pyvisonic

Python module for connecting to Visonic PowerMax / PowerMaster

Release

This software is still in pre Alpha development and does not have any version numbers. All releases are currently version 0.0.1 and will remain so until Alpha testing

We are not taking any comments or requests or anything else really at the moment but you can log an issue, perhaps with your "log.txt" from a debug run output and we'll take a look if we get the chance.

Instructions and what works so far

It's easy to run.

• For a TCP/IP connection, edit test.py and
  • Alter the address and port to your settings.
• For a USB (RS232) connection, edit test.py and
  • Comment out the tcp connection and
  • Uncomment the usb connection.
  • Change the usb port to your settings
• From the command prompt run "python3 test.py" and hopefully watch it connect in powerlink!

It tries to connect in Powerlink mode by default (unless you set ForceStandard to True in test.py).

Set PluginDebug to True or False to output more or less text on your display window

From the command prompt, linux terminal or from within PyCharm (on windows)

When I run it, it usually connects in powerlink mode. If it doesn't and you want it to then, in the following order:

• Wait 5 minutes and try it again. The Alarm Panel sometimes self protects as I think it assumes it's being attacked. This may or may not be true, what I do know is that waiting 5 minutes helps!
• If that doesn't work then reset your panel (enter installer mode on the panel and "OK" back out)

Running it in Home Assistant

I am currently testing the installation I have in Home Assistant over the next few days, if it goes OK then I'll upload my HA files. I currently connect to the panel in powerlink and it creates an HA:

• Sensor for each alarm sensor.
• Switch so I can look at the values, the switch doesn't do anything.
• "alarm_control_panel" sensor so you can arm and disarm the alarm

What it doesn't do in Home Assistant

• Partitions, it assumes a single partition
• What happens when the alarm is actually triggered
• Ability to bypass individual sensors
• Event Log. I can get the event log but I don't know what to do with it in HA

What has changed since the last release

9th June 2018 at 14:50

1. Changes to program interface for integration in HA
2. A couple of changes as I've come across bugs and things that didn't work quite right for HA

4th June 2018 at 22:25

1. Changes for better Home Assistant Integration including callback handler
2. Reduce rate of MSG_STATUS to reduce communications with the panel (things like low battery etc)
3. Better retry control Powerlink - if panel requests autoenroll then it can achieve powerlink within 2 or 3 minutes - if panel does not request auto enroll, we request "Restore" and this might get in to powerlink within about 10 to 15 minutes Standard - The user can set ForceStandard to True - If cannot achieve powerlink, the we go in to standard

3rd June 2018 at 00:20

1. Implemented ForceStandard and tested
   • In doing this, the code gets the zone names OK but when I tried getting zone types I'm not sure what it's sending me
   • See code comments in handle_msgtypeA6
2. Implemented going in to Standard mode when powerlink fails (after 4 tries)
3. Initial Integration in to Home Assistant:
   • It always times out and goes in to Standard Mode
     • i.e. Powerlink gets multiple Access Denied messages from panel and I don't know why
   • HA shows sensors in the main web page. I have not included HA code yet as it's still being developed.
4. I started using PyCharm for my development and it "fixed" some of the spacing and layout for me.
   • It also showed me some of my bad python programming such as "if AAA == None:" should be "if AAA is None:"
5. With the problems of integrating in to HA and trying to get Powerlink working, I wondered if it's a timing issue
   • As in general, there seem to be lots of time critical exchanges with the panel
   • So I implemented a tasking interface as well as an asyncio interface. Still didn't make it work but I left the code in.
   • This commited version uses the tasking interface. It creates a task and then creates an asyncio construct inside the task
6. Getting the panel event log works, the call is there as a test on line 1860, uncomment it then look for handle_MsgTypeA0 in the log (only works when it gets in to powerlink mode)