TheAlarmTech.com

ONYXWorks Overview
ONYXWorks is a software package that communicates to fire alarm panels via gateways.
It also connects to Win-PakPE via a Ethernet gateway.
This product is made for a few company's, Notifier,ADT,JCI,Simplex.
In all cases the main fire panels it connects to are the 320,640,3030 via NOTI-FIRE-NET or NIONs.

Tech Support 877.996.6647 NIS.tech@honeywell.com - they will not help end users or techs that do not know the product.
Honeywell owns Notifier who owns NIS who makes this Fire Alarm Computer bases annunciator system

list of same of the panels it works with:
NFS-320, NFS2-640, NFS2-3030
Simplex 2120,4010,4020,4100
Autocall 1500, AC-2, TFX
EST IRC-3,EST-2,EST-3
FCI 7200
Fire•Lite MS-9200
Siemens MXL-3,XL-3
FCI fire panels.

Datasheet - http://www.notifier.com/products/datasheets/DN_7048.pdf
Sellsheets - http://www.notifier.com/products/sellsh ... lSheet.pdf

ONYXWorks Overview - Gateways

The Gateways are how the Software connects to the hardware.
ONYXWorks has a few different gateways.

NFN gateway is designed to communicate to Notifiers NOTI-FIRE-NET
Receiver gateway connects a Digital receiver via a comm port on the workstation.
Win-PakPE gateway connects to the winpak server via a network connection for lock control and event monitoring.
Echelon gateway connects many different panels on the same network, it was the first means of connecting/communication to the fire panels.

ONYXWorks Overview - Echelon

It can be slightly confusing understanding the terminology, but the Echelon or Echelon Network are all the wire, fiber and devices connected to the Echelon Gateway, and the Echelon Gateway is the software that connect the Echelon Network to the Workstation, this is not worded 100% correct but it is close.

The Echelon starts with the Card (ECH-GW-PC-W) thats in the computer which is a wire connection, although not RS485 it acts somewhat like it. It uses a propriety protocol which has its own set of rules for wire length, termination and number of devices/electrical drops, its also non-polarized(no positive or negative) and has a baud rate of 78k

Along with the devices that are designed to connect the fire alarm panels to the Echelon (NOIN-232B,NION-NPB) are the devices designed to convert the wire to fiber or Ethernet, Regenerate the signal and split it. Understanding all the devices and how they connect to one another on the Echelon Network is a big part of understanding the system.

We are smack in the middle of installing a High Speed Fiber Network connecting 50+ buildings to a couple of Onyx Works Work Stations. It has taken a lot of effort to get to the point where we now have one building on the network and about to put 14 more on it in the next week or so.

Here is a list of things we had to accomplish so far.
1) Complete audit of all systems in 50+ buildings
2) Update all documentation (Drawings and systems information)
3) Develop Scope Of Work for each building
4) Develop Bidder Documents for vendors to bid against
5) Evaluate and award contracts to bidders
6) Design Single Mode Fiber Ring around campus on existing fiber infrastructure
7) Install Workstation at my office (more workstations later)

Seems like it's easy but its not. We are also installing First Visions in every lobby for First Responders.

If anyone has experience with a campus Notifier system and has any feedback that may be helpful please feel free to respond. I will keep posting updates and anything that might be usefull to any one.