PCS PulseWorx Gateway — Full User Guide (Setup, Scheduling, Remote Access, Firmware)

User Guide (v1.5) for the PCS PulseWorx Gateway — an IP-network Powerline Interface Module (similar to the PulseWorx PIM-R RS-232 version) that adds a built-in IP web server and Timed Event Controller, enabling UPStart Configuration Software and mobile/remote apps to communicate with a UPB network over a hardwired or wireless LAN, or over the internet.

Initial Setup

1. Plug the Gateway in and connect it to your router with a standard Ethernet cable.
2. Wait at least 1 minute. The Gateway is ready when the yellow (left) LED is solid and the green (right) LED blinks randomly — this means it has acquired an IP address.
3. Install UPStart (version 8.0+ required for Gateway support) if not already installed.
4. In UPStart, press "Configure" in the "Powerline Interface" panel of the Network ribbon.
5. Select "PulseWorx Gateway" from the Interface Type dropdown.
6. Press "Discover PulseWorx Gateway" to locate its IP address and port (default port 2101). If discovery fails, check your router's device table.
7. Press "Connect" (leave username/password blank initially). A connection dialog shows the firmware version numbers.
8. Open your home UPB file (or start a new one).
9. In the "PulseWorx Gateway" ribbon category, press "Location" and enter your zip code (or manual configuration for non-US locations). This sets the Astronomical Real Time Clock used for sunrise/sunset calculations. A "table not found" popup is expected on a new Gateway — just clear it.
10. Press "Time," select "Set to current time," and press "Set Gateway Clock." A battery backup maintains the clock through power outages for 5+ years.
11. Press "Users" and create at least one username/password (write it down!). Enable all options for this first user; add more users later.

Once complete, the Gateway is fully functional and behaves like a serial/USB-connected PIM for UPStart operations.

Configuring Icons for Mobile/Remote Access

Remote apps display room and device icons. Configure these before exporting:

• Room icons: In the "Gateway Export" panel, press "Room Icons" to assign an icon per room.
• Device icons: Open a device's properties → "Remote Access" tab to set its icon and label text. You can disable "Show Icon" to hide a device from the remote display.
• Two-channel devices (e.g. PCS OCM2): select an icon/label per channel; untick unused channels.
• Input modules (ICM, TCM, DBM): name each input to show its state remotely.
• Keypads: ensure engraving info is set so button names display correctly in the popup virtual keypad on remote apps.

Exporting the Design to the Gateway

Press "Export" in the "PulseWorx Gateway" ribbon category, then "Start". Export options include:

• Device state handling: "Clear Gateway State" (default, sets all devices to "unknown"); "Update Gateway state from UPStart state" (use after running Network – Status All, gives accurate state but takes longer); "Never update Gateway state" (leaves the state table untouched — fine for minor changes with no added/removed devices).
• Schedule handling: choose to always save, never save, or check-and-prompt if the Gateway's stored schedule differs from the UPStart file's schedule.

Important: UPStart and remote apps cannot access the Gateway simultaneously — UPStart has priority and blocks other connections until it disconnects. Up to 8 devices can connect to the Gateway at once (but not while UPStart is connected); only one UPStart session can connect at a time.

Remote Access Applications

Available for Windows (PulseWorx-App), iPhone/iPad, and Android — all downloadable from the PulseWorx website / app stores.

• Configure the connection with the Gateway's IP address (primary + optional secondary for home vs. away access), port (default 2101), username, and password.
• A "Find Gateway on Connect" / "By Discovery" option locates the Gateway automatically, but only works on the same network subnet.
• Tapping a room shows device icons; tapping a device toggles it on/off; a long-press/double-click opens a control panel (on/off buttons, dimmer slider).
• Keypad icons open a virtual popup keypad — pressing a button performs the same single-click action as the physical keypad button (double-click, hold, and release actions are not supported remotely).
• Apps disconnect when moved to background and resync state when brought back to foreground.

Two-address example: at home, use the Gateway's local IP as the primary connection; away from home, use a dynamic DNS name (e.g. via DynDNS.org) as the secondary connection, which resolves to your router's public IP through port forwarding.

Security Considerations

The Gateway stores up to 4 users (username/password up to 16 characters each, case-sensitive; commas not allowed). Each user has three configurable abilities:

• Modify Users — can read/update the user table itself (needed by at least one "administrator" user; losing this credential requires a full factory reset).
• Export Access — can update all Gateway tables via UPStart export (needed by whoever maintains the UPB installation).
• Modify Schedule — can update the stored schedule from UPStart or remote apps.

For enhanced security, consider a VPN (setup is beyond the scope of this guide/PCS support).

Virtual Keypads

A virtual keypad is a keypad device added to your UPStart design (via "Add Virtual Keypad" in the "Gateway Tools" panel) that has no physical hardware counterpart, but appears and functions in the mobile apps exactly like a real keypad — useful for creating simplified, scene-only control interfaces for less technical household members.

Time-Based Scheduling

The Gateway includes an autonomous scheduler (similar to the PulseWorx TEC) supporting 4 schedules and 256 total schedule entries combined. Schedule entries send scene commands at fixed times or sun-relative times (e.g. sunset + 10 minutes) on chosen days.

• Weekly scheduling: entries recur on specified weekdays every week; only one of the 4 schedules is "current" at a time, selected manually (e.g. Normal vs. Vacation).
• Calendar scheduling: each calendar day (5-year calendar stored) is paired with one of the 4 schedules; the Gateway auto-switches the current schedule at midnight based on the calendar. Useful for holidays/commercial closures. Only supported in UPStart and PulseWorx-App — NOT in the iPhone/iPad/Android mobile apps.

Switching scheduling modes clears existing schedule entries. Each schedule entry configures: applicable day(s) (Every Day, Mon–Fri, Sat–Sun, custom weekdays, or a specific date), trigger time (fixed time or sunrise/sunset relative, optionally "vary" within N minutes for a less predictable/lived-in feel), and an action (Activate, Deactivate, Go to 100%, Go to 0%) applied to a chosen scene. An optional "override" scene can suppress the entry if that scene was already activated (e.g. via a keypad override button).

Single device control: since the scheduler works on scenes (not individual devices), create a scene containing only that one device in its Receive Components table to schedule it individually.

Note: because the schedule is stored both in the Gateway and in the UPStart file, edits made via a remote app while disconnected from UPStart can create conflicts; UPStart will warn you and offer to use the file's schedule, the Gateway's schedule, or cancel the edit.

Resetting the Gateway

The Gateway has one relevant recessed button (access via a small hole with a straightened paperclip). Button-press sequences are written as x-y-z (number of presses in each phase, evenly paced, about ½ second per press/pause).

To exit boot loader mode without making changes, simply power cycle the Gateway.

Removing users without a full reset (UPStart method): if a Reset password was previously set (found on a factory sticker, or one you created), attempt to connect via UPStart, let it fail, then use the "Password Reset" button that appears and enter the Reset password. If you've lost both your user credentials AND the reset password, a full factory reset is the only option.

Setting a specific static IP: connect via UPStart, press "Network Settings" in the Powerline Interface configure dialog, choose "Assign Static address," and enter the IP, subnet mask, and gateway address. Changes require a power cycle to take effect.

Accessing the Gateway from Outside Your Firewall

Two requirements: (1) a way to resolve your home's changing public IP — a dynamic DNS service like DynDNS.org is recommended, giving you a stable hostname (e.g. myhomenest.dyndns.org); and (2) Port Forwarding configured on your router/modem so that traffic to the Gateway's port (default 2101) is directed to the Gateway's internal IP address. Port forwarding configuration varies by router/modem model — consult your device's documentation.

UPStart Considerations

• UPStart's connection method differs from remote apps — connecting with UPStart disconnects all other apps.
• Network delays may require increasing UPStart's Gateway timeout settings (Options → Timeouts tab).
• Connection Catalog: for installers managing multiple sites, UPStart can store a catalog of Gateway connections (file: Gateway.gcat) — enable via UPStart Options → "UPStart Operations" tab. Usernames/passwords can be omitted from the catalog and entered at connect time instead, for added security. PulseWorx-App shares the same catalog file if present on the same computer.

Firmware Updates

Each UPStart installation includes the latest Gateway firmware. UPStart checks the Gateway's firmware version on connect and prompts if an update is available. To update: go to the "PulseWorx Gateway" category → "Advanced" panel → "Firmware Update" button, and follow the prompts. The Gateway restarts after each firmware image is transferred, with a ~120 second pause per restart. UPStart reconnects automatically once the update completes.