CORTEX firmware 6.20 is the most significant release in years. The entire web
architecture has been rewritten, and a long list of new functions has been built on top of it. It is
on DEX
now, the upgrade is free, and it is the same release for the CORTEX 320 and the CORTEX 360.

A new web server, rebuilt from the ground up

Almost everything else in version 6.20 sits on top of this one change. We rebuilt the CORTEX web
interface from the ground up. The screens you know are still the screens you know. The engine
underneath them is new.

The difference shows up first on the backhaul links where data throughput is expensive: a cellular
modem on a mountaintop, a satellite backhaul, a VPN that adds latency to every single request. The
browser now holds far more of the interface in memory, the data format behind the configuration
screens is leaner, and there are fewer round trips to load a screen.

Measured on firmware 6.20.1227 against 6.16.40, same unit and configuration:

Your own figures will vary with the size of your configuration. The new web server also gives our engineering team more freedom in how screens are designed, so new functions will reach your sites sooner.

What else is new

Summary States

A Summary State collects up to 128 I/O points into a single reading that goes active as soon as any member of the list goes active. One per shelter turns a 200-point site into a handful of lines on a dispatch screen. Up to 32 per unit, and each one behaves like a normal I/O point, so it can be alarmed, logged, trended and read via SNMP like anything else.

Eight times the log memory

A CORTEX unit shares one pool of sample memory across all of its custom logs. In version 6.20 that pool has expanded eightfold, from 1,024 samples to 8,196, on the same hardware, with no option to buy. Two new controls, Inhibit State Change Logging and Inhibit Logging, keep the noise out so the memory holds what actually matters.

Alarm Call Instructions

64 sets of 256 characters, attached to any alarm call. The operator who takes the call at 3 a.m. reads exactly what you want done about that alarm, on that site. No instruction binder to hunt down, and nobody has to wake up the one person who knows the site.

Stop memorizing I/O numbers

Any field that expects an I/O identifier now opens a search panel. Pick the category, type part of the description, select from the list. It saves time on every screen, and it removes the most common source of configuration errors: the right function pointed at the wrong point.

A MIB browser built into the unit

Integrating a third-party device used to mean opening its MIB in a separate browser on a PC and transcribing the OID by hand. Load the MIB into the CORTEX unit and you can now browse it right there. Select an object and its OID, entry name, value type and description come with it.

A real toolbar in the Workspace editor

Building a site mimic is now a drawing job. A proper tool palette runs down the left edge of the editor: shapes, logic symbols, lines, text, images, meters, status indicators and live I/O boxes, with undo, redo, save, open and download always within reach.

Bulk configuration by CSV Licensed option

Export the current configuration, edit hundreds of rows in a spreadsheet, import it back. For a network where every site carries the same 200 OIDs with a different IP address, this is the difference between an afternoon and a week. Contact dvsales@davicom.com for availability on your units.

Stronger security

All default passwords have been removed. On the first connection to a unit, or after a factory reset, a fresh user-generated password must be set for the Director user before start-up can continue. SNMPv3 authentication now supports HMAC-SHA-224, 256, 384 and 512, and privacy adds AES192 and AES256, algorithms a security team will recognize on an audit sheet.

Get firmware 6.20

Version 6.20 and the full release notes are on DEX. Read the release notes before you upgrade, and plan the first connection: the Director password has to be set before the unit finishes starting up.

This post was produced with the help of AI and validated by the Davicom team.

There’s an insidious kind of trouble that doesn’t announce itself. No alarm. No overflow. No obvious sign that anything is wrong. Just a quiet failure, unnoticed, day after day… until the bill arrives.

That’s exactly what happened to one of our customers at a lakeside building. Two sewage pumps sat side by side in the basement, each handling a separate drainage system. Both sounded identical when running. And that was the problem.

The Problem Nobody Noticed

For months, one of the pumps had quietly stopped doing its job. Without any visible sign of failure, no flooding, odor, or anything obvious, the problem went undetected. By the time it came to light, the downstream consequences had been building for weeks.

The frustrating part? The fix itself wasn’t complicated. What was missing was simply awareness: a way to know, with confidence, that both pumps were doing what they were supposed to do, every single day.

A Simple Solution With a Long Reach

The customer’s solution was elegant: a Davicom AXON-8A/POE fitted with two AC current sensors, one on each pump circuit. No complex wiring. No dedicated monitoring room. Just a compact, intelligent device that watches for activity and always reports.

The configuration was straightforward:

• Each pump’s electrical draw is continuously monitored
• If the key pump doesn’t register activity at least once per day, an alert goes out immediately
• A weekly activity log provides a running record

No more assumptions. No more surprises. Just quiet confidence that things are working as they should. And an immediate heads-up when they’re not.

The Bigger Picture

What makes this story resonate isn’t the specifics of the plumbing. It’s the scope.

Silent failures are everywhere: a fuel tank draining unnoticed, a refrigeration unit losing power overnight, water creeping past allowed levels, an open door, or a temperature that exceeds safe limits. In each of these cases, the damage isn’t caused by the failure itself. It’s caused by the lack of awareness.

This is true whether you’re managing a vacation property, a commercial building, or a facility where uptime and safety are non-negotiable. The stakes change. The principle doesn’t.

The Davicom AXON-8A accepts up to 8 analog inputs and connects to virtually any sensor — current, voltage, temperature, pressure, level, and contact closure. It sends alerts by email or SNMP, logs activity automatically, and can be configured to trigger responses based on conditions you define. With multiple voltage input options, including power over Ethernet, installation is clean and simple.

Peace of Mind Is a Monitoring Strategy

Our customer at the lakeside building now knows, every day, that both pumps are doing their job. If that ever changes, they’ll know that day, not when the problem becomes expensive.

That’s not a luxury. For anyone responsible for a building, a remote site, or a facility where things need to work reliably and quietly, it’s just good practice.

Explore the AXON series

Have a monitoring challenge of your own? We’d love to hear about it. And help you solve it.

From the moment the show opened, it was clear that the stakes at IWCE are different. Not higher or lower. Just different. This show speaks to the people who keep our emergency response systems, public safety networks, and mission-critical communications running. That mission was clear in every handshake, technical question, and hallway conversation. There’s a deep sense of responsibility that flows through this community, and it was both humbling and inspiring to be part of it.

For Davicom, our presence at IWCE was more than just a booth in a sea of technology—it was an opportunity to learn, to listen, and to serve. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who stopped by Booth #439, whether to ask a detailed technical question, share an operational challenge, or just say hello. To the many new members of the Davicom community I had the pleasure of meeting: thank you. Your openness and insight left a lasting impression, and I look forward to staying in touch.

Of course, no industry exists in a vacuum. This year’s IWCE unfolded against a backdrop of global uncertainty, particularly in terms of international trade and political tensions. While these topics weren’t always directly addressed, their presence was unmistakable. There was an unspoken current flowing beneath the optimism and innovation. In conversations with both exhibitors and attendees, there was a shared recognition that the future may be more complex than we’ve grown used to. But if this show reinforced anything for me, it’s that this industry is resilient.

Fortunately, at Davicom, our path remains clear: to continue building powerful, reliable solutions that support the critical infrastructure our communities rely on. We’re committed to doing so efficiently, affordably, and with a spirit of collaboration.

As I left Las Vegas with a suitcase (and app) full of business cards and half-written notes, I brought home something far more valuable: a deeper understanding of the telecom landscape and the people who shape it every day.

Here’s to continued learning, connection, and progress—one show at a time.

Meet Your New Support Assistant

Our AI Chatbot is here to complement our expert technical support team, offering:
Instant answers to common questions.
Automatic email referrals for complex issues.
Multilingual support for increased access opportunities for all Davicom users.
24/7 accessibility via our technical support portal.

We’re continuously expanding its knowledge base to make it even more helpful. Try it today! Visit dex.davicom.com and click the chatbox in the lower right corner to experience it firsthand.

Help Us Name the Chatbot & Win an AXON-8D!

Our AI assistant is smart, reliable, and a game-changer for our busy 24/7 Davicom community—but it’s missing one thing: a name! That’s where you come in. Help us name it, and you could win a brand-new AXON-8D, with free shipping within Canada & the U.S. (Limitations may apply to international shipping.)

How to Participate

Submit your name idea by emailing dvsales@davicom.com with the subject line “AI Chatbot Naming Contest” by March 7, 2025.
Voting Round: After submissions close, we’ll host a community poll where you can vote for the best name.
Winning Name: If multiple people submit the same winning name, the prize goes to the first person who sent it in!

We can’t wait to see your creativity. Submit your idea today!

The Davicom Team

What is NEURO? The Most Flexible Remote I/O Platform

• Analog Inputs (NIO-8A) – Voltage monitoring, sensors, telemetry.
• Digital Inputs (NIO-8D) – Contact closures, alarms, status detection.
• Relay Outputs (NIO-5R) – Remote control of external devices.
• Audio Inputs (NIO-4AUD) – NEW!

Learn More About the NEURO Series