House Alarms - IP Capable - self monitored

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43 posts

Geek

#1002787 11-Mar-2014 13:51

A Paradox MG5050 is what I have installed at home. With the IP150 module it can send emails when alarms are armed, disarmed, set off, tampered, faults that sort of thing. Just get it to send them to an address that you have push email on your phone with. The module also provides a website and an interface for Paradox provided iOS and Android apps that both allow you to view the status of the system, arm/disarm, activate outputs etc (you have to purchase the apps to get all the features in the apps, about $12 each). It also allows you to use software on a computer to program the alarm system. Not sure how the software is licensed. An additional module provides SMS alerts and IP reporting over cellular.

The MG5050 (Magellan) has wireless (for sensors etc) built in. You can have a mix of both wired and wireless PIRs, door sensors etc along with remotes for arming/disarming and activating outputs (open your garage door and/or gate for example).

For interfacing with other systems you would want to get the EVO with a PRT3 Integration Module instead of a Magellan (what I've got) or Spectra (non-wireless version of the Magellan basically). The EVO costs a lot lot more. But it is also a lot more capable. It supports many many more zones, access control (electronic door access/control), timed/scheduled output activation (I think) and the all important PRT3 module. The module supports both a basic ASCII based protocol and C-BUS. I'm pretty sure you could get zone status reports and arm and disarm the alarm via the module. There is a document floating around on the Internet that documents the protocol, or you can get it from Paradox if you have the login/know somebody who does.

Having said that, with the Magellan and Spectra you can get them to activate outputs to indicate the armed state or if the alarm is triggered. You can also set a "Zone" to be a "key switch" to arm or disarm the alarm.

I was thinking of upgrading to a EVO to get the PRT3, but decided it would be easier and provide more features to just implement the alarm as well instead of trying to interface with one. Of course you only get your "Alarm Installed" insurance discount if a proper one is installed by a professional certified alarm installer.

For really capable and interfacable, get a Concepts or Cardax/Gallagher :-).

floydie

474 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1002947 11-Mar-2014 19:02

you can get vehicle GPS trackers with cameras and mics for very cheap...you could get your "dumb home alarm" to trigger different inputs to it and it will text you within 5 seconds of a trigger. a $200 vehicle tracker would have more features than a comparible home system??

gregmcc

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#1002989 11-Mar-2014 20:16

davidcole: So has anyone found a house alarm that is IP based and allows for self monitoring? IOS/Android Notifications/Email/SMS?

The other bonus would be configurable while in your local lan (or via vpn - less desirable via proprietary cloud) via smart phone app - to set zones, notification options etc.

arrowhead alarm product have both an IP module and a 2G module for their systems, haven't used the IP module but it has a web interface and i'm not too sure about the smartphone software.

The 2G module allows configurable emails and SMS, you can set any event to either email or sms a message.

djaggar

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#1003005 11-Mar-2014 20:39

+1 for Paradox

My Evo has both an IP100 (internet access via a Paradox interface) and a PRT3 which I interfaced (in ASCII mode) to my CBus system via a MOXA serial to IP convertor. The Paradox broadcasts every zone change to a CBus Color touch screen and Wiser, and a bit of code records them on the CBus side, it's jolly handy sometimes to find out what happened when (what time you came home last night, where the last movement was in the house, what doors are unlocked etc etc). Conversely the Paradox has a bunch of outputs to control things like garage doors, blinds etc, and you can activate them from the PRT3 (and therefore CBus).

The Paradox touch screens are decent and reasonably priced too.

webwat

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#1005959 14-Mar-2014 23:37

AlarmNZ have a "Brick" which is one of their IP alarms, designed more as a self-contained unit that doesn't need extra modules for IP. Not sure if they have any interface to C-bus etc.

Time to find a new industry!

davidcole

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#1294122 30-Apr-2015 11:13

djaggar: +1 for Paradox

My Evo has both an IP100 (internet access via a Paradox interface) and a PRT3 which I interfaced (in ASCII mode) to my CBus system via a MOXA serial to IP convertor. The Paradox broadcasts every zone change to a CBus Color touch screen and Wiser, and a bit of code records them on the CBus side, it's jolly handy sometimes to find out what happened when (what time you came home last night, where the last movement was in the house, what doors are unlocked etc etc). Conversely the Paradox has a bunch of outputs to control things like garage doors, blinds etc, and you can activate them from the PRT3 (and therefore CBus).

The Paradox touch screens are decent and reasonably priced too.

What is a PRT3 module?

So i finally pulled the trigger and had a paradox installed yesterday with the IP150 module.

Just casually looking around at if there any published API - I probably wont port forward access to the alarm, but could potentially use something in my network to read values that accessible external (Pulseway's PC Monitor, or even Plex for that matter).

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djaggar

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#1294170 30-Apr-2015 11:41

davidcole:
What is a PRT3 module?

So i finally pulled the trigger and had a paradox installed yesterday with the IP150 module.

Just casually looking around at if there any published API - I probably wont port forward access to the alarm, but could potentially use something in my network to read values that accessible external (Pulseway's PC Monitor, or even Plex for that matter).

The PRT3 is their printer module, but is also has a serial interface that can either speak ASCII or Clipsal CBus. Even though I have CBus (and every other home automation system) here I use it in ASCII mode because the CBus mode is a bit crippled (from memory ... I wrote that code years ago)

The API is simple, it basically lets you do everything you can do from a keypad. It also broadcasts all events on the alarm bus, so if you snoop those as they go by you can build the current status of the system (for example I display on all my touch screens where there has been recent movement in the house).

You can also issue Utility Key commands (general purpose triggers which Paradox remotes and keypads also issue), so I use those to trigger an output to operate garage doors and my household door central looking, and the status of those doors is reported back as a zone status, so you get two way IO from the whole system.

You'll find the manual online, Google Paradox PRT3 ASCII protocol (the Cbus one is a different doc)

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davidcole

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#1294184 30-Apr-2015 11:46

djaggar:
davidcole:
What is a PRT3 module?

So i finally pulled the trigger and had a paradox installed yesterday with the IP150 module.

Just casually looking around at if there any published API - I probably wont port forward access to the alarm, but could potentially use something in my network to read values that accessible external (Pulseway's PC Monitor, or even Plex for that matter).

The PRT3 is their printer module, but is also has a serial interface that can either speak ASCII or Clipsal CBus. Even though I have CBus (and every other home automation system) here I use it in ASCII mode because the CBus mode is a bit crippled (from memory ... I wrote that code years ago)

The API is simple, it basically lets you do everything you can do from a keypad. It also broadcasts all events on the alarm bus, so if you snoop those as they go by you can build the current status of the system (for example I display on all my touch screens where there has been recent movement in the house).

You can also issue Utility Key commands (general purpose triggers which Paradox remotes and keypads also issue), so I use those to trigger an output to operate garage doors and my household door central looking, and the status of those doors is reported back as a zone status, so you get two way IO from the whole system.

You'll find the manual online, Google Paradox PRT3 ASCII protocol (the Cbus one is a different doc)

So do we know of anything similar to the IP module? Although I should probably just wireshark it to see what the traffic is.

djaggar

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#1294195 30-Apr-2015 11:55

davidcole:

So do we know of anything similar to the IP module? Although I should probably just wireshark it to see what the traffic is.

In what way do you mean similar? The IP150 gives you a HTML interface over IP to the Paradox bus, the PRT3 gives you ASCII over serial (and USB). If you want ASCII over IP you interface a serial to IP convertor to a PRT3. Are you asking if there is an ASCII interface on an IP150, if so I don't know of one (and I only have the older IP100 anyway). I'd be surprised given that's what the PRT3 is for ...

davidcole

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#1294202 30-Apr-2015 11:57

djaggar:
davidcole:

So do we know of anything similar to the IP module? Although I should probably just wireshark it to see what the traffic is.

In what way do you mean similar? The IP150 gives you a HTML interface over IP to the Paradox bus, the PRT3 gives you ASCII over serial (and USB). If you want ASCII over IP you interface a serial to IP convertor to a PRT3. Are you asking if there is an ASCII interface on an IP150, if so I don't know of one (and I only have the older IP100 anyway). I'd be surprised given that's what the PRT3 is for ...

But surely serial is a dying interface - although ok I note you include usb.

I would have thought as well as Html there was a more device friendly output stream via ip - since ios/android apps are talking on port 10000 I'd assume this is the case.

djaggar

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#1294231 30-Apr-2015 12:15

davidcole:
djaggar:
davidcole:

So do we know of anything similar to the IP module? Although I should probably just wireshark it to see what the traffic is.

In what way do you mean similar? The IP150 gives you a HTML interface over IP to the Paradox bus, the PRT3 gives you ASCII over serial (and USB). If you want ASCII over IP you interface a serial to IP convertor to a PRT3. Are you asking if there is an ASCII interface on an IP150, if so I don't know of one (and I only have the older IP100 anyway). I'd be surprised given that's what the PRT3 is for ...

But surely serial is a dying interface - although ok I note you include usb.

I would have thought as well as Html there was a more device friendly output stream via ip - since ios/android apps are talking on port 10000 I'd assume this is the case.

Serial is old, but (probably unfortunately) not dying, because it is dirt cheap. It's still the default interface on just about everything, and sometimes the only interface (for example its only way to turn on a Samsung TV, unless you resort to IR). Its only way to interface to many alarms, AV receivers, projectors, power monitors, irrigation, pool controllers, AC controllers etc. So just because it's a serial interface isn't a reason that Paradox might replace it ... or that Home Automation people would steer clear of it.

You could DIY this and talk to the Paradox bus directly ... a RaspberryPi and some level shifters (the bus is 12v) and I think you'd find it is a pretty simple protocol

davidcole

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#1470602 14-Jan-2016 10:27

So to re-activate my own thread.

Paradox seem notoriously painful to interface to.

There's a chap who has essentially reverse engineered the html page to create a c# library for configuration. Personally I couldn't get it to go. There's also actually an SDK for the IP150 (under NDA).

But the problem with both of these solutions seem to be, that when someone is connected to the ip150, via SDK, The other library, the web pages or babyware - no other connection can be made. Seems a bit useless for e long standing connection.

I was trying to figure out how to set up the IPRS7 receiver software since all I really want to know about at events (alarm events and trouble codes - at a push for testing, arm/disarm would be useful). Seems the receiver model might be the best.

Anyone had a play other than using the prt3 interface? Or am I being a pedant and should just get the GSM module?

MikeB4

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#1470621 14-Jan-2016 10:53

I have just done a bit of research to convert our over copper monitored alarm system to IP, the cost was crazy and decided to just stick with having a land line.

hardware to upgrade @circa $290 +GST
Labour to install and configure $190 for the first 30mins $90 per 15 minutes thereafter +GST
Additional cost to monthly monitoring fee $10 +GST

RunningMan

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#1470792 14-Jan-2016 13:22

MikeB4: I have just done a bit of research to convert our over copper monitored alarm system to IP, the cost was crazy and decided to just stick with having a land line.

hardware to upgrade @circa $290 +GST
Labour to install and configure $190 for the first 30mins $90 per 15 minutes thereafter +GST
Additional cost to monthly monitoring fee $10 +GST

An alarm installer that's charging $360 + GST per hour. Better be doing a really good job of daisy chaining all that cat 5...

richms

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#1470919 14-Jan-2016 15:08

Try another alarm company then. That is an absurd price and they will not have any customers left soon at that rate.

Richard rich.ms

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