Baseline Systems BaseStation 6000 - Manual (Page 23)

P a g e | 15
Adding Valve biCoders
A valve biCoder is a decoder used to activate valves in the field. Each biCoder has a unique serial number and address that
identifies it to the Remote Base Unit. The Remote Base Unit broadcasts a command that activates a biCoder, which, in turn,
activates a valve.
Tip: If you have groups of biCoders, leave a couple of blank fields between each group. While not necessary, it simplifies adding
zones in the future, makes re-ordering zones in the scheduling group easier, and it is easier to visualize your groups when there
is space between them.
Valve biCoders fall into two categories:
• Valve biCoders connected with two-wire – All the biCoders on the two-wire “decode” the message but only the
appropriate biCoder responds and turns the attached valve on or off. The biCoder returns a status message to indicate
whether the activation was successful.
• Powered Valve biCoders connected with conventional wire – You can use a powered biCoder to retrofit a conventional
wire system with Baseline biCoder technology.
To add a valve biCoder
1. On the Main Page of the BaseStation 6000 software, click the Remote Base Unit (1) that the valve biCoder is connected to.
2. Click the Config Zone (2) tab.
3. In the Serial Number column, type the serial number for
the biCoder in an unused address line (3) .
Note: The serial number of the two-wire biCoder is
located on the side of the unit. The serial number for the
powered biCoder is located on the inside of the enclosure
door.
4. Press Enter on your keyboard. The system searches for
the device, tests the solenoid and the communication,
and then displays the Configuration Status message box.
5. Click OK.
Note: When you add a valve biCoder, the background
color of the Zone Description field changes to red because
the program associated with those zones is disabled by
default. For information about enabling programs, refer to
Setting Up Programs (Establishing Water Windows) on
page 30.
6. Type a description of the biCoder in the Zone Description (4) field. Use the description to define the location or area that
this valve is controlling. Now that the valve biCoder is configured in the BaseStation 6000 software, it is referred to as a
zone.
Note: The address numbers for biCoders range from 1 to 200.
Settings for Valve biCoders
After a valve biCoder is configured in the BaseStation 6000 software, it is referred to as a zone.
• Define the mode of each zone – Click the arrow in the Device Mode (1) field (see the illustration on the following page),
and then click one of the following options to define the mode of each zone:

Auto – In order to use this mode, you must have a sensor (such as a soil moisture sensor) installed and configured. This
mode associates the sensor with this zone.