What is the Swinger Shutdown message from DSC?

[Dixit]

I have three systems on DSC on the same account, and always been wondering when an alarm is tripped like a door, motion, window, etc, (while we are testing it), we get all the events like the specific zone was in alarm, then we turn off the alarm by putting in the code, and we get the email/text saying it was restored, but we always get this event as follows:

Code: Select all

Security Event: Swinger Shutdown
 Location: XXXX
 Time: 2016-02-28 15:36:27
 Partition: 0

Googling up this Swinger shutdown, I simply don't get what its meant for or its purpose. Here is one hit that says the following about this:

Swinger Shutdown/No Swinger Shutdown — If this option is ON, the zone will put the system into alarm if tripped; if that zone is closed (restored), it will trip the system again if opened again (this is a "swinger"). This will happen as many times as is designated in the Swinger Shutdown option under Communication Variables. If option 6 is OFF, the zone will continue to trip the system every time it is restored and re-opened. A door that has been kicked in and damaged will probably not be closed by an intruder; however, a motion detector will continue to reset itself indefinitely.

I just don't get this, anytime a zone is tripped, shouldn't the alarm always be on until someone de-activates it? ON above seems to make me think it auto resets or turns off until its tripped again.

Does everyone get these events?

Thanks
Dixit

[Dixit]

I just pulled this from the MicasaVerde forum

Swinger Shutdown ON
The zone will shut down after a programmed number of alarms, inhibiting further transmissions to the monitoring station. The bell can follow Swinger Shutdown if enabled.
Swinger Shutdown OFF
The zone will not go into swinger shutdown after the programmed number of alarms.


This is also out of the Reference Manual, explaining the transmission limits:


[377]-Communication Variables

Swinger Shutdown (Alarms & Restores)

The value defines the number of attempts (alarm and restore pairs) per zoned that the panel will log and communicate before it shuts down for that zone ("swinger shutdown"). Valid entries are 001 to 014.

Different limits can be programmed for Zone Alarms, Zone Tampers and Maintenance signals. After the panel has generated the programmed number of transmissions for an event it will no longer report that event until the swinger shutdown is reset. For example, the swinger shutdown limit for Zone Alarms is set to [001]. The panel will not send more than 1 alarm signal for each zone with a swinger attribute until the swinger shutdown is reset.


A good example of this would be if, say, your window was broken and used as a point of entry and your motion sensor tripped the alarm. Then, even after the initial trip, the wind continued to blow the curtains and set off the motion sensor again. Without the swinger shutdown, every time the curtains caught a gust of wind, it would trip the alarm again.

If I wanted it to continue to stay in alarm mode (constantly making noise on the siren bell) until I deactivate the alarm via code, Im assuming I want this in OFF mode correct?

Dixit

[GrandWizard]

As you have determined, Swinger Shutdown is required by all monitored alarm systems to inhibit "swingers"; zones that have been violated that continually send ALARM/RESTORAL signals.

As these alarm signals are superfluous they stop after a certain amount of time until the system is reset. In most systems this time is called the BTO (Bell Time Out), or when the partition disarmed.

@Dixit: Yes, all panels are required to have a swinger-shutdown as part of CP-01 false alarm reduction.

[Dixit]

Just so im clear, since I have monitoring through EyezOn, Im assuming I cannot set the Swinger Shutdown to OFF on this then? Same goes for the 377 section on communication variables?

I want the alarm to continue to keep going until I plug in a code, or is that not possible to keep the Bell/Siren from overheating?

Also from my initial reading on this sounds like let say someone broke into my house cleanly (got a door open), Alarm goes off, the intruder then just stayed there hiding, and basically cops come, see nothing wrong (no siren going off now cause say Bell timeout kicked in) and go back, that intruder from what I read can continue to be in that area to say get what they want, and exit (through that same door) and no further alarm happens right? If that intruder goes to another zone and say a motion catches him, Im assuming it would set the alarm back off again after say the Bell timeout.

Do I have this right?

Dixit

[GrandWizard]

Just so im clear, since I have monitoring through EyezOn, Im assuming I cannot set the Swinger Shutdown to OFF on this then? Same goes for the 377 section on communication variables?

No, this has nothing to do with the monitoring station, it is an option in the panel. You can disable it but what's the point? An alarm is an alarm is an alarm. Your monitoring station won't call the police anymore times in a row if it gets 30 alarms from Zone 1 instead of 1.

I want the alarm to continue to keep going until I plug in a code, or is that not possible to keep the Bell/Siren from overheating?

If you live in an urban area this is not allowed. You will get a fine if your siren goes off for a period longer than prescribed by by-law, not to mention having your neighbours hate you. Where I live you cannot have an unattended siren/car alarm go for more than 10 minutes

Also from my initial reading on this sounds like let say someone broke into my house cleanly (got a door open), Alarm goes off, the intruder then just stayed there hiding, and basically cops come, see nothing wrong (no siren going off now cause say Bell timeout kicked in) and go back, that intruder from what I read can continue to be in that area to say get what they want, and exit (through that same door) and no further alarm happens right? If that intruder goes to another zone and say a motion catches him, Im assuming it would set the alarm back off again after say the Bell timeout.

Do I have this right?

Dixit

Nope, at the end of BTO the system is reset like it was just armed. The bad guy would set the alarm off again on the way out.

[Dixit]

Also from my initial reading on this sounds like let say someone broke into my house cleanly (got a door open), Alarm goes off, the intruder then just stayed there hiding, and basically cops come, see nothing wrong (no siren going off now cause say Bell timeout kicked in) and go back, that intruder from what I read can continue to be in that area to say get what they want, and exit (through that same door) and no further alarm happens right? If that intruder goes to another zone and say a motion catches him, Im assuming it would set the alarm back off again after say the Bell timeout.

Do I have this right?

Dixit

Nope, at the end of BTO the system is reset like it was just armed. The bad guy would set the alarm off again on the way out.

Ok that's good. Maybe I read the initial part wrong about the Swinger Shutdown, I thought it said something about once it gets one alarm, it doesn't send anymore, but you are saying after the Bell Time Out, it fully resets and goes into full armed mode again.

So lastly then, what is the point of this option then? Why would someone want to disable it and have say 30 alarm notices come vs just 1?

Btw thanks GrandWizard for explaining all this.
Dixit

[GrandWizard]

So lastly then, what is the point of this option then? Why would someone want to disable it and have say 30 alarm notices come vs just 1?

I have no idea. Good question.

All this came from a time when alarms were sent by "digital dialers" over phone lines. A monitoring station may have a bank of say 10 modems to answer these phone calls. If you are monitoring 10,000 accounts and you have one panel holding up a phone line sending the same signal over and over again, you would quickly be out of a monitoring service (you being the company that installed the panel). Your single panel may prevent a real alarm from getting through.

In today's IP days there is very little you can do to affect a large monitoring station with too many packets. 30 repeated signals is hardly a "denial of service" attack but it is still a nuisance to the station operator who would have to go through pages of signals (events) trying to figure out what is going on at your house. So even though it is just a nuisance, you will be asked to stop it.

[DanSwan]

As per my knowledge different limits can be programmed for Zone Alarms, Zone Tampers and Maintenance signals. After the panel has generated the programmed number of transmissions for an event it will no longer report that event until the swinger shutdown is reset.
The panel will not send more than 1 alarm signal for each zone with a swinger attribute until the swinger shutdown is reset.

[sylvaing]

So lastly then, what is the point of this option then? Why would someone want to disable it and have say 30 alarm notices come vs just 1?

I have no idea. Good question.

All this came from a time when alarms were sent by "digital dialers" over phone lines. A monitoring station may have a bank of say 10 modems to answer these phone calls. If you are monitoring 10,000 accounts and you have one panel holding up a phone line sending the same signal over and over again, you would quickly be out of a monitoring service (you being the company that installed the panel). Your single panel may prevent a real alarm from getting through.

In today's IP days there is very little you can do to affect a large monitoring station with too many packets. 30 repeated signals is hardly a "denial of service" attack but it is still a nuisance to the station operator who would have to go through pages of signals (events) trying to figure out what is going on at your house. So even though it is just a nuisance, you will be asked to stop it.

Nuisance to the operator? How about someone with an outside siren annoying neighbors 30 times at night instead of just 1?

[GrandWizard]

Nuisance to the operator? How about someone with an outside siren annoying neighbors 30 times at night instead of just 1?

Oh yeah, and alienate your neighbours and never been invited to the block party again.