Re: How to get DSC alarm system to communicate with my PC? (hacks/mods ?)

["BruceR" <br@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is a terminal on the board that goes low on arming and the high
when disarmed. You can use it to trigger a relay to indicate the arming
status to a Home Automation Controller. It's called the PGM terminal and
you want to program it to "07" to do this. It's in the installation
manual which you can d/l here if you need it:

http://nextalarm.net/Files/1550im%20v4.1.pdf


From:Security Guy
Security@xxxxxxx

> Mark Leuck wrote:
>
>> You ripped out a 4010 and replaced it with a 1550?
>
> New building we bought had a 4010 panel in the telephone room and some
> small expansion panel in a second floor closet.
>
> Total number of sensors is:
>
> (6) motion sensors (5 are IR, 1 is IR/Microwave combo unit)
> (2) entry/exit doors
> (2) seldom used/emergency doors
> (2) heat sensors
> (2) horns
> (2) keypads
>
> First thing we did was check the internet for instructions on how to
> reset the 4010 to it's factory master and installer codes.  We did
> that, and downloaded pages and pages of manuals and work-sheets for
> the thing, and then thought this was crazy.  We found a spare 1550
> unit (with keypad) sitting in a storage room, and we ripped out our
> own 1550 from our old building before we left.
>
> So I ripped out the 4010 and the expansion panel and re-wired
> everything:
>
> Zone 1:  Main door
> Zone 2:  Secondary door
> Zone 3:  3 motion sensors wired in series
> Zone 4:  3 motion sensors wired in series
> Zone 5:  2 seldom used/emerg exit doors wired in series
> Zone 6:  not used (might hook one of the heat sensors to it)
>
> Replaced the two 1410 keypads with the two 1550 ones.  Hooked up only
> 1 horn.  ->Didn't have to run any new wire<-
>
> Programmed the 1550 in about 15 minutes.  Set the master, 2'nd master,
> and installer codes to numbers of our own choosing.  Set the usual
> arming/disarming code to what we had before.
>
> The previous owners must have really been hosed with the installation
> of the 1410 and the expansion panel (1408?).  What a scam.
>
> Anyways, I'm going to poke around the 1550 panel and see if I can pull
> some signals off it it (like armed/disarmed status, sensor activity,
> etc) and see if I can do some neat control things (like turn on the
> juice to the electric water heater only when the system is dis-armed,
> or activate a web-cam to take timed pictures when the system is armed,
> etc).
>
>> Like trading in a Cadillac for a Chevette
>
> Practically speaking - not really.
>
> The 1410 was over-kill (for us, for this building) although I suspect
> that a "professional" alarm installer would not agree.
>
> It's been my experience that installers seem to insist that every
> sensor be connected to it's own separate zone.  The bigger the
> building, the more zones, the deeper the pockets of the customer, the
> bigger the panel, the more $$$ the installer makes.