Remote Line Controller (RLC) - Grostech.com

JANUS Access Control Systems 

Remote Line Controller (RLC) 

RLC-001 

Product Manual 

INTRODUCTION 

The Remote Line Controller (RLC) has been designed to allow secure automatic dial-up on a 

remote JANUS site. It works in conjunction with a modem to monitor both incoming calls from a 

JANUS for Windows system and reports from local controllers. 

This document describes how to install, configure and use an RLC. 

DESCRIPTION 

A JANUS for Windows system currently supports three types of comms line. 

1. A local line connects from an RS-232 serial port on the PC via an RS-232/422 converter 

and is then hard wired to the controllers. 

2. A network line connects over a TCP/IP network to an Ethernet Comms Converter. 

3. A dial-up line connects via two dial-up modems and a Remote Line Controller that in turn 

intelligently manages the remote IDC’s and IPC’s (see Figure 1 below). 

Modem 

Modem 

IDC 

IDC 

JANUS PC 

Remote Line 

Controller 

IPC 

IDC 

Figure 1. Example of a dial-up comms line. 

In this case the remote boxes are normally off-line and communication is initiated either 

automatically when required (e.g. by a change to the database that affects the remote boxes), 

or by a remote event that causes the RLC to dial back to the PC. 

A dial-up comms line can be up to 1200 metres in length without a repeater. While the line will 

support a maximum of 64 controllers, the RLC will only poll the first 8 controller addresses on 

the line. 

PM004R02 – November 2001 Page 1 of 11 

Grosvenor Technology Ltd © 2001



RLC Features 

Answers calls from the JANUS system 

The RLC monitors the modem, if a call is received, the RLC will check that it is connected to the 

correct JANUS for Windows system. When this is established, it connects the controllers to the 

line for automatic transfer of information. 

Makes automatic calls to the JANUS system 

The RLC polls the first eight controller addresses on the comms line, for information on what is 

happening on the remote site. If one of the events listed below occurs, the RLC connects itself 

to the JANUS for Windows system. After providing security and line information, the controllers 

are connected for automatic transfer of information. 

Compulsory dial-up from the remote site occurs if: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A controller goes off-line from the RLC 

A controller requests a config reset 

A controller event buffer is nearly full 

A controller mains power supply fails 

A controller has a tamper or lock power fail 

A duress pin occurs 

An input tamper occurs 

An RLC tamper occurs 

The RLC is powered-up 

Low battery voltage is detected for the RLC 

Optional dial-up from the remote site occurs if: 

A programmed output group triggers a connection. This can be initiated by an action (the action 

would normally take place on activation of an input). 

Other features 

The RLC will attempt to connect to the JANUS for Windows system every minute until it 

achieves connection. 

Anti-passback and action information is controlled by the RLC during periods whilst it is 

disconnected from the Main JANUS for Windows site. 

The standard controller metal enclosure, PSU and battery backup can be used if wall 

mounting. Alternatively, the MDUI, modem-type euro enclosure can be used for desk or 

shelf mounting. 

The RLC can be upgraded by download from the JANUS system in the same way that 

an IDC issue 9 board can. 

Page 2 of 11 PM004R02 – November 2001 




INSTALLATION 

The installation requirements for an RLC are listed in Table 1. 

Description 

Part Number 

1 x Modem c/w chassis back-plate MDM-CHASSIS-001 

1 x Remote Line Controller (Mounts on chassis back-plate RLC-001 

with modem) 

1 x Enclosure (wall mounting, or modem type) IDC-ENC-WHI 

AUX-ENC-GRY 

1 x Power supply IDC-10-PSU 

1 x Battery. Typically 7Ah 

1 x Direct dial telephone point 

1 x 230V power source 

1 x Modem at main site (May already exist) MDM-USRB-CRR 

JANUS for Windows V2.40 

Box firmware dated on or after 09/12/98 (only required for 

auto-dialup and distribution of APB and Action information) 

Table 1. RLC installation requirements. 

The Modem requires 12V AC (separate power supply included with MDM-CHASSIS- 

001) and therefore can not be maintained with a battery. 

EMC Compatibility 

In order to comply with the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC the following installation practices must 

be adhered to:- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use screened cable for all communications connections, Belden #8723 or equivalent. 

Keep all cable runs as short and as neat as possible, particularly inside the enclosure 

where it is recommended to route the cables around the main PCB thus avoiding laying the 

cables on the low voltage circuits. 

Do not route the cables near high voltages or strong magnetic fields 

Ensure that the 0v power supply connection is connected to earth 

Ensure the enclosure is connected to a reliable ground, an earthing stud is provided for this 

purpose in the wall mounting enclosure and ¼” tags are provided inside the desktop 

enclosure. 

Ensure that the enclosure lids are connected to chassis ground and that they are 

sufficiently secured once the installation is complete. Panel gaps should be kept to a 

minimum 

Do not remove any more panel ‘knockouts’ than is necessary to complete the wiring 

installation. 

Safety 

All equipment must be installed to meet Health and Safety requirements and the IEE 16 th edition 

of regulations for electrical installations. In particular, all enclosures must be securely connected 

to a reliable ground. Earth studs are provided in the wall mounting enclosure and earthing tags 

are provided in the free-standing enclosure for this purpose. 





Workmanship 

All wiring should be identified. The use of consistent cable types and colours for each element 

of the system will greatly ease system maintenance and future expansion. 

It is of vital importance to accurately label the installation and to provide detailed ‘as-installed’ 

wiring drawings. Future maintenance and expansion of the system will depend on this 

information. 

Enclosure 

One RLC can be mounted vertically in the standard wall mounting enclosure with an IDC and 

power supply, or with a modem and power supply. Alternatively, a custom designed low-profile 

desk mounting enclosure is available. 

The enclosure should be installed in a secure area to prevent compromise of the system. The 

wall-mounting box may also be mounted horizontally if required. In all situations, sufficient 

space should be allowed to permit engineers to work inside the enclosures for future 

maintenance. 

The RLC should be installed in a clean dry area. It will work satisfactorily between a 

temperature of 0 degrees and 50 degrees centigrade with a relative humidity between 5% and 

85% and no condensation. The air should be completely free of corrosive gases 

Avoid strong magnetic fields generated by transformers and motors etc. Do not install the 

enclosures near to hazardous voltages or where they will be exposed to strong radio frequency 

signals. 

Power Supply 

If the RLC is fitted in a wall-mounting box then a standard 1 Amp power supply can be used. 

This is fitted in the same manner as for an IDC/IPC. Alternatively, if the RLC is mounted in the 

desktop enclosure then a separate plug-top power supply is available. 

It is recommended that a standby battery be used. This is fitted in the wall mounting enclosure 

and is connected in the same way as for an IDC or IPC. 

Communications 

RS-422A comms connections should be made with two individually shielded, twisted pairs (i.e. 

4 wires). All cable should be 22awg or larger, preferably stranded since it is less prone to 

damage during installation. Belden #8723 or it’s equivalent is recommended. 





COMMISSIONING 

IDC/IPC Setup 

Currently the RS-422A comms speed must be set to 4800 baud. 

Addresses should start at 1, any box with an address above 8 will NOT be polled by the RLC, 

and so cannot initiate dial-up or receive action/anti-passback packets. However, JANUS 

Comms can communicate with these boxes in the normal way when the link has been 

established. 

The Upstream/Downstream GND Select link on the IDC should be set to Downstream to 

ensure that only one end of each segment is grounded. See the Connection Details section for 

further information. 

Board Layout 

The mounting holes must be connected to chassis earth via the mounting stud. 

Five way connector blocks are used for RS-422A connections, RS-232 connections are made 

via a standard 9 way ‘D’ connector mounted directly on the PCB. 

Status LEDs 

Jbus 

Pbus 

Run 

Pulse 

Eng1 

Eng2 

Mounting hole 

1. In (Red, PSU Load +ve) 

2. Sense (Blue, PSU LED) 

3. GND (Green, PSU Load -ve) 

Aux I/O Connector 

for future use 

Tamper Switch 

connector 

Power In 

+12V DC 

Modem connection 

2 - RxD 

3 - TxD 

4 - CTS 

5 - GND 

7 - RTS 

Pbus 

(For future use) 

Configuration Switches 

OFF ON 

1 

8 

SCRN 

RX-B 

RX-A 

TX-B 

TX-A 

Mounting hole 

Figure 2. RLC board layout (not to scale). 

An auxiliary I/O port has been provided for future development. No connection should 

be made to this port as it may cause irreversible damage to the RLC. 





Configuration switch settings 

The 8-way dip switch is used to make changes to the operational settings of the RLC. 

Switch # Default Operation 

Setting 

1 ON Line termination and failsafe resistors are activated. 




5 OFF Comms Protocol. OFF for RS-422A, ON for RS-485 

(not supported at this time). 

6 ON Pbus termination. 

7 ON Pbus termination. 

8 OFF Clear configuration. With the RLC powered, momentarily 

move this switch to the ON position to clear the 

configuration. JANUS Comms will need to connect and 

download new information before the RLC will operate. 

Table 2. Configuration switch settings. 

Please note that the switch settings are only read when the power is first connected 

to the RLC. Thus, when changes are made to the settings the RLC will need to be 

switched off and re-started before the changes take effect. 





Status LEDs 

Once the board is running the status can be monitored on the LEDs mounted on the front of the 

board. There are six LED’s, only five of which are currently used. See a description of each 

below. 

Jbus (yellow) 

This LED indicates the drive of the JANUS IDC/IPC communications bus. This should be ON 

when using RS-422A. 

Pbus (yellow) 

This indicated the drive of the local Pbus. Normally OFF. 

Run (green) 

Indicated the main RLC processor is running. Normally ON. 

Pulse (green) 

Indicates the supervisory processor is running. Normally PULSING. 

Eng1 (red) 

Indicates any abnormal conditions. Normally OFF. The RLC will indicate a problem by flashing a 

code made up of a combination of 8 long or short pulses. A long flash indicates a problem. By 

counting through the chain of 8 flashes and taking note of which are long, the problem can be 

determined. Table 3 below gives the meaning of each long flash. 

Flash # Problem 

1 RLC requires a reload (memory has been cleared) 

2 Can not establish communications with modem 

3 Can not establish communications with Jancomms 

4 Lost communications with an IDC/IPC (box off-line) 

5 Mains power to RLC has failed 

6 Battery voltage to RLC is low 

7 Unused 

8 Unused 

Table 3. Fault diagnosis. 

If Eng1 is on continuously, this indicates an internal fault. 

Eng2 (red) 

Not currently used. Normally OFF. 





CONNECTION DETAILS 

RS-232 

A 9 to 25-way cable is used to connect the modem to the RS-232 port on the RLC. 

RS-422A 

Connect the screen to the SCRN terminal at both ends and use the Upstream/Downstream 

GND select link on the IDC set to Downstream in order to ensure that only one end of each 

segment is grounded. See Figure 3 below. The SCRN terminal is grounded within the RLC. 

RLC Jbus RS-422 

TX-A 

TX-B 

RX-A 

RX-B 

SCRN 

First IDC 

RS-422 Comms 

Upstream Comms 

TX-A 

TX-B 

RX-A 

RX-B 

SCRN 

TX-A 

TX-B 

RX-A 

RX-B 

SCRN 

Downstream Comms 

Figure 3. RS-422A Connection details. 

All Further IDCs 

RS-422 Comms 

Upstream Comms 

TX-A 

TX-B 

RX-A 

RX-B 

SCRN 

TX-A 

TX-B 

RX-A 

RX-B 

SCRN 

Downstream Comms 

(To Upstream Port of Next IDC/IPC) 

When discussing JANUS communications, the convention has been adopted that 

upstream is towards the host computer and downstream is away from the host. 

Power Supply 

The power supply connections from the RLC should be taken from the OUTPUT + and 

OUTPUT - terminals on the PSU. Connection to the RLC is made via the Molex 3-pole 

connector on the board (see Figure 4). Care should be taken to ensure that polarity is not 

reversed. The OUTPUT - terminal of the power supply should also be grounded to the chassis 

earth via the mounting stud. 

RLC Power IN 

10-14V DC 

200mA 

+12V 

S 

GND 

Red 

Blue 

Green 

Molex 3-pole 

connector 

IDC PSU 

LED 

Figure 4. Power supply connections. 





CONFIGURING REMOTE LINE CONTROLLERS 

The RLC must be configured in the JANUS Database Update program. For full details, consult 

A Guide to Using JANUS for Windows by Grosvenor Technology Ltd. 

Three elements need to be set up on the JANUS system for the RLC to function: 

 

 

 

At least one modem should be defined. 

The comms line must be defined as requiring a local modem. 

The RLC itself must be defined on the comms line. 

1. In the JANUS Database Update program, click the mouse on Open · Hardware · Remote 

Line Controller. The RLC dialog opens as shown in Figure 5. 

Figure 5. RLC dialog in JANUS Database Update program. 

2. To enter details of a new RLC click on the New button followed by the Choice button. 

Figure 6. Selecting line name for RLC. 





3. Select the Line Name to be used. Click OK. 

You must select a line that is defined as a Local Modem line. 

4. Type the telephone number that the RLC will need to dial to connect to the incoming 

modem on the PC. 

5. With the cursor in the Trigger dial-up field, click on Choice. 

Figure 7. Select output group that will trigger dial-up. 

6. Select an Output Group, that will start the dial up when triggered. Click OK. 

7. With the cursor in the Reporting category field, click on the Choice button. 

Figure 8. Select reporting category. 





8. Select the name of the reporting category record that defines the messages you want from 

this RLC. Click OK. 

9. Select Save. 

You can define a new reporting category, either by clicking on the Add+ button in the 

Choice box, or by clicking on Open · Hardware · Box · Reporting. 

10. Repeat for each RLC to be configured. 

Millars Three, Southmill Road, Bishops Stortford, Herts, UK, CM23 3DH. 

Tel: +44 (0)1279 838000, email: sales@grosvenortechnology.com, web: grosvenortechnology.com

Remote Line Controller (RLC) - Grostech.com

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