So Obvious.......

[LeighM]

Interesting about the Orange Pi, I've been using these for some time, although they are not as dirt cheap as they used to be.
I have one running my NAS, running on Armbian Linux, which I would recommend, as I've found it to be the most stable and supported ARM distro,
apart from Raspberry PI OS of course.

[chipfryer27]

Hi

I can get quite into the RPi family but then my attention is forced away, more so if travelling but I can still write / simulate in Flowcode so things aren't too bad.

I bought a micro-windows machine, about three inches square in size, years ago and have never found a use for it. It runs W10 from some memory card. Always thought I could use it for something, perhaps a media gadget?

A few years back I then acquired a few second-hand RPI 3B devices in a job lot, and found them to be quite capable (RPi 4 /400 was already well established). As Ben mentions above, I too have a RAMP install going, also running a MQTT service (R for Raspberry <s>) on the 3B, which being headless copes with most of my stuff issue free. It wasn't happy when I tried to install ThingsBoard but that was stretching things. It's used mainly for testing purposes and to serve time to any gadget I build. Being a RPi the power consumption is trivial when compared to a PC.

Last Christmas I bought a RPi 500 to test out a few things and subsequently a Zero too, filled with good intent. However other stuff got in the way. The 500 is a very capable machine and I would probably "develop" AutoParent on it, then perhaps port to a RPi 4/5 later, if happy with things.

One other reason I bought the 500 was to see how well it would run as server and from the limited testing I did I was very impressed. I have a SQH5 bought about seventeen or eighteen years ago from Tranqil PC. A very compact 5-Bay Network storage running WHS1 on an Intel Atom and it has been remarkably reliable. Now however the drive that has the OS on it is failing so I'm looking to replace. I've taken backups (more than one) of anything valuable so I'm happy to experiment. Maybe I can get linux to run on it or I just reinstall WHS1. My needs are not that great and it doesn't have internet access (I have not enabled). Mostly it is just storage for music / TV / movies and a place to store whatever I think I need to keep. Pretty certain a lot of the software install files are of no use today though. I did find the setup for a Click PCMCIA Zip Drive from circa late 90's so that's a keeper......

I would want whatever AutoParent I decide on to be able to stream music / movies etc on my drive to wherever so HA is again a strong contender.

I need a new boiler so whilst I am tempted to make my own FC powered interface to control, one that interacts with HA isn't really that expensive.

I stress I haven't researched this, will HA give me the autonomous AutoParent control I want in an easy to use way? Remember I don't want anything sending data outside my network and if I have to do "coding" to create rules it may not fit the bill as I would want an interface that allows me flexibility with ease of use. It would not only be me that would use it.

I do like the idea of everything autonomous in that if say HA failed, my heating would still work as planned, my lights could still be switched on and off etc. I am assuming it is just an api that HA and others uses to access "whatever" on your network, so if I had details of such I see no reason not to build my controller using FC / Web Developer as my needs would be quite limited.

I guess using Display Manager I could create something nice to look at, and customise to my house, but most probably I'd just have "blocks"

As mentioned my needs would be quite modest and for most things I could build myself and control via Flowcode, so a decision as to what I will use is still a way away.

However in saying that, if I do build my own sensors to switch / control / report whatever, again using FC it is a simple enough matter to create a Web Interface either on it's own or over my network which would allow Web Developer to set it up etc. Open my PC / Phone, go to a page, enter details and now it's working. No need for LCD displays or bouncy buttons <s> and most importantly no need for the "Home Controller" to be coded as my rules would be my rules and can be added as needed / selected from dropdown. Indeed using the new eBlock3's with integrated display / WiFi / BT etc I could probably simulate it all before going anywhere near a soldering iron

Interested to hear about what and how other people are doing things as I only have modest needs until I hear about something cool being done then I want that too

Regards

[chipfryer27]

Hi

Just returned from extensive travel, which is always fun, to find my alarm refusing my code...... Admittedly it is around thirty years old but I do maintain it. Cutting boring and noisy story short, I need a new panel.

So, as a panel with communicator, which would allow an "app" is far, far more than I want to spend and I don't want to have monthly fees, time to build things myself.

Just to be clear, I will be using equipment that complies with my insurance requirements, but I will make my own interface using string, sticky back plastic and Flowcode. Yep, I've seen Blue Peter / WDY / How ! .....

I won't mention make/model, obtained from professional security wholesaler.

It has eight programmable zones, with a remote keypad (wired). There are tonnes of options for pretty much everything including polarities, but for my testing all were at default.

Using the 0v from the Auxiliary output power connections (0v / +12v) as a reference, I observed the following:-

Zones can either be Normally Open or Normally Closed. All of mine will be Normally Closed opening in the event of detection / fault.

+2.6v moving to 0v for Normally Open
0v moving to +2.6v for Normally Closed

This falls well within the capabilities of both +5v and +3.3v logic such as PIC / ESP.

It has a Set+ Output which sits at 12v when Unset, moving to 0v when Set. This via level shifting can be used to determine Set/Unset status.

Bell and Strobe outputs both sit at +12v when inactive moving to 0v when triggered. I will use the Bell connection as indication that the system has been triggered as Strobes can have other meanings too.

The above are easy enough to connect to a microprocessor and as I use PIRs in each room, they can provide indication of occupation / activity too, the subject of this thread.

The panel uses a remote keypad and communicates serially. Using a scope, from Keypad to Panel the logic level appears to be around 5v but from Panel to Keypad it is around +10v. The protocol is most likely proprietary and appears to be in bursts of 68 and 80mS duration. A scope is not the best tool to capture this. Instead a logic analyser that can capture sequences is better suited but that then means I would need to reverse engineer by capturing data-streams and comparing them to known actions. Being honest that is just too much trouble for me to go to for which would provide very limited benefit (especially if the stream is encrypted too).

At basic I would need a way to enter my 4-digit code plus a couple of other buttons such as Set / Reset etc and as the Keypad uses a standard 4x4 matrix it would be a simple matter to extend those connections to a board of my own making. As luck would have it I have both an 8-channel and 16-channel relay board doing nothing, so I could easily have a microcontroller "enter" whatever I wished by closing the appropriate relay.

Admittedly decoding and generating serial signals is cooler but I just can't be bothered. My main purpose is to use the existing security infrastructure to monitor activity within the house, and by simply connecting a few wires to the panel I can monitor all detectors, the system Armed status, and detect if it has been triggered (perhaps being notified via PushBullet or similar if triggered). The easy addition of a relay board would then allow me to actually control the panel too.

I've not decided on how i will do things yet but I will have a local database that captures room activity obtained from the PIRs. This could be accessed from whatever for further decision making. As an easy way to control / monitor I could use MQTT either from a hosted provider and using a free "app", or I could create for myself using Flowcode.

I'm also kind of interested in RPi Connect which allows secure access to your RPi from anywhere (haven't tried it yet). This may be an option as I could then have a local Host only accessible from the RPi. I would access the RPi then access the "alarm" but that's a bit clunky.

Having the PIRs provide activity, I could have decisions made. For example if it is during the day and no activity has been detected anywhere for a predefined period, and if the alarm is not set then an alert may be sent suggesting to arm. I'm sure you get the idea.

First off is to install, so that will see my day taken care of.

Regards

[Steve-Matrix]

Sounds like an interesting project. Keep up posted and let us know if you need anything.

[BenR]

Yes let us know how you're getting on, my house alarm UI is also old and creaking (we had to change the code as certain buttons became intermittent and then stopped working) and could certainly do with a new interface so very interested as to how you get on with this.

[chipfryer27]

Hi

From suppliers of professional security equipment you can get all the parts to install a wired system for less than £200 depending on needs. Add in another £70 or so for communicator plus any associated monthly fees if you want remote access. All of the kit comes with a minimum of 12 months warranty so no real need to worry about things.

I searched to see if anyone had reverse engineered the communications protocol between RKP and Panel but all I could find was an article on the HA website that used the same panel as I am and funnily enough did things pretty much exactly as I intend. They didn't create a full 4x4 relay matrix, just enough for their code etc.

Rather than run a LAN cable it makes more sense to use WiFi but unfortunately FC only supports RPi and ESP. The RPi is overkill for needs and I'm not a great fan of ESP as every time I go to use one, "something" isn't working and I then need to find out why. Any chance of a Pico 2W as a target?

However I will probably push ahead using a 32 variant.

I'll need I2C to incorporate either a 16ch Multiplexer or 2 x 8ch to control the 4x4 relay grid that will form my Keypad interface then, an input each for Set+ and Bell. That just leaves inputs for each of my zones that I want to monitor and a lolin-lite will probably fit the bill. A resistor combination will take care of the Set+ / Bell input level shifting.

I'll have the zone inputs on interrupts that trigger on a rising edge which will then update a database on my network. That will provide the occupancy / activity data and I'll also capture Set+/Bell activity too.

Not decided on how I will remote control it yet, and may just use a free MQTT until I decide.

Nothing hard on doing the above using Flowcode at all.

Regards

[chipfryer27]

Hi

I had hoped, but suspected I wouldn't, get away with using 12-w alarm cable between RKP and Panel. 4-wires for the actual RKP and the other 8-wires for the 4x4 keypad grid. I was hoping inducements on the wire from Panel to RKP (around 10v data stream) wouldn't be an issue, but it was.

Connected up and the keypad beeped randomly (a lot) with no actual key presses due to the inducements.

Not having any screened cable to hand I just ran the actual RKP connections over their own separate cable, keeping the 4x4 grid on the original cable. Job sorted. No random beeps, all appears good.

I don't have the detectors connected yet, just shorting jumpers, so I'll arm the panel and see what happens over a few hours.

Dug out my 16xRelay board. +12v feed which then supplies logic 5v etc. The relays are all Com / NO / NC and trigger when a logic 0 is applied to their associated input.

Not having used it in ages I took time to refamiliarise myself and again hoped +3.3v logic would work. It doesn't. Applying +3.3v at trigger causes the relay to activate. That should be above 5v logic "high" but it is from a cheap source so......

This should not be a problem as it will be fed from a 16xChannel expander and I can supply that with 5v. It will communicate with microcontroller via I2C so I should be able to run the I2C from +3.3v hopefully.

Regards