Issue with Programming Alarm System/Panel Zone Bypass

[c4009]

Hello,

I'm on OS3, using Interlogix NetworX NX-584 security panel integration (using NX-584 RS-232 Automation Module).

In general, the security system integration works well, with one key issue.

I am trying to program a Macro to bypass a specific Zone.  This driver allows for Partition 1 "Execute Function: Bypass Zone" capability... but I can't figure out how to specify the Zone/Zone number I need to bypass before arming. 

Interestingly, using Composer Pro, when you double-click on "Partition 1" in System Design... the visual panel that comes up has a "Functions" button, which then allows for "Bypass Zone"... pressing that actually brings up a UI for typing in the Zone Number.  I tried arming the system using this UX to first Bypass Zone, and then ARM AWAY... and it seems to work correctly.  So clearly the driver is capable of this functionality.  I just can't figure out how to do that in a Macro.

Any idea how to accomplish this?  i.e., how to you pass the Zone/Zone Number to the "Bypass Zone" function in a macro?  Thanks much.

[brente]

Hi - unfortunately, from my experience with the 584 driver, you can’t access this functionality from c4 programming (Or a macro) directly.  I’d have to double-check, but I believe that the driver does support and use this internally (I think by the functions capability as you saw - that capability emulates the interlogix keypad functionality), but you’d need to use LUA programming to access it and/or expose for c4 programming (non-trivial) - it is not exposed outside of the driver currently.

May not help you, but a couple of things:

- the 584 driver supports the ability to bypass an open zone automatically IF you have the automatic bypass setting enabled on the panel (the 587 driver did not).  You can see this with an open zone by attempting to arm the panel from the c4 ui (can’t use an interlogix touch panel to do this), the c4 security panel driver will report a zone is open, and if you continue the arming process then the 584 driver will automatically bypass that open zone - when the error is displayed, you can manually close the zone, then arming will continue without bypassing the zone.  However, you won’t be able to know whether the zone was bypassed or not beyond arming time.

- if you want to bypass a specific zone automatically when arming, you can also set the appropriate property for that zone in your panel settings (e.g., automatically bypassing internal motion detectors when arming for STAY mode) - this is a function of the panel and not c4 (you may use this already).  Still, not exposed programmatically.

myself, I just manually bypass a zone when needed using the panel...

[c4009]

Thanks Brente, super helpful, and very much appreciated.

I'll take a look at the 584 driver programming, and see if I can add this functionality.

re: this: "- if you want to bypass a specific zone automatically when arming, you can also set the appropriate property for that zone in your panel settings (e.g., automatically bypassing internal motion detectors when arming for STAY mode) - this is a function of the panel and not c4 (you may use this already)."  ... that approach might work for us.  We actually have 3 different arming modes we use... "STAY" (which just arms all the external door/window sensors, but no internal sensors), "AWAY" which arms all sensors, and "* STAY".  We use "* STAY" at night when we're sleeping... it basically arms all the sensors (internal and external to the house), but bypasses 1 specific zone inside the house automatically, and sets the system to "INSTANT".  And so, we already have the alarm system panel in our master bedroom automatically programmed so when we press " * " on the physical alarm keypad/panel, then "STAY" it arms the system into this special night mode.  the problem is, I'd like to arm the system into this state using Control4... and I can't figure out how because the manual BYPASS functionality is not available (per your note above), and the keypad itself is not directly available so I can't simulate the " * " button when arming the system through Control4.

btw, in case it matters, we also have Alarm.com integration with our alarm system, but I couldn't see a way of accomplishing the above using Alarm.com programming either.

Are you aware of any way using the existing driver to arm the system to the equivalent of "* STAY" we already have?

thanks again!

[brente]

@c4009 - I am not familiar with the use of “*” in front of “STAY” feature and don’t see any reference to this in the nx8e or keypad manual. From your description, it sounds like doing “*STAY” will bypass all of the internal sensors except one, but still set the alarm for instant Mode (as STAY does, versus EXIT mode) - I’ll have to try this on my panel to see if that works (wonder what zone type value determines this?).  if correct, from what I am aware of, there is no way to do this from the Control4 security UI.

I am not familiar with alarm.com and any functionality that they offer.  Sorry.

You can manually bypass zones from the c4 ui through the Function button, but it won’t let you “unbypass” zones that are automatically bypassed when arming the through STAY - it will only let you bypass additional zones that are not automatically included already.

[brente]

@c4009

Looking into this, I learned that on the NX8/NX-8E panels the "*" key allows access to secondary arming settings (along with secondary functions, which I was aware of).  So, using "*STAY" enables "Night Mode" for Stay and arms all zones (including interior zones), and "*EXIT" enables "Silent Exit" for Exit/Away arming.  These aren't called out in the Interlogix manuals.

Examining the Control4 Interlogix 584 driver, I saw that the current driver provides access to the secondary Silent Exit arming setting (as "Silent(Away)"), but not the Night setting.  Interestingly enough, the 584 driver is coded for supporting Night arming setting mode, but that arming setting is commented out for some reason.

To enable the Night arm setting, I modified the C4 Interlogix driver by changing the <arm_states> section of the driver.xml file to add back in the "Night" mode setting to the list.  (I also updated the <modified> date and incremented the <version> number to reflect that changes were made).

To install the revised driver, right-click the device in Composer Pro, then select Update Driver and choose the revised driver.  After the driver is updated, you will need to reboot your controller for the changes to take effect.  Note that this will not affect any of your security settings or bindings.

After installing the revised driver and rebooting the controller, when you go to arm the panel, you will see that the arm settings pop-up list will now include "Night" as an arm setting option - see attached image (From the iOS Control4 app).  You will also be able to enable this mode through programming, if desired.  By the way, I never knew that the arm settings list in the Control4 app was scrollable  (gotta love Apple's decision to hide scroll bars) - you can swipe up to see the other arming settings...

Note that the 584 driver also has the "Stay (Auto Bypass)" arming setting commented out, along with a selection of other Interlogix panel secondary functions commented out too that don't appear under the Functions button.  Probably not commonly needed options...

 

securitypanel_interlogix_nx584.c4z