Security alarm panels and remote door latching

Has anyone had some experience hooking up an alarm system to a remote door latch ie. so that a key fob or proxy can be used to disengage alarm and unlock door.
I am specifically interested in how this all interacts in a C-bus installation. The only info I can find relates to C-gate (and it's pretty light-on in details).

Do I treat the alarm/latch completely separate to C-bus or can they be integrated? Also, can C-bus PIR's be used as alarm motion sensors as well?

Recommendations for C-bus compatible alarm systems would also be appreciated.

 

C-Bus PIR's can be used for security, BUT you really do need to be a little careful, because generaly speaking C-BUS wouldn't have the power back-up that PIR's connected to a security panel would have, so if someone kills power to your house your PIR's are gone. On a sercurity panel they would continue happliy off the panels battery. Without a minder system (or any other C-BUS enabled panel if they exist) to integrate C-BUS to a security panel you will have to use some of the realy outputs, and use the security trigger function on ther PIR to activate the outputs. Likewise to come back into C-BUS (and this probably applies to your other application) you will need to use input units.

With all this stuff you can create an output for anything you like, and anything that generates an output can be coupled to C-BUS. The only real issue is that is some cases what C-BUS can do about the inputs are limited, but guess that is why clipsal are working on their logic unit.

 

remote latches

Hi,

It is possible to control things like security and door locks using remotes, fobs, cards etc. You can also use c-bus to unlock doors.
But be careful, depending on you location, some insurance companies are less likely to pay up (their generally hard enough anyway) if the security system is indeed not classified as being secure. Wireless remotes and cards are generally ok, but perhaps warn your client of the importance of not leaving it laying around, in the car, lending it to theor mates etc, and although it can be a hassle, make some enquiries with a couple of insurance companies first,before you proceed.Afterall, you dont want to be on the recieving end of a lawsuit from your client, or their insurance company.

 

Thanks for the good advice, makes sense.

Got me then thinking about the reverse situtation of using the Minder sensors to trigger C-bus events. Any advice on this scenario? For example, when the alarm is turned off, using a motion sensor to trigger Minder to trigger C-bus to turn on the light and turn it off when no motion detected for a while.
This way the alarm/minder can still be battery backed and so will be secure in case of power failure.

I have also found another clipsal site:
http://www.clipsalsecurity.com/products/alarmMinderInputImple.asp
...which proved very helpful in explaining the interfacing with C-bus as there are PDF manuals on there with a ton of detail.

 

Everything Ashleigh said is 100% plus (and this is from practical experience) the best plase to mount security PIR's (eg; to detect people comining in through the window) is not always the best place to mount them for convenience lighting (to detect people coming in through the door - by the way I know what I am talking about as I was a Caesarean birth and for years I could never leave a room by the door but had an overwhelming desire to jump out the window). Also because security PIR's are often 'de-sensitised', to the point of requiring two or three consecutive triggers on some models befor a 'hit' is regestered at the panel, to avoid false alarms - bringing the monitoring company out every time a moth lands on the lens etc. where as the convenience lighting function PIR is expected to operate propmtly as soon as one enters the field of view so you don't trip over the coffee table etc.

 

The best way I have found to have a fully integrated alarm, access control and C-Bus system is to use dedicated systems that can talk to each other. This avoids battery backup and network security issues, and keeps insurance people happy because you are using security products for security.

What I do is connect the door release relay of the access control unit to an input on the alarm panel (set up to turn off the alarm) and use an access control product that can send messages to C-Bus.

This setup allows me to turn off the alarm if a person is authorised to enter the building and trigger a C-Bus welcome scene unique to the person entering. Or turn on outside lights when some one exits.

 

Peter works for Axeze and they make a range of C-Bus Enabled products for doing this sort of thing.

As a member of the C-Bus Enabled program, Axeze have direct access to the engineering support of CIS. Their products have been certified by us, so they are well worth checking out.

http://www.axeze.com.au

 

C-Bus Enabled Access Control

Gentlemen,

A number of C-Bus Enabled Security Panels have been mentioned. There are also a number of Access Control Systems out there.

So far there has only been one that we have Certified "C-Bus Enabled" while there are others in development. In addition to this there are some that can output serial ASCII messages into a C-Bus PCI and can be found advertised by Building Automation Integrators on the web.

The C-Bus Enabled product is the Keyless Entry Network (KEN) developed by Axeze.

Happy hunting

Steve