX extension, it will not dial the PABX access digit when dialling via GSM. Configure this in Telecoms → Dialling. ![]() Telecoms → Dialling — PABX extension setting When dialling to a Voice Phone via GSM, Comfort detects when the called party answers and immediately plays the alarm message — without waiting for the caller to say "hello" first. When the telephone line is restored, subsequent dial-outs will revert to the fixed telephone line. 14. Dialling In via GSM To access Comfort remotely, dial the telephone number of the SIM card installed in the UCMA/4G7608. Comfort will answer immediately (without waiting for the programmed number of rings) and prompt: "Please Sign In". Enter the user code as usual to access the system. When the calling party ends the call, Comfort detects the disconnection immediately and returns to normal tasks. This is faster and more reliable than with a fixed telephone line, where Comfort must detect a busy tone to know the caller has hung up. Post 7 of 7: SMS Commands to Comfort — Control, Arm, Disarm & Help - slychiu - 05-19-2026 Post 7: SMS Commands to Comfort — Control, Arm, Disarm & Help Authorised mobile phones can send SMS commands to the UCMA/4G7608 to control Comfort, arm or disarm the security system, and query device status. Basic Rules
15.1 Help Command Send "?" or any unknown command to receive the help menu, which lists all available commands. ![]() Sending ? — the help reply shows available commands 15.2 Security Mode — Query and Commands Send (1) to query the current security mode and receive the arming/disarming command menu. Code: Command Action ![]() (10) — disarm reply and mode status | (11) — arm to Away confirmation ![]() Reply after arming to Night mode via SMS If a phone does not have "Allow SMS Disarm" permission, the disarm command will be rejected: ![]() Command Not Permitted — phone lacks the required permission 15.3 Control Menu Commands Send (4) to receive the Home Control menu listing available control groups. ![]() Reply to (4) — Home Control menu showing control groups Send (4x) where x is the group number to see the items in that group. E.g. (41) for the Lights group: ![]() Reply to (41) — items in the Lights control group Send (4xy) to query the status of a specific device: ![]() Reply to (411) — shows device status and on/off commands Send (4xy0) to turn OFF and (4xy1) to turn ON. The UCMA/4G7608 replies with the new status: ![]() Device turned OFF (4xy0) | Device turned ON (4xy1) Note: SMS messages are limited to 160 characters. If the Help or Control menu reply exceeds 160 characters, the message will be truncated. Shorten group and item names in the Control tab in Comfigurator to work around this. Firmware Version History The firmware version is shown in the Version field of the UCM Properties screen. To upgrade: right-click the UCM entry and select "Check for Updates".
Always download the latest firmware for the most current features and bug fixes. Contact & Support
The latest manual can always be downloaded from http://www.cytech.biz/product_details.php?item_id=588 |