Alarm systems and triggering cameras

I

Ispy

Getting the hang of it
Aug 15, 2015
159
13
Texas
It would be nice if there were some IP based triggers from an alarm system to start a camera recording (Blue Iris). Our area is getting a bit more breakins lately. I'd like to initiate all camera recordings upon an alarm system event. I guess I can see about tying them into my PC via com ports?
 
depends on your alarm system, but you could always do something like wire a Raspberry Pi into your alarm system and have it relay commands via IP back and forth.

i designed my alarm from the ground up to have this capabilities, its all tied into my home automation system and so are my cameras.
 
haven't done it, but sure looks possible.

from the BI help file (bottom of web server section):
path /admin?camera=x&trigger will Trigger camera x (short name)

there's probably a way to trigger a cam group as well, but maybe that just happens automagically if
your cams are grouped to trigger together anyways?

edit: i guess the above assumes your alarm system can somehow send an arbitary http request,
whcih is what Nayr's suggestion addresses...
 
Ispy said:
@fenderman have you ever done anything like this?
Click to expand...
No. I have the motion detection sensitive enough to record any movement it detects...so this would be overkill
The above suggestions would work, though I would set a profile that has all cams recording continuously then have BI change to that profile on alarm..
 
indoors alot of people may only want recording if they are not home, so triggering indoor recording only when security system is armed would be a great way to accomplish this.

all you would have to do is setup alarm system to trigger an output when armed/disarmed, then detect that output and activate/deactivate your recording profiles... an Arduino would make a good cheap interface.

you can also go inverse, set it up so if blueiris detects motion some place when system is armed it triggers your security system.. but you need motion tuned for alarming and not recording for that, perhaps a cloned camera.
 
Thanks, you appear to be more than a network engineer.... I am one myself but not a programmer. It sounds like this would require some level of that. While I have the ability to figure things out, it sounds like a lot more effort than I have time for. I was interested in some form of turnkey DIY home security system. I guess I can look into one that has some I/O that I can hard-wire to my system. I wanted one that was wireless but if I do that the location of my control may be a bit too far from some of my sensors.
 
nayr said:
depends on your alarm system, but you could always do something like wire a Raspberry Pi into your alarm system and have it relay commands via IP back and forth.

i designed my alarm from the ground up to have this capabilities, its all tied into my home automation system and so are my cameras.
Click to expand...

what did you use to build yours? i was thinking i would get something i can build on a home automation system but i wonder about tying into one of these with one of the controllers you mention. even then, can BI accept commands via IP? - i should have read your post again. i now realize i was thinking this backwards.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ispy said:
I was interested in some form of turnkey DIY home security system. I guess I can look into one that has some I/O that I can hard-wire to my system.
Click to expand...

http://www.sealevel.com/store/8112-...-relay-outputs-digital-interface-adapter.html

That might be more what you are after then.

There was a thread about it on Cam-It a while back

http://www.cam-it.org/index.php?topic=2187.0

This thread might be useful to you as well

https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/3359-ARDUINO-amp-BLUE-IRIS-SERIAL-digital-i-o-DIO
 
SyconsciousAu said:
http://www.sealevel.com/store/8112-...-relay-outputs-digital-interface-adapter.html

That might be more what you are after then.

There was a thread about it on Cam-It a while back

http://www.cam-it.org/index.php?topic=2187.0

This thread might be useful to you as well

https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/3359-ARDUINO-amp-BLUE-IRIS-SERIAL-digital-i-o-DIO
Click to expand...

Thanks! I think now I just need to find a Home Automation / Security platform that meets my needs and can send the needed signal to whatever interface I end up with for BI
 
domoticz is what I use for Automation, go read through my home automation thread.
 
pozzello said:
haven't done it, but sure looks possible.

from the BI help file (bottom of web server section):
path /admin?camera=x&trigger will Trigger camera x (short name)

there's probably a way to trigger a cam group as well, but maybe that just happens automagically if
your cams are grouped to trigger together anyways?

edit: i guess the above assumes your alarm system can somehow send an arbitary http request,
whcih is what Nayr's suggestion addresses...
Click to expand...

Thanks. This works in a web browser. I will play around with it. I bought a Smart Things Hub. It has a Shield for Arduino as an option. Maybe I can do something with that.
 
it worked for a bit but it wants me to login via the web interface first. i started a new profile and jacked up my trigger somehow.
 
you could try http://username:password@ip:port/path if it works make a login just for your API calls.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ispy
that means it didnt send an auth header request, probably using a form based auth.. might have to disable it entirely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ispy
good call. i see you can do local non-auth and still require auth remotely. i turned that off and it doesn't require auth now. trigger isn't working but i suspect it may be something else. i don't get a prompt anymore. after i screwed around with one of my profiles, i started getting spotty results on the trigger. of course i let it upgrade in the middle of it all too.... ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom