GE Concord Security System Plugin

[piperpilot]

Well folks, it seems our previous thread has been lost in some pruning activites on the forums. I'll start this new thread with a post to the location of the plugin install file.

http://www.cheapertronics.com/downlo...ncordsetup.zip

Regards,
PiperPilot

[TeleFragger]

Well folks, it seems our previous thread has been lost in some pruning activites on the forums. I'll start this new thread with a post to the location of the plugin install file.

http://www.cheapertronics.com/downlo...ncordsetup.zip

Regards,
PiperPilot

figured id keep this space open for updates too.. if that is ok..
I had a PM from someone asking about the alarm but didnt see this thread I believe... so i will clean up my pm to be more generic for this thread....

I went the concord 4 route for different reasons..

I had ADT. That ADT monitoring service cost me about $50 a month including insurance which was probably 50% of that cost..

so I called ADT as im out of contract and said I want a new alarm and was curious what they would recommend.... my caretaker unit was from 1994... the adt rep told me he could swap my alarm out for the concord 4... I told him for free and he said yes... just resign a 2 year contract...to which I said for him to call me back when he had some answers for me... but he never called

anyway... I came back to the threads and posted what I was looking to do..

but I also posted that I started asking questions on doityourself.com and found it to be a nice and easy swap... with 99% of my system wireless.. it was a drop in and go..

piperpilot was also looking to do an alarm.. .... so it just started....

all doors and windows use the same tpye of wireless component but..

I have:
3 doors
9 windows
2 glassbreaks
2 smoke detectors
2 basement window bars
1 water detector (pretty cool.. put my tongue on it and it went off with the alarm disarmed..)

not only do you get monitoring but you also get triggering... you can do whatever you want on triggers..

I used to use a ds10a to trigger when garage door to house was open it would turn the garage lights on... now I use the alarm piece already in place and going to reloacate my ds10a....

Also didnt setup yet but going to setup a house code to turn on the alarm and speak if any zone is open so i can do this from my bedroom.. have an x10 mini timer on my desk (x10 alarm clock that controls my night stand light and the wifes)

web page interactive:

in addition to this you can
arm, disarm
turn chime on and off - we use as our 2 year old likes opening the doors but dont want chime all the time

extra features that are there and pretty cool...
setup users so you can report on who disabled alarm.
I have a keyfob, wife, kid and myself that will be able to disarm and I will know who disarmed the system..... keyfob is for family when we go away...

so that is a few of the features.... incase someone uses the search.. hopefully this helps answer any questions...

now a few pics...

[piperpilot]

Yup, sure thing Jeff...I'll try to add some more detail to that first entry and keep it up to date. I am lobbying for a subforum but since this is a free plugin, HST normally doesn't allow them. We'll see what they say.

Funny thing is...about 11pm last night I posted instructions on adding your users...that post was lost

Sooo...

Once you add new users to your panel, perform an arm or disarm operation. That will list the user Number in the log of the plugin. Then, go into that ini and set the user number = friendly name.

Here is what the log will look like before you set the friendly name:

 
CONCORD_Plugin   Apr 20, 2009 12:00:35 AM   Armed Stay by user 1   Zone 201 Panel  Partition 1

in the c:\Program Files\HomeSeer 2\Config\hspi_concord.ini file, you will see:

[Users]
255=Unknown

Add:

1=MyUserName

After the Unknown line.

Hope this helps!

PiperPilot

[TeleFragger]

bit confused.. im not home so cant setup my users yet..

however...
i did look at the log and I see the following..

0 - Disarmed
17 - Disarmed
250 - Armed Away


so I have the alarm panel setup so I just click Arm with no code....

so i could say
250=Concord

I do have a keyfob... so now im thinking that one of those remaining 2 are the keyfob and the other as the user.....
ill have to test but looking at when I left work and turned off the alarm..
0=user
17=keyfob

[piperpilot]

The attached table lists what the different codes are.

In the case of your keyfob, they show up under the zone you programmed them to. So User 17 is zone 17 or keyfob 17. There is a flag on the user designation in the code that I am not checking yet that designates keyfob or not. I will add that to my todo list so you can maintain a different list of keyfobs and user codes.

Hope this helps.

PiperPilot

[TeleFragger]

sweet... thanks for that info...
I only have 1 keyfob and only expect to have 1...
it is for my neighbors when we go on vacation... although I have been thinking another would be nice.. both my bro and neighbor take care of our pets.....

Thanks!

[TeleFragger]

bump for post #2 updates

[mbdirtfarmer]

Sweet Looking Plugin

Thanks for the update to post#2 TeleFragger, that looks fanfreakingtastic. Good work on the plugin PiperPilot.

I am just in the process of trying to source the Concord4 Kit and superbus 2000 automation module. I am going to rip out my Ademco Lynx stuff (84xx series wireless sensors) and replace it with Concord4. It would have cost me $750 US to switch to compatible Ademco panel, wireless reciever, and ICD, to use ChrisDunn's plugin. I can replace everything with a connected Concord 4 for less, and sell my complete Lynx package on ebay.

Another step closer to having complete control of the house. Very Exciting.

[TeleFragger]

Thanks for the update to post#2 TeleFragger, that looks fanfreakingtastic. Good work on the plugin PiperPilot.

I am just in the process of trying to source the Concord4 Kit and superbus 2000 automation module. I am going to rip out my Ademco Lynx stuff (84xx series wireless sensors) and replace it with Concord4. It would have cost me $750 US to switch to compatible Ademco panel, wireless reciever, and ICD, to use ChrisDunn's plugin. I can replace everything with a connected Concord 4 for less, and sell my complete Lynx package on ebay.

Another step closer to having complete control of the house. Very Exciting.

between piper and me.. we will get ya goin... lemme know if ya need anything... im lovin it dude....!!!!!!!!!!!!

[peepisklak]

Cable

Hey guys, I recently got my Concord and the Automation module - thanks so much for making this plug-in. Now I just need to know exactly what kind of cable do I need to use to connect the automation module to my Homeseer PC. It was in the old thread, but that one seems to have been lost. Thanks in advance for your help!

[piperpilot]

Use a straight-through cable to connect to a PC's 9-pin serial port.

[TeleFragger]

yeah i just used a straight through serial cable.... from machine to module.. then cat5 from module to alarm....

[peepisklak]

Ok, thanks for the help. You also mentioned Cat5 from Automation Module to Alarm. The cord I got has a Cat5 connector on one end, but the other end has 8 prongs. Which colors go to which connectors on the board? Thanks again!

[TeleFragger]

you have to open it up and use the screw terminals.... I dont know what the external plug is for.. im not using it...

[peepisklak]

Problems

I am having problems getting this plugin to work. This is what I have done so far.
1) Installed plugin
2) Enabled plugin
3) Gone to "config" under the plugin's menu

There, I went to "Get Zone Names"
It got 96 zone names, even though I only have 2 programmed into the Concord. So I just named the 2 that I actually use.
I got the "great news" message, but after waiting, nothing is happening in the log.

I have this under plugin diagnostics
"Clock sync is Off
Timer count is at 0. Timer interval is at 10000 milliseconds
Getting panel info for zone 0 out of 96
Processed all zones 0 times
Last updated zone is 2. Received update at 6/1/2009 9:04:20 PM
Getting panel keypad info for partition 0 "

Any ideas about what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks for all your help so far.