Triggering on contact closure

kp4djt · Post by **kp4djt** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:20 am

I have gone through the documentation on zmtrigger.pl, from what I can
gather from the forums and looking at zmtrigger.pl, I need to send a character string to zmtrigger.pl via several means.

In my case all I want to do is trigger a alarm event from a contact closure.I do not see where it is done, I did see one fellow indicate that he was working
on something that would use the parallel port, but saw no more.

I would like to trigger either through the parallel port or the serial port just
monitoring a contact closure.

The camera should be alarmed during the contact closure and terminate as in normal operation some number of frames ( I know the settings) after the closure clears. The system will have it's usual count of normal cameras using
modect and one or two using contact closures.

denzilhoff · Post by **denzilhoff** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:56 am

Would USB suffice? If not this solution will work but would require a little more effort on your part. You could look at an arduino micro-controller. They are inexpensive and would give you 12 digital (on/off) and 6 analog ( how big is it?) inputs. The digital pins are usable as outputs as well. The boards go for about $30 US . You can grab one here http://www.sparkfun.com or just google for your closest vendor.

Let me know if you need any help with this.

Denny

TechGuy · Post by **TechGuy** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:31 pm

Another option is an Ethernet I/O Controller, which perhaps provide you a better way for long distance connections. A simple Perl script could be used to monitor the Input ports for a signal change to trigger the event.

Is this for a PIR sensor? I was thinking of using a PIR sensors to trigger an event for outdoor cameras, but I need to get ZM working correctly with my ACTi camera first. Too bad that there aren't MegaPixel Cameras with built-in PIR sensors for triggers.

kp4djt · Post by **kp4djt** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 1:06 am

Sorry, I got very busy with other stuff and forgot about this one, it has come back though.
I will have two cameras looking at the back side of a building. There will be a perimeter
alarm monitoring any activity in the area between a fence and the back wall of this building.

The alarm will have a contact closure. I like the Ethernet solution because the ZM server
is in another building some distance away from where this part of the system will be. I am
running GB fibre between the two buildings (lighting protection) so I will have plenty of BW
for my cameras.

Now I will just have to get a device and make it work. Then interface it to the alarm system,
and I should be in great shape. Some bad guys cut the fence behind the building in question,
pulled a piece of sheet metal back entered the building with a shopping list and removed a
whole lot of tools. We were in the process of getting cameras on that building, now that has
been given number one priority.

This is getting into something new for me with ZM so I will be asking questions because I
am not quite sure how to get the contact closure info out of the info coming from the
remote device.

kp4djt · Post by **kp4djt** » Sun Jun 06, 2010 1:19 am

Any recommendation for a remote Ethernet I/O box? Everything I looked at looks industrial
and so far a bit dear. Most of them are miniature PLCs. I do not need a PLC just a box that
looks at a input and sends a message I can use on the far end, every time that input
changes state.