BQT Solutions strives for continuous improvement of its products. To this end, we have recently identified an opportunity to upgrade and further enhance the long-term operation of the Cobalt lock.
Each Cobalt lock utilises capacitors to enable the operation of the lock when power is removed. As with any electronic componentry, there is the potential for these capacitors to malfunction due to damage or degradation over time, or as a result of manufacturing faults. If a capacitor fails, then the operation of the lock could be compromised.
To address this, from December 2020 the Cobalt firmware in use on all production Cobalt locks incorporates an automatic health check feature to periodically test the capacitors, disabling the lock if an issue is identified.
We are pleased to advise that the latest firmware incorporating the health check feature can also be installed on currently fitted Cobalt locks. BQT Solutions is offering a toolkit to all users wanting to upgrade their currently installed Cobalt locks with the latest firmware. In situations where the lock is required to fail safe in a power outage, we would strongly recommend this firmware update be implemented.
A user can upgrade the firmware of an installed lock via the Cobalt’s Micro-USB connector and get immediate confirmation of the capacitor status. With the new firmware uploaded, the working lock can be re-installed with the additional feature of continuous monitoring of the capacitors. Any locks that fail on the first test and are still under manufacturer’s warranty, can be returned for a free replacement.
