controling ZM via external hardware like numeric panel

baekmark · Post by **baekmark** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:57 pm

Hi there I don't know if this request has been raised by others, but here it goes.
I have just installed ZM in the company where my wife works and I would like to be able to turn the alarm on and off from a numeric panel (code panel) or via a Biometric device or a key panel. I need some kind of interface between the panel and the computer running ZM. The panel gives a short electrical pulse when being operated. I was thinking about running this command when operating the panel: "/usr/lib/zm/bin/zmpkg.pl 'AlarmOn'" and the next pulse will run this command: /usr/lib/zm/bin/zmpkg.pl 'AlarmOFF'
essentially to arm and disarm the system.
Thanx in advance

MJN · Post by **MJN** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:08 pm

I posted a similar request recently (http://www.zoneminder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8291) but unfortunately it didn't raise much interest.

I shall wait with interest to see if this gets off the ground - I'm sure someone must be doing similar already?!

Starting simple would be of benefit and breaking the system down into more manageble components would help. I figured a simple serial port interface would be ideal with something monitoring the port for a trigger. This can then be expanded upon with a more complex triggering device but this could quite easily be self-contained (and there are many non-contact coded switches available as a starter for ten).

I might start to give it some serious thought and will keep you posted of any development - would be most for grateful to be kept abreast of anything you might find.

Mathew

Post by **zoneminder** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 3:09 pm

Using the trigger interface in perl to parse serial input is not particularly complicated. The hardest bit (for me at least) would be knocking up the actual hardware and testing it. If anyone has done this and doesn't know how to integrate it with the triggers then I would be happy to that if I am told what the actual serial triggers would be.

AlienTesticle · Post by **AlienTesticle** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 5:44 pm

I am looking at doing this also. Working on doing a parport input / output for ir motion detect trigger and lighting up lights when there is a trigger. And also setting up a ir remote control with lirc on a serial port to allow "recliner control" of zoneminder.

I also have in the works an led marquee to show evets.

If I can gather my notes in one place.. Maybe I will make a wiki page for par/serial input/out for zoneminder if people are interested.

keep up the good work zoneminians

robi · Post by **robi** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 6:47 pm

I'd be definitely interested.

However, some IP-based keypad would look nicer, as my ZM box is pretty far from the place where I'd put the keypad, and UTP cabling is almost everywhere. Does anybody know a solution to this?

AlienTesticle · Post by **AlienTesticle** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:40 pm

you can run serial over UTP wires also as an option if there is a straight wire from the pad to the zm box as long as there is no switches/hubs in between. Might need buffers depending on distance of wire.

I have used that method in the past to get make/break switches to a server for door alarms.

If you know the protocol of the TCP/IP pad you could write a little server for it easily in may scripting languages since most have some kind of module to handle that kind of traffic. I have experimented with that before with perl and ruby.

I would love to deal with ethernet I/O port stuff... No enough cash to buy hardware yet.

I'll post any that might come up.

robi · Post by **robi** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:56 am

Well unfortunately there are swithches on the way, so it must be IP based. I don't have such a device, I wonder if they exist at all... do you know of any IP-based numeric keypads?

W. · Post by W. » Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:16 am

Never seen anything like ip keypad but it should not be hard to create one. Take as an example http://microcontrollershop.com/product_ ... cts_id=563 just add keypad itself and a little code and voila, you're plugged in. If the price does not seem right, you can pick your favorite Atmel AVR and use it with IIM7010A or IIM7010B module all together controlled by sw written in BASCOM-AVR - http://www.mcselec.com/index.php?option ... 2&Itemid=1

If there is big interest in this, I probably could develop code for such a HW device targeted at ZM users. It might be not just tcp/ip keypad as AVR uCs have a lot of nice peripherals to play with.

AlienTesticle · Post by **AlienTesticle** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:57 am

found this with a quick google. http://www.computerwise.com/ethernet/et200.htm

There are all types of nifty little ethernet hardware with i/o boards to be able to make a custom keypad. Though it depends on what you want to spend for what you need it to do.

I always drool over the ads of hardware you can buy in magazines like Circuit Cellar Inc, and Nuts & Volts for building all types of custom projects.

garbonzo · Post by **garbonzo** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 12:57 am

It looks like possibly this thread has died, but this is something I would also be interested in. I will do some research and post any relevant findings i may come across.