EnvisaLink-3 and DSC PC1616

[Kswison]

LOL...

Ya I can see it going to be addicting. I find myself consumed with this already and I have not even purchased my first components. haha !

I can see eventually running all kinds of things off of this stuff.

Thanks for your comments. They are of great help.

OK, my MacBookPro has Parallels on it with XP. I do not rely on setting stuff up from the Parallels side as sometimes the configuration in is not the same with port/coms. etc
If programming is done though a USB port I can very likely do the programming from the XP side. Actually I have Windows 7 on Parallels as well if needed, but I rarely use that.
If is is all programming through the browser like Safari, etc then that is simple too.

So, yes I am going to have to figure out this Raspberry Pi. Looks like good information on their site as well. I have messed with Linux years ago, so that might be best for me. Thanks for that information.

As for IP Cameras, after some more reading, depending on the camera, it can save direct to the net drive as well as stream to the web. Guess I better be sure of that when ordering. However, revisiting my DNS-323 raid net drive, it does not look like it can be set up as a NVR. It appears I can set it up to record stills, just not record streaming video. I will have to look into that more. Don't really want to thumb through stills. Maybe get another inexpensive net Drive that can go NVR.

I will have to explore options there.

Thanks again

Kevin

[Kswison]

Just ordered my Raspberry Pi Linux starter kit off of e-bay today.

Included Model B Pi
power source
SD 4G
HDMI cable
a plastic enclosure case
think there was something else as well

plus shipping +/- $100 CDN

Figured this was a small investment and I need to become king of the Pi, and know I can do that before I move forward with all of this other suff.

Also have ordered my EnvisaLink-3. Talking with my Alarm guy to see if I need him to install it for warranty issues on the PC1616. Or if I can install. Should hear back from him shortly. Don't mind paying him a few bucks to come in and set it up to ensure I do not mess the alarm side up.

I'm excited....

[io_guy]

The enclosure and PS are a good idea.
I've yet to plug my Pi into a monitor (HDMI). The OS gets copied onto the SD card and then everything else can be done over SSH.

Installing the Envisalink shouldn't effect your warranty.
I installed mine while being monitored by ADT, they had no idea.
The installation does not require any special programming or installer code. 4-wires into the keypad bus and it automatically gets added to the system on next power up.

[mikep]

The Raspberry pi is pretty cool, I admire their goals. Surpised to see it was $100 to get here though.

For less than that one could get a Droid2 with a faster CPU, more memory, WIFI, a touch screen, slide out keyboard, power supply and battery backup. For about half that you could get an LG P500 or a 1st generation Droid which have comparable specs to the pi but the advantage of the touch screen. Simple to root so you can run them as linux systems, plus run any android apps.

These phones work great as multifunction stations you can leave around the house (an alarm clock, a weather station, ebook reader, web browser, etc). They'll show pretty good video from security cameras. They'll send text or emails even when you lose wifi or the internet if you choose to pay for cellular access, or use 911 anytime even if not. They sync to network time (the PI has no RTC). For a bigger screen the cheap tablets will be less than $100 (though they're not as good as the phones).

The Raspberry Pi looks great for robotics or custom electronic interfaces with it's GPIO port which is very nice.

Mike

[Kswison]

Thanks for the replies.

Well.. yes Pi is ordered. $100 CDN
EnvisaLink3 is ordered. $109 CDN
I ordered my 2441TH Insteon Thermo stat $149 CDN
and an FI8910W Foscam camera. $89 CDN

My goal is to get the EnvisaLink 3 up and running with the web access.
I can get the cameral working through that as well.
That will quickly get me up and running with remote security controls and a camera.

Then I will start playing with the Pi and try and figure that out.

As soon as I have the Insteon programable thermostat I can set it up to start running a heating program, dropping heat and night and raising heat in the am. That will be nice. I know I cannot get it talking remotely until I buy my ISY994iR controller and get that working with the Pi.

But I think I am going to need a bit of time with the Pi figuring that all out. Then again maybe not. Sounds pretty simple. By the looks if the website i bought the Pi from it seems to come with Linux already loaded onto the SD card.
That would be a big help.
oi_guy said you simply copy in the DSCLink program he wrote and with a real simple setup the Pi should work. Sounds simple. Hope its that easy. Note sure how they interface, but will figure that out once the parts are all here. Once I get the Pi set up, I am sure I can eventually sort all of that out.

If that all goes really easy then I will order the ISV994iR, 3 floor water sensors and a couple other things. Get those running and I will be really happy.

Then its just messing with everything in the house and continue expanding the system for what ever I want.

Just away for the Christmas holidays. When I get back home I should have my first batch of parts there.

fun fun fun....

Those Droids look interesting as well. I will keep that in mind if I am having troubles dealing with the PI.

I will post back here how things are going once I get all my parts.

I have called my alarm installer. He is going to come over and help me install it. I will likely have it sorted out by the time he is here, but I decided I want his buy in, (for any warranty issues) so I will pay him for 1/2 hour of his time to install it and go from there. Cheap insurance if anything goes wrong, i figure.

Might even have it hooked up before he gets here to see if he even knows it is on the system.
oi_guy said they didn't even know.

The more I can sort out before he is here, the less time he needs to be here. IF he wants to see the system after the fact then, he can stay and play on his own time.

After that, I will not need him for anything.

As the world didn't end, I am going to have to figure this out now...

Cheers

[Kswison]

I got my Envisalink-3 and had my alarm guy hook it up for me. Didn't charge me anything. He seems like a pretty good guy.

Anyway... It's up and running.

I can arm and disarm.

I have to been able to figure out how to add commands. Cannot find the manuals for that stuff.

I want to be able to set the alarm into and out of STAY mode , where the perimeter pins are armed but the interior motions are not armed.

How do I do this. Is it possible?

I have not received my Raspberry Pi yet. Expecting that soon.

[Kswison]

Never mind, I figured that out. When you hit the ARM button it gives you, if you scroll down, the option to set the alam into STAY mode.

Pretty easy, was just looking or it the main screen.

Thanks.

This is all very interesting. Going to set up my camera and see how that all works.

[Kswison]

Just ordered my ISY994i from Aarchtech
On sale was $189.88
PLM option $75
Shipping all in $298 +/-

Can't wait. Going to hook my camera up to the Envisalink-3 now.

[Kswison]

OK got my IPcamera set up.

My IPcamera is a Foscam FI8910W. I have bough the APP Foscam Pro for my iphone to operate the IPcamema remotely. It works really well and allows two-way audio. Very nice. Full control.

I also added the IPcamera to the Envisalink-3. Kinda nice to have an image available within the portal for the DSC alarm side. However, it is only a fixed video with no ability to move/pan the camera, etc.

Is there any ability to control the camera from within the Eyezon portal ?

I suppose there is no real need, now that I have the Foscam Pro APP, I just end up using two different systems, (the Eyezon portal for the alarm and the Foscam Pro APP for pan and two-way audio).

Would be nice if the two were linked, but then again maybe not a big deal.

[DrParanoia]

Hey guys just a quick question since you are using DSC. During an alarm state does your DSC still report zone tripto you? I have a Vista and once an alarm goes off I do not get any further zone activity only until i disable the alarm and than clear the alarm memory. I believe this fault lies with the Vista and not the Envisalink. Just wanted to see what your experience is with the DSC. Thanks for any info.