Technical Support FAQs

Questions on the Pana40 Plus 3D

How far into the hallway does the 3D zone project?
What happens if someone remains in front of the landing doors?

Questions on Compatibility

Are the Panaforty and Panaeighty compatible with the Pana40 Plus?
What are the differences between the Panaforty and Pana40 Plus systems?
What is the the difference between the Pana40 Plus and the Pana194 Plus or the Panaforty and the Panaeighty?
What are the differences between the Pana40 Plus MKI & MKII controller?

Questions on Installation

Are the detector edges handed and which detector should be mounted on the strike post?
What alternative methods can be used to mount the detectors to the strike post?
Is the Pana40 Plus sensitive to sunlight?
How long does it take to install a Pana40 Plus system?
Are the detectors tolerant to misalignment?

Questions on Specifications and Operation

Does the Pana40 Plus provided a nudging relay?
Can Janus supply alternative detector lengths?
What is the input voltage range on the Pana40 Plus?
What is the relay rating?

How far into the hallway does the 3D detection zone project?

The 3D detection zone extends roughly 70% of the separation between the detectors into the landing measured from the plane of the car doors. The detection performance relies on a number of factors including the size and reflective properties of the target. The 3D works by transmitting infrared light into the hallway and monitoring the infrared reflections reflected back from the target. The greater the reflective properties of the target the further from the landing doors the 3D effectively detects.

For a typical elevator with a 42" opening, the 3D detection zone would project approximately 28" from the elevator car doors into the landing area. The 3D detection zone is projected past the running clearance and the landing doors, which would typically span 8", leaving approximately 20" of 3D detection past the landing doors.

If a door buck surrounds the elevator landing doors it would typically be 18" deep, which would result in little or no 3D detection of people walking past the elevator.

What happens if someone remains in front of the landing doors?

Depending on the 3D mode set up in the Pana40 Plus controller by the elevator mechanic, the elevator doors will do one of two things: i) the 3D will detect the target as the doors begin to close, it will detect the target three times, after the third detection the 3D portion is automatically deactivated leaving just the light curtain between the car doors or ii) once the doors have fully opened the 3D is activated and the doors are held open for a limited period (10 or 20s for the Model 840 or 3.5 to 35s for the Model 842) while someone remains in front of the doors, after this period has expired the 3D portion is automatically deactivated leaving just the light curtain between the car doors.

Note that the 3D portion is reactivated whenever the light curtain is broken.

Are the Panaforty and Panaeighty compatible with the Pana40 Plus?

No. The Panaforty and Panaeighty controllers select diodes in the detectors using a multiplexed line interface and requires a cable with eight cores plus a screen. It uses 8-pin connectors to interface the detectors to the controller which can either be red, black or gray in color depending on the age of the system. To produce a more flexible cable the Pana40 Plus controller was designed to select diodes using a serial line interface which requires only two cores plus a screen. The Pana40 Plus system uses 5-pin connectors to interface the detectors to the controller which are blue.

What is the difference between the Panaforty and Pana40 Plus systems?

There are a number of differences between the detectors and controllers used in both systems. The Pana40 Plus Tx detectors have 2 diodes that form each beam providing redundancy and higher reliability, the detectors also have a stronger aluminum profile which provides better protection to the internal electronics. Both Tx and Rx detectors incorporate a troubleshooting LED for troubleshooting cable problems.

The internal detector pcb's are now pluggable providing a means to replace damaged parts. The Pana40 Plus controller retains the time-out function, beeper and their associated controls. However, the Pana40 Plus controller also has a pluggable wiring strip, a pluggable relay, a seven segment LED for troubleshooting and a metal enclosure.

What is the the difference between the Pana40 Plus and the Pana194 Plus or the Panaforty and the Panaeighty?

The Pana40 Plus produces 40 parallel beams whereas the Pana194 Plus produces 194 crisscross beams across the elevator car doors . This makes the Pana194 Plus more suitable for sites such as shopping malls etc. The Panaforty has 40 parallel beams and the Panaeighty has 80 crisscross beams. These systems were superseded by the Pana40 Plus and Pana194 Plus respectively in 1996 which have numerous advantages over the older Panaforty and Panaeighty systems.

What are the differences between the Pana40 Plus MKI controller and the Pana40 Plus MKII controller?

The main difference is that the Pana40 Plus MKI (Model 840) only has a single door re-open relay whereas the Pana40 Plus MKII (Model 842) has three programmable relays. The individual relays may be programmed to re-open the doors, initiate a nudging command to the elevator controller, signal fault conditions or to act as a backup to one of the other relays etc. The Pana40 Plus MKII also has a mains voltage selection switch, firmware support for the 3D, a second 8-segment LED display as well as other operating modes.

Are all the detector edges handed and which detector is recommended to be mounted on the strike post?

No, only the 3D edges are handed in order that the 3D detection zone is projected into the landing. The transmitter edge must be mounted on the left hand side of the doors when viewed from the landing else the 3D detection will be generated into the elevator car. When installing regular non 3D detectors on a side opening set of doors either the transmitter or receiver may be fitted to the strike post although there are minor arguments in favor of installing the receiver on the strike post.

What alternative methods can be used to mount the detectors to the strike post?

The standard method of mounting a detector to the strike post is by using the special bolts provided in the hardware kit supplied with all universal or side opening systems. However, not all side opening installations are the same due to differences in the elevators construction, specifically the strike post.

If there is no room to easily install the bolts, then remove the plastic lens and use self tapping screws either side of the channel that houses the electronics. Do not drill through the central part that houses the electronics and always make sure that any drill burs are removed before connecting power. Alternatively, double sided tape can be used but this tends to make the detector difficult to remove if necessary.

Is the Pana40 Plus sensitive to sunlight?

All infrared receiver diodes used in any similar system, including the Pana40 Plus receiver detector, will respond to the infrared radiation contained in sunlight or any other forms of light.

By preventative design techniques it is possible to effectively increase the immunity to levels where the system appears to be totally immune. This is largely achieved by modulating the transmitted infrared light at the transmitter and using electronic hardware filters.

Advanced software algorithms in the microcontroller also help to screen any spurious signals that may be due to IR pickup. The specified light immunity for the Pana40 Plus is greater than 50,000 lux.

How long does it take to install a Pana40 Plus system?

There is no fixed time as the installation depends on a number of conditions which include the type of installation and whether it is a new installation or modernization. After the old equipment is removed the Pana40 Plus detectors are each secured to the elevator doors using 5 self tapping screws, the cables are then plugged in and held in place with 'P' clips using self tapping screws. Lastly, 4 self tapping screws are used to mount the controller onto the elevator car. Note that all the mounting hardware is provided with each system.

Are the detectors tolerant to misalignment?

Since the transmitted infrared beams are not sharply focused, the detectors are able to tolerate a certain degree of misalignment. The tolerance to misalignment may be measured as the maximum allowable separation between parallel center lines for a given separation.

The tolerance to misalignment will be greatest when the detectors are separated by the door opening width e.g. at a separation of 42" the tolerance to misalignment will be +/- 25" horizontally! The minimum tolerance to misalignment will be when the detectors are touching surfaces i.e. when the doors are fully closed. In this situation the detectors will tolerate alignment within +/- 0.5" horizontally and +/- 1" vertically as indicated in the Pana40 Plus Installation Booklet.

Does the Pana40 Plus provide a nudging relay?

Yes, the Pana40 Plus MKII (Model 842) controller provides three programmable output relays which may be configured to provide a nudging signal. Note that the door operator must be able to support this function and be able to close the doors under reduced speed and torque. If the detectors have been blocked for more then a preset time i.e. between 10-70s adjustable, the main door re-open relay is energized (door close signal) and the second relay is de-energized (slow speed signal). The third relay is usually configured to follow the second relay and may be connected to an external alarm.

Can Janus supply alternative detector lengths?

Janus can offer alternative detector lengths for most of our standard products.

What is the input voltage range on the Pana40 Plus?

The Pana40 Plus controller may be supplied with an a.c. or d.c. voltage. If the controller is set for 110V a.c. the input voltage may range anywhere between 93-127V a.c. The Pana40 Plus controller is also available with a 220V a.c. input voltage which may range from 195-265V a.c. Alternatively, all controllers i.e. MKI or MKII may be supplied with 11-25V d.c.

What is the relay rating?

The relay has a rated voltage of 250V a.c. at 10A or 30V d.c. at 10A for resistive (d.c.) loads. For inductive (a.c.) loads the switching current should be de-rated according to the power factor. The current reduction factor can vary between 1 and 0.35 depending on the type of load. Note that the minimum specified switching current or 'wetting current' is 10mA. It is actually possible to switch 110V d.c. but the switching current must not exceed 0.5A for resistive (d.c.) loads.