Integrating Visonic & Home Automation

[Digit]

I'm sitting here with a Visonic PowerMax+ right next to me, that is waiting to be installed.
Ofcourse i also bought an XM10. Now i was thinking about the best way to integrate the security system with my Home automation.

I'm sure there are members here that have already done this.
Now my question is: any brilliant ideas, suggestions, pitfalls you care to share?

I'm a complete noob when it comes to the Visonic/XM10 combination and what you can do with it, so maybe your stories can help me decide what to do and what not.

[Bwired]

Don't want to disappoint you but I think the Whole interface with X10 is crap!
I only use the X10 messages for Armed, Disarm and Alarm. You can do all kinds of switching lights etc but I leave that to my Home Automation system.
Perhaps you can switch on all the lights when there is Fire Alarm or events like that.

[Digit]

Ok; that's a start[:)] Not disappointed at all!

My first idea was to use the X10 interface as some sort of events, not to switch lights etc. I want to use the 16 X10 addresses available for things like Armed, Disarm and Alarm, but then i still have 13 left.
What's the smartest way to use them, considering they'll be received by a homebrew Home Automation system where you can do anything you want with them...

[Pieterpaul]

Pieter, can you explain how you program the X10 messages for Arm/Disarm/Alarm? I have never managed to get that working. I did manage to attach X10 commands to zones (e.g. to switch on a light when you open the door) but because of the limited functionality (no time or dusk/dawn dependence) I disabled it again. I will use the RFXCOM receiver for that kind of functionality now. But the Arm/Disarm/Alarm functionality would be nice to have directly on X10, and unfortunately the manual of the PowerMax+ does not say how to do it (at least not in a language that I understand). Can you explain which menu items on the PowerMax enable this?

Thanks, PP

[b_weijenberg]

PP,

This is how I configured the X10 devices 1 and 2 to indicate the Armed-Away and Armed-Home status:



The X10 siren (house code+1 device 1) is used to get the alarm status from the panel.
Important: Set the siren time as short as possible because the Visonic panel transmits continously siren On, siren Off and blocks all other X10 traffic! If you want to switch lamps or other electrical devices then don't use X10, S10 or Xanura devices therefore but use KAKU instead.
And do NOT use the RFXCOM RF receiver for the 2 house codes used by the Visonic panel.

Bert

[Pieterpaul]

Thanks Bert, I think it is getting clearer. I just read the corresponding part of the PowerMax manual (so the non-plus version) and that seems to have clarified this stuff a bit.
Why do you use the Siren for Alarm monitoring? Couldn't you use the 'BY MEMORY' option in the X10 menu? That way you wouldn't have the continuous pulsing...

/PP

[Bwired]

Thanks Bert