Posted this on r/homeautomation a few weeks ago, but figured I would share it here as well. I plan to run hardwired power to my recessed Multisensors when building my new house. All 18 of them (eventually) will be powered by a security camera power supply. The link below shows how I plan to match the voltage of the power supply to what the Multisensor can handle. More details in image descriptions.
This is INSANELY cool, and looks like a project even a beginner would not have too much difficulty with. The concept is all there, and you took great step-by-step pictures. Thank you!!
Might I suggest that if you’re installing these in a relatively unmonitored location, you make use of the vibration sensor to immediately ping you if it’s moved around with the settling of the house? Otherwise, I’m not sure I can see much use in the vibration sensor. This is largely to reason I have decided not to buy these specific multisensors. I’m not sure what I’d do with the UV, vibration, and light sensors!
Very cool project though. 
The vibration sensor is a “security” feature to alert you that the sensor has been tampered with. So if somebody tries to pull them out of my ceiling I will be alerted. I’m not sure, but they may also serve as earthquake detection if they all go off at the same time… lol.
UV is pretty much useless since they are indoors… but I plan to use LUX, temp and motion in my rules. I mostly chose these sensors because they look really nice when recessed into the ceiling.
Any updates on this, looks like a great project.
How are the sensors holding up hardwired?
From my tests I never been able to make those sensors report very often. Did you manage to make them report on sensor value changes.
Spotted this just as I was going to checkout on a basket full of PoE to USB converters considering my options now. Thanks @oblogic7!
I installed mine just after moving in to a new build house unfortunately I didn’t have your foresight! All running off battery at the moment which is fantastic for motion detection. Useless for everything else due to reporting times…
Im converting the upstairs to PoE or this but downstairs I’m doomed unless id like to make a mess. Unless somebody can enlighten me? The closest source of power is a light…?
@quasar66 I vaguely remember having a similar problem when I was testing these out. If I remember correctly the first method you use to power them battery/usb defines the reporting. I beleive there was a reset process to change power source/reporting times.
@ryanrdetzel My house is still under construction, so haven’t got them installed yet. Although it isn’t much to look at, this is the current state of the project…
Central power supply location:
One of the sensor locations (hanging wire, black box is for PTZ camera location):
@quasar66 I was able to get them to report every minute, but have read of others who say they can’t report more frequently than 4-5 minutes. I think it may depend on firmware version or power source as @jamieb mentioned. I don’t have them setup currently to check though.
@jamieb I have been planning this for a while and will be excited to see it completed. I wasn’t able to run power to all locations that I originally planned due to not wanting to hold up construction, but for the ones I wasn’t able to get I have a backup plan to place the sensors on a shelf in the same rooms. Should be just as effective and can use a simple USB power brick for power supply instead.
You need to power it via usb BEFORE adding them to the zwave hub, the configure the zwave device options for low latency and quick response. If you add them on battery and then switch to usb power, it will not work utill you exclude and re-include them. Also there is a device option to fully reset them, so the safest way is to power via usb, include them securely, set device option to reset device, re-add them securely then set delays to minimum values for the report/trip time.
What I’m doing now (to get best of both worlds) is using a 12000mah mobile power bank that is plugged in the wall and at the same time powers the sensor. In the future I intend to go with a 8-16v->5v convertor near the device (or inside it) and have a UPS that gives powerd directly from the battery to a bunch of devices. On the 110/220v output I’ll only add a relay that will use very little power and cut off the 12v connection when the 220v power is cut so the ups can still controll the output amd cutoff the power before it drains the battery, but will use a ~12v->5v dc-dc convertor instead of going through 12v dc --> 110/220v ac -->5v dc. The relay is something similar to this - https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13015 ( a ssr relay). I will also add on the 12v battery lines short-circuit and overcurrent protection.
If I find a very cheap good second-hand UPS (like APC units) i’ll just use it with a 220->12v adapter, even though the runtime will be less than using dc-dc only conversion.
Hey guys,
Just to share my own experience with this.
I wanted to route the usb cable back to a junction box in the bedroom. I didn’t have POE, already had power, and didn’t want to try fit a phone charger in the junction box!
In the end, I dismantled a Schneider Electric usb socket/receptical I had not yet used. It was actually a double usb socket so I got 2 little transformers out of it. It ended up being the perfect solution in my case.
Photo attached.
Did you just leave this transformer in a junction box in the wall/ceiling?
Exactly right. I already had a large junction box nearby with fibaro switches to automate the bedroom lights, so I put it in there.
