Open source house Alarm System ?

[Albert101]

Hello,

I am looking for an open source house alarm system project to build, anyone knows of one ?

Thank you.

[SeanB]

Pack of dogs..... Small ones as early warning and a few big and toothy ones as response.

[ddavidebor]

If you teardown it they stop to working

[free_electron]

why bother trying to build such a thing if you can get an intenret connected, color touchscreen , z-wave enabled, wifi enabled, battery backed up , thermal sensing , wireless contact with tons of possible extensions like water detection, thermostat control,  home automation and much much more for 200$. esepcially if it draws only 2 watts of power.... you can't even let a raspberry pi run in standby for that....

I have a honeywell Lynx Touch 5100 with ethernet and Z-wave module installed.
i got radar sensors , infrared sensors, glass break sensors, door contacts , water detectors , temperature detectors, panic buttons, remote controls,  ... the whole shebang.
I can activate/deactivate/check status using my iphone ( or android phone). it sends me emails and push notifications if something happens.
if the motions sensors trip the camera's take snapshots and email them immediately to my mailbox. it also records video.

The z-wave link allows me to control all the lights and certain appliances as well as the two thermostats in the house. if the alarm trips all the lights in the house start flashing at a 1 second interval. ( meanwhile the two remote sirens crank out 120 decibel of wail )

i use a cheapo 80$ Coby android tablet screwed into the wall to control the system from the living room and it also lets me control the home automation.
it has a beautiful , intuitive touch interface both on the alarm central as on the tablet.

i also have the software on an ipad. if i want to wtch tv i click automation and fire of scene 'tv-time' and the dimmers react instantaneously.

the system has its own built in battery backup. there are no wires to run as the sensors are wireless with handshaking. ( try to disrupt the spectrum and it will go off !) batteries are lithium cells that work for 2 to 3 years. the system tells you when a battery needs replacing.

and you can get this thing for around 200$.... by the time you got 2 relays , a pic and some other parts you are out of 200$ ....

you can;t beat this mass produced thing. it has a powerful dual core broadcom chip as 'brains'.

[Anquietas]

Pack of dogs..... Small ones as early warning and a few big and toothy ones as response.

Don't turn it on, TAKE IT APART!

(ddavidebor beat me to it, though)

[SeanB]

Normally the big dogs do that to you........

[mainakae]

I do think it's a nice project    did you get any further?

[mrflibble]

He's probably out, walking the dog(s) right now.

[true]

I was working on something similar to this, but then the 2GIG / Lynx 5100 hit the market big and we ended up selling those instead...got dropped fast.

Really, the stuff that's on the market now can do a lot, even without paying for the online stuff, can do it reliably, and can do it for pretty cheap.

[flapjackboy]

I fail to see how an open source license could be beneficial for a home security system. If anyone can download the full specifications and source code for your security system, that's not very secure at all really, is it?

[and101]

I don't know of any open source alarms but if you are just looking for a project you can build yourself then there was an intruder alarm featured in Everyday Practical Electronics in April 2002.  You can download the article at http://www.epemag3.com/lib/free_projects/picmicro/0402-%20Pic%20Controlled%20Intruder%20Alarm.pdf.  It is a basic PIC based alarm that should work for securing your house.

[KuchateK]

If anyone can download the full specifications and source code for your security system, that's not very secure at all really, is it?

Funny how the same thing was used as argument against Linux

You can easily download detailed specs for many alarm systems. Schematic? They are so simple that few minutes of DaveCAD is enough to know all the details. I bet firmware was dumped from them many many times.

So how are they secure? Security of an alarm system is not from hidden source or schematic. It comes from proper design and installation.


I think it is a great idea to make open source alarm system on something modern and powerful like raspberry pi. People are already using systems built on it. Just because Honeywell made something cheap doesn't mean we don't need open source solutions.

And don't calculate everything based on a cost of basic solution. When it comes to commercial products once you get to specific needs all those additional modules, thermostats, controllable appliances will add up very fast. Wifi dongle for Lynx Touch costs $90!

Some things on commercial systems can't be done. Imagine that in raspberry pi controllable system I can add few dollars in parts and control ANY AC unit (and any other device I have at home that has IR remote).

All those fancy security sensors can be used on any DIY system. Most of them are just boxes requiring power with two relay contacts as output. Home automation is also simple. People are using PCs with X10 transmitters for that for a long time. Raspberry is very popular for it right now.

Want fancy panel touch panel? Use cheap tablet or retired smartphone. Add a picture frame or 3d print a case for a nice looking setup. There are mounts for tablets and phones available right now.

[adam1213]

Here is one:
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/09/safehouse-is-a-legit-home-security-system-powered-by-ninja-blocks-and-raspberry-pi/

Modules used: http://ninjablocks.com/

[Gert Kotze]

Hi,  a year or two ago I heve built an alarm / home security system for someone,  it  runs of a PLC and features an alarm with the house layout on a touchscreen so that you can arm selective areas only and the outside ligts was also turned on when the alarm was activated. As an extra feature the electric gate was also wired so that when the alarm was activated the gate can't open unless you open it via the touchscreen in the house. It was an expensive project but interesting to build.

[kalobg]

I regularly work with home security panels from a number of manufacturers.  The Lynx touch series is a nice unit as well as the Vista 15, 25, 50, etc series.  They all have their varying levels of usefulness and complexity.  If you want to have multiple arming partitions, you should chose the Vista series.  But the IP module for a Vista box is somewhere around $100, not particularly open source, and usually needs a subscription monitoring service.  2GIG's GoControl panel is also another great option and they have a new panel coming out at the begining of 2014, although I think it has an exclusive distribution with their previous financial backer for at least a couple years.  It will include a wifi module.  http://www.cepro.com/article/2gig_adds_local_dvr_to_self-contained_security_panels/

Z-wave is the current go-to for wireless home automation communication and the protocol is widespread enough to allow for tinkering by the user. 

[sabresfan03]

I'm actually working on something similar to this, I'm currently working on alarm/home automation system in C++ in linux (running on RaspberryPi).  I have a working door sensor made from an Atmel ATTINY861A and wireless NRF24L01+ running on CR123A, so its about < $10 per sensor complete in case.  To contact the alarm company it will use VOIP/SIP.  Its in more of a proof of concept phase, but if you guys want to help, I'll open source it.  I have basic voice recognition going too.

[mos6502]

why bother trying to build such a thing if you can get an intenret connected, color touchscreen , z-wave enabled, wifi enabled, battery backed up , thermal sensing , wireless contact with tons of possible extensions like water detection, thermostat control,  home automation and much much more for 200$. esepcially if it draws only 2 watts of power.... you can't even let a raspberry pi run in standby for that....

I have a honeywell Lynx Touch 5100 with ethernet and Z-wave module installed.
i got radar sensors , infrared sensors, glass break sensors, door contacts , water detectors , temperature detectors, panic buttons, remote controls,  ... the whole shebang.
I can activate/deactivate/check status using my iphone ( or android phone). it sends me emails and push notifications if something happens.
if the motions sensors trip the camera's take snapshots and email them immediately to my mailbox. it also records video.

The z-wave link allows me to control all the lights and certain appliances as well as the two thermostats in the house. if the alarm trips all the lights in the house start flashing at a 1 second interval. ( meanwhile the two remote sirens crank out 120 decibel of wail )

i use a cheapo 80$ Coby android tablet screwed into the wall to control the system from the living room and it also lets me control the home automation.
it has a beautiful , intuitive touch interface both on the alarm central as on the tablet.

i also have the software on an ipad. if i want to wtch tv i click automation and fire of scene 'tv-time' and the dimmers react instantaneously.

the system has its own built in battery backup. there are no wires to run as the sensors are wireless with handshaking. ( try to disrupt the spectrum and it will go off !) batteries are lithium cells that work for 2 to 3 years. the system tells you when a battery needs replacing.

and you can get this thing for around 200$.... by the time you got 2 relays , a pic and some other parts you are out of 200$ ....

you can;t beat this mass produced thing. it has a powerful dual core broadcom chip as 'brains'.

So, if I hack your WiFi, what's preventing me from taking control over your entire house?

sabresfan03:

So you use a radio link to the sensors. But, that can easily be jammed. You can buy jammers for just about anything on DealExtreme. Jamming 2,4 Ghz, Z-Wave, Zigbee ... it's child's play.

WiFi is even worse, you can completely jam WiFi, simply using a laptop and a certain program.

IMHO, to have real security, you need to use wired sensors at the least.

[mrflibble]

... But, that can easily be jammed. You can buy jammers for just about anything on DealExtreme. Jamming 2,4 Ghz, Z-Wave, Zigbee ... it's child's play.

You got that right!


The radar sir, it appears to be ... jammed!

[sabresfan03]

While I agree, wired is better than wireless, something is better than nothing.  Wiring a complete home is not always easy for people, especially if they dont own the home.

What I did is have the sensors check in every so often (it relays status info like temp and battery info), so if it doesnt check in within a certain time period, it will trip a jamming signal (this can set off the alarm).  This is how commercial units work.

As for how wired systems work, most are crap and not wired very good.  They wire them in N.O. or N.C. , but anyone who has access to them (most robberies are by people you let into your home) can either clip a wire or jump it because they only report full/no voltage.  You really need a sensor with a resistor on it and monitor the resistance to see if it ever changes (End of Line Resistor).  This way you can supervise the wire.  Some installers are lazy and put the EOLR at the panel which defeats the purpose too.

[garak]

Pack of dogs..... Small ones as early warning and a few big and toothy ones as response.

Don't turn it on, TAKE IT APART!

(ddavidebor beat me to it, though)

Normally the big dogs do that to you........

I'm sure there are some people that would happily be turned on by the big dogs...

Jokes aside, alarm systems can either be exceptionally easy or very tricky. Are you happy with just monitoring a few PIRS/door sensors? Then all you need is the sensors, some wire and a latch circuit. Easy peasy. If you want to do wireless then that's a whole different ball game. Home automation, video motion detection, face recognition etc all add significant amounts of overhead. As with most things, the bigger your ambitions or requirements, the more complex and expensive the setup will get. If you want good answers, you need to provide us with more details, such as:

What are you protecting?
How do you want to protect it?
How much do you have to spend?
How capable are you?
Are there any special requirements/features you'd like?

Without any more information, then you've basically done the same as going onto an automotive forum and asking "What car do I buy?". You just won't get helpful answers for your scenario.

[Lurch]

I fail to see how an open source license could be beneficial for a home security system. If anyone can download the full specifications and source code for your security system, that's not very secure at all really, is it?

Unless you are securing the crown jewels then I can't see this being an issue. I don't have any specific references to cite here other than personal experience of hundreds of systems across the country here but all the burglaries are basically crowbar open a window/smash a door down and then batter the keypad and grab what you can from the house before running.

If a burglar turns up with a laptop and bag full of debuggers and schematics/source codes etc... and then manages to sit and reprogram your system from the back garden without you noticing then you have done something wrong, and it is also very unlikely as in almost not at all I would have thought.

To contact the alarm company it will use VOIP/SIP. 

Be surprised if you manage to find a monitoring company that will react to calls from a DIY built VoIP line.

As for how wired systems work, most are crap and not wired very good.  They wire them in N.O. or N.C. , but anyone who has access to them (most robberies are by people you let into your home) can either clip a wire or jump it because they only report full/no voltage.

I have never seen this happen. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I think you have been watching too many films. This sort of stuff generally wouldn't happen IRL.

Personally I wouldn't bother with any of this. I can get a decent alarm and add a few devices to it to give it some useful options. I wouldn't bother building one from scratch, especially an open source one. Not saying you shouldn't bother doing anything, I'd just find something more worthwhile and useful.

[cloud_constructor]

Well... i don`t know...

on the other hand i would advice you to try and build your own system..

The biggest problem with diy stuff is that we make them for our use so testing it while trying to simulate a bulgair`s actions to neutralise your system.  Most of them will just use brute force ... breaking control units , breaking cameras , breaking sirens ... You have to consider all of these cases..

The problem with ready systems are that most of the sensors they use are easily hackable.

Anyway .. the only thig you have to do is make your house more difficult to be robbed than the neighbours house (the same goes with vehicles...)