Thanks, Lee. The NX6V2 is currently disconnected and the keypad removed from the wall. I will have to reconnect everything in order to find out what zone numbers the wireless door sensors use. Not sure when I’ll get back to you on that.
Since I’m not currently a SmartThings user, I dind’t know what WebCoRE was, so I googled it. Looks quite interesting and full of potential. I think it’s cool that I can create rules to take just about any action with connected devices based on any parameter I want, but I would think something like this thermostat rule would be supported out of the box. It is on the system I currently use.
Yes, any pre-supported device will be easy to control, but you can create more advanced rules using WebCoRE, and have interactions between many different types of device.
I have rules to use my NX-8E alarm systems motion sensor to turn on a particular light switch, but only after dusk and only if the alarm is not set.
I have another rule that will flash certain lights in the house if the alarm is triggered, and yet another rule that will trigger the alarm if any of might smart light switches is changed (but only by physically using the light switch, not from other automations) while the alarm is set in ‘away’ mode.
It really is very powerful and flexible.
Another example of a complex rule is to suspend the garden sprinkler system if the front door is opened or if motion is detected using an exterior motion sensor (from someone approaching the house), but only IF the sprinkler system is currently watering the zone near the front door.
Hi, I am new to ST and I’ve been looking for a way to expose all my NX8 sensors to ST to use for automations.
If I understand correctly, I need a NX584 comm module for my alarm and your kit which “translates” the rs232 interface to a web api. I will then be able to connect ST to the alarm wirelessly. Correct?
What is the price for the Kit? Would you ship to Greece?
Hi @mpikounis
Yes, you are correct in your description
That’s exactly what I designed it for.
The prices (in US$) are listed further up on this thread (tho’ I’ll update if necessary, once I’ve finalized how much it costs me for packaging etc.
I’d have to look into shipping to Greece. I’ll find out how much shipping would cost based on the size and weight of the kit that I’m about to send out. I suspect you might get some customs fees your end, but I don’t think they’d be much. I’ll let you know once I’ve found out about shipping options.
That sounds great. Don’t worry about delivery - I can arrange for UPS to pick it up from you and charge me for delivery.
Once you are ready please let me know so we can arrange the details
Just a quick update for folks that I’ve updated the documentation linked above. It’s not finished yet, as there are still a few details to be filled in (partly based on feedback of the guys being initial testers), but there’s a few extra pictures, a few more details in various sections, and the section on the trigger module is filled out.
I’ll update with yet more detail/info within the next few days.
Thanks to help with testing from @John_Holbrook (one of my first testers), the system can now support up to 32 zones, and supports getting zone names straight from the alarm panel if you have an LCD keypad with zone names set.
(If you don’t have an LCD keypad, then you can still set manual names for the first 16 zones, but additional zones will have to stick to default names)
I’ll be updating instructions over the next couple of days, and all kits shipped out will have the new firmware improvements.
I’ll start taking additional orders once my 2nd tester has his system all setup, and will then be taking just a couple of orders at a time, until the first half-dozen or so are all setup and working. After that we’ll take more orders.
I own an alarm company and we work with Networx panels on a very regular basis. I have an NX8 in my home with an HAI Omnistat thermostat specifically because it accepts a 12 volt trigger (aux output from burg panel) to set the thermostat into day mode/night mode. Mine is set for day mode 78 degrees, night mode 71 degrees. Arming the system in away mode is the trigger. It’s far more reliable than programs, learning schedule patterns, or other occupancy sensors.
The drawback is no Wi-Fi control. I would like to go with an Ecobee4 but I’ll lose the ability have the thermostat know if we are home or not based on whether the burg system is armed.
I’m considering modifying a SmartThings door/window sensor to report the voltage trigger event to set an away mode.
Alternately, your solution appears that it would do the same with other benefits.
Am I correct and, if so, which parts would be required?
NX8V2
NX595E
NX320 Power Supply
NX216E Zone Expander
23 Zones
Ultrasync App
Happy to help if you have any questions about the Networx products. I’m very comfortable with the DX900 software and I have some great tech contacts at Interlogix.
Hi @tox
My system would allow you to arm the alarm system from SmartThings (or from a webbrowser on the same subnet as the WiFi), but not disarm (I can easily support this, but have chosen not to for security concerns).
My understanding is that with an Ecobee or other thermostat that has SmartThings integration you could set the thermostat mode from SmartThings, and since my system reports the alarm status to SmartThings that you could use that connection to change the mode of any smart thermostat supported by SmartThings.
Alternatively, if you want to stick with your current thermostat, then I might be able to hook you up with a custom firmware version that would allow you to switch the spare relay on the alarm trigger module, either based on whether the alarm is set or based on some other automation criteria.
You’d need the NX-584e serial interface module, and my kit (so basically the non-NX8E kit with NX-584e board, listed above). I suspect that since you’re in the industry you might be able to get the NX-584e serial module yourself, cheaper than I can.
I’d love to be able to disarm my alarm with an example that follows: say the alarm is armed to stay (downstairs is armed, but upstairs (bedrooms etc) is not armed. I’d love a webcore rule that disarmed the downstairs if there was movement upstairs after a certain time in the morning (and presence sensor was present + some other conditions).
If you were to enable this functionality, would it be a software upgrade, or firmware upgrade?
@GeorgeCastanza How are you setting your alarm downstairs but not upstairs ?
Do you just have upstairs motion zones automatically bypassed when armed in ‘stay’ mode (normal setup) ? or do you have multiple partitions that are set via separate codes or separate keypads ?
Any update to core functionality like that would be a firmware update, but that really just means a software update on the device (I just make a file available to download and you fully some simple steps to update).
Personally I just have most of the downstairs motion detectors disabled whenever the alarm is set in ‘stay’ mode (only ones in certain rooms, that wouldn’t get accidentally triggered by walking downstairs in the night to get a drink, are armed at night).
If you just have a single partition, but want to change which zones are automatically bypassed at night, then I can give you instructions for changing that via your keypad.
The biggest concern with giving the system control to disarm your alarm is obviously with security (it’s really fairly easy to implement). For my system to be able to disarm your alarm, without having to enter your PIN every time anyway, it would need to store your security PIN (which you’d enter, and I’d want to store securely, even tho’ when disarming it’d be sent unencrypted across the serial interface).
That means that anyone who got on to your local network could disable your alarm system. No matter how good your WiFi password is (and a lot of people have terrible ones), someone could still get access to your network (since a lot of WiFi routers have security vulnerabilities). It’d probably be possible to do it even without WiFi access since using router vulnerabilities it’d be possible to force access to your local network.
Admittedly the chances of someone hacking into a well-secured WiFi network locally (rather than remotely from 1000 miles away), realizing that the alarm system device was on the network (tho’ they’d only need to scan for devices for it to be fairly obvious), and using it to disable your house alarm, are relatively slim, but I’m not keen on taking on that liability. (I’d probably need a lawyer to draft up some signed disclaimer or something).
I’m not sure how my system is set up. But, when I go to sleep at night, I hit a button “stay”, and it alarms the sensors downstairs. None of the upstairs sensors are armed. There is only 1 keypad in the whole house, and it’s at the top of the stairs.
When we get home, we dont use the keypad, we use the remotes (on keyring) that both disarm/arm the system, and open the garage door (same remote, two buttons).
On to the security issue, I have no problems with having your system on my network being able to disarm the alarm. I already have an app on my phone that can do this (with that network board that you identified in my first post). I think that if anyone is hacking into my network (which I keep up to date: ubiquiti wifi and FritzBox router), then I’ve got bigger problems. I have nothing in the house that would warrant people hacking inside. It’s mainly for peace of mind when I sleep that there is no-one running about downstairs.
That said, would simple access to your device via the network enable disarming of the alarm? Can you build into it some security that then can be built into the smartthings app so that there is at least a password? (I get that the alarm password will be sent in plain text).
I’d also be more than happy to sign some document. I think it would be rather hard to sue from Australia as well!
Hey George, I only just saw this reply. The community webpage didn’t flag it as a new post for some reason.
I am working on password support, as well as another possible option, so I’ll keep you posted on that.
If I currently allowed disarming then yes, simple network access would allow disarming via the webpage, if the saboteur found the device on the network and knew what url to use, or they could use your SmartThings to do so.
It sounds like your upstairs motion detectors are set to automatically bypass in home mode (since they’re set as “interior”), but your downstairs motion detectors are not set as ‘interior’.
If you want to change so that none of the motion detectors are armed when in ‘stay’ mode then I can give you instructions for that (that’s how I have my alarm configured), but it sounds like you’re more comfortable with leaving those armed at night.
General update for folks.
I’ve updated the alarm system to have a dedicated child device for smoke detector zones.
The documentation has been updated accordingly. No firmware update needed, it’s just a new device handler for the smoke detector zones and a new alarm system device handler update to support it.
If anyone who’s already got their system setup wants to switch to using the dedicated smoke-detector device types then just IM me, and I’ll help you switch over (it’s very simple)
If you mean the timeout from when a motion zone is reported as active, to when it’s reported as active again, or gets reported as inactive, then yes, that’s something set in my device.
The alarm panel will report inactivity to my system immediately, but if it’s a very active zone then that can make it flood SmartThings with notifications. My device supports limiting the frequency.
e.g.: If your timeout is 60 seconds, and the motion zone is triggered, and then cleared 30 seconds later, then the motion zone will still report as triggered for an additional 30 seconds (60 seconds total), and then report clear.
If the zone is triggered again within that time, then it won’t report as clear until 60 seconds after the second time it’s triggered.
The timeout can be set from 0 seconds (immediate reporting) to 1200 seconds (20 minutes) in 5 second increments. I wouldn’t suggest using anything as long as the maximum, and 60 or 120 seconds has worked well for me, but I know some prefer a longer timeout like 5 minutes, while others prefer immediate updates.
P.S. To clarify, you can set the value in the SmartThings device, and it will update the device itself with the setting.
The setting is in the ST device settings menu, and then clicking the ‘configure’ button in the ST device will update the device with the new setting.
(it could also be set manually using the web interface, if someone wanted to just use the device web interface without the ST integration, but that obviously loses all the automation and notification benefits of ST)
Many thanks to LeeFL. I’ve been alpha/beta testing his device and it has been working as promised. Able to arm from ST App (or web browser on the same network). Able to trigger alarms with the relay module. I’ve been able to integrate with webCore and build custom notifications. I don’t have any smoke detectors so haven’t been able to test that but works flawlessly with an NX-8E with wireless expander and wireless and hardwired zones. This fills a gap I have had for years with my home automation and CADDX.
I’ve updated the device to support some basic password security, to make the system a little more secure, and in preparation for supporting disarming the alarm system (will require a spare alarm zone input, configured as a ‘keyswitch’ zone).
The latest firmware can be downloaded here: -
The updated device handler (required for this firmware) can be found here: -
And the installation instructions have been updated: -
For existing users, just download and update the firmware (using the /update url).
You will then be prompted to login. Just follow the steps in section 3B of the installation manual for setting up your password.
You should then update the SmartThings device handler, with the new code from the link above, ‘Publish’ the device handler, and then enter the same password in the Alarm Panel SmartThings device configuration screen in the SmartPhone app.
You shouldn’t need to change anything else.
I have an NX-8V2-SMT board connected to a smaller NX-216-PHM board inside of my lock box. Can I use your SmartThings solution with these? If so, please PM me as I would love to buy one :).
