I have a security system (1995 vintage) installed in my house. It has functioning motion sensors and door sensors all wired to a central panel. It would be nice to be able to use the sensors in conjunction with my Vera Edge. Is there any kind of bridge that is commercially available that could take the sensor inputs from the old system and transmit them via Wi-fi or Z-wave to the Vera Edge?
Depends on the type of alarm. But yes they do exist. DSC and Ademco are popular alarms, both have evl3 support and plugins for Vera. I think Ademco has a USB module with Vera support too…
First step is to identify your panel manufacturer/model.
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This is also a helpful resource for takeover procedures, etc.:
The existing system is an FBI XL-31. I believe that FBI (Fire Burglary Instruments) was acquired by Honeywell some time ago. I looked at the Ademco (Honeywell) website and they have a 5800C2W Wired to wireless converter that looks like it might work but I am not sure if it is Z-wave or not. It would just replace the existing system and interface to the wired sensors. Is it possible to communicate with the Vera Edge via W-Fi?
Communication between a alarm panel and vera is done via USB or some systems can use a EVL-3/4 and use IP
Your alarm panel doesn’t need to be wifi or z-wave nor should it be.
If your panel is not compatible as it stands (which it isn’t) your best option is to swap out the main control board with one that is. You can use your exsiting wired sensors and probley even the metal box and battery backup, siren and all. The keypad will probley have to also be changed with the board as those usually probley are not compatible. If you have a honeywell based setup a vista 20p is what you want and then you’ll need a evl-3 or AD2usb adaptor to connect to vera via IP or USB. http://www.amazon.com/NuTech-Software-Solutions-AD2USB-Adapter/dp/B0042BZ3U0
And the vista 20p panel can be had for 30-50.00 http://www.amazon.com/VISTA20P-Ademco-Zone-Control-Panel/dp/B000H05W9C maybe find a kit with keypad and panel for 60-75.00.
After you get something like a vista 20p and the adapter to connect it to vera every door, window, smoke, motion all show up in vera the same as a z-wave device (once you install the honeywell plugin). Now you can use those sensor for other logic or specific alerts. window left open while a/c on. Door left open. Door opens it turns on a light or what ever.
Before you make any huge decisions check out the alarm part of this forum all this and more is covered. Your only in the general right now.
Thanks for all the information. Because of the location of my alarm panel with respect to my Vera Edge, it would be difficult to run wires between them so I need to consider whether I want to go through that pain or just bypass the existing system in favor of installing new Z-wave sensors. I note that one of the reviewers of the USB adapter used a Raspberry Pi to wirelessly interface into his network. Maybe I could do that and then figure out how to get that data back into the Vera system but that would be a lot of effort.
I will look a the alarm section of the forum as well.
Thanks
Note that the EVL-3 is a IP solution (meaning your Vera doesn’t need to be right there), if you need wireless you just add a wireless adapter to it (like the IOGEAR wifi adapter), Personally I choose to put the IOGear on my Vera to make it wireless so that I could connect it directly to my security system (folks will tell you this makes things less reliable, I have been running a VeraEdge on a IOGEAR wifi adapter for over a year and have been very happy with my experience and love the funcitonality I get out of interfacing with my security system).
Security sensors are far superior to current wave of z-wave sensors IMO.
[quote=“kenterickson, post:6, topic:192006”]Thanks for all the information. Because of the location of my alarm panel with respect to my Vera Edge, it would be difficult to run wires between them so I need to consider whether I want to go through that pain or just bypass the existing system in favor of installing new Z-wave sensors. I note that one of the reviewers of the USB adapter used a Raspberry Pi to wirelessly interface into his network. Maybe I could do that and then figure out how to get that data back into the Vera system but that would be a lot of effort.
I will look a the alarm section of the forum as well.
Thanks[/quote]
Wireless is not reliable and I wouldn’t recommend it. Same with wireless z-wave sensors. They sleep and waste batteries. You much better off with the wired system you already have.
Vera edge is portable (wifi) and only needs a wall outlet which does the alarm panel also.
If you really must use wifi you don’t need a PI to do it.
This will allow you to make the EVL-3 adaptor to wifi. But again I think it just adds more things to fail or disconnect and you loose all sensor reporting when it does.
Look at the alarm section. You’ll find alarms are much more reliable then z-wave. Wired sensors are less then 2.00 a so small they are hidden in the door jams. They never need batteries. Z-wave devices have range issues, wireless or batteries devices don’t mesh network or repeat so having them don’t help grow your mesh network either. To conserve batteries then sleep which means they don;t respond during that time. Motions are made to report a few times then sleep until no motion has happened for awhile to conserve batteries during high activity.
Depending on how many doors and windows you already have covered buying 30.00 sensors for all of those doors,windows and motions usually cost alot more then 100-200.00 to get an alarm up and running. If you ever ditch VERA or even z-wave the alarm still functions and in most cases transfers to the new system. Alarm panels have been around for years and generally stay up and running for years (unless you have wireless sensors that need batteries).
Even wireless alarm sensors are far superior then z-wave. Altho the cost is about the same batteries last much longer like 3-5 years and the range is 300ft or so vs. 100ft with z-wave.
i had the same situation… so i left all WIRED sensors and pulled out the panel bought a used DSC off ebay and then connected to vera.
Which DSC did you buy, and did you connect it to Vera wired or wirelessly?