Is it possible to upgrade my alarm system to make it 'smart'?

[al-yeti]

1 hour ago, DaveDave said:

Thanks Peter. 

 

To be honest, the main thing I want is just to be able to use my motion sensors in a more advanced way - i.e. linking them to my Hue/Smartthings/Alexa smart home setup. I was going to purchase Hue motion sensors to control when the lights come on/off but struck me that I already have sensors across the house so makes sense to see how I could use those first.

Leave intruder pirs seperate 

 

But you can link alarm to home system in different ways

[al-yeti]

2 minutes ago, Logan said:

Its a ion 30exd. I dont think this panel is able to.  Nothing in the engineer menu about wifi comms

Where's an ambulance when you need one ?

 

DD can the 30 be firmware upgraded for app? 

 

Thought it was only the 16 that couldn't 

[james.wilson]

1 minute ago, Logan said:

Im used to the us apps.   All you got to do is download the app. Connect to the same wifi as your alarm Enter your alarms code. Then your app works 

Not an anything that meets en here. 

Hkc needs unique panel Id, programmable password and 4-6 digit pin

[sixwheeledbeast]

Anything that is connected to the internet has a risk. As engineers we do our best to keep things secure and hope that the manufacturers have made secure ways to deploy them.

People expect to be able to plug anything in with no care for if it will be exploited down the line, no software updates or maintenance.

I would actually agree with Logan and say that I wouldn't want a security system connected to the internet. Especially considering what people call "smart" at the moment, isn't what it's cracked up to be.

 

[datadiffusion]

1 hour ago, al-yeti said:

DD can the 30 be firmware upgraded for app? 

 

Sorry was queuing in the corridor!

 

Nope, older 'Gen 1' panels can only be upgraded to non-smart type firmware. In any case the old iOn30 (metal cased, non 'R' version) didn't have a network port anyway.

 

Only Compact, 30R, 40H G2 and G3 have app capability (Gen 2)

[PeterJames]

3 hours ago, DaveDave said:

Thanks Peter. 

 

To be honest, the main thing I want is just to be able to use my motion sensors in a more advanced way - i.e. linking them to my Hue/Smartthings/Alexa smart home setup. I was going to purchase Hue motion sensors to control when the lights come on/off but struck me that I already have sensors across the house so makes sense to see how I could use those first.

Well with an app enabled alarm system you can link the detectors and wireless outputs to switch on lights etc. I am not so sure how well that would work though, getting cosy in the lounge and the lights keep switching on when the pir detects movement, same with the bedrooms . I have Alexa in most of the rooms in my house and I use voice to switch stuff on and off. I swapped my light switch's for broadlink programmable switch's , and I have a couple of broadlink pro's around the house. My alarm switch's on the hall lights as courtesy when entering and leaving the house. and when I set or part set the alarm switch's all the light's in the house and the outbuildings off when armed. James has his back and front doors controlling his outside lighting the light comes on every time he opens the door.

Oh my lights come on when the alarm goes off too. 

[Killian]

Consider "KonectedIO"  , panel upgrade it pigybacks on existing Panel connections ~$90. basically reading sensor states. existing panel is not  to accessable from Smart thing/ internet  but can be made be.

[sixwheeledbeast]

I don't see the point in that type of thing, if you know what you are doing with a decent panel you can mimic zone outputs.

Also how well will it work with EOL circuits, what about battery backup?

Anyone that way inclined would just use a RasPi piggybacked off the alarm

[datadiffusion]

39 minutes ago, sixwheeledbeast said:

I don't see the point in that type of thing, if you know what you are doing with a decent panel you can mimic zone outputs.

 

Yeah I agree in any case you're much better off with manf's own IP (or something SIA based like WW) to read off actual data rather than a limited set of sensor states.

The best thing about apps is the ability to see, 'oh yeah, two zones were tripped, then the alarm went off for a couple of minutes, but then the system was unset and reset by user 2'

And the whole remote control thing which you don't get with such add-ons.

 

39 minutes ago, sixwheeledbeast said:

Also how well will it work with EOL circuits, what about battery backup?

 

Wired off same 12V as alarm would be fine for BBU, as for EOL, it would only have to sense changes down a single high res. sensing wire on the non-ground leg of a circuit so could co-exist, though obv's that might be slightly panel dependent.

 

39 minutes ago, sixwheeledbeast said:

Anyone that way inclined would just use a RasPi piggybacked off the alarm

 

True but if it really is only $90 (as opposed to euros) then probably not worth the hastle. But going back to point 1, still not something I'd bother with. If I had to upgrade a 9751 it'd be almost an easier job to change for a panel with a native app (e.g. a 40H) than bodge about, with the benefits of the new panel too like RF capability and a much clearer keypad and user menus.

Edited January 11, 2020 by datadiffusion

[sixwheeledbeast]

I would assume the idea of having all the zone inputs is to control lighting based on occupancy.

It doesn't specify say it supports EOL zones even tho it's electronically possible and looks like it's for the American market which have different types of system to us over here.

The way I understand it the alarm panel would be redundant, would you want an alarm and keypad with no zones connected to it powered up, seems daft.

RasPi is $35 and capable of doing OpenHAB, I am comparing like for like, over things like WW1 or SIA.

The IP module that comes with the panel makes sense if you have that option but again I see this as an integration enabling product not a signalling one.