Viking RC-4A Product Manual

PRODUCT MANUAL

Designed, Manufactured and Supported in the USA

COMMUNICATION & SECURITY SOLUTIONS

Control Relay Contacts Across a Local Area Network

Features

The RC-4A Network Enabled Relay Controller provides
networked control of four relays via an easy-to-use web
interface. The same interface can be used to check the
status of four contact closure inputs. Relays can be
toggled on or off, or activated for a length of time.

The RC-4A can be configured to work as a remote relay
for Viking VoIP series phones, controlling door strikes
and gates when a remote relay is required for security
reasons. It can also be programmed to send an email or
text message in response to a change in one or more of
the sensor inputs. Two RC-4A’s can be set up so that
activity on a sensor input of one unit will automatically
send a message across the network to activate one of
the relays on the other unit.

Two levels of user access permit selected users to have
full operational and programming rights while others have
operational control but not programming capability.

• Terminal strip connections for normally open,
normally closed, and common for all four relays

• Relays can be toggled or timed closures of from 1
to 99 seconds can be activated

• Terminal strip connections for all four sensor
inputs

• Notification by email or text message of
sensor input state change

• Can be used as a secure remote relay for
Viking VoIP series phones

• Remote Interaction: sensor change on one
RC-4A triggers relay activation of a second
RC-4A across network

• Ready-to-use webpage control interface

• Encrypted login

• Two levels of access based on login:

- Administrator (full access)

- Guest (programmable limits)

• Relay names, input names and input status can
be customized on webpage

• Firmware updatable

Remote Control of:

• Secure building entry

• Heating/cooling equipment

• Pumps and fans

• Security system

• Gates

• Lighting

• Emergency tones

Power: 120VAC/12VDC 500ma UL listed adapter
provided
Dimensions: 5.25” x 3.5” x 1.75” (133mm x
89mm x 44mm)

Shipping Weight: 1.6 lbs (0.73 kg)
Environmental: 32 F to 90 F (0 C to 32 C ) with

5% to 95% non-condensing humidity

Relay Contact Ratings: 5A @ 30VDC/120VAC
Connections: (1) 12 position screw terminal

block, (1) 6 position elevated screw terminal block

LAN Interface: (1) RJ45 10Base-T/100Base-TX
Minimum Requirements: Windows XP and

newer, Mac OSX or newer, Android 2.2 or newer,
iOS4 or newer (iPhone requires chrome), Java­script enabled internet browser

RC-4A

Network Enabled

Relay Controller

May 9, 2017

Applications

Specifications

www.vikingelectronics.com

Information: [phone]

VIKING

Installation requires a Network Administrator / IT Technician

!

2

Definitions

Installation

LED 7LED 5 LED 8LED 6

LED 3LED 2LED 1

LED 9

LED 4

123on4

MAC:

18E80FXXXXXX

asdesaxtff

C NO NC

RL 1

C NO NC

RL 2

C NO NC

RL 3

C NO NC

RL 4

1 2 3 4 NETWORK

1234

NETWORK

VIKING

ELECTRONICS

HUDSON, WI 54016

NETWORK ENABLED

RELAY CONTROLLER

MODEL RC-4A

©

VIKING

1

IN1 C IN2 IN3 C IN4

23456

LOGIC LEVEL
PROGRAMMING
RESTORE DEFAULTS
DEBOUNCE

POWER 12V DC

RELAY 1 RELAY 2 RELAY 3 RELAY 4

1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 126

STATUS

LED

12V DC

Adapter

(included)

Temperature Sensor

Door Sensor

Liquid Level Sensor

Light Sensor

Doorstrike

Gate

Light

Fan

Relay Examples:

Sensor Examples:

Router

PC

IMPORTANT: Electronic devices are susceptible to lightning and power station electrical surges. It is recommended
that a surge protector be installed to protect against such surges.

Hook up the RC-4A as shown above. The relay outputs can be connected to devices that are controlled by contact
closures, such as doorstrikes or gates. Both normally open and normally closed terminals are provided. The sensor
terminals are to be connected to devices that indicate their state by either opening or closing a contact. Examples
would include a maximum or minimum temperature sensor or a door sensor. When all the relay and sensor
connections have been made, use a network cable to connect the network jack on the RC-4A to a network jack on
your LAN. Plug in power to the RC-4A.

When RC-4A is powered up, it sends a request to the network server to assign it an IP address. If there are addresses
available, the server assigns one and relays this information to the RC-4A. From this point on, this address is used
by the RC-4A to communicate with the rest of the network.

Authentication - Basic: Login credentials (username/password) are sent over the network in plain text. This option is less secure, but improves
compatibility with some browsers.

Authentication - Digest: Login credentials are encrypted before being sent over the network. This option is more secure, but may not work with
some browsers or smartphones.

Client: A computer or device that makes use of a server. As an example, the client might request a particular file from the server.

DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. In this procedure the network server or router takes note of a client’s MAC address and assigns an

IP address to allow the client to communicate with other devices on the network.

DNS Server: A DNS (Domain Name System) server translates domain names (ie: www.vikingelectronics.com) into an IP address.

Ethernet: Ethernet is the most commonly used LAN

technology. An ethernet Local Area Network typically uses twisted pair wires to achieve

transmission speeds up to 1Gbps.

IP Address: This is the address that uniquely identifies a host on a network.

LAN: Local Area Network. A LAN is a network connecting computers and other devices within an office or building.

DHCP Lease: The amount of time a DHCP server reserves an address it has assigned. If the address isn’t used by the host for a period of time,

the lease can expire and the address can be assigned to another host.

MAC Address: MAC stands for Media Access Control. A MAC address, also called a hardware address or physical address, is a unique address
assigned to a device at the factory. It resides in the device’s memory and is used by routers to send network traffic to the correct IP address. You
can find the MAC address of your RC-4A printed on a white label on the top surface of the network jack.

Router: A device that forwards data from one network to another. In order to send information to the right location, routers look at IP Address

, MAC

Address and Subnet Mask.

Server: A computer or device that fulfills requests from a client. This could involve the server sending a particular file requested by the client.

Static IP Address: A static IP Address has been assigned manually and is permanent until it is manually removed. It is not subject to the Lease

limitations of a Dynamic IP Address assigned by the DHCP Server.

WAN: Wide Area Network. A WAN is a network comprising a large geographical area like a state or country. The largest WAN is the Internet.

A. Installing the RC-4

3

4. Authentication

The RC-4A is securely accessed using the Digest Authentication procedure. There are two levels of access,
each requiring the entry of a username and password. The Guest level allows operation of the relays but not
programming of their default closure times or changes to username and password or network settings. The
Administrator level allows both relay operation and programming (see Programming sections A and B. The
default usernames andpasswords are listed below:

Guest username: guest Admin username: admin
Guest password: password Admin password: viking

There is one guest username and password available, and one admin username and password. It is
recommended that these be changed to unique values for better security. If you forget your username and
password, see C. DIP Switch Programming, Switch 3 to return to the original factory settings and reprogram
the usernames and passwords. Note: If secure login is not required, the RC-4A can be programmed to skip

authentication. See Operation Without Authentication on page 8.

B. Setting Up the RC-4A on the Network

1. Dynamic IP Address

The easiest way to get the RC-4A running on your local area network is to make use of the network’s ability
to automatically assign an IP address to the unit through a process referred to as DHCP. First, go to
https://www.vikingelectronics.info/downloadx/_install/RC-4A_Discoverer.zip and download the Viking RC-4A
Discoverer. Next, connect the RC-4A to the network using a network cable and power it up. The Status LED
will fast-flash for a few seconds while the unit initializes. When the Status LED is lit steady, start the discoverer
by double-clicking on the icon. The discoverer displays any RC-4’s or RC-4A’s it finds on the network. If more
than one is shown on the discoverer’s display, you can distinguish between them by comparing the MAC
address shown in the display with the MAC address printed on the unit’s network jack, or by looking at the
device name.

Important: If more than one RC-4A will be installed on the network, each unit must be assigned its own unique
device name to avoid unintentionally connecting with the wrong unit. See Settings section C. Network
Settings for more information.

To connect with the RC-4A, just click on the line corresponding to the unit you want to connect to and the
authentication page appears. See section 4. Authentication.

An Android version of the RC-4 Discoverer is available for free from the Google Play store.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vikingelectronics.rc4discoverer

2. Device Name (Windows only)

An alternative way to access the RC-4A is to use its device name. When the RC-4A is connected to a network,
there is a device name associated with it. Most networks allow the user to address the unit using this device
name, which is a sort of nickname that can be used instead of typing in the full four-byte IP address of the unit.
The default device name of the RC-4A is MYVIKING. Type this into the address bar of your browser and press
enter or click on the arrow, then proceed to section 4. Authentication.

Important: If more than one RC-4A will be installed on the network, each unit must be assigned its own unique
device name to avoid unintentionally connecting with the wrong unit. See Settings section C. Network
Settings for more information.

3. Static IP Address

For applications that require a static IP address, first arrange with your network administrator for an address
on the server to be configured as a static IP address. Then use one of the above two methods to connect to
the RC-4A. Click on Settings at the bottom left of the main page, and at the bottom of the Settings page,
click on Network Settings. Find the Enable DHCP checkbox near the middle and uncheck it. When this is
done, the textboxes below the checkbox are no longer greyed out. In the IP Address box, enter the static IP
address you want to use. The Gateway, Subnet Mask, and Primary and Secondary DNS can be left
unchanged.

4

LED 7LED 5 LED 8LED 6

LED 3LED 2LED 1

LED 9

LED 4

123on4

MAC:

18E80FXXXXXX

asdesaxtff

C NO NC

RL 1

C NO NC

RL 2

C NO NC

RL 3

C NO NC

RL 4

1 2 3 4 NETWORK

1234

NETWORK

VIKING

ELECTRONICS

HUDSON, WI 54016

NETWORK ENABLED
RELAY CONTROLLER

MODEL RC-4A

©

VIKING

1

IN1 C IN2 IN3 C IN4

23456

LOGIC LEVEL
PROGRAMMING
RESTORE DEFAULTS
DEBOUNCE

POWER 12V DC

RELAY 1 RELAY 2 RELAY 3 RELAY 4

1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 126

STATUS

LED

123on4

C. DIP Switch Programming

Switch Position Description

1 OFF Logic Level 12V with a 6V trip point

1 ON Logic Level 5V with a 2.5V trip point

2 OFF Programming access is enabled

2 ON Programming access is blocked

3 OFF Normal operation

3 ON Restore factory programming defaults

4 OFF Normal email notification

4 ON 10 second email debounce

Note: The default setting for all dipswitches is OFF.

Switch 1 – Logic Level

This dipswitch lets you set the logic level for the contact closure inputs. In the default OFF position, the logic
level is 12V with a 6V trip point, which is best for long, relatively noisy runs. The higher trip point makes the
input more immune to noise. Closing the switch sets a 5V logic level with a 2.5V trip point. This is the preferred
level for a short run to another device with a similar logic level.

Switch 2 – Programming

Dipswitch 2 allows programming on the Set Defaults and Network Configuration pages. It works in conjunction
with the user’s authentication level. If the user is logged in as a Guest, no programming is possible. The
programming pages can be accessed, and the programmable values are visible in their textboxes, but they
are greyed out and can’t be changed. It’s when the user is logged in as an Administrator that Dipswitch 2
makes a difference. If Dipswitch 2 is OFF, programming is permitted. If Dipswitch 2 is ON, programming is
blocked, even when the user is logged in as an Administrator. This hardware switch provides an additional
level of security against hacking. To take advantage of this feature, turn Dipswitch 2 ON when programming
is completed to lock the settings. If security is less of a concern, Dipswitch 2 could be left OFF and remote
programming will always be permitted if the user is an Administrator.

Switch 3 – Restore Defaults

Dipswitch 3 allows a partial or complete return to factory defaults. To start the return to defaults procedure,
turn Dipswitch 3 on. The Status LED will go out for four seconds, and then start flashing at a slow rate for
eight seconds. If Dipswitch 3 is turned off during this eight seconds, the programmed usernames, passwords,
and network settings will be returned to their default values, but any other programmable settings will remain
unchanged. The Status LED begins fast-flashing when Dipswitch 3 is turned off, and after a few seconds it is
lit steady. The return to defaults procedure is complete. If Dipswitch 3 is not turned off during the eight-second
slow-flash window, the Status LED starts flashing at a faster rate. Turning Dipswitch 3 off at this point sets all
RC-4A programmable parameters to their factory settings. The Status LED starts fast-flashing for a few
seconds and then is lit steady, and the return to defaults procedure is complete.

Switch 4 – Email Debounce

With Dipswitch 4 OFF, an input state change results in the RC-4A sending an email with minimal delay. With
Dipswitch 4 ON, a 10 second debounce is required in order for the email to be sent. If the state change lasts
less than 10 seconds, an email is not sent.

5

Operation

Connect to the RC-4A webpage as described in Installation B. Setting up the RC-4A on the Network on page 3.
The RC-4A access page appears.

Near the top of the page, locate and click on Click here for access. The browser’s authentication dialog appears.

For User Name, enter admin, and for
Password, enter viking. The main page
appears. Note that all four remote
sensor inputs are shown Open and the
relays are all Off.

The relays may be toggled On or Off, or
they can be programmed to provide a
timed closure of from 1 to 99 seconds.
Relay 1 is red, indicating that it is Off.
Click on the image of the red circle next
to Relay 1. The circle changes from red
to green, and Relay 1 is turned on.