Electronic Alarms and Home Security Devices - Zone Looping

Hey me again,:D

I have made full runs for every thing I have put up Example. Motion, glass, door.......

What I am trying to do is, I have 4 glass break sensors with there own dedicated wire runs to the panel, I want to put all 4 glass sensors onto one (1) zone. I know this can be done but,

Question; do I twist all 4 red wires and insert them into com slot and twist the other 4 green wires and connect them to the resistor and then put that into the zone slot

-OR-

do I put red into the com slot and twist the green to the other red and then green to the red and green to the red and green to red and then take the green and twist on a resistor and insert it into the zone slot ? LOL :confused:
Thank-s all

Now, we need to get some terminology down first:
Are you using Glassbreaks (powered devices with a microphone and relay) or are you using Shock Sensors (could be several types of devices, but all of them mount directly on the glass)?

If Glassbreaks, then you need 4 conductor wire and you will want to use the Red for 12+ and the Black for 12-, then your Green and Yellow (or white) wire will be your zone loop. The zone loop will be connected in series - IOW, at the panel, connect all the reds to the AUX+, the black to the AUX-, then make a loop of the green and yellow wires, connecting one to the next - green 1 to yellow 2, green 2 to yellow 3, green 3 to yellow 4, then yellow 1 to panel and green 4 to panel (make sense?)

If you're using Shock sensors - some still require power, but most do not - then just connect green 1 to red 2, green 2 to red 3, green 3 to red 4, then green 4 and red 1 to the panel.

This is called "series" as opposed to "parallel".

Let me know what kind of sensors you are trying to install and maybe I can help out - make/model/etc.

Good luck!

AC100 - DSC Glass Break Detector this is the kind of senson that i am using, all 4 are the same!!

The Acuity AC-100 requires 4 wires to operate correctly.

OK your right, not that I would second quess you.... so like you say below twist all red's and insert them into the aux + and twist all my blacks and insert into aux- and then loop the rest, but I have to install a resistor to the zone, right



If Glassbreaks, then you need 4 conductor wire and you will want to use the Red for 12+ and the Black for 12-, then your Green and Yellow (or white) wire will be your zone loop. The zone loop will be connected in series - IOW, at the panel, connect all the reds to the AUX+, the black to the AUX-, then make a loop of the green and yellow wires, connecting one to the next - green 1 to yellow 2, green 2 to yellow 3, green 3 to yellow 4, then yellow 1 to panel and green 4 to panel

Yes, if you keep EOL's enabled in programming, you have to install an EOL resistor. Technically, it doesn't matter where in the loop it's installed. This is one problem with home running all devices - there's no EOL. To supervise the line properly, you would have to use Double EOL resistors. But, personally, I don't think it's necessary - after all, by the time someone gets to your glassbreaks, they're already in the house - so it's too late.

Just install the EOL at the panel for that loop.

Good luck!

Thanks Brandon

Nah, your questions aren't stupid, or even sound so. Alarm instructions, whether for fire or security, are rather opaque. Every manufacturer uses slightly different phrasing to describe the same procedures and features, and some of their instructions assume a goodly bit of electronics background.

I'm just the kind of geek that has tech manuals in the bathroom magazine rack (I know TMI...)

DSC makes good gear, but on top of being technical, they're Canadian, which means that their English is slightly off from the American flavor.

LOL - yeah, those tech manuals are definitely not written for the beginner - even some techs have hard times reading them. Even I have a hard time understanding what some of the terms mean - and I'm like MrRon (well, I don't have manuals in the bathroom magazine rack, but I do have them all over the house.) I'm sure Ron is the same way - sit down with a manual and know how to install or use a system. I rely heavily on them - which is why I have a collection of over 400 of them. And, I keep them with me in the field. But, there are still times when I have to call Tech Support to get the information I need.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have - there are no stupid question.. blah blah blah :)

Good luck!