AlarmMdevice manual

1. AlarmMdevice Purpose

1.1. Description

The Alarm Messaging application purpose is to send an alarm provided by the phone android system when an external device is changing of state. This application is connecting to existing residentials alarm device system and gathering them on the same interface. It works on android platform from Gingerbread (API 10 version 2.3.3) and above. The application is monotoring the device input and output (refered as IO). A simple graphic interface is used to program action whenever an IO state has changed. See section 9 for a list of action performed by the smartphone. IP communicatation is done through whatever internet connection of the smartphone. It's important to note that traffic data is important during monitoring, so better use wifi. It will work on any wifi at home and abroad. At home it will work on the local network and do not need to connect to external IP adress except for the registration.

1.2. Features

1.3. Permissions

Permission are only required when nescessary. The video below show when and where the specific permission are required. This video illustrate as well the core functionalities of the application.

This application has phone handler capabilities. Switching to phone handler capabilities is only requested when nescessary and they will be removed when the service is stopped. Permissions can be removed at any time in the settings of the phone devices.
The SMS app capability is used for enabling logging (see section 9.1.1 Logging ) of message in the default android messaging application. It is only required for android version bigger or equal to Kitkat (API 19).
The Phone app capability is used for enabling to switch remotely ON/OFF the alarm (see section 8.1 Phone Administrator ).

2. AlarmMdevice Main Screen Layout

2.1. Register

The alarm is displaying the time remaining. Two hours (0D 1H 59M 59s) are allowed to test that the application is fullfilling your need before acquiring a licence . When the time has ellapsed the counter can be restore to 2 hours by registring with an empty license. In order to acquire a license the button Register (see section 10) lead you to the registration page. It is also possible to reach the registration page through the option menu Register.

2.2. Start and Stop Service

When the service is started a background process will monitor all the alarm which have been setup in "SETTINGS" option menu.

2.3. Mute the alarm

The middle button "ON" is used to make the alarm silent without stopping the background process. Touching this button will toggled it to an "OFF" state. When the alarm application is muted only notification and logging will occur. Moreover the alarm can be muted by an external phone call from the administrator in section 8.1

3. Setting Monitoring harware

The configuration of these hardware location is in the menu "SETTINGS". The Alarm application can monitor all kinds of external device, monitor sound level and monitor user interaction with a button. The "Discover" menu option will inspect the local network for ONVIF devices. Most of the IP camera are including the ONVIF protocol. Such camera will be configured automatically.

3.1. Adding a REST Device

In this configuration page different type of device can be configured. Additional device can be added at any time with the option "Update All" from the menu.

The button save will update the parameter. Any a prompt will appear if parameters have been changed.



3.2. Adding a sound

This feature is adding an Input on the apps. An alarm can be trigged if the sound level reached a certain level



3.3. Adding a button

This feature is adding an output button on the applimation main window. These button can be used to trigger an alarm or switch ON/OFF a device such as a light, or open/close a garage port or whatever. Button can be programmed to trigger an alarm (sound, email, message text) if somebody click on a button.



3.4. Overview of the device list

Once all the necessary hardware have been added they are displayed in a list. User can activate only the necessary alarm with the ON/OFF button following the device name.

The layout of the device and button is following the order of this list. Activation of the button preceding the device or button name will force icon to flow on the same line in the monitor view.

Every item of the list can be edited, deleted or reordered. A long finger press on one of the device will displayed the interactive menu "Edit", "Delete" or "Move".

The item to move is surrounding by a green rectangle. A long press on the destination will open the interactive menu "Confirm Move" or "Cancel".

4. Start and Stop Sevice

Any change in the device configuration will required to stop and start the servie in order to make these change effective

From the main screen the button "Start service" will start the backround process. When the background process is started the button "Start service" is disabled and the button "Stop Service" is enabled.

When the background service is running is possible to come back to the main screen through the notification bar . Every change in the SETTINGS won't be effective until the service is restarted.

5. Monitor the alarm

From the user menu choose the Monitor option.

This will bring up the "MonotorIO" page. This page will display all the alarms define in the "SETTINGS" menu.

Title of each device can have three colors: White, Green and Red

White Green Red Orange Blue
Camera Don't Use Config Monitoring Problem** Waiting ........
Sound Don't Use Config Monitoring ...... ....... ........
Button Don't Use Config ........ ........ ........ In use

Every IO icon has two states.

** In order to handle a RED title , man should look in the MessageLogs menu



5.1 Customize the icon

Every icon has two distinguish state which are represented with a default icon. In order to customize the icon the monitor view must be in Editor Mode. A short cut to toggle the editor mode is to click on the application icon at the top left of the menu bar.

In the IO editor mode the top menu bar will become white and it is possible to select one or more icon by a finger press. Repetiv press on a icon will toggle the icon state.

A long finger press on one icon will open the standard contact application with a new contact. The new contact is already with parameters which must not be changed !.

Only the picture of this new contact should be changed. Then is is possible to choose any kind of picture from the standard Gallery.

Now the icon has been changed and is visible inside the monitor view. Toggle the icon state with a finger press. Repeat the long finger press operation in order to change the picture of the reverse state.

A new contact will open for the reverse state. The new contact is already with parameters which must not be changed !. Just choose a new picture for this icon.

Now the IO in the monitor has the icon visible in the monitor view. The contact paremeter should not be modified. If a contact is deleted then the icon will simply revert to default



6. MessageLogs

From the main screen "AlarmMdevice", choose the option menu "MessageLogs". This screen is logging information, event and state of the application. The line following "Service Start" is giving information about the current network connection.

It will indicate hints about a "RED" title of one of the monitored device. Typical error are wrong or unreachable IP adress (result in a No route to host), a slow network or a timeout value (see section 7.1 too slow (result in a timeout), mixing too differents hardware IP adress (result in a not found), a wrong login or password (result in a forbidden).

The monitor screen has three menu button to ease cleaning and sorting the logs. Every log entry has a description preceded by two icons. These icons are representing the category and level.

6.1. Categorie sorting

The top left icon is allowing to sort the logs according to categories.

6.2. Level sorting

The top middel icon is allowing to sort the logs according to level

6.3. Garbage icon

The top right icon is allowing to remove logs entry from the database.

It will only delete the entries currently sorted.

7. Generic

From the main screen the option menu "Generic" will open the global parameter page.

Four different section can be tuned.

7.1. NETWORK

These parameters will influence the network connectivity to the alarm device.

7.2. SOUND

Tuning of the alarm phone volume and duration.

7.3. IMAGES

These parameters should be left unchanged.

7.4. SMS/DIAL

The application can automatically send SMS (see section 9.1.7) or DIAL in case of event alert. These features are implying the use of dangerous permissions. Some phone model may request more permission than other. When downloading from Google Play Store text message and call features are not yet available.

Force using Notification Access/default Phone app will only appear on Android version bigger are equal to 23. This is primary used to detect and kill incoming phone from administrator. Since the alarm is killing the call from administrator without hang on no cost are generated. When a contact administrator is choosen with a Landline phone number you will be prompted to setup one of the following option. User can choose the prefer option.



8. ACCOUNTS

Here are define paremeters concerning the administrator of the phone and the sender of the email From the user menu choose the Accounts option.

8.1. PHONE ADMINISTRATOR

The application is monitoring external phone call.

The phone administrator is allowed to mute ON and OFF the alarm as described in section 2.3

By touching the area it is possibled to add an administrator by choosing from the stantard android contact list

All the number contained in the contact will be granted privillege to toggle the alarm "ON" and "OFF"

The application behave differently if the administrator is dialing from a Mobile are a fixed line. Every times it is the application alarm which hangof

For android API with version higher than OREO (API 26) it may be nescessary to set up this app as the default Dialer app (see 1.3 Permissions).Doing so will reduce the phone call capability. An alternative to is to setup the option "Force using Notifcation Access". The application will redirect in the settings where this permissions can be enabled.

8.2. MAIL ACCOUNT

The alarm application can send an email (see section 9.1.6) upon changing state of the IO. In order to use this features you must provide information about your email provider. Example of an Gmail configuration.

Email sent are logged in the EventLog view here

9. IO actions

Purpose of this application in section 1 is to react on alarm signal.

Going to the "MONITOR" view it is possible to assign action for every IO. Action are represented by colored lines around each IO icons

First the option menu "IO Editor" from the menu has to be selected

All the IO icon are changed to desactivate state. The top of the screen is displaying "0 selected"

After selecting one or more IO icon, the top of the screen is displaying 3 new icons and the number of items selected

Below we explain the functionally of the three icon:

9.1. Messaging

Messaging are event that will be associated with all the current selected IO icons. By default "None" notifications are allocated to all the IO.

To ADD a new messaging a touch on the "ADD" button is nescessary.

The text field at the top is to give a personalize name of the messaging

A screen with a grid of radio button is used to parameter the new messaging.

Each line specify a messaging type and its occuring in time.

Their are four choices for a messaging action to occur in time, when an IO state change.

After the messaging has been save it will appear in the list . To apply the current IO its correspond radio button must be selected and "Validate Button" must be pressed. A green line will appear at the bottom of the IO.

The App can deliver 8 kinds of messages when an IO is changing of state



9.1.1. Logging

The apps is offering the possibility to log IO state (ON, OFF) in the standard android messaging application. Specific parameter are defined in section 7.4.

The texte "My Camera My message My media 3 activ" displayed when a media has been added (see section 9.2) to the IO. As explain earlier it possible to log both state ON and OFF.

To display an icon in the standard android messaging applicatin a contact has to be associated with the IO. In the monitor view a long press on an IO icon will open Store contact activity view.

Do not change details of this contact except the picture. A different contact may be choosen for respectively ON and OFF state.

A short press on the IO icon will change it to active state. A long press on the IO icon will open Store contact activity view.

Do not change details of this contact except the picture. The contact are now added to the phone contacts and will be used to signal change of IO state in the standard messaging application.

For android API with version higher than KitKat (API 19) it may be nescessary to set up this app as the default SMS app (see 1.3 Permissions). Doing so will reduce the phone sms capability but the device will continue to receive SMS anyway. There are no known alternative, but setting the option to "Never" will not ask for switching to default SMS app.



9.1.2. Vibrate

Vibrate the smartphone



9.1.3. RingTone

Use the phone ringtone to give an alarm. A media has to be associated with the specific IO as described in section 9.2.1.



9.1.4. SnapShot

A media has to be associated with the specific IO and a source camera choosen as described in section 9.2.4. Take a picture and place it in the standard android Gallery application in the folder called "ImageAlert". The image details are displaying information about hardware device and IO which trigger the image.



9.1.5. LiveView

Wake up the phone with the last image stored in the Gallery on the view called LiveAlert.



9.1.6. Email

Send an email with attached image if snapshot is selected. A media has to be associated with the specific IO and a contact has to be choosen as described in section 9.2.2.



9.1.7. SMS and Call

Send an SMS to every mobile phone number from the contact defined in the associated media. If the contact has several Landline phone number then it will call the first in the list. It is possible to limit the frequency of SMS by following instructions in section 7.4

9.1.8. Normally

This option enables to choose on wich transition state the IO will trigger an alarm. It's easy to revert the "normal" behavior of the logic.

An alarm signal can be ON or OFF. The messaging profiles allow the user to decide when to trigger an alarm event. Should that be on the ON or OFF? From electricity courses we learn that a switch will allow a current to run through a circuit. The switch is either opened or closed. From logic courses we learn that an information bit can be true or false. From programming courses we learn that smallest variable is a Boolean with two possible values 1 or 0. This is summarizing in the table below. Columns are gathering the equivalent terminologies.

ON OFF
Closed Opened
true false
1 0

A normally opened profiled will trigger an alarm signal when the state is closed.
A normally closed profile will trigger an alarm signal when the state is opened.



9.2. Media

Media are element that are associated with messaging of the previous section. By default "None" media are allocated to all the IO.

To ADD a new media a touch on the "ADD" button is nescessary.

The text field at the top is to give a personalize name of the messaging. The following parameter are setup in this view:

After the media has been saved it will appear in the list . To apply it to the current selected IO, its corresponding radio button must be selected and "Validate Button" must be pressed. A green line will appear at the bottom of the IO. The following parameter are setup in this view:



9.2.1. RingTone

This is the phone ringtone that will be used for the sound of an alarm. A long press on the title "Ringtone" open the standard android sound list. The IO contact need to have as well a messaging which allowed a ringtone as described in section 9.1.3



9.2.2. Contact

A long press on the title "Contact" open the standard android contact list. Field such as mail address or phone from this contact will be used to send respectivelly email and SMS. It will send multiple message if more that one mail adress or phone number are valid. In order to send an email a nescessary email account must have been set up previously in section 8.2



9.2.3. Format

This is the text that will be used to illustrate snapshot. Some field are predifined:



9.2.4. Camera

This is the image device source used to take snapshot as describe in section 9.1.4 Each IO may be associated with another image device. The built in camera of the smartphone can be used as well.

A device camera may have different video sources.



9.2.5 Theme

This is the background color used for the LiveView. A long press on the title "Theme" open the standard android color list.



9.3. Moment

To associated a schedule a calendar has to be choosen

Click on the button "Add" to add a calendar and check the radio button.

To used the checked calendar the button "Choose" need to be clicked

.

The activ calendar will be displayed at the top of the view

From the option menu the "AddEvent" opens the standard android calendard.

The following options has to be setup

The other parameters are not used. Once the calendar event has be setup it should be saved with "DONE". The event will appear in the standard android calendar . The smartphone "back" button has to be clicked to come back to the apps. The new added event will be in the list and can be selected and "Validate". Now red line has been created above the IO icon

Every IO action can be synchronize with a Calendar event. The AlarmM application is using the standard Android calendar.

Schedule will be used when an Messaging is setup the "Busy" (see here) or "Free" (see here). Schedule are calendar event that are associated with IO icons. By default "none" schedule are allocated to all the IO

For more information about scheduling an alarm look in the section "Schedule an Alarm" on the video tutorial page.

9.4. Movement

It is possible to change the state of an output digital or analog. First a profil movement is created in order to choose the group of condition and the group of output target. This profil movement can be associated to any number of source input, output or button. When the source is switching from/to alarm state it will trigger all the target from/to normally state. When the alarms system is stopped, paused or going to Monitor view all the state will be reset to a non alarm state.

Profil Movement Condition:

Warings: creating contradictory profil movement is allowed but effect may be unpredictable or random. For example the same output may be inside two different profil Movement with different conditions. Be aware than circular reference may produce infinite loop but that may be a wanted feature as well.

The group of target output is choose from the dropping list. Any number of output can be grouped in a profil movement.

A lot of combination are possible and example can be found in the page "Movement and Measure".

9.5. Measure

A profil Measure is used to define the physical meaning of an IO raw value. This is achieved by simply scaling the raw value and defining the range where the analog IO is in alarm state. It can be used both on digital and analog IO. The following parameters are used:

The following Option will alter the behaviour of the profile

Advanced technic can be used to transform an anolog to a digital and reciprocally. Example will be provided on the page Movement and Measure



10. Register

Register is accessible from the Main Screen as described in section 2.1. In the Demo period this application will stop after 2 hours. A dummy registration will grant a new period of 2 hours. It is possible to acquire a one year through a paypal purchase.

10.1 Paypal

This is not a part of the AlarmM application. More information about Paypal can be found on Paypal website.

The "PAYPAL LICENSE" button will redirect to the standard browser. A web document is informing that the user will be send to Paypal website. The button "Buy Now" will open the paypal user login. Once logged its possible to buy the one year license by clicking "Pay Now" . A confirmation message will inform that transaction is complete.

Then Paypal is coming back to the AlarmM application backend website where a License key will be delivered. It may be nescessary to refresh the page several time before the license appears. The License key should be remembered or copy in the clipboard. Then the browser can be closed .

10.2 Register

This button is used to activate a valid license. A valid license will grant for a 365 days period. The license can only used one time.

An invalid or empty or empty key will give a maximum of two hours.

In the dialog box the previously acquired license key should be written . Once the key is successfully activated the application return to the main screen layout and validity period is updated.

10.3 Need help

This button will redirect to formular on an external browser. The support will use the provided information to reply to your request. The following field are need :

Once all the fields are valid with a green check the button "Wish License"may be clicked. Then the page is submited to the AlarmM backend website. And a confirmation message is displayed on the screen.



11. Supported device

All the devices are configured in only one place. The path to this configuration page is simply "SETTINGS" ==> "ADD REST". An unlimitted number of device can be configured. The order of device can be changed in the list. Only active device with button "ON" selected will be monitored by the alarmM application.

11.1 Embedded

Embedded devices in the "dlink E" brand is no more needed in the AlarmM application and has been superseded by the REST and JSON configuration. Anyway the two following devices are still available.

DCS-2130

In monitor view icon are number from left (0) to right(3)

DCS-2210

11.2 JSON and REST protocol

This is a very convenient way of configuring the devices because available device will appear directly in the drop down menu "Model". Only a few parameters such as IP address and credentials need to be filled.

Moxa

Go to the example page

Advantech

Go to the example page

ControlByWeb

Go to the example page

DLink

Eko

Go to the example page

Netio

Go to the example page

Sollae

Go to the example page

TinyControl

Go to the example page

Brick

Go to the example page

...

11.3 Modbus TCP

The alarmM application can read and write standard Modbus TCP devices. From the Settings page the ADD REST menu option can define a new modbus device. All the complexity of Modbus TCP is completly hidden to the user. The IP address is the only parameter needed beforme making an Automatic Discovery. A brand called "Modbus TCP" is selected in order to configure a modbus device.

The alarmM application is supported up to 247 different modbus station (gateway). When a single modbus device is behind an IP adress the Model dropdown menu has no effect and can be letf to 000.

A unique name should be associated with this device! This name will appear on the devices main list and will be the title in the monitor view.

The IP adress and port number must be filled. Be aware that modbus TCP has no credetials. Remote with Global IP is possible but security precaution has to be taken such as IP filtering. IP filtering is done on the modbus device itselft.

The AlarmM modbus module is supporting 16 bits and 32 bits register. This choice is unique for the current configuation device. Should a modbus device have both 32 and 16 bits value then two or more configuration can be setup.

The alarmM will find automatically all the continious Coil Outputs, Digital inputs, holdings register and Analog inputs. If a device has a discontinious IO range then separate devices must be defined with the same IP address.

Advance user can define the memory area to search in the modbus device. For every I/O category it is possible to set up the initial memory offset and the maximum number of I/O.

Click on the link modbus to see an exemple of modbus application.



11.4 ONVIF

ONVIF is the nice to have standard for Camera. The alarmM application will discover and configure automatically all the ONVIF devices on the local network at home. The process of configuration is easilly done with the following steps:

Automatically add to device list

AlarmM will scan all the local network to find the compatible ONVIF devices. The compatible ONVIF device will be add at the end of the devices list. The name of the new device will be followed by a question mark (?). This is meaning that the device need to be edited and automatically configured.

Automatically features configuration

New ONVIF device has to be edited one by one. In the configuration page everythings will be prefilled except the credentials. The name of the camera can be changed. When the credentials has been correctly enter, a press on the button save will query all the features of the ONVIF device.

Select features to use as IO

The alarmM will display all the features available at the bottom of the configuration page. The list of features will be different for distinct hardware. Every selected feature will be available by the alarmM application and will be display in the monitor view.

Setup Alarm in monitor view

All the visible IO in the monitor view can now be associated with alarm event.

Use camera image for alert

Camera source can then be used to record image. More information and example can be found on the review page for axis.