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Structure

• Panels : Represents a generic panel that is realized by classes adequate to the specific model (MG/SP/EVO)

• Paradox: Object that interfaces with the panel and keeps some internal state. Accepts commands to control partitions, zones and outputs. Exposes states, changes and events

• Interfaces: Expose interfaces to the outside world. Currently, MQTT (with Homekit support), Signal, Pushbullet and IP (IP150 emulation) are supported, but others are planned and almost any other is supported.

• Connections: Handle communications with the panel, at a lower level. Currently, both Serial and IP connections are supported.

Interfaces

Interfaces provide the means to interact with PAI and the alarm panel.

MQTT Interface

The MQTT Interface allows accessing all relevant states and setting some. The list of states will increase as the knowledge of the alarm internal memory and its states is improved.

All interactions are made through a MQTT_BASE_TOPIC, which defaults to paradox. States are exposed by name with a boolean payload (True or False) and are mainly update by the alarm status messages, updated every KEEP_ALIVE_INTERFACE seconds.

States

• paradox/states/partitions/name/property: Exposes Partition properties where name identifies the Partition name (e.g. Interior) and property identifies the property (e.g. arm).
• paradox/states/zones/name/property: Exposes Partition properties where name identifies the Zone name (e.g. Kitchen) and property identifies the property (e.g. open).
• paradox/states/outputs/name/property: Exposes Partition properties where name identifies the PGM name (e.g. Gate) and property identifies the property.

The following states are supported:

• buses : supervision_trouble, tamper, trouble
• keypads: ac_loss_trouble, battery_failure_trouble, signal_strength, supervision_failure_trouble, trouble
• outputs: signal_strength, supervision_trouble, tamper, trouble
• partitions: alarm, alarms_in_memory, arm, arm_with_remote, audible_alarm, auto_arming_engaged, bell_activated, bell_delay_finished, entry_delay,entry_delay_finished, exit_delay, exit_delay_finished, force_arm, in_remote_delay, intellizone_delay, intellizone_delay_finished, paramedic_alarm, pulse_fire_alarm, ready_status, recent_closing_delay, silent_alarm, sleep_arm, stay_arm, stayd_mode_active, strobe_alarm, transmission_delay_finished, wait_window, zone_bypassed
• repeaters: ac_loss_trouble, battery_failure_trouble, signal_strength, supervision_trouble, trouble
• system: battery, dc, rf_noise_floor, vdc
• zones: alarm, bypassed, entry_delay, exit_delay, fire, fire_delay, intellizone_delay, in_tx_delay, no_delay, open, rf_low_battery_trouble, rf_supervision_trouble, shutdown, signal_strength, tamper, trouble, was_bypassed, was_in_alarm

Events

• paradox/states/raw: Exposes raw event information, composed by a minor and major codes, as well as descriptive text. The payload is a JSON object with the following structure:

    {
        'major': (major_code, 'major_text'),
        'type': 'event_type',
        'minor': (minor_code, 'minor_text')
    }

• major_code and major_text represent the major code and corresponding text description as provided by the alarm. This will mostly identify the event.
• minor_code and minor_text represent the minor code and corresponding text description as provided by the alarm. This will mostly identify a detail of the event, such as the zone number/name, the user name, partition name, and so on.
• type identifies the event category, and can take the following values: Partition, Bell, NonReportable, User, Remote, Special, Trouble, Software, Output, Wireless, Bus Module, Zone, System.

Control

The MQTT Interface allows setting some properties for individual objects by specifying the correct name. In alternative, the all keyword can be used to apply the same setting to all objects. This is useful to activate all PGMs or to Arm/Disarm all partitions.

• paradox/control/partitions/name allow setting some partition properties where name identifies the partition. If the name is all, all partitions will be updated. The payload can have the values arm, arm_stay, arm_sleep, arm_stay_stayd, arm_sleep_stay or disarm and disarm_all.
• paradox/control/zones/name allow setting some zone properties where name identifies the partition. If the name is all, all zones will be updated. The payload can have the values bypass and clear_bypass.
• paradox/control/outputs/name allow setting some zone properties where name identifies the partition. If the name is all, all outputs will be updated. The payload can have the values pulse, on, on_override, off or off_override.

Code Toggle

Sometimes it is useful to toggle the ARM state through a remote device, such as a NFC reader. Therefore, Partitions arm state can be toggled by issuing a special command with the format code_toggle-code_number (e.g., code_toggle-123456755). The code_toggle- keyword is constant, while the code_number is provided by the card (e.g., Card ID). If the code is present in the MQTT_TOGGLE_CODES, the partition state will be toggled.

The MQTT_TOGGLE_CODES should be composed by a dictionary where the key contains the code, and the value contains a description. This allows for easily sending notifications in the form: "Alarm unlocked by USERNAME".

This was throughly tested with ESPEasy running on a ESP8266 board (e.g. NodeMCU or Wemos D1 Mini) connected to a PN532 NFC reader. Besides the typical ESPEasy configuration, the only "code" required is a simple rule. The following example will publish any ID to the correct topic and will flash a LED for 2 seconds.

on reader#tag do
   Publish paradox/control/partitions/all,code_toggle-[reader#tag]
   Pulse,2,0,2000
endon

reader#tag identifies the ESPEasy PN532 device name (reader) and the property holding the RFID ID (tag).

Homebridge and Homekit through MQTT

This interface also provides an integration with Homebridge, when using the homebridge-mqttthing plugin. To use it, enable the MQTT_HOMEBRIDGE_ENABLE option in the configuration file. Partitions will have a new property (paradox/states/partitions/PARTITION_NAME/current by default) which will have the current state of the partition.

The interface allows setting the state of a partition by issuing the commands AWAY_ARM, NIGHT_ARM, STAY_ARM and DISARM, which are mapped into a Homebridge Security System target. These commands should be sent to the standard control topic (paradox/control/partitions/PARTITION_NAME by default)

MQTT Dash

This interface will publish a simple dashboard to metrics/exchange/pai in a format that is readily parsed by MQTT Dash. This will happen after the interface knows at least two Partitions. If you have only one partition, nothing will be published. If you have more than 2, only the first two will be used.

To have this dashboard, install MQTT Dash, create a connection, select the connection and click the two arrows on the top right corner. Then select the topic metrics/exchange/pai and subscribe for changes. The screen should update.

Signal Interface

The Signal Interface allows accessing major state changes and arming/disarming partitions through the WhisperSystems Signal service. You will require the corresponding mobile application in your smartphone. As this interface will produce notifications to other devices, and are destined to users, only a subset of the events are sent.

To send a command to the alarm use the format: type object command. One example would be: partition outside arm. If the object is all, the command will be sent to all objects of the same type (e.g., all partitions, all zones).

Interface with Signal is made through Signal-CLI running in system dbus mode. Follow the instruction to enable Signal-CLI and it should work automatically. You will require a valid phone number to be allocated to this service.

The configuration setting SIGNAL_CONTACTS should contain a list with the contacts used for signal notifications. If the list is empty, the Signal module is disabled.

Pushbullet Interface

The Pushbullet Interface allows accessing major state changes and arming/disarming partitions. As this interface will produce notifications to other devices, and are destined to users, only a subset of the events are sent.

In order to use this interface, please set the relevant configuration settings. The PUSHBULLET_CONTACTS setting should contain a list of contacts used for pushbullet notifications.

To send a command to the alarm use the format: type object command. One example would be: partition outside arm. If the object is all, the command will be sent to all objects of the same type (e.g., all partitions, all zones).

GSM SIMXXX Interface

The GSM Interface will notify users of major events through SMS and will accept commands through the same method.

In order to use this interface, please et the relevant configuration settings. The GSM_CONTACTSsetting should contain a list of contacts used for notifications and commands. Only these contacts will be allowed to control the alarm.

To send a command to the alarm use the format: type object command. One example would be: partition outside arm. If the object is all, the command will be sent to all objects of the same type (e.g., all partitions, all zones).

IP Interface

The IP Interface mimics an IP150 module, allowing the use of standard alarm management tools to interact with the panel. It supports plain sessions or encrypted session as found in later versions of the IP150 module.

When a client is connected to this interface, PAI will operate as a proxy. Most features and interfaces will be disabled until the client disconnects