How to connect a Alarm panel to Homeseer.
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:59 pm
Over the last months I have received many questions on how to connect an Aritech CD34 Alarm Panel to Homeseer. Instead of sending PM's to all, I have decided to make a general description and posted it here.
First a bit of basic sensor technology:
- In line with the alarm sensor two resistors (4k7) are connected. These resistors ( one in parallel with the PIR/REED contact and one serial) make it possible to distinguish between four common states:
o Normal, the alarm contact is closed and everything is normal => 4K7 Ohm
o Triggered, the alarm contact is opened and rest is normal => 10K ohm
o Sabotage, the line has a short circuit => 0 Ohm
o Sabotage, the line is cut => ~ Ohm
For my Homeseer system I am only interested in two sensor conditions: Normal & Triggered. Sabotage is handled by the alarm panel. I also want to know if the panel is armed, if an alarm condition is detected and last but not least I want to be able to arm the panel from homeseer.
General setup
The interface I have built partially uses standard components and partially consists of home brew components. These are the most important components:
<b>1. Homeseer,</b> no further introduction required http://www.homeseer.com
<b>2. Belkin USB over Ethernet hub</b>, enables me to separate the location of the Homeseer server and the alarm interface. Details can be found at : http://www.belkin.com/networkusbhub/ or on multiple threads on this forum
<b>3. DigiBee I/O board</b>, a small PCB that comes with its own Visual basic example programs and drivers. The board features 16 Digital inputs, 16 Digital outsputs and 4 analogue inputs. Details can be found at: http://www.pc-control.co.uk/digibee_plus_info.htm
<b>4. Visual Basic interface</b>, a homebrew piece of code that connects to Homeseer and the Digibee board and has two functions: 1) control the digital outputs on the DigiBee board from virtual devices in Homeseer 2) Update the status of Homeseer virtual deviced if a digital input on the DigiBee board changes.
![Image](http://www.domoticaforum.eu/uploaded/Francois/2009427185251_DigibeeVB.png)
<b>5.Optocoupler interface</b>, again a homebrew project that takes care of galvanic separation of the DigiBee board and its connected inputs.
<b>6. Velleman relay interface K6714-16</b>, an universal relay board that comes with 16 relays and provide galvanic sepration of the DIgiBee outputs and the connected systems. For details refer to: http://www.vellemanusa.com/us/enu/produ ... ?id=351127
<b>7. Analog to digital interface for alarm panel</b>. Interface built on a cheap Atmel Tiny 13 programmable microcontroller that contains a program (developed by a dear friend) that invokes the built in analogue to digital convertor and triggers a digital output based on the input voltage measured. Details on the controller can be found here: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod ... /2535S.pdf
The following paragraphs will further detail the various connections:
<b>1. Reading the sensor inputs.</b> In parallel to all Alarm sensors the Atmel Tiny13 controller measures the input voltage. If the sensor status changes, the input voltage changes and this will trigger the digital output of the controller. The digital output is connected to the DigiBee board by means of an opto coupler and eventually the virtual device in Homeseer is updated to reflect the sensor status.
<b>2. Reading the status of the alarm panel.</b> The various outputs of the alarm panel have been programmed to reflect the status of the panel. (armed / partially armed / triggered). The outputs have been connected via the optocoupler board to the DigiBee interface and are feed to Homeseer in the same fashion as the sensor inputs.
<b>3. Controlling the status of the alarm panel.</b> I have programmed an Homeseer event to partially arm the alarm panel when going to bed. To establish this I have programmed an alarm panel input for this function. The input is connected to the relay board and if the corresponding virtual device in Homeseer changes, the alarm panel is armed or disarmed accordingly.
I have included a high level drawing that provides an overview of the complete setup.
![Image](http://www.domoticaforum.eu/uploaded/Francois/2009427185443_Alarm%20interface.jpg)
I have programmed several events in Homeseer that further automate my home, here are some examples:
- If we leave the house and arm the panel, at daytime all lights are switched off, at night time the security lights are switched on.
- If the panel is armed, security lights will automatically switch on and of depending on the time of day and the dusk/dawn sensor
- If the front door is opened at night, the lights in the hall will automatically switch on
- If the garden door is opened at night the lights in the porch are switched on
- If I enter the living room and it is dark, the Homeseer Touch panel will automatically switch on.
So far, looking forward to replies and comments, please describe your setup!
@PIETER: please feel free to move this to another section if you feel this would be better.
Francois
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Homeseer V2, RFXcom receiver, Harrisson Electric Curtains, Touchscreen + homebrew interface. DigiBee+, Velleman Relay board, homebrew optocoupler interface, homebrew Aritech interface, homebrew DigiBee-Homeseer interface.
First a bit of basic sensor technology:
- In line with the alarm sensor two resistors (4k7) are connected. These resistors ( one in parallel with the PIR/REED contact and one serial) make it possible to distinguish between four common states:
o Normal, the alarm contact is closed and everything is normal => 4K7 Ohm
o Triggered, the alarm contact is opened and rest is normal => 10K ohm
o Sabotage, the line has a short circuit => 0 Ohm
o Sabotage, the line is cut => ~ Ohm
For my Homeseer system I am only interested in two sensor conditions: Normal & Triggered. Sabotage is handled by the alarm panel. I also want to know if the panel is armed, if an alarm condition is detected and last but not least I want to be able to arm the panel from homeseer.
General setup
The interface I have built partially uses standard components and partially consists of home brew components. These are the most important components:
<b>1. Homeseer,</b> no further introduction required http://www.homeseer.com
<b>2. Belkin USB over Ethernet hub</b>, enables me to separate the location of the Homeseer server and the alarm interface. Details can be found at : http://www.belkin.com/networkusbhub/ or on multiple threads on this forum
<b>3. DigiBee I/O board</b>, a small PCB that comes with its own Visual basic example programs and drivers. The board features 16 Digital inputs, 16 Digital outsputs and 4 analogue inputs. Details can be found at: http://www.pc-control.co.uk/digibee_plus_info.htm
<b>4. Visual Basic interface</b>, a homebrew piece of code that connects to Homeseer and the Digibee board and has two functions: 1) control the digital outputs on the DigiBee board from virtual devices in Homeseer 2) Update the status of Homeseer virtual deviced if a digital input on the DigiBee board changes.
![Image](http://www.domoticaforum.eu/uploaded/Francois/2009427185251_DigibeeVB.png)
<b>5.Optocoupler interface</b>, again a homebrew project that takes care of galvanic separation of the DigiBee board and its connected inputs.
<b>6. Velleman relay interface K6714-16</b>, an universal relay board that comes with 16 relays and provide galvanic sepration of the DIgiBee outputs and the connected systems. For details refer to: http://www.vellemanusa.com/us/enu/produ ... ?id=351127
<b>7. Analog to digital interface for alarm panel</b>. Interface built on a cheap Atmel Tiny 13 programmable microcontroller that contains a program (developed by a dear friend) that invokes the built in analogue to digital convertor and triggers a digital output based on the input voltage measured. Details on the controller can be found here: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod ... /2535S.pdf
The following paragraphs will further detail the various connections:
<b>1. Reading the sensor inputs.</b> In parallel to all Alarm sensors the Atmel Tiny13 controller measures the input voltage. If the sensor status changes, the input voltage changes and this will trigger the digital output of the controller. The digital output is connected to the DigiBee board by means of an opto coupler and eventually the virtual device in Homeseer is updated to reflect the sensor status.
<b>2. Reading the status of the alarm panel.</b> The various outputs of the alarm panel have been programmed to reflect the status of the panel. (armed / partially armed / triggered). The outputs have been connected via the optocoupler board to the DigiBee interface and are feed to Homeseer in the same fashion as the sensor inputs.
<b>3. Controlling the status of the alarm panel.</b> I have programmed an Homeseer event to partially arm the alarm panel when going to bed. To establish this I have programmed an alarm panel input for this function. The input is connected to the relay board and if the corresponding virtual device in Homeseer changes, the alarm panel is armed or disarmed accordingly.
I have included a high level drawing that provides an overview of the complete setup.
![Image](http://www.domoticaforum.eu/uploaded/Francois/2009427185443_Alarm%20interface.jpg)
I have programmed several events in Homeseer that further automate my home, here are some examples:
- If we leave the house and arm the panel, at daytime all lights are switched off, at night time the security lights are switched on.
- If the panel is armed, security lights will automatically switch on and of depending on the time of day and the dusk/dawn sensor
- If the front door is opened at night, the lights in the hall will automatically switch on
- If the garden door is opened at night the lights in the porch are switched on
- If I enter the living room and it is dark, the Homeseer Touch panel will automatically switch on.
So far, looking forward to replies and comments, please describe your setup!
@PIETER: please feel free to move this to another section if you feel this would be better.
Francois
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Homeseer V2, RFXcom receiver, Harrisson Electric Curtains, Touchscreen + homebrew interface. DigiBee+, Velleman Relay board, homebrew optocoupler interface, homebrew Aritech interface, homebrew DigiBee-Homeseer interface.