When one device needs to trigger multiple devices (e.g. a PIR needs to trigger four cameras and an alarm), how would you typically do this? Is something like an Altronix RB7 multiple relay module a good choice? See http://www.altronix.com/index.php?pid=2&model_num=RB7

Best,
Christopher

What are you trying to accomplish? What cameras are you using?

Would depend on the rest of the setup. Most of the DVRs I work with, you can assign several cameras to respond to a single alarm input. If there's an alarm panel involved, you might just have the PIR trigger a zone on that, and trip everything else from a PGM output. Really too many variables involved to give an answer to such a generic question.

Optex PIR will trigger an Axis 223M, Panasonic WV-NW502S, Ademco alarm. The Optex has NO/NC output. I'll have to double check the spec for the 502, but I think all three input devices can be triggered by either NO or NC state change. So, basically, the NO/NC output of the Optex has to be expanded to three NO/NC outputs.

Best,
Christopher

There is no DVR. The IP cameras write directly to the NAS. Assume there is no "rest of the setup" except for 12VDC power. How would you expand a single NO/NC output to multiple NO/NC outputs? Specifically, what part(s) would you use.

Best,
Christopher

Well there is a couple different ways you can do this.

1) Since they are all contact closers you could just run 1 wire to each camera then to the motion and wire them in parallel.

2) I know you can do this with the Axis camera (don't know about the Pany). Run one wire from the motion to the Axis then to the Pany then to the alarm panel. Then program the trigger inputs to trigger the outputs of the cameras.

3) Once again I know I can do this with Axis but I don't know about the Pany. You can send HTTP commands from one camera to the other. So run one wire from the motion to the Axis then to the alarm panel. Then program the Axis camera when trigger in + close trigger out and send HTTP command to the next camera.

If all the input devices were the same manufacturer, that might be an option, but given that there are three different manufacturers, I've been told it's a bad idea to wire them in parallel. I know this is pretty simple stuff for the alarm folks. They wire up an RB7 or RBOC7 in their sleep, or in some cases, just make a diode matrix. I know I could manage with a simple wiring diagram, but I don't see anything similar on the Altronix website.

Best,
Christopher

Simple dry contacts, there's no reason whatsoever that "mixing manufacturers" should have a problem. There's no high-level logic or serial communications or anything involved, just open/close.

I think thewireguys is right and simply paralleling the connections will work, but if you're really concerned about potential load issues, any basic relay should do the trick - just use the PIR to trip the relay, and the relay contacts to trip the cameras and trigger a zone on the alarm.

HOWEVER... if it were me, I'd use the alarm panel as much as possible. I'm not familiar with the Ademcos, but if it's like any of the DSC, Paradox, or Honeywell panels I've seen, it will have at least one PGM output that's designed specifically to drive or trigger another device when programmed conditions are met. I'd use the PIR, then, simply to trip an input zone on the alarm, and then program the PGM output to trigger the cameras when that zone is tripped. This gives you the added ability to trigger the cameras ONLY when the system is armed (if you want to go that way), and/or the ability to have other alarm conditions trigger the cameras - say, input from a smoke alarm or panic button.

You could use the Altronix piece, or maybe the Ademco 4204 (for most Ademco panels, check your model for compatibility) expander board, has four dry relay outputs, ties to the keyboard data lines, you can program each relay response from the panel programming.

I would use individual outputs for each device, just to ensure isolation.

Dry contact refers to the PIR output relay, right? How do you know one input won't leak to another when connected in parallel?



The load on the PIR relay should be well within specs. My only concern is connecting the inputs in parallel. I was reading one schematic that used diodes to resolve potential problems with connecting inputs in parallel.



Unfortunately, it's an Ademco LYNX wireless and I don't think that model is compatible with their relay panel.

Best,
Christopher

Ademco 5800RL will work with Lynx, but you only get 2 relays, one active when armed, one active when alarming, might save you from wiring to the panel, though..

Still might want to use a relay module like the Altronix to isolate the inputs, it's hard to tell how multiple sensing inputs will respond when wired in parallel.