Now Konnected - Alarm, Garage Openers, and Sprinkler System!

Konnected Alarm Panels
1

I just finished setting up my system! Overall, I’m very happy with the everything, thanks Nate!

I have 3 Konnected boards for all the sensors,siren,piezo buzzers, tablet/keypad and 2 DYI boards to control the  2 garage door openers and the 5 zone sprinkler system.  I over bought on the panels, but it's always better to have too many zones than too few. It also makes it easier to add on later. I also purchased several 5V relay modules in different configurations. I needed 2 relays for the garage openers, and 5 relays for the sprinkler system.

I'm replacing an ADEMCO/ADT alarm panel, a Rain Bird sprinkler system and tying into 2 Genie Garage Door openers circa 2003.

I already had a UPS powering my modem and router, so I used it to power the Konnected system also. 

The alarm panel replacement went fairly smoothly, the original panel schematic was on the panel door, so I had a good reference point to start with. I purchased a label maker and labeled all of the wires that I could identify before I started disconnecting. The original system had 6 zones and I wanted to split out the front/garage entry/garage side doors, the rear window/sliding door. The front/garage doors had separate lines and were joined at the panel. The rear window/sliding door and garage entry/side door were spliced in together and I had to find where the splices were. Fortunately the splices were done in basement (it's unfinished and I have easy access to most of it) and I was able to run new lines for them. I setup the siren and most sensors on the main panel and the motion detector, piezo buzzer, tablet power and remaining sensors on the add-on panel (the second add-on panel is in the garage - see below). (Alarm Panel 1 pic is mid setup, 2 is final configuration)

I used the original keypad wiring for the piezo buzzer and 12VDC for the converter. The original wire just came through a hole in the wall, so I installed a metal junction box to hold the converter and wiring (Tablet Box pic). I had ordered the tablet wall mount with the kickstarter order, but I didn't realize I had purchased a Fire 8 tablet instead of a 7, so I had to order another mount. I set up the tablet through Action Tiles.

The garage panel box is by Orbit, I picked mine up from Home Depot in the irrigation section. It runs a little over $30 and is also on Amazon.  I liked that it has 2 layers, so it doubles the usable surface inside.

For the sensors, I used my third Konnected board and I used a DIY board for the controllers. I initially wired in the sensors on the chain guide, but is was a little inconsistent, so I moved them to frame and door (pic below). There was just a little too much slop where they attached to the guide so they sometimes didn’t read correctly. 

The garage door opener is pretty simple, it’s just a momentary contact to activate. I initially followed the help guide listed on this site, but I couldn’t get the virtual opener to work and realized that I really didn’t need the buzzer/light (I don’t have them for the my remotes in the cars…). So I went the simple route, I followed the guide to setup the relay and ST as a Momentary Switch and to set the trigger to Low Level. It hooks into the opener unit (pic below), the relay NO wire to the opener Button terminal and the relay COM wire to opener common terminal (COM). I still have the original hardwired buttons attached, so the wires out of the relay need to be on the NO and COM terminals for them to work.

The sprinkler system is also pretty simple, but it took me a little while to figure out how to do it. I made 5 pigtails and used a wire nut to attach to the HOT wire from the 24VAC transformer and the relay COM terminals. I attached the Zone wires to the relay NO terminals. It really doesn’t matter which wire goes to COM/NO, but I recommend staying consistent. I attached the GND transformer wire to the sprinkler system COM wire. The quad relay module wasn’t working properly initially. Then I realized I needed to change the trigger to Low Level. (ST > Things > Sprinkler Zone (or whatever you name it) > Options (Gear icon, top right corner), then toggle it) The single relay module I used is a High/Low level module, so I was able to leave it as a High Level trigger. 

It did take me a while to get everything set up, but it was worth it! 

2

Update 1


I was able to add in my wired smoke alarms (https://help.konnected.io/support/discussions/topics/32000001247). Now the system does everything that I originally wanted it to do!


3

Congrats on this whole setup!


So that I can understand your wiring and installation, and in order to compare it to mine (and others):

1. your smoke detectors are powered by AC power (and have battery backup perhaps) to your electrical panel.

2. you have a low voltage wire on the smoke alarms interconnected with your existing alarm system.


My setup is the smoke/CO alarms are on their own AC circuit. They were not interconnected to the alarm system when I was installing Konnected. I am asking this because I don't see the value (for me) in connecting the smoke alarm to the Konnected system and was hoping to gain another perspective.

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The value to me is knowledge, if the smoke alarms are going off and I'm not home, I would want to know. If I'm going to be protecting my house, why not for fire/smoke also?


Hope this helps! 

5

 This is an amazing system, and it is literally all of the things I am looking at.  I am trying to follow your wiring for your sprinkler, but I am finding it difficult to follow the pictures a bit.


How did you wire the switch into the sprinkler controller and then to the sprinkler heads?  My plan was to bypass the sprinkler controller entirely, but this looks more feasible if it is an option.

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Thanks!


I did bypass the old sprinkler control completely. If you look at the pic of the Sprinkler Relays, the 2 sets of wires that are wrapped together on the left  are the power transformer (red and blue wires (and green which is not used)), and the bundle to the sprinkler  valves (bundle of 6 or 8 wires, with the brown wire bent back). I  used a patch bundle from the original valve wiring because it was too short, which is why the wire colors don't match the Old Wires pic. The sprinkler zone wires are dark blue, red, green, black and yellow. The common wire (ground) is white.  Your wires are probably different, but just make sure you can identify them all from your old control unit. I used the wire nut to connect the GND wire (red) from the transformer to the sprinkler common wire (white). Then I used hot wire from the transformer (blue) to the wire nut with pig tails and on to the relays. The wires on the right side of the relays go the the DIY board. 


My wiring diagram making skills are lacking, but if you need one, I can try.


Let me know if this doesn't make sense, and I'll try again! (It's perfectly clear in my head ;-)


Here are the directions from above with wire colors added in:


The sprinkler system is also pretty simple, but it took me a little while to figure out how to do it. I made 5 pigtails and used a wire nut to attach to the HOT wire (blue) from the 24VAC transformer and the relay COM terminals. I attached the Zone wires (dark blue, red, green, black and yellow) to the relay NO terminals. It really doesn’t matter which wire goes to COM/NO, but I recommend staying consistent. I attached the GND transformer wire (red) to the sprinkler system COM wire (white). The quad relay module wasn’t working properly initially. Then I realized I needed to change the trigger to Low Level. (ST > Things > Sprinkler Zone (or whatever you name it) > Options (Gear icon, top right corner), then toggle it) The single relay module I used is a High/Low level module, so I was able to leave it as a High Level trigger. 


7

 Thanks, I appreciate you following up, and I think that does make sense now.  I have had to winterize my sprinklers, so I wont be touching them for another ~6 months, but at that point I will be coming back here to see how this is all done.

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Why  two (2) full alarm boards with Wifi vs a 2nd daughter board?

 

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I have 1 main board and 2 add on boards, all the boards have wifi. One of the add on boards is in a different location than the main board.

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I am in the process of replacing my sprinkler system. I have a question, on ST how are you controlling the relays and watering schedules?

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Quick question for you @Robert Cahn - how did you wire in your smoke alarms? The system I had replaced did not have them wired in, but I would assume that the capability is there... 

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@ Jose,


I control the watering schedule as routines, I have a different routine for each zone. ST handles activating the relays (see setup above).

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@ Dallas,


My smoke alarm system (BRK) has a relay that you can purchase separately and wire into the system. This thread discusses it in detail: https://help.konnected.io/support/discussions/topics/32000001247


But it depends on your individual system if it will work for you.

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Hello Robert,

For your sprinkler project…

Are all 3 wires coming from the transformer connected to something? I thought the green was ground with blue and red being 24vac. Your description of the colors says different than what my guess was. I’m trying to use your pics and adapt it to using an additional board I have. My relay is slightly different and instead of a DIY board I’m using an addon board so I may be way outside my league on this project. My knowledge is minimal so I’m trying to adapt based on the groundwork you’ve laid. Thanks!

I’ve almost got everything else connected other than those 3 wires mentioned since I zoomed in on the pics and compared the old system to where it was hooked up on the new and it really has thrown me off.

15

Hi Harrison, 


Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you, I was planning on doing it sooner and got distracted...

The green wire is a ground wire and you can hook it up to any ground point on whatever box you're using. With a 24V system is not that critical. The blue and the green are the hot and neutral. I don't remember which is which, but as far as the relays are concerned, it doesn't matter. You just need to be consistent with wiring. In this case I have the red connected to the white COM wire and the blue to the hot outputs for the relays for all the zones. I set it up that way because the original panel had the red next to the COM... End result, it worked :-).


I do believe you need a DIY board to activate the relays, I don't think the add on boards have that capability. (I think they might have 1 output for a siren or piezo buzzer)


I do apologize again for the late response.


Good Luck!!!

16

Thank you! I went for it. I was able to get it working with an add-on board with no issues. I never would’ve had the confidence if you hadn’t posted your pics and details. Thanks again!
I have generic automations set to trigger on a schedule. I’m looking to integrate it with local weather so it’ll skip days it rains it when we’ve had enough rain recently. That’ll take me some time to figure out how to adapt the groovy out there for other systems. I saw some for arduino boards that I have my eye on.

17

Great to hear, glad you were able to get it working!