I’ve just about completed installing my new DSC 1832 alarm. I have it interfaced to Vera using the Envalink 3 IP interface and I’m curious about a few things.
- The open/closed state of DSC attached sensors is reflected in the Vera Zone display. But the Vera Zone Arm/Bypass buttons don’t appear to do anything in my system. If I bypass the sensor on the DSC that does’t appear to be reflected on the Vera and vice, if I change the Arm/Bypass setting in Vera it doesn’t appear to have any effect on the DSC.
Is this correct or is it a configuration error on my part?
- Is it possible to use a structure (the PLEG perhaps?) to transfer a PIN from Vera to the DSC to disarm the alarm? I’d like to consider having the door lock PIN code transfer the PIN to the DSC and disable the alarm when someone unlocks the door. If you’ve successfully unlocked the door you probably belong there anyway
I have remote disarm set in the DSC Plug In but all that does is allows the user to manually enter the PIN and disarm. I have not found a way to have that happen as a result of a scene, PLEG, etc.
The bypass buttons do not bypass the associated zone on the alarm. They are standard buttons that Vera sensors have. You need to think of them as bypasses on Vera only for scenes that you may have them as triggers for. If you want to bypass zones, then it is possible, although a little bit more complicated to set up; it’s done using a special scene and a bit of luup code that you should be able to find by searching.
To arm and disarm using a PIN, you don’t need PLEG to do it. Look in the “advanced” tab of a scene to store this and set this up.
Just be aware though… Once you store a PIN like this, it will get written to logs that will get stored on the MiOS servers!
[quote=“strangely, post:2, topic:178974”]The bypass buttons do not bypass the associated zone on the alarm. They are standard buttons that Vera sensors have. You need to think of them as bypasses on Vera only for scenes that you may have them as triggers for. If you want to bypass zones, then it is possible, although a little bit more complicated to set up; it’s done using a special scene and a bit of luup code that you should be able to find by searching.
To arm and disarm using a PIN, you don’t need PLEG to do it. Look in the “advanced” tab of a scene to store this and set this up.
Just be aware though… Once you store a PIN like this, it will get written to logs that will get stored on the MiOS servers![/quote]
Thanks i’ll look for the luup code to do that.
The stored PIN matter is of some concern although in reality what are the odds But that’s why I’d rather save it locally in a Variable Container or something and pass it to the process. That’s where the idea of using a PLEG come in, read the variable, write it into the alarm disarm function.
Here is the thread about bypassing with the luup tab in case you couldn’t find it:
http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,17493.msg136014.html#msg136014
[quote=“strangely, post:4, topic:178974”]Here is the thread about bypassing with the luup tab in case you couldn’t find it:
http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,17493.msg136014.html#msg136014[/quote]
Thanks. I played with that a little bit using the HTTP example and correct me if I’m wrong but the command to bypass in this case is a toggle; it alternately changes state? I tried sending “Data=101#" and it appears to behave the same as "Data=1101#” , each time it toggles the Bypass indicator on the control panel from <> to ?
It appears that coming from the Vera app the bypass “sticks”, i.e. is not cleared by changing the state on the panel but rather needs Vera to send the disarm to release it?
More research and testing
I’ve finally got everything running; the alarm is functional and I’ve sorted out Tasker Tasks for my Smartphone to Remote Arm the Alarm system, lock the door if left unlocked, etc.
One thing that appears to be missing in the PlugIn is the current state of the Zone (Open, Closed/Ready, Manual Bypass). The state of the Zone loop does not appear to be exposed anywhere for use in q Scene or PLEG. I’d like to create a function to send a Vera/Pushover Alert is one/more of the Zones goes open for more than a few minutes, especially windows. Am I missing something? Does this information not come over from the DSC? I also don’t see anything that reflects that the Alarm is NOT Ready to be Armed (i.e. Zone problems, etc.)\
Do you have the right zones mapped in the plugin? You should be able to use their open or closed state for triggers.
Do you not see the green man turn to a running man when a zone opens?
Bypassing is possible with some luup code.
[quote=“strangely, post:7, topic:178974”]Do you have the right zones mapped in the plugin? You should be able to use their open or closed state for triggers.
Do you not see the green man turn to a running man when a zone opens?
Bypassing is possible with some luup code.[/quote]
I can see the zone change state from GREEN to RED when the Door/Window is opened so I’m getting that much information. The DSC knows the loop to the sensor is {O}PEN (it won’t arm) or {B}YPASSED. It would be nice if this was communicated to the Plug In but it apparently isn’t. So I guess one has to “back into” the state. The sensor can only be tripped or not tripped so I’ll have to get the OPEN state by backing into it (i.e ALARM NOT ARMED AND ZONE X TRIPPED (“N” Seconds")) so the Zone must be OPEN. If its in BYPASS it will never report that apparently. What i’m trying to do is set up a Alert if one or more Zone(s) go(es) OPEN for some period without the Alarm being Armed (if its goes OPEN while armed then the Alarm is violated and sounding.
I don’t think you have this right. If the zone is bypassed (in the alarm and not Veras bypass which is something different), then it makes no difference to the ability to use the zones as triggers.
Look at my first post in this thread for a description of what Veras bypass button does:
http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,22638.msg151901.html#msg151901
I understand but for the sake of completeness it would be nice if Vera received the complete status from DSC i.e. Open/Bypass not just the fact that the Zone went Open during a Violation. The Open state I can back into (Zone Tripped/Alarm not Armed) but there is no way to deduce something that DSD knows i.e. Zone Bypassed.
Not sure if this will get you what you want (if I’m understanding your need correctly), but perhaps if you have different arming scenes that you were to use, then as part of the arming scene you can set a bypass to the respective zone via luup, and then set Vera’s bypass button accordingly on the same zone.
Your other scenes that notify just need to be set using the “an Armed sensor is tripped” criteria and depending on which arming scene you used, you would only get a notification if its not bypassed.
[quote=“strangely, post:11, topic:178974”]Not sure if this will get you what you want (if I’m understanding your need correctly), but perhaps if you have different arming scenes that you were to use, then as part of the arming scene you can set a bypass to the respective zone via luup, and then set Vera’s bypass button accordingly on the same zone.
Your other scenes that notify just need to be set using the “an Armed sensor is tripped” criteria and depending on which arming scene you used, you would only get a notification if its not bypassed.[/quote]
That might do it, I’ll have to “thunk” on it
I’ve done some further investigation and I was surprised by the difference in the DSC information exposed in the Combination Switch versus that exposed in the PLEG and Advanced Tab for the same items:
I’ve attached some screen shots.
@clippermiami
Nice comparison of:
Apples - CountDown Plugin - Single Level UI of Selected Triggers for pre-specified plugins/devices.
Oranges - PLEG/PLTS Plugin - Multi Level UI of ALL Triggers for all plugins/devices.
Plus logic access to ALL properties of all plugins/devices.
Bananas - The Advanced tab showing actions for Partitions and Zones devices.
[quote=“RichardTSchaefer, post:15, topic:178974”]@clippermiami
Nice comparison of:
Apples - CountDown Plugin - Single Level UI of Selected Triggers for pre-specified plugins/devices.
Oranges - PLEG/PLTS Plugin - Multi Level UI of ALL Triggers for all plugins/devices.
Plus logic access to ALL properties of all plugins/devices.
Bananas - The Advanced tab showing actions for Partitions and Zones devices.
[/quote]
Have I offended? I simply don’t understand why this information is exposed for one function brut not another, especially when seems like some of the values available in Combo Switch would appear to be useful in PLEG.
There are only two things missing in PLEG
Tripped when Bypassed and Not Tripped when Bypassed. These are not provided by the device … so Combination Plugin must have code to provide these.
The rest are there … it’s just multiple levels of specification (drill down) as opposed to a flattened list.
And having access to all of the device properties means you can roll your own triggers.
There is special code to flatten the list. That’s why it does not support all plugins. I read the plugin definitions and present them as the plugin provider has described them (the same way the Scene Triggers and Notifications also find them).