Least Expensive Way to interface Multiple Dry Contact?

[dmiller]

I've been using Ecolink for and window sensors to interface dry contact closure. I don't need a relay. I prefer a plug-in device like Mimo2+. But that device is somewhat pricey and has complaints concerning the Homeseer interface. A POE IP device would be ideal, although z-wave is good too. Any suggestions?

[upstatemike]

Depends on the scale you are talking about. I use an Elk M1 security system for dry contact input because it can handle over 200 inputs and the cost per input is low compared to platforms that only support 1 or 8 or 16 inputs.

[drhtmal]

As mentioned an alarm panel is a great way to go for this. I have a Concord 4 panel hooked to my HS system. All my doors have hard wired sensors in the door jams. Also have hard wired motion detectors and water sensors. As an additional benefit you get an alarm system.

[logman]

I posted this yesterday in a different thread, but might be worth looking into...

Not Z-Wave, but.... If you have a Zigbee controller (SmartThings, Hubitat, Conbee/deCONZ), then the Xiaomi water sensor is basically a normally open (NO) dry contact. The Xiaomi sensor has 2 screws on the back side that you can hook leads to for dry contact closure. The water sensor is waterproof and immersible, so outdoor deployment is possible. However in that case the contacts should be covered with a silicon sealant to prevent false triggers from water contact.




I have caught them on sale in the past for well under $15, so it's hard to beat the price. And battery life should be in the 3 - 5 year range.

--Barry

[upstatemike]

Revisiting this old thread because I'm trying to figure out what I would do for dry contact inputs if I had to start over today.

What is the cheapest way bring a large number (say 80-100) of dry contact inputs into a home automation system these days? If I had to start fresh I see that I am faced with the following realities:

1 Stargate is gone and even if I keep my old one going nothing really talks to it anymore.

2 Elk is pretty expensive and has a lot of overhead I really don't need for just monotoring dry contacts. They are also less friendly to DIY folks than they used to be.

3 Other alarm panels like DSC don't appear to have a zone type for non-alarm applications and want to tie everything to the "armed or disarmed" state of the panel. I would never use it for security so it would never be armed.

4 Hobby style GPIO boards based on RasPi or whatever are not really set up fo wall mounting and screw terminals etc. and don't look like they would scale into the range I'm talking about.

5 Dry contact inputs for wireless protocols like Z-Wave or Zigbee are just crazy stupid expensive. I could pay $30 per input compared to the average $4-$5 per input with a 16 zone alarm board. Also they don't generally come in multiple input configurations so you are talking a messy installation footprint.

So what is the answer for hard wired inputs in quantity these days without relying on old and fading platforms or paying ridiculous prices?

[cd36]

Sorry, can you clarify what your issue is with using a dsc powerseries and an envisalink?

The envisalink reports sensor status to homeseer regardless of armed/disarmed state. If all you're wanting to do is see contact open/close state that is all you'd need isn't it? No need to arm/disarm it. Or am I missing something?

[upstatemike]

Sorry, can you clarify what your issue is with using a dsc powerseries and an envisalink?

The envisalink reports sensor status to homeseer regardless of armed/disarmed state. If all you're wanting to do is see contact open/close state that is all you'd need isn't it? No need to arm/disarm it. Or am I missing something?

No you are correct. In looking at the docs I could find for DSC this did not come across. So you just use a zone type of "instant" for example and then never arm the system?

[Dweber85rc]

I've used these with rpi and they are super easy https://www.adafruit.com/product/2711

Although you are looking at a total cost per rpi setup of about $70, rpi, top hat board and SD card.

[RogerL]

Envisilink also works with honeywell ademco vista panels, and Vista 20 panels are plentiful and cheap on ebay. just need an alphanumeiric keypad to program, and all thr manuals and instructions can be found online.
inputs csn be setup as any kind of zone and most all report opens and closes regardless of alam armed or not. its a common feature of alarm panels since you usually want to know if a door or window is open regardless of armed or not.

[cd36]

No you are correct. In looking at the docs I could find for DSC this did not come across. So you just use a zone type of "instant" for example and then never arm the system?

Instant just refers to how it reacts when armed, it doesn't change when the envisalink is reporting open/closed.

For example on one system I have a Dakota alert driveway alarm NC contact tied to one of the zone inputs of a dsc powerseries.

Every time that driveway alarm trips (whether system is armed or not) the envisalink sends an update that the zone opens and closes.

With that I made an event that increments a counter anytime that zone is opened. It doesn't matter if the system is armed or not because the envisalink is just updating on the status of that zone, not that it is triggering an alarm.

[upstatemike]

Instant just refers to how it reacts when armed, it doesn't change when the envisalink is reporting open/closed.

For example on one system I have a Dakota alert driveway alarm NC contact tied to one of the zone inputs of a dsc powerseries.

Every time that driveway alarm trips (whether system is armed or not) the envisalink sends an update that the zone opens and closes.

With that I made an event that increments a counter anytime that zone is opened. It doesn't matter if the system is armed or not because the envisalink is just updating on the status of that zone, not that it is triggering an alarm.

Got it, thanks. So it looks like DSC is one good path for getting high numbers of wired inputs into Homeseer. Are there any others (apart from the Elk M1 which I am currently using) or is that sort of the only option these days?

[upstatemike]

How would a bunch of Addicon Input modules controlled by the GTS CPUXA Plug-in compare to using a DSC panel and an envisalink? Any pros and cons between these two options? Are both approaches supported in HS4?

[Pierre]

I am coming from a JDS Stargate also, and very happy using Arduino(s) for dry contacts. The Arduino Plugin is great, and can handle several Arduinos on different places, including NodeMCU's, which are WiFi enabled.

[upstatemike]

I am coming from a JDS Stargate also, and very happy using Arduino(s) for dry contacts. The Arduino Plugin is great, and can handle several Arduinos on different places, including NodeMCU's, which are WiFi enabled.

Could you point me to some links where I could read up on the hardware required? Thanks.

[Pierre]

There is a lot to read about Arduino's ... I suggest you try the arduino plugin section of this forum (there is a section for HS3 and one for HS4)
Many boards need the wires to be welded, you might want to use a screw terminal as I do for my genuine Arduino mega https://store.arduino.cc/arduino-mega-2560-rev3 , and you will be very closed to the JDS I/O expander. I also use a 8 relay board that you will find easily on Amazon or any asian seller.
Be sure to check about NodMCU if you cannot have a RJ45 lan connection available.