Your calm is in the hands of automation. Alarm for smoke and water leakage based on Z-Wave

    Today, when the pace of life has clearly gone beyond all reasonable limits, time and nerves are often the most valuable resources. We think that many readers didn’t have the most pleasant situations associated with unforeseen events, which were worth both of them, but taking into account broken plans, they could significantly affect the wallet. Since it is impossible to foresee and exclude everything, it is worth trying to minimize the negative impact.

    And help to achieve this will help us not subject to moods and accidents (at least I want to think so) automation. There are situations in life when you need to be sure that everything is in order at home, the water does not flood the neighbors, the stove is turned off in the kitchen, and the children do not play with matches.



    Similar tasks of organizing a fire alarm, detecting water leakage and other emergency situations today arise both in private houses and apartments. Of course, these decisions cannot be considered binding, but in certain situations it is difficult to do without them. For example, if we are talking about often unattended objects or elderly relatives. Note that in this case we are not talking about a solution certified by the relevant services, but exclusively about an autonomous personal system. However, in some cases, it can be integrated into higher-level solutions, for example, common in a village or an apartment building.

    The traditional solution to these problems is the use of wired sensors and a ready-made alarm unit. Depending on the latter, you can count on light and sound indication of events, sending SMS to predefined numbers and other actions pre-programmed in the device.

    Implementing a solution with a universal home automation controller based on the Z-Wave protocol has the following advantages in this case:
    • integration of sensors into a single system;
    • use of multifunction sensors;
    • flexible settings of equipment, processing events and modes;
    • wireless connection;
    • scalability while maintaining the individuality of each sensor.

    However, all this is realized only with a controller, the cost of which is quite high. But you need to understand that a single universal automation controller is capable of simultaneously solving many other tasks, and also provides virtually unlimited possibilities for expanding the system and creating rules of any complexity. So the budget assessment of one separate scenario is impossible. In many cases, you can also connect traditional blocks, but over time you may want to somehow simplify the circuit and add flexibility to it, which is just and easily implemented on the basis of a single controller. So it’s worth deciding on the implementation of such an automation system with the expectation of further development of the system and an increase in the number of tasks to be solved.



    Let us briefly recall what features the Z-Wave protocol has for home automation. Its main characteristic is the use of wireless communications and the implementation of cellular topology, which simplifies installation in already used rooms and allows you to significantly expand the coverage area. The second significant point directly related to automation systems is the certification of devices and their profiles. This means that in the vast majority of cases, you get full compatibility “out of the box” between sensors, actuators and controllers. Well and important is a huge selection of equipment of this standard. In fact, the only thing you need to pay attention to when buying is to support the Russian frequency range. We also write down the economical modes of autonomous power and encryption support as a plus.

    In particular, in the catalog of one of the most famous manufacturers of Z-Wave equipment - Fibaro - you can find the Smoke Sensor smoke sensor and the Flood Sensor leakage sensor. Note that other models of sensors are also available on the domestic market, in particular the Everspring Flood Detector and Vision Security Smoke Sensor.

    Another option, interesting in the case of traditional wired sensors, is to install the Fibaro Universal Sensor device, which has two digital inputs and two digital outputs. And of course, the described system can be easily expanded with any other Z-Wave sensors.

    Fibaro smoke sensor


    The device has an attractive round case made of strong white heat-resistant plastic with a metal mesh at the end. Overall dimensions are - diameter 65 mm, height 28 mm. For installation, the device has a removable cover that can be securely fixed to any surface. After that, the main part of the sensor clicks on it.
    Under the cover is a battery - a CR123A battery, which, according to the manufacturer, lasts for up to three years. Note that the sensor reports the battery status to the controller, so you will receive a message in time if its charge level decreases. There is also a block for an additional wired connection - power supply (12 or 24 V), alarm output and hacking output. So, if necessary, you can use this sensor for a standard wired alarm, setting it in place of the usual one. In this case, the device will report emergency situations via Z-Wave and wires.



    In addition, the sensor provides an LED and even a built-in siren, which is enough for a small apartment. Note that they can also be used for messages about the unavailability of the Z-Wave network and a decrease in battery power.

    Additionally, the device can be used as a temperature sensor. At the same time, a special mode for detecting its sharp growth is also provided, which makes it possible to detect fire even in the absence of smoke, which reduces the dependence on the types of burning materials.



    The sensor has a built-in self-diagnosis function, as well as a “black box” mode, when the readings of the smoke and temperature sensor are recorded in the built-in log (there is enough space for about a day). In the future, it will be possible to watch them through the controller interface.



    Among the user-configurable parameters, we note the choice of the sensitivity level, sound and light signals, type of messages of the Z-Wave network, the setting of the temperature sensor and others (the total number is about two dozen). When choosing a sensor installation location, you can use the built-in Z-Wave network signal quality control system using the button and LED on the top panel.

    Fibaro flood sensor


    This sensor in appearance resembles a white glossy pebble. The case diameter is 71 mm and the height is about three centimeters. To determine the leakage, three spring-loaded metal legs are used, on which the device rests. Interestingly, they are covered with 24 carat gold. Also at the bottom you can see the hole of the built-in piezo emitter and three standard plastic legs. It is assumed that you simply place this sensor on the floor of a bathroom or other room. The possibility of multiple use of the device is declared - thanks to the special design of the housing, electronic components do not suffer from leakage. The design here is certainly wonderful, but for utility rooms it is probably better to use something simpler.

    In addition to the built-in temperature sensor, the device is equipped with a tilt sensor, which is triggered if someone, such as a child, tries to move it to another place. By the way, the ability to measure temperature can be used to implement the “warm floor” system. It is enough to add a relay and program the schedule on the controller.



    On the top removable cover there is an invisible inactive LED. It is used both to indicate the operation of the sensor, and can be configured to display the temperature output beyond the limits specified in the parameters. You can also use it to check the quality of Z-Wave network coverage at the installation site.



    Power is supplied by a CR123A battery, which lasts for up to two and a half years, or by supplying a constant voltage of 12 or 24 V to the inner block. On it, you can find contacts for connecting to wired alarm systems and implementing an additional leakage sensor, which, for example, can be installed where this device does not fit in height. Note that the external sensor runs parallel to the standard one and from the software point of view there are no differences between them. Under the cover there is also a button used to connect to the Z-Wave network and as a tamper sensor.



    In the device’s settings, you can select the type of alarm, the mode of sending Z-Wave messages, the parameters of the temperature sensor and several other options.

    Installation and setup


    Sensors can work with any Z-Wave controller, but it is most efficient and convenient to use them with products of the same manufacturer - Home Center Lite and Home Center 2. The point here is that, despite the profiles specified in the standard, devices can have (and usually have) a lot of additional work parameters. To configure them, you can use standard Z-Wave controllers for setting values ​​by parameter number. But Fibaro controllers automatically determine the models of familiar devices and provide the user with the ability to change the necessary parameters through the familiar simple Web-based interface, while all of them are also provided with descriptions. However, in most cases, you don’t have to change anything.

    To integrate devices into the network, just turn on the search mode on the controller and press the button on the sensor several times. Using the controller message log, you can verify that the connection was successful.

    After choosing where to install the sensors, it is recommended to check the quality of the Z-Wave network using the built-in tools. The formal range of work in the room is declared at 30 meters, but it significantly depends on environmental conditions. Recall that the Z-Wave network operates on a cell structure in which devices with constant power (for example, controlled sockets or dimmers) are usually able to act as signal transmitters to the controller. So in most cases there will be no problems with the availability of sensors.



    After that, you will need to register convenient names for the sensors and distribute them among the rooms. Next, in the notification panel, you create message templates and bind them to the desired sensors. At this stage, we can already say that the task of sending notifications to the company client in the mobile device and by e-mail when sensors are triggered is solved.



    Note that to send e-mail, you just need to specify the address in the Home Center user options. No servers will need to be configured. Moreover, if several user accounts are programmed in the system, then you can choose which of them will need to send messages. Similarly, smartphones and tablets used for push notifications can be selected.
    Note that here it is assumed that the controller has constant access to the Internet, which today is not a difficult or expensive task. In particular, you can use a multi-function router with a wired connection and backup via a cellular modem.

    Fibaro SMS messages, like most other systems, are paid. And, in addition, the full-time system does not work for Russian numbers. But thanks to the flexible programming capabilities of the controller, you can always use alternative gates. For example, you can use the SMS.ru service this way.



    Full LUA code
    local telefon_number="7мойномер"
    local your_ID = "дл-инн-ый-код"
    local your_text = "Что-то пошло не так..."
    HC2=Net.FHttp("sms.ru") 
    response = HC2:GET("/sms/send?api_id="..your_ID.."&to="..telefon_number.."&text="..your_text) 
    local code = string.sub (response,1 ,3)
    if(code=="100")
    	then fibaro:log("SMS принято к отправке")
    else
      	fibaro:log("Ошибка.Код "..code..".Ссылка в коде внутри этого устройства.")
    end
    


    Scripting support will also be useful for implementing automatic event processing scripts. For example, if a leak is detected, you can shut off the water supply, and in case of fire, turn off electrical appliances and activate the fire extinguishing system in the desired room. Not to mention the wide possibilities for light and sound alarm.



    Full LUA code
    --[[
    %% properties
    20 value
    %% globals
    --]]
    local myVariable 
    myVariable = fibaro:getValue(20, 'value')
    fibaro:debug('value = ' .. myVariable)
    if (myVariable == '1') then
    fibaro:call(32,"turnOn")
    fibaro:sleep(3000) 
    fibaro:call(32,"turnOff")
    end
    


    In addition, you can provide various operating modes and schedules. For example, use different message channels for the options “at home”, “not at home” and “on vacation”.

    Conclusion


    To implement scenarios of fire or water leak alarm systems, there are many solutions on the market today. Most standalone “boxed” options have limited capabilities both in terms of connecting sensors and event processing.
    The home automation system based on a universal controller with support for Z-Wave technology significantly outperforms them in terms of ease of installation, flexibility of configuration and adjustment, as well as implementation of emergency response algorithms. Of course, it is strange to use it only for these scenarios, but if it comes to building a comfortable and efficient smart home, this option seems optimal. And do not forget that you will have the opportunity to implement your own work algorithms and create a unique project, not to mention programming, design and setting up the interaction of everything with everything.

    You can purchase the entire Z-Wave line from our partners 5 smart , which until March 8 of this year give 5% on the GT_Z-Wave discount coupon .

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