Authentication node changes

As you maybe know, the OHS gateway 2.x offers except standard arm away mode also arm home mode.
This allows gateway to monitor only zones, that you manually setup out of specific group, while in arm home state. This change required also some changes in authentication mechanism. As authentication nodes I offer does not have any keyboard to differentiate between arm home and arm away state, they do it based on time the iButton is connected to the probe. That is, short touch and the group receive an arm away command, while long (over 1 second) touch of the probe, and group receive arm home command. 

This working quite well, but after using it for several months I found out that the disarm command also waits for the end of scanning period (1.4 second), trying to recognize arm home / away command. Which had me wondering I put the iButton correctly many times while disarming. Then I realized it does not have to wait for it at all. Simply there is no need, as the disarm command does not differ as arm state. Luckily the node already knows which state the group is in. Realizing all that, I've updated the authentication node sketches and put new version on GitHub. Now the scanning period has two different time values, 1.4 second for arm state, and 0.4 second for disarm state. It just feels more comfortable to disarm if you receive instant feedback.

While on it, I've also updated the set default function, to make it more clear what and where is all set. And then, I've used these changes to propagate values of the elements. Hopefully making it simpler to understand. Feel free to update.

One more small hardware change, I've changed the iButton probe connector and matting PCB connector to JST X2.54, it is much flatter then previously used connector allowing it to fit in narrower spaces.

Skeches for nodes compatible with OHS 2.x gateway

Recently I have pushed to GitHub new example sketches for the Arduino like remote nodes. These include software modifications, that are needed for the changes made in gateway 2.x software. Hardware part of nodes is still the same for both wired(RS485) and radio(RFM69) nodes.

Changes include:

• Periodical ping to gateway. OHS 2.x gateway require a ping command from every registered node at lest one in an hour, or it is removed from node list.
• Arm home. This new functionality is added to authentication mechanism on node, precisely to iButton routine. It works as usual for arm away, that is a quick touch of iButton arms away or disarms the group. When arm home state is required, user needs hold the iButton in probe for more then 1 second. Disarm is same as for arm away, a quick touch only is enough.
• Authentication key is sent to gateway, and OK / Not OK sound is result of gateway accepting the packet with key. This does not mean that the key is valid and accepted, only that the gateway has received the key. On old node software, the OK / Not OK sound was result of iButton probe reading the iButton correctly or not.
• New method for CRC signature for RS485 packets.
  

Repositories with software for nodes compatible with OHS 2.x gateway has name starting with: OHS_2-node

I will add new node examples as I build them.

Remote unit demo

I have shot a short video that show how the authentication works on the remote unit. As you can see there is red and green LED in the probe that helps to show current state, and piezo that is mounted inside. Slow green flashes without sound means that group/zone is disarmed. After touching the probe with a valid iButton, the group is being set to arm state with the configurable delay, as shown red flashes with sound. When the delay passes it switches to arm state, slow red flashes without sound. Then tripping a zone, here opening front door, shows another state awaiting authorization. The delay of wait state is configurable in 3 to 0 times of authentication delay time, which is configurable in seconds as well. Every such wait state is represented by faster LED flashes and also faster sound.

As you can see in the video I have the unit mounted next to switches, directly in the wall. I found it very fast and easy to arm/disarm the group. My 5 year old daughter still finds it funny after 3 months of use and she ask for my keys to do it.