I use home assistant to control my security system.
Cool… Do yo use a siren and chime? If so which product? Are you connected to a monitoring service? same question, which one?
It ties into my Honeywell Vista 20P system. I use the siren, chime, and all the sensors that the 20P comes with.
I don’t have it monitored. I don’t need it.
If you already have a Vista 20p or similar you can tie it into home assistant either using esp8266 boards or the ad2pi (alarm decoder) or envisalink products.
I have automations in place that monitor home away status for myself and my wife and alarm arms/disarms itself. I even have some lighting tied into the automations to go along with the alarm state.
1 Like
Wow @flamingm0e thats awesome!! Im definitely going to check that out. Mine is a Vista 15, just a smaller version of the Vista 20.
Did you have to upgrade the eprom on it?
Like you said to me earlier… “You couldn’t have just asked?” lol
This could get me a quick start to bridge my system to the future and beyond!!
No. I just connected a pi zero running the alarm decoder custom OS build, and the ad2pi hat. All communication with the alarm system to home assistant is through that device.
1 Like
I don’t think I’m ready to be a pi person yet.
I’m pretty happy with my GN31 mini pc, it has a small form factor and runs windows.
What do you think about me using one of these with my mini-pc: http://www.alarmdecoder.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/29
My mini pc:
I’m not suggesting you run HA on a pi. A pi zero W, sd card, ad2pi, and a usb converter will be cheaper than a mini pc by itself.
Is your mini PC in the same closet/cabinet as your Alarm system? Is it on a battery backup?
I run ad2pi on the pi zero, connected to a USB converter, pulling power right off the battery in the alarm panel box. I haven’t touched the pi in 2 years. It just runs.
hmmm… I’ll look more into this.
Its not there yet but will be. I’m using Netgear for 4G to contact my monitoring service https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MQRHQYT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And I use a UPS for power backup, not the Vista board.
And I was planning to use Windows configured as a wifi AP so I can locally access the system via Windows RDP (remote desktop terminal)
Are you using any of the Vista wired or wireless sensors or just your zwave sensors?
Thanks
Why are you bothering with running Windows?
Why would you configure Windows to run as an AP?
You’re overcomplicating your setup when you get Windows involved. Just run a headless Linux on that mini pc and use SSH to administer it. You don’t need a GUI.
Every door, window, smoke, carbon monoxide, etc sensor is from my alarm system. I am not using ANY zwave sensors. The only zwave devices I have are thermostats, outlets, switches, and plugs.
1 Like
From my profile:
Retired code slinger.
Pretty good with Windows, javascript, json, sql, php
But Linux, HomeAutomation, Python… not so much. 
Just more comfortable with Windows, but slowly getting better with Linux. Proud that: I did get hassio installed with windows, Not proud that: I did it in a Windows VM guest.
hassio won’t run on Windows without being in a VM…
Windows is a terrible platform for Home Assistant. Adding Windows adds nothing but headaches to the stability of your system. Do you want Windows 10/Server 2016/2019 to decide when it thinks it needs to reboot?
Take control of your system. Install Linux and learn a thing or 2.
1 Like
LOL… I guess should just bite the bullet and move my system to its own partition. But I have to get through my HA learning curve first. I’m making pretty good progress. I have my fireplace, shades working now.
I’m reading the install instructions for the ad2pi but didnt get to the usage part. I think you said you are able to arm and disarm but can you get alarm events and which sensor triggered it?
EVERYTHING the alarm system sees, is passed through the alarm decoder. The Alarm Decoder acts as another keypad. You don’t have to know how to use the Alarm Decoder app. It’s merely an entry point for Home Assistant to access the controls of the device.
I can see every sensor (here are a few)
1 Like
Oh WOW, that’s F’n awesome!! I’m for sure doing this!!!
p.s. thanks for the link too.
I chickened out and ordered the envisalink:
http://www.eyezon.com/primer.php
I think what sold me is that the docs say you can trigger the alarm and use it to add add additional zwave sensors. That should give me a good bridge now and transition to all zwave later.
I don’t see zwave anywhere in the specs?
I think I saw it in the HA “integration” doc.
For example, a newer zwave/zigbee sensor can now be integrated into a legacy alarm system using a Home Assistant automation.
Yeah, you read that incorrectly.
There is no zwave on the Envisalink. A friend of mine has one and has it integrated into HA
Got it. But the integration doc for your device says it cannot trigger the alarm. Which seems to imply that you cant incorporate zwave devices into your security system
Zwave has nothing to do with triggering an alarm, or integration with an alarm system. You seem to be mixing these things up.
I can trigger my alarm but just not with the alarm_trigger parameter. I have a million ways I can trigger an alarm using any number of entities at my disposal in Home Assistant.
You’re getting hung up on the singular device.