Home Automation And Alarm System

[deemo]

Hi Guys

I'm wondering if anyone had experience or read of in the uk integrating a Normal Alarm system into a home automation set up

I need to purchase a new alarm and want to do some home automation at a later date and ideally i want to end up with one app or website login form which i can control the Alarm and the lighting etc

So was just researching potential option i know like Risco Agility 3 has it's own app and cloud etc and with Camera PIR is a very interesting system - but they have a home automation module which links to X10 - X10 is old wired technology need something 21st century

I don't know maybe Risco are working on something

As home automation is big in the USA my only other thought was maybe Honeywell might have something which already links to some home automation hub etc

I know some home automation systems have motion sensors and cameras, but from what i've seen all they do is notify you and there is no trigger fro an external bell as example some offer internal sounders

Maybe i'm asking too much

 

[Nintendofan]

Depends what you want the home automation to do? IFTT can integrate a lot of different technologies together although I'm not sure it would work with a home alarm system.

I have a few what you would call 'home automation' items and I can log into my alarm remotely but as it's not always 100% reliable (nothing on the internet is) then I still have an old fashioned tried and tested method of being informed if the alarm has triggered (external sounder and GSM dialler)

I do have a full house of Philips Hue lamps that switch on 30 minutes before dusk automatically (great for when its dark and I'm still at work) and some switch off at 11:30pm (bedtime) and the outside lights switch off automatically at dawn, the dusk and dawn times adjust automatically year round. All this is setup and controlled via an App.

I trialled a Ring vide doorbell, this would record video when there was movement at my front door, and using IFTT would also turn on a Hue lamp in the porch automatically, I wasn't happy with the quality of the Ring doorbell video though so sent this back.

 

[musszzy]

Hi,
Something I am experimenting with is openhab. Main reason is you can pick what is called bindings to interface with a lot of existing technologies. It will generally work with nest Philips hue and a whole host of home automation
products and I believe there is a binding for dsc alarms and visonic. Mine is installed on a raspberry pi but it is a cross platform open source software. You may need some programming/electronics knowledge although there is an awful lot of help for this software on the Internet. Can't be any more specific as it's something I have only just started 'tinkering' with.

 

[jogu]

The Texecom Premier Elite appear to have the best home automation support.

They're currently doing a full integration with Control4, which is branded under 'Texecom Connect', and it tied up with new v4 firmware for the panels and they will also be making APIs available, all due to launch "really soon".

There's also a third party integration with HomeSeer that's already available. I've seen a few other integrations I think. I think it could be hooked up to IFTTT (via a PC/PI/similar acting as a gateway) but I'm not sure anyone has actually done so.

Cytech's comfort system also have really good home automation integration, but seems not to be hugely common. That said, I'm also really struggling to find an installer in Glasgow who will put in a Texecom Premier Elite.

Most alarms at similar price points have some support for integrating with home automation, but it will tend to be more the 'a few digital I/O lines that can be configured to give a bit of alarm state' type level.