Nice!!! That’s awesome
So here is what my current panel looks like.
So I didn’t count how many diffeeent sensors go into it but prob around 20. I understand the concept of Zones, the question is how do I connect multiple sensors to one “zone” on the board? Do I need diodes or anything like that or just solder the two or more wires together?
-Peter
my understanding is zones are a programming thing-- so you make “zones” in ST not in the hard wiring. So each sensor gets a pin thats it’s wired into-- then you assign that sensor to a zone in the app.
Traditional Alarm Panels have a limited number of digital inputs. As such, they typically create hardwired “zones” by wiring a group of reed switches in series with one another. This allows a zone to be called something like, Master Bedroom Windows, which is comprised of anywhere from 1 to n windows. But, it only uses one digital input on the panel. Knowing exactly which window in the master bedroom is not really important for an ALARM. Just that one of them is open so you know which room to investigate.
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I like how your installer labeled the cables, I wish that mine did. If you look at where the wires connect to the board, the zones should be labeled. Looks like you have about twice the connections that I have. Your control panel might also show your current zones.
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Hey Peter,
It’s likely that some of your sensors are already wired together to create hardwired zones. Most of those old alarm panel systems like the one in your picture are only capable of 8 or so zones anyway. If that’s the case, you can leave them as-is and just disconnect the ends from the alarm panel and re-route to the NodeMCU.
Those white rubbery things in your photo are crimping wire connectors, and that’s probably exactly what they’re for.
To wire multiple sensors together to create a zone, just connect two or more wires in series, and connect the ends of the series to the GND and D# pins on the board. Looks like your sensor wire pairs are green and yellow, so for example to wire two sensors together it would look like:
GND pin pin D#
| |
Sensor A Green Sensor A Yellow <--> Sensor B Green Sensor B YellowJust to add to what Nate said and make things more confusing, think of a zone as a chain of sensors (e.g. in series as Nate mentioned). Keep in mind the electrical connection - the electrons start at the NodeMCU board and travel through one sensor…and if you wire another sensor to it, the electrons will go to that sensor too, and the next and the next, etc. like links in a chain or one great long wire with a bunch of sensors along the way. I soldered all of my connections between different sensors - my zones are all of my windows as one, the garage and back door as another, the front door separate, the motion sensor separate. Back to that electron arising from the board - it goes through all of those sensors before eventually coming back to the board. As long as those electrons keep flowing, the sensor is listed as “closed,” e.g. your door or window is closed. Opening the sensor breaks that electrical flow and your NodeMCU sees that and calls the sensor “open.” Close it and the electrons flow again, back to the board, making the NodeMCU call it “closed” again.
No diodes needed, although there are almost certainly diodes there you’ll have to tear off. They’re usually on one side of the sensor wiring connected directly to the board, and installers will usually use those same crimps they use to make “zones” to connect the diodes to that sensor wire.
Those are actually resistors, not diodes that are installed on one side of the sensor loop on old alarm panels. But yes, you are right, twist those off and discard or save them for a different project. You don’t need those resistors when wiring to the NodeMCU.
Like I said, anything I can do to make things more confusing 
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I promised you all a 2.0 release… well here it is!
For the past month or so I’ve been working with fellow community member @copyninja on this rewrite, which we’re now calling Konnected Security. It based on the same hardware and technology as the solution being discussed here in this thread, but we’ve re-written it from the ground up to make it totally plug-and-play and much easier to set up.
Now, all configuration is done via the Smartthings mobile app. No variables to edit and upload anymore!
We’re selling kits with the software pre-loaded, so you literally just plug it in and wire it up and connect to SmartThings.
Also, we’ve been working on complete documentation and trying to capture all the knowledge discussed here on this thread into a more easily consumable installation guide.
Please head over to the new thread for more details and to continue the discussion.
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You’re awesome Nate. The second that I get this working, I’m donating to your project. You’ve literally saved me hundreds of dollars compared to the other route that I was considering.
Hopefully you’ll look into other projects too. IR kits, etc
We DO have a couple projects lined up.
Provide feedback to us, so we will know where to improve
Awsome. When will your kits be shipping? I’m ready to buy and was gonna try to do it myself but if kits are around the corner I may just take the lazy way out
Also anybody here if a new version of SmartThings Hub is coming in the really near future (month or so?). Reason I ask is they are having a pretty good sale and wondering if that’s an indication of a newer version coming?
Thanks
Peter
Sales happen all the time, but there is the smartthings connection allegedly coming out soon ish.
The first kits are shipping Monday. If you order today, it’ll go out Monday. Here’s the link to my store: https://store.konnected.io
Im not sure if there’s a new ST hub coming up or not, but for this alarm system project it won’t matter. Even the v1 hub works fine.
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Long thread I may have missed it, what about glass break sensors? I have 7 I would like to reuse and keep as one zone.
Glass-break sensors should work just the same as motion sensors. I don’t believe SmartThings has a native capability type for glass-break sensors, so I would suggest wiring and setting them up as motion sensors instead and you’ll be able to use them in Smart Home Monitor.
Let us know how it goes!
See full documentation here: http://docs.konnected.io/security-alarm-system/
Does your software/hardware allow for selectable N/O vs N/C contact? Not an alarm guy but I think glass breaks are diff than motions. Any alarm people can comment on this?
As far as I know, glass break sensors trigger an alarm the same way as motion sensors. The circuit is closed when no motion/sound is detected. When motion or glass-break sound is detected, the circuit opens briefly.
No, it’s not configurable in the software at this time.
@moderntechnolog, can you let us know what kind of panel you have? There are different types of glass break detectors. If they are wireless, you can’t use them with our system. If they are wired, let us know what type. Perhaps we can easily add it in.