If you add a domelight to the system prior to the dome light controller network board (DLC-LCD) being on the network, you can create a major lag for all other network devices. It is very important to understand that this lag can create confusion that makes individuals “trigger happy”, which further gives the appearance that dome lights and other network devices aren’t functioning properly. Two way communication devices (Ex: RCare Mobile and D-3900 Dialers) and the other domelight controllers in particular are noticably effected. We have seen delays on properly installed DLC’s as high as 20 minutes because of multiple non-network connected DLC’s. It doesn’t matter if you have 20 DLC’s and 19 are funcioning properly, if one is bad, improperly installed, or just has no network, the whole system will be effected.

1. The communication between the cube and when it finally lights a domelight is a multiple step process. The first step is when the cube looks to see if the DLC driver is active. If it is not, you will see the “Dome Light Controller” option in System Settings as blacked out with no hyperlink.

2. The next step is when the driver is active; the cube looks to what DLC’s have been programmed into the driver. If there are no DLC’s programmed, then that is what the driver reports back in a matter of milliseconds. If there are network boards programmed, then one by one starting from the top of the list the DLC driver waits for a handshake response from that programmed network device. This process is always active and constantly looping itself as a failsafe to ensure the devices that have been programmed are communicating with the server.