We are often asked to help identify the size of kit needed to convert a board to Konnected. We are glad to help you figure that out. But here are a few tips to find the number of zones you have and the size of kit you need.
Determining the Number of Zones On Your Existing System
A zone in the context of alarm systems refers to a sensor or a group of sensors. Each zone in your system will show up in your smart home app as an individual device that you can name. For example, a single door sensor wired to a zone may be named "Front Door". You may also have a group of windows wired together on one zone and call it "Downstairs Windows".
A good place to start is by looking at your existing alarm system and count the number of zones. Often the keypad from your old system will have a zone listing either handwritten on a label, or programmed into the display.
Also take a look at the alarm panel wiring. Usually you'll find a wiring diagram on or inside the panel enclosure. Find the corresponding wires for each of your zones, and count how many pairs of wires are connected in total. Each wire pair connected to the zone terminals leads to one sensor in your home.
Separating Sensors for Individual Monitoring - Conversion Kit
In many homes with traditional wired alarm systems, you'll find one or more zones that have several sensors tied together. For example, it's common to see Zone 1 include both the front door and the garage entry door. Konnected allows for unlimited expandability and gives you the capability to separate these sensors so that each one can be monitored individually.
The above image illustrates 3 contact sensors that have been wired in series to create 1 zone. With the conversion kit, you may want to group window sensors in the same room like this, but we suggest that you split each door and motion sensor into it's own zone for more information and automation possibilities.
With the Conversion Kit setup, we recommend that each door sensor and motion detector be separated into its own zone. This allows for the greatest flexibility for automation and monitoring, because you will know exactly which door is open or in which room that motion was detected. Windows, especially a series of window sensors in the same room, often make sense to wire together into a single zone because it's less important to know exactly which window is open.
When planning your Konnected Conversion Kit installation, count the number of individual sensors or groups of sensors that you want to monitor. This may be more than the number of zones on your old alarm system if you decide to separate a few sensors.
Keep Your Zones/Grouped Sensors as-is with the Interface Kit
With the Interface Kit, you'll want to keep the sensors and zones as they are on your existing panel.
Konnected is a Modular System
Konnected boards come in groups of 6 zones (12 for the Pro). So if you have 8 zones and are going with the Conversion Kit options, you will need a 12 zone kit. If you have 6 zones or less, consider a 6 zone Conversion Kit. However if you want the door buzzer, that takes a zone on the Konnected Alarm Board (included in the 6 zone Conversion Kit)(this door buzzer warning does not apply to Conversion Kits 12 zones and larger, Pro Conversion Kits, or Interface Kits)
Reserve 1 Zone for the Door Buzzer with our 6 zone Conversion Kit. With the 12 zone Conversion Kit, you will have 1 alarm board (pictured left) and 1 add-on board (pictured right). The add-on board has built in pins for the door buzzer, allowing you to use all 12 zones for sensors and still incorporate the door buzzer with the Conversion Kit setup.
The Pro board has built in pins for the door buzzer, allowing you to use all 12 zones for sensors and still incorporate the door buzzer with the Conversion Kit setup
Interface Kit Considerations (2 Konnected zones required for programmable outputs)
With the Interface Kit options, 2 zones are required for programmable outputs for Konnected to know the armed stay/armed away status of your existing system and the alarmed/not alarmed state of your existing system. This means that if you have 6 zones on your existing system, you would need 8 zones in your Konnected Interface Kit. In this case, you would want to go wit one of our 12 zone Interface Kit options.
click the above image to enlarge
Key Switch Zone Consideration with the Interface Kit (1 open zone on your existing panel)
With the Interface Kit options, you must have an unused zone on your existing alarm panel that can be assigned as a keyswitch. This allows you to arm and disarm your system remotely.
Programming a keyswitch requires the panel's installer code and a keypad capable of programming it.
Please ensure that you have the installer code, that your existing panel has keyswitch capablity, and that you have an unused zone that can be assigned a keyswitch before choosing the Interface Kit configuration.
In both illustrations above, Zone 6 on the traditional panel is programmed as a keyswitch. The circuit across Z6 and COM is closed with the appropriate resistor for the panel via the NC/COM contacts on the relay. When signaled by Konnected, the relay momentarily opens this connection, triggering the traditional panel to arm or disarm.
If you have questions or need help, feel free to contact Konnected Support. Send us pictures of your panel, schematic, and zone list. We are happy to take a look.