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Al Colombo

P.O. Box 30076, East Canton, Ohio 44730, USA

Al Colombo is a technical writer in the electronic security industry in which his tenure spans 30 years. For more than 18 years, he has provided technical direction for security installing companies and manufacturing firms. His work in trade publications is well known. Currently he owns and operates "Tpromo.com", a promotional company that specializes in affordable web design, hosting, e-mail services, and technical writing for the security and life-safety markets. In addition, he is a regular contributing technical writer with Security Sales & Integration, Torrance, California, for whom he writes the monthly column Fire Side Chat and occasional feature stories.

His 30-year tenure began with National Locksmith, 1986, for whom he wrote security-related feature stories. Since that time, he has written extensively for a significant number of popular trade magazines, such as Security Distributing & Marketing (SDM), Alarm Installing Dealer (AID), Security Sales & Integration, Security Dealer, and Locksmith Ledger. He also wrote textbooks for NRI Correspondence Schools, McGraw Hill, Washington, DC.

June 5, 2004 – Security Mission on the World Wide Web is proud to present e-Community. In this virtual electronic community, security professionals and end users can network, read informative articles on a host of topics, and learn about new and exciting breakthroughs in technology and science through incoming news feeds. The Security Mission e-Community features a real-time chat room, internal mail system, technical security stories, and case studies. On-Line registration is free and takes only a few minutes.

Robotics In Private Security and Policing

By Allan B. Colombo
SecurityMission.com

We are living in a truly amazing age of technology. No longer is it enough that security systems have the ability to reveal the exact user that arms or disarms the system, not only can a single system act as many through portioning, but robotics, combined with artificial intelligence (AI), may one day hold the key to the protection of business properties and the community at large.

Technology is more often believed by the general public to be a cure-all solution to whatever ails mankind. From health to general security, we rely on technology to do it for us, whether it involves high-tech pills for what pains us, or general security.

For example, in Japan, a new robot, equipped with artificial intelligence and a host of physical tools was created by Sohgo Security Services Co. of Japan. The objective is to deploy in shopping malls, company buildings, and public street security.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8330600/

According to a Reuters story published on June 23, 2005, “Equipped with a camera and sensors, the Guardrobo D1, developed by Japanese security firm Sohgo Security Services Co., is designed to patrol along pre-programmed paths and keep an eye out for signs of trouble.”

Guardrobo D1 stands 45 inches tall and will contact human security guards by radio, sending detailed pictures when intruders are detected or trouble is observed. The objective for Sohgo is to create an intelligent robot that companies around the world can buy for general security. The objective of those companies is to eliminate as many human security personnel as possible.

The good thing about all this for the electronic security community is that robo-guards cannot be everywhere at once, just as human guards. Thus, the need for electronic security will continue. In fact, the need for integration with robo-guard sentries will become keen and most necessary as more and more human sentries are replaced.

Looking down the road a bit, it is also quite possible that robo-guards will one day change this equation, reducing the need for a centralized security solution all together. As security’s electronic sensors more and more turn to wireless technology, it will be possible for robo-guards to become the receptor of those signals, eliminating the need for a central alarm control panel.

When a valid intrusion signal is received by one of many sentries in a facility, the closest AI-based robo-guard, or sentry, will investigate. If it is found that an intrusion has, indeed, taken place, the sentry will have the option to signal for help using it’s own radio connection to a central location equipped with a minimal number of human guards.

Extend all this to the street as robo-guards begin to employ community-policing techniques to better secure the general public. Also, extend it into individual homes where a robo-guard will patrol each floor, looking for anyone who is not authorized to be there. Although people sensors will likely always be part of the security equation, the use of a central head-end and monitoring facility is in question. Why use human operators 500 miles or even thousands of miles away when robo-guards can radio the police for help in a direct manner?

In my mind, the use of robo-guards for general security is a frightening thought, but of course my opinions are shaped by many equally frightening sci-fi movies that I’ve seen throughout the years. The primary question is, can an AI-based robot think as thoroughly as a real, live man—making rational decisions based on multiple inputs and other criteria? Will innocent, even guilty parties die because robo-guards seek to protect their owners’ investments? Will an AI truly be able to “think?”

Will the three basic robotic laws embossed in forward thinking sci-fi stories penned by Isaac Asimov take precedence? What are these three robotic laws, as prescribed by Asimov?

• A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
• A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Although the use of AI-based robotics for general security has not come up in mainstream security circles, there is no doubt in this writer’s mind that within the next five to 10 years it will have to. As robotic security guards begin to proliferate across the face of the earth, and as they are equipped with the wireless means of security sensor reception, the need for human intervention will naturally lessen.

On a personal basis, this writer’s concern goes far beyond the obvious loss of recurring revenue for the electronic security industry. Compare for a moment the trend in personal health care where a pill has taken the place of good old faith and patience. As the new robotic technologies become better known and understood, humankind, in their traditional neurotic way, will inevitably embrace this new technology, placing the security of their properties and persons fully in the hands of a mechanized army of AI-equipped robots.

Although we’re a far cry from the future I’ve just described, you can bet that it will happen. It’s not a matter of “if,” but of “when.” Given the pace of technology and the various high-tech rollouts of today, I really don’t think it will be that far down the road—certainly not as distant as most of us would believe. The question is, who controls mankind’s destiny? Will mankind allow it to happen, given the various warnings issued by various insightful and talented sci-fi writers, Hollywood producers, and prolific futurists? The bigger question still is will the result be akin to the proverbial “Garden in Eden,” or more like the recent movie, “I, Robot?”

I would like to know your opinion on the use of AI-based robots for general security purposes and what you believe the implication for security will be well into the 21st Century. Will you please take a few moments to answer a few questions in a survey on our news and comment page? (www.tpromo.com/secmis-priv3/)

Thank you,
Al Colombo, Director

More Than Just A Security System
By Al Colombo, Director
The Security Mission

EAST CANTON, OHIO, 11 July 2004 -- Nearly everyone is interested in what technology can do for him or her, whether it involves home or business. Cellular telephones, for example, continue to shrink in size while the number of functions continues to grow. Now, or very soon, you will be able to remotely view one or more cameras installed in your business or home over such a cell phone with a broadband wireless connection.

Likewise, a cell phone has long provided the means whereby end users can change temperature, turn lights on or off, or activate electronic security precautions—all at the touch of a button. PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and other wireless data terminals also provide versatility to practical applications.

It wasn’t that long ago when business managers and homeowners saw their alarm system as merely a means of protecting assets, workers, and family, respectively. The expense was looked upon as a necessary evil to be utilized at some future time—more often when a perpetrator someday happens onto the scene. Of course, this thought often causes buyers to hesitate, for who wants to spend thousands of dollars for a system that may never truly be put to the test?

All of this began to change when a handful of alarm panel manufacturers decided to step back and look at what they were selling. After a good bit of study, some of them began to recognize the fact that they could sell more panels if they could offer more than just security. The idea was to make a panel that would do more than merely catch bad guys, adding features and benefits that management and homeowners could put to good use every single day of the week.

Quick examples include turning lights on and off at preprogrammed times of the day, adjusting building temperature, switching off lights when everyone has left for the day, implementing an automation program for lighting control on weekends and holidays, camera control, electronic access control, and more.

In a word, the performance of system integration and home automation was a natural direction for security to take. This has provided “now” appeal instead of “if” or “when” appeal.

So Who Installs It?

The question that management and homeowners naturally often ask is, “whom do we get to install it—an alarm company, electrician, or a high-tech audio firm?”

In some situations, especially where the structure is new, the electrician will be given all low-voltage work simply by default. This is because it is often the electrician who coordinates the installation of all electrically oriented systems. This has long included the implementation of low-voltage systems—be it in new homes or commercial environments.

And whom will the electrician go to for equipment, technical support, final connections, programming, and checkout… you guessed it—a low-voltage firm that specializes in the installation of systems that incorporate integration and automation features. More often, such a firm will end up being a large, nationally recognized entity. This is simply done because electrical firms have long had relations with such companies because of the massive resources and public relations efforts that such firms commit when developing long-lasting relationships in the construction world.

For old-work situations business managers and homeowners may elect to go direct to an integrator for the high-tech automation system they require. When the job involves the inclusion of high-tech audio, then a high-end audio firm might be in order. However, when the job calls for security with building or home automation attributes, a high-end security or a systems integration firm makes better sense.

Of course, going direct to the low-voltage firm takes the middleman out of the picture, which often means that the price tag for the job will be a bit lower than when an electrical firm handles the job. There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to both philosophies.

For more information on system integration and home automation, visit Security Mission on the Web at www.securitymission.com.

The State of Wireless Security
Although the industry continues to utilize hardwired systems, the day is fast approaching when nearly every aspect of electronic protection will employ a wireless connection.

There was a day when the only way to protect a door, window, or make use of a PIR (passive infrared) detector and smoke detector was to install wires. These wires stretch throughout the home or commercial facility from each sensor to a centralized alarm control panel. For good or for bad, all of this will change in the years to come.

Although hardwire systems are still in popular use, the time is fast approaching when alarm systems will operate entirely without wires, other than low-voltage power lines. However, if Nikola Tesla were alive today, even that connection might have been wireless as well.

In a word, security systems will become almost entirely radio based. They will interact naturally and seamlessly with a variety of mobile devices, such as “personal digital assistants” (PDAs) and “handheld personal computers” (HPCs). These wireless security systems will provide end users with a myriad of high-tech features hereto only dreamt about.

Tomorrow Will Be A Portable World

There are engineers who firmly believe that they have it within their means to turn the world we live in into an entirely wireless paradise. According to many, in the future every detail of every day will be addressed through a wireless connection—through a global network—be it through “wireless fidelity” (Wi-Fi) or some other arrangement.

Tomorrow’s wireless security system will likely be just another part of a much larger whole—a network, also termed Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). Be it a home, nursing home, retail store, or office building, as the price falls and the operational distance of wireless hardware moves ahead, individual WLANs will proliferate.

Already WLANs are beginning to show up in public places across the United States. These systems promise to create a portable world in which the reach of the individual is extended beyond that of the wire. The result will eventually be the overlap of individual networks, also termed “wireless applications” or “hot spots.” The advantage of this is obvious in one regard, for if a wireless device should find it impossible to communicate with its own WLAN, perhaps the neighboring WLAN will allow connectivity through a global WLAN or wired interconnection.

Today, the technology of choice among corporate institutions is that of Wi-Fi, which is based on the 802.11a (5.0 GHz @ 11 Mbps), 802.11b (2.4 GHz @ 11 Mbps), and now 802.11g protocols. The 802.11b protocol has been in development longer than the 802.11a. However, according to some experts, the 801.11a has experienced the most use because of the number of recent deployments.

Just this past year IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) approved 802.11g, which is a wireless protocol that enables a data throughput of 54 Mbps using a frequency of 2.4 GHz. The next wireless standard is expected to enable speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

The advantage of the 802.11a protocol is related to its operating frequency. Where the 802.11b and now 802.11g standards rely on 2.4 GHz, 802.11a uses 5 GHz. What this means is that the latter is less susceptible to interference from cordless phones and other wireless devices in the environment.

Residential Use on the Upswing

Although it is expected that the wireless landscape will largely include public and corporate facilities, home WLANs are currently a big seller.

"Demand for Wi-Fi gear is currently greatest among consumers looking to bring broadband into their homes. But Cisco projects that businesses will ultimately spend much more on Wi-Fi gear, as security fears fade and IT managers begin to see a positive return on investment, Cisco senior vice president Larry Birenbaum said" (Cisco lures businesses with new Wi-Fi gear, November 12, 2003, authored by Richard Shim, CNET Staff Writer).

Aaron Swartz,, teenage hacker, coder, and technical writer, puts the wireless future in large municipalities in this manner: "…the [wireless LAN] boxes are getting stronger too, able to push bits for farther distances. They're cheap and popular enough that all of San Francisco is covered a forest of overlapping wireless. It's time to unify them. The next software upgrade turns this collection of hub-and-spoke networks into one large mesh, letting packets bounce from one base station to another, perhaps stopping at a few laptops in between."

The boxes that Swartz speaks of are that of a unified WLAN that is bound to show up on the wireless landscape at some point in the future. A one-box-fits-all approach will take place as wireless technology improves, as new and better software becomes available, and as a unified standard emerges. At present, although manufacturers may use the same set of protocols, the specifics involved in wireless operations will vary from one company to another.

In the wireless future that Swartz sees, all of these individual wireless networks will one day merge into a single, powerful network. This network will become an integral part of the new Internet to which mobile devices will connect. This will provide society with an unprecedented amount of ready information, whether it involves the home or business. What makes this even more powerful is the fact that this information will become available everywhere you go, and so will the home or business owner’s connection with their home computer, video cameras, home automation system, and electronic security.

For example, a homeowner would like to look in on their home. A multitude of information will immediately become available at the press of a button on a hand-held PDA from anywhere where WLAN coverage is provided. The homeowner will be able to view camera images, obtain information on environmental conditions within the house—such as temperature, security and lighting status, and much more. Such a wireless connection will also make it easier for parents to also know when their children have arrived home from school. Today, this is usually performed using an ordinary wireless pager, but in the future this function will likely be consolidated with the global WLAN.

Tomorrow’s Integrated Wireless Will Include Electronic Security

According to Intel, the wireless future has just taken a giant leap forward as this semiconductor company works to incorporate wireless features into a single chip set that is commonly installed in an ordinary desktop computer.

“Intel is building into a forthcoming microchip an ability to let desktop computers act as a hub in home and office wireless networks, taking aim at the market for stand-alone wireless access points” (Intel Fields Wireless Desktop Hub, Reuters, November 28, 2003).

What this means is that there will one day not be a centralized Wi-Fi box at all. Instead, the wireless Wi-Fi interface will be built inside of desktop and laptop computers. In addition, because the same chip set may contain the means of connecting to the Internet through cellular, tomorrow’s alarm may not even use a Category 5 cable and an RJ31X jack to report to a central monitoring station.

Tomorrow’s Security: 100% Wireless?

Of course, in due time the wireless landscape is sure to include the common alarm system. But, the most important question of all is whether it will be the security dealer of today that installs and monitors it or someone else. In fact, the new wireless systems that are sure to emerge within the next decade will likely change the way security goes about its business.

“Envision a network of microprocessors coupled to radio transceivers utilizing a peer-to-peer communications protocol. These modules act as both sensors and routers, forwarding messages from other modules and providing redundant paths of communication,” says Mark Visbal, author of The Power of a Swarm, published in the September 3, 2003 issue of SIA News.

The wireless alarm concept presented by Visbal involves the creation of a mesh network that is comprised of individual wireless sensors of various types. Each one will be equipped with a very small transceiver, allow them to communicate through a wireless interface with a computer system.

The communications network utilized for this task, whether it is residential or commercial, will be that of an Intranet, the Internet-style WLAN, or a combination of two or three of the same. Service will then consist of accessing and manipulating computer software and replacing wireless sensors. When that day comes, security dealers will not have to worry about resistance buildup at metallic junction points via oxidation, damaged cables, or any other malady typical to today’s wired alarm systems.

Tomorrow’s WLAN Will Change the Face of Security

This high-level wireless alarm technology will not become a reality overnight. However, when a purely wireless security solution does emerge, in conjunction with advances in electronic sensors and control technologies, end users are sure to see a stack of changes in how these systems interact with them.

For example, where the user interface in a modern day alarm system is that of a wired keypad, tomorrow it will likely be verbal commands combined with biometric attributes, such as a retina or iris scan, a thumb or hand print, or perhaps voice. The power of wireless security may also extend itself to the actual determination of identity based on unique genetic attributes or the use of an electronic device buried invisibly beneath the skin. Privacy advocates, however, are quick to say no to the latter.

At that time the complete and seamless integration of security with other subsystems within the environment will likewise become a reality. For example, depending on the biometric attributes detected by security sensors in the structure, the environmental control system will automatically adjust the environment, such as temperature, lighting, and background music. This can easily be accomplished within specific areas of the facility associated with the individual’s liking.

Another interconnection could very well be an individual’s motor car. In the world of tomorrow, it is highly likely that scheduling programs or manual input facilities built into a vehicle’s computer control system will wirelessly alert the occupant’s home control system that he/she is on the way to home base. In response, temperature, lighting, and other aspects of the home’s environment will be adjusted to an established standard already programmed into the system.

In such a case, communication between the vehicle’s on-board computer and the house environmental control system will take place through a global WLAN (Internet) interface. This will be made possible by any number of global WLAN nodes along the highway—wireless hot spots that will enable vendors along the route to also know that you will soon drive by. This will likewise enable them to transmit special sales and other information directly to you through your vehicle’s WLAN connection. All of this also could be accomplished using satellite connection, which could possibly become just another means of communication on the global wireless front.

There is little doubt that, over the next decade, the industry will naturally and rapidly gravitate toward a completely wireless solution for everything that uses metallic wires, be it security sensors, the central station connection, or closed circuit television cameras. You can also bet that there will be a central processing unit, either embedded or otherwise, at the forefront of this effort.

Overcoming Growing Security Concerns

Although security’s wireless future sounds good, there are security concerns that must be addressed before Wi-Fi or any other global wireless solution will become a mainstay in tomorrow’s electronic security market. The fact of the matter is, wireless integrity, from a security standpoint, continues to be of concern to security professionals who have followed Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies.

“I do not trust Wi-Fi at all, not at least until a good quality firewall-type program is developed. It can be hacked easily through the air. This is another reason I will not use BPL(broadband power line) Internet, as it can be picked up through the air. I am sticking with conventional 350 MHz wireless. I will never connect any panel through the Internet until solid protection is assured,” says Nick Markowitz Jr., owner & chief technician, Markowitz Electric Protection, Verona Pa.

One of the vulnerabilities inherent in Wi-Fi that Cisco revealed in last 2003 involves the transmission of a static encryption key either when the static WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) key is altered or the access point is rebooted. WEP involves a part of the security consideration built into the Wi-Fi 802.11b communications protocol.

According to a December 4th, 2003 CNET news report, "Vulnerable access points transmit security keys over the air in unencrypted text, meaning that an eavesdropper could intercept them. With the keys, an attacker could easily break the encryption protecting Wi-Fi transmissions. Wi-Fi is a wireless standard commonly used in corporate and personal local-area networks" (Cisco airs out Wi-Fi vulnerability, by Matthew Broersma).

Criminals who have the ability to monitor data sent between the access point and the SNMP server. This can be cured, however, by using an authentication protocol that utilizes dynamic set keys instead of static ones. In the case of Cisco, users are also encouraged to either incorporate a software upgrade or to switch off the SNMP switch command.

“The security concern is being eliminated with the introduction of new security standards. These standards should result in widespread adoption of wireless networks by business and a host of new business applications,” said Dr. Thomas Glavinich, Associate Chairman and Associate Professor of the Department of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas, as published in Electrical Contractor, March 04 issue.

Whether in this go-round or the next, you can bet that, in due time, the security of Wi-Fi will be sufficient to launch a serious platform in electronic security. As the WLAN market continues to blossom and the number of wireless applications, or “hot spots,” grow, the market will demand that security take the wireless path along with everything else.

• There is less muss and fuss on installation.
• Average installation time is greatly reduced because the installer does not have to fish wires.
• Wireless provides pin-point accuracy in locating alarm and trouble conditions, which not only helps end users locate open doors and windows when they attempt to arm a system, but it also helps authorities when responding to alarms.
• Today’s wireless technology offers enhanced supervisory functions with advanced troubleshooting tools that older systems cannot duplicate.

There is no denying the fact that some of the wireless security systems as recent as a decade ago left much to be desired. Some of the vintage systems, especially those of the late 1970s and early 1980s, gave dealers a serious headache, as they were rife with problems.

Some of the wireless systems of that era, for example, were prone to false alarms because they were easily influenced by other radio-based services in their locale. High powered ham-radio transmitters, police two-way radios, commercial broadcasting equipment—these and more were often the cause of innumerable false trips.

What made matters worse is that transmitters in these early-made, radio-based alarm systems reported by condition only, instead of both device and condition. Thus, it was nigh to impossible to locate a transmitter gone awry in a large facility full of transmitters

Dug Miller, co-owner, Be Safe Fire & Security, installs a radio receiver in a hardwire alarm control panel manufactured by ITI, St. Paul, Min. The receiver uses two antennas to assure proper reception of alarm and supervisory signals..

Oftentimes dealers were forced to remove a transmitter here and there, so to narrow down the playing field as they searched for a single culprit. Although this made it easier for the dealer to locate the offending transmitter, it left a hole in the client’s security as big as a bus. In severe cases, some dealers were forced to remove all the transmitters within the facility and start afresh with new ones.

Instead of such hit-and-miss troubleshooting techniques, today’s wireless alarm systems report by both device and condition. Thus, alarms and trouble conditions are easily found.

Wireless Fulfills Special Needs

People have come to rely on wireless because it fills a variety of special needs. Of course, the first plus associated with wireless involves the fact that the installer does not have to install metallic cable to make security work.

This is a great benefit, especially in retrofit situations where a multiple-floor dwelling is entirely finished—top to bottom. Here, radio-based systems are a viable choice. Even in ordinary homes where wires can be installed, homeowners may not appreciate drilling and cutting drywall, as is customary when installing wires.

Many homeowners also are quite in tune with the use of wireless keyfobs. Most keyfob models available today come with a minimum of one or two function buttons on a small, hand-held transmitter that attaches to a key ring. By pressing one button, the system automatically arms itself in Away mode and by pressing the other, the system magically disarms itself.

Some systems may also include a third, and perhaps a fourth button. The third button is often associated with arming the system in Home mode. The fourth button often is programmable, allowing the dealer to custom design a keyfob for a specific client.

For example, the fourth button can be used to turn a light(s) on and off, either inside or outside the house. One scenario involves the act of lighting the homeowner’s way into and through the house. Another possibility for a fourth button is the activation of a garage door. Through programmable relays, this fourth button also can be used to unlock and lock man doors; drive-up, motorized gates; turn on a videotape recorder, and a variety of other applications. In actuality, the sky is the limit.

Another application for wireless involves the installation of a panic or emergency alarm system. This is especially helpful in applications where the facility is not conducive to running wires and yet an emergency button is required. Possible uses include courtrooms, school buildings, municipal facilities, convenient stores, drive-thrus, and many others.

Fire alarm systems also make use of wireless technology. Of course, the technical criteria to which wireless life-safety systems must be manufactured are of a highest order. This is because of the vast importance assigned to fire detection in homes, commercial, and other applications. Lives invariably depend on the quality and durability built into these radio-based fire detection devices.


Miller installs a hardwire keypad on a hybrid hardwire-wireless alarm system, which provides visual confirmation of arming mode and enhanced status reports through the integral LCD readout.

Wireless allows the dealer to install a quality alarm without all the muss and fuss that usually accompanies hard-wired system. In addition, from the installing company’s point of view, since labor is perhaps the biggest variable when installing a hard-wire system, wireless means predictability. Wireless means less installation time—which saves the dealer considerable money, but also gets the job done faster for the homeowner.

Enhanced System Supervision

Many end users have come to know and respect the quality of today's short-range wireless systems. This is because of the high degree of reliability built into them. This is true especially where it involves the enhanced supervisory features inherent in most of the radio-based security systems manufactured today.

One way in which today’s wireless manufacturers have sought to provide a better product is through the wide use of dual antennas at the master alarm panel (see photograph). Through the use of two antennas, which is referred to as spatial diversity, the likelihood that a transmitter’s radio signal will reach the CPU’s receiver is greatly increased.

Another enhanced supervisory tool now in use by many wireless alarm systems on the market is that of dealer-invoked signal strength testing. For example, when a salesman approaches the homeowner to purchase a wireless alarm system, he has absolutely no idea whether the neighbors on either side are using a similar system. In years past, most of the wireless systems on the market could not “listen” to the surrounding environment for radio signals that could possibly interfere with proper operation. Thus, trouble could suddenly arise after the installation is completed and no one would be the wiser until some outward sign appeared.

One way that some of the wireless equipment manufactured today solved this problem was to enable the wireless CPU to “listen” to the radio frequency (RF) horizon. This allows the installer to change the frequency or encoding scheme so both systems can operate normally without interference to one another.

Many of the wireless systems employed today also have a feature that allows the end user and installer to check the amount of transmitter signal that is capable of reaching the radio receiver. In some systems, a simple beep is enough to tell the user that a transmitter is working properly and that the signal has successfully reached the alarm panel.

In other systems, access to the inner workings of the system is given with proper authority so the system can be placed in signal strength mode. This provides a graduated indication of relative signal strength on a LCD or LED keypad, for example. Thus, the installer or end user can read the relative strength of a transmitter’s radio signal at the CPU’s receiver instead of going on blind faith that the system is working as designed.

Another method that today’s conventional, short-range wireless systems can use to assure ongoing operations involves the periodic transmission of supervisory signals by stationary transmitters in a closed system. Here, if the main alarm CPU fails to receive a supervisory signal within a given time frame, usually 8 to 12 hours, it will issue a supervisory condition--both locally and at the central station.

In this case, the affected transmitter is named so the end user as well as the dealer can physically deal with the problem.

Longer-Lasting Batteries

Another reason why people like today’s wireless alarm systems is the longer lasting transmitter batteries inherent in nearly all of them. After all, where a common battery is quite possibly the most vulnerable component in any wireless security system, the ability to increase battery life helps to assure integrity of protection. For example, in an unsupervised wireless system, the premature failure of a transmitter battery could go unnoticed. Thus, the system may not detect a security breach when one occurs.

One of the key factors in stretching battery life in this regard is that of electronic packaging. Older components were generally larger and less efficient, which meant that they took up more room, created more heat, and drew more power in the process than today’s transmitters. In fact, today’s electronic components are packaged many times smaller using a variety of packaging techniques, such as surface-mount devices, or SMD.
Electronic components using SMD technology are, in fact, much more efficient, which means that they draw far less power from the battery than older transmitters do. Vintage systems that use older electronic packaging methods, for example, most often utilized a 9-volt primary battery. A battery in one of these transmitters had an effective life span of about eight months to a year—if you were lucky. Thus, they had to be replaced once or twice a year to assure ongoing operability.

For end users, this meant that they either had to change out their own transmitter batteries on a regular basis, or they had to pay their favorite alarm company to do it for them. Either way, this represented a burden on the end user, as any homeowner who still uses this type of system will attest.

In today’s wireless transmitter, however, even an age-old 9-volt battery will last longer than in an older model. For example, where space allows, a 9-volt battery can now last 1 ½ to 2 years. Common detectors that continue to use 9-volt batteries include smoke detectors and some of the PIRs.

Some of the wireless systems on the market today also utilize AA and AAA batteries for transmitter power, which are primary batteries as well. Many of the manufacturers who make these transmitter/sensor devices commonly advertise a battery life of 2 to 5 years. In addition, longer-lasting Lithium batteries also are available that have an advertised life span of 5 to 8 years and sometimes more.

Advanced Battery Supervision

No matter what type of battery that today’s wireless transmitters come with, when battery power begins to wane, today’s wireless system is designed to notify the end user and the central monitoring station. In some systems this notification is accomplished at the alarm panel/keypad. In others, notification is given by a flashing Light Emitting Diode (LED) at the device itself—in addition to the alarm panel/keypad.

In all cases, in a quality wireless system, the central monitoring station also will receive notification of a low transmitter battery through either a phone line or some type of long-range wireless connection. Best of all, the alarm system itself will provide the exact location in the facility by transmitter identification (ID) number. This will enable the installer to go right to the source of the problem and change the battery straight away. In systems that utilize a LCD keypad, this task is made even simpler because the LCD readout will display the transmitter by name.

In one particular wireless system that uses a point indicator keypad, equipped with light emitting diodes (LEDs), the process of determining which transmitter to look for involves the illumination of a flashing “low-battery” LED on the keypad. To find out specifically which transmitter to examine, the end user or security technician must press a separate button on the keypad. This will illuminate the corresponding transmitter via the LED display on the keypad.

Battery supervision does not stop there, however. In one wireless system the installer can readily check the relative condition of a transmitter’s battery by entering programming mode and checking the CPU’s memory for the number of weeks that the current battery has been in service. This information is easily stored in the CPU because once a new battery is installed, the dealer must enroll the transmitter in the system again. Of course, service life is not a firm tried-and-true means of establishing battery condition.

Be Safe's Miller installs a battery-operated wireless smoke detector in a home without wires. Today's wireless security systems include fire detection.

Another concern in any alarm system, albeit wireless or hardwire, is that of back up power for the main CPU. This is the battery that maintains system operation when the public electric bus fails. In most wireless systems, there have been provisions made for a rechargeable battery of some kind—most often a 12 VDC gel cell rechargeable.

In some systems this might take the form of a rechargeable 9-volt secondary battery while in others it involves the use of a traditional gel-cell. In either case, when a rechargeable battery fails to accept a charge and the effective voltage has dropped below a pre-established level, the alarm system will notify both the end user locally and the central monitoring station.

Value Added Services In Today’s Wireless Panels

In today’s highly competitive and spendthrift market, alarm system sales personnel must continually look for new innovative ways to sell their company’s wares and services. Wireless equipment manufacturers have spent considerable time and money doing just that. End users can cash in on this, too, by requiring the value-added services that many wireless alarm systems are designed to provide.

When end users buy an alarm system, they usually do so with the understanding that the benefit of such a purchase will not be realized until a burglar breaks into their home and sets the system into alarm. Today’s wireless systems, however, are capable of doing much more than mere detection. The system purchased today may very well be able to provide immediate benefits that the end user can put to good use the moment the installer tightens the last screw, benefits that everyone can use each and every day.

One example of this involves radio-based fire protection, which is available for most wireless systems now on the market. In a typical home, according to National Fire Alarm Code, a smoke detector is required on each floor and within each bedroom. In an existing house such an installation could pose considerable mess as well as expense.

Wireless smoke detectors can be employed for this task so that the wireless CPU is able to discern the relative location of a fire. The great thing about this, versus the common, ordinary 110VAC smoke detectors, which often is equipped with a 9-VDC primary battery, is that the central monitoring station will call the local fire department if smoke is detected inside the home.

Many of today’s wireless alarm systems also are capable of sending a variety of signals to light switches and receptacles over the power lines inside the home. This technology is commonly referred to as “Power Line Carrier” (PLC). Using PLC, end users can send on/off and dimming commands to remote areas of the home over the power lines, thus turning indoor and outdoor lights on and off and dimming or brightening them. This approach relies on PLC modules that replace the ordinary light switches and plug-in receptacles in the home. The best aspect of this technology is that it uses the same high-voltage wiring that is already installed in the home!

Wouldn’t it be nice to walk into a room and have the lights automatically turn on and then leave that room and have the same lights turn off after a period of time? Not only does this represent a luxury that the homeowner can make use of every day of the week, but it will save considerable money over the long haul because it saves energy.

Another application to which PLC lends itself is that of personal safety. For example, homeowners find it nice and reassuring when they come home after dark and the exterior lights are already lit. These same outdoor fixtures could also be made to turn on when someone approaches the house, either on foot or in a motor vehicle.

The alternative all too often involves the homeowner coming home to a dark house, stumbling his or her way to the main entrance, and then stumbling on to the keypad or light switch. Not only is this dangerous from a personal safety standpoint, but it is also risky from a security point of view. After all, the end user cannot avoid obstacles or criminals in wait if he cannot see them.

With this in mind, as pointed out earlier, homeowners can have their keyfob programmed to turn a light off or on by simply pressing one of the buttons. In addition, in some wireless systems, the moment the entry/exit door is opened, a light fixture inside the home can automatically be turned on in the affected area. This will illuminate the homeowner’s way to the keypad while enabling him to possibly see a criminal in wait inside the home.

Wireless Automation

PLC technology also will enable a wireless alarm panel to flash the outdoor lights, thus making it easier for responding officers to identify the house involved in a break-in. In addition, neighbors are more likely to look and see what is going on at the home in question, possibly identifying a fleeing perpetrator in the process.

This very same lighting control system can be used to automate the lighting inside a home so to increase security when the homeowner is absent. When a wireless control panel is equipped with both a PLC interface and the proper firmware/software, lights can be programmed to turn off and on, as well as dim or brighten, by time of day and day of week, thus giving the home a more lived-in look.

The door and window transmitters used in most of the wireless systems manufactured today are small and discrete compared to those made a decade ago. After installing the transmitter on the trim of the door, Miller installs a corresponding surface-mounted magnet on the movable door.

PLC control also is a great thing to have for homeowners who live in colder climates, especially when they spend the winter months away from home. Using an automation-equipped wireless panel, the dealer can create the impression that the home is occupied when it is, indeed, not. The object is to discourage would-be burglars from entering the home at a most vulnerable time.

This is accomplished by evaluating the occupant’s daily routine and attempting to duplicate the activities that normally occur in programming. Thus, a variety of indoor lights, television sets, stereos, and more can be programmed to turn on and off at specific times of the night in a similar manner as if the family were actually present.

Another value-added feature related to automation is that of environmental monitoring. For example, those homeowners who spend considerable time away from home during winter months can add a wireless low-temperature sensor to the mix. This will enable the alarm system to alert the central monitoring station when the temperature has fallen below 40 deg.Fahrenheit, thus possibly preventing the water pipes from freezing.

Thus, if the heating plant in the home or small business should cease to operate in the middle of the night, the low-temperature sensor will notify the central station when the ambient temperature drops below 40 deg.Fahrenheit.

Another value-added service that security dealers can offer their clients, be it in a residential or commercial environment, is that of a wireless water sensor for the basement area. Anyone who has had a cloths washer hose break or a sump pump fail when they were absent from the home for a period of time knows the heartache, elbow grease, and expense involved in cleaning up the mess and repairing the structure. A wireless water sensor installed inside the sump pump pit or along the basement wall will help to prevent this from taking place. The same feature can be provided in a laundry or boiler room in multiple-family dwellings.

All of the features mentioned above and more will effectively extend the wireless alarm panel’s point of influence well beyond the common task of burglary detection. No matter what your view of the high-tech future happens to be, you can bet that wireless will play a significant role in its making.