I wrote a step-by-step tutorial on how to bring up a Home Assistant alarm panel

Smart Home Integrations Home Assistant
1

Inspired by recurring questions from reddit, I wrote a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up an alarm panel in Home Assistant based on Konnected.io boards. You find here:   

https://github.com/scarpazza/home-assistant-konnected-tutorial

In the tutorial, I cover the steps necessary to bring up a full-featured system that group sensors by type, distinguished between "armed away" and "armed home", arms and disarms with grace periods and audible feedback, and even auto-arms and auto-disarms depending on presence.

All feedback is welcome! (But I can only promise corrections and additions work load and family permitting.)

2

So where do I go from here ?  I've got all of the automations setup, when I did my walkthrough I was able to see the interactions of doors or window groups actually working.


Problem:

1.  I cannot ARM/DIARM the system from the alarm panel.

2.  I only get a message that I've disarmed the system - none of the other notifications work

3.  Even though I'm getting a notification, the alarm system in the home is not being armed


Found a document that outlines programmable outputs for Ademco/Vista panels - Is this the NEXT required step in the process ?

3

I'm following a thread that focus on setting up the switch OUT to Zone 1 on the Vista board. I have the following configuration:


VISTA 15P Konnected Interface Board Next Step


PIN 1 Zone 1 Configure new zone in H.A. Integration for Konnected as Switchable

PIN 5 Zone 6 Configure new zone in H.A. Integration for Konnected as Switchable


After creating the switches for the zones in Konnected integration do I need to created a Konnected.YAML file that represents the same switch configuration with the OUT Relays identified ?


If anyone has an example please share.  I've added screen shots to demonstrate what I'm thinking my next step is.

4

Hi Archie, it looks like you are configuring the interface kit to arm/disarm the legacy system.

I haven't bought the interface kit so I'm not a direct expert on creating tutorials that encompass that part.


To answer your question, the yaml configuration is optional, and it's only imported the first time you run the UI configuration. If you add it after going through the configuration UI, it's ignored. At this point, use only the UI.


The screenshots you posted seem accurate in their config for pin 1 and 5. 


I recommend you create a HA entity card with a button to toggle them and you test that they work interactively with a multimeter.


At that point you can add the automations necessary to do legacy arm/disarm.

5

When you say UI configuration, you are speaking of the Konnected integration config ?

6

Yes, definitely, that's what I mean, the multi-page setup in the integrations.

7

Daniele - you know sometimes this stuff can make you feel so stupid and dumb.  I mean, I've read over the konnected H.A. instructions probably 10 times and none of these things even caused a flutter in my brain.  Arrrgggh!!!


Also, you said something and now I've read the same thing in the konnected H.A. instructions as follows:  


If you prefer you can utilize a konnected section in the configuration.yaml file that specifies the Konnected devices on the network and the sensors or actuators attached to them.


Is this saying I don't need the file as the UI configuration is all that is required ?

8

I'm happy to help you.


Yes, the excerpt that you quote is precisely the one that I was referring to. Later in the same text, it also says: "Once the import creates a Configured integration the Konnected section of the configuration.yaml is no longer used - it is recommended to remove the konnected section of configuration.yaml and after the import occurs."


Short story, writing a konnected section in your yaml is only a shortcut to pre-populate the UI, and once you are done, you should go back and delete it. If you don't think it saves you time or if you find it confusion, totally avoid it, and only use the UI without touching the YAML at all.

I hope this helps. Good luck!




9

I tell you, that's "pure plain english" for a rock for a brain like me.  this is why I probably continue to get errors when I restart Hass.io


Again, thank you!

10

 Thanks for your tutorial, it's been very helpful. I have a few questions though. I got as far as section 7 before I ran into trouble. I don't understand where alarm_control_panel.home_alarm comes from. If I look in the Developer Tools, I see an alarm_control_panel.intrusion_alarm, and it's state responds to the actions on the card, but I do not see a .home_alarm or it's defined states. I'd be happy to contribute to the tutorial after I figure this out. 

11

 I don't understand where alarm_control_panel.home_alarm comes from. If I look in the Developer Tools, I see an alarm_control_panel.intrusion_alarm, and it's state responds to the actions on the card, but I do not see a .home_alarm or it's defined states. 
I have the same stumbling block..

Konnected integration created a switch entity that arms and disarms my alarm, but how does this tie to the alarm_control_panel ?  The HA Alarm card certainly behaves as defined by the timers etc, but it doesn’t trigger the switch to actually arm / disarm the actual alarm system.

13

@ Groutley,

It's in Step 3 of my tutorial https://github.com/scarpazza/home-assistant-konnected-tutorial, and it requires you to manually edit configuration.yaml.

It won't appear in the developer tools till you change the configuration file and reload the configuration.

Good luck and let me know. 

14

@Daniel,  I have followed your tutorial including step 3, which creates the alarm control panel,

Perhaps you are referring to the bit that states “you’ll need to write those yourself”?

I have followed step by step, I have modified my configuration.yaml with the code that creates the alarm_control_panel. I have that control panel card added to my Dashboard, I even played with adding a code, and removed it.  It works great, I can tell the card to arm_away or arm_home or disarm,  that card on my dashboard behaves as I would hope according to your tutorial step 3.

But, to actually arm or disarm my konnected panel, the ‘ switch.alarm_arm’ must toggle. 

I added a switch card to my dashboard and it arm/ disarms my konnected and interfaced dsc panel.

But how do I get the ‘alarm_contral_panel’ arm_away selection to operate my ‘switch.alarm_arm’ ?

There is no example that I can see on how to do this, maybe it is obvious, but not to me I am afraid,  sorry if this is a stupid question, but I need just a little bit more guidance on how the created dashboard panel actually controls the konnected ‘switch’.

Appreciate your guidance.

15

@Groutley


Did you have any joy with this, I too am struggling with the same issue as you.


I too have successfully added the sensors etc, and the output arms/disarms the panel, I do not have the output from the alarm working as yet, to state armed, but I am getting there.


But it seems to me that the Alarm control panel is a finite state machine, so is it that we have to write the code that needs to occur during the transitions, ie, the conditions required to be met for the transition and also the actions to be performed on a transistion?



16

@Andrew  No no luck so far,

I have created an automation  in an attempt to make the alarm control panel actually arm the alarm, but no success, I assume I am not getting the ‘state’ correct ..i.e. when ‘Armed_away’ set alarm switch to on.

But my automation never triggers,

I have the switch on my dashboard, that is the alarms toggle to arm/disarm, this works, but of course is not as distinct or appropriate as the control panel..

I am missing something basic I gather, otherwise would be included in the “step by step” guide and not assumed.

If you have any luck I would really appreciate your insight.

17

@Groutley,


Thanks for the reply, if I have any luck will endeavor to post here.

18

 @Groutley and @Andrew - Don't know if you have been able to get this configured as yet, but I was struggling with the same.


I have connected installed in parallel with my core Honeywell Vista 15p alarm system which is monitored by an external company.  All of my sensors are connected to it and I've just wired the Konnected Pro board as such to allow the integration with HA.  So for me, the Honeywell has all of the triggers in it I need, the only thing other than that was the triggers built into HA.  When I press the Arm_home or Arm_away and btw disarm, how do I get my entities within HA to activate the alarm. 


With a little help from a lot of people (it's all about the HA language) I get something that works.  Please see below:


This sets up the alam control panel

  - platform: manual
    name: (name of your alarm panel) no paren's
    code: !secret alarmcode (use this if you set you code in the secrets.yaml)
    arming_time: 30
    delay_time: 20
    trigger_time: 120
    disarmed:
      trigger_time: 0
    armed_home:
        arming_time: 0
        delay_time: 0
    code_arm_required: false  (allows to ARM without having to enter a code)


Automation when using HA Control Panel


You need a TRIGGER

platform: state
entity_id: alarm_control_panel.socorro
from: disarmed
to: armed_home

You need an ACTION

service: switch.turn_on
target:
  entity_id: switch.stay_2 (this is my alarm switch in Konnected.io I also have one for away entity)

I'm not a programmer or developer so I created separate automations for each state:  Armed_home; armed_away; disarmed


I hope this helps

19

@Archie

Thank you for the pointers!


I have it almost working, just an odd behaviour ,

My switch entity to arm the alarm is sometimes  turning the alarm on and then off again,

But not always..  so if the alarm does arm and I use the switch again to disarm, it might disarm, but then re-arm!

So my ‘manual alarm panel’ is working as I hoped,

The automation takes the ‘armed_away’ state and turns on the switch.

But the switch itself is not quite right.

I am not sure how to fix that :-/

20

 That's real odd!  I would go through the programming again to ensure you have everything setup as outlined by that document.    Also check your connections on the board.  BTW what is your setup like ?  Do you have a pro board and two interface boards in parallel with you existing system ?

21

I seem to have sorted that odd behavior by deleting the integration and stating again!

I have a DSC alarm system and the konnected pro, with 2x interface v2.1 boards.


now I am trying to get an automation to automatically arm the system when no-one is home,  no luck so far..

I’ll keep playing, obviously something wrong with my logic