Kidde interconnect cable - what standard? 1-Wire?

14 years ago

Hello!

We have interconnected Kidde sensors throughout the house. I wonder, what (if anything) interesting can be done with the interconnect cable.

Is it using any of the known standards - such as 1-Wire?

One particular, immediate problem we have is figuring out the location when there is a fire-alarm (all false so far). Because of the interconnections, the entire 4-story house begins to scream "Fire!" (or "Carbon monoxide detected!") and there is no way to tell the culprit :(

The other problem is the chirping, that alerts us, the back-up battery's voltage is below requirement: it is very difficult to identify, which of the bastards is throwing the fit - or even on which floor...

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Comments (4)

bus_driver
14 years ago
Read the literature that came with the detectors. Often the detector that created the alarm will have an LED that indicates, by a flashing code, that it is the source of the alarm. Yours may differ in some respects. Learn about your particular units.
brickeyee
14 years ago
Most of the unit use the interconnection wire as strictly a signalling wire.

Lower voltage is alarm activated, higher voltage no alarm.

A few can pulse the wire for limited signalling about the source of the alarm, but they are not using any defined 'standard.'
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alan_s_thefirst
14 years ago
Kidde and other smoke/CO detector manufacturers offer "relay boards" which connect to the interconnect and offer "dry contacts" - a relay switch that does not carry power - just an on/off switch - that can be connected to an alarm system.

Note that in some places it's not code to connect these devices to an alarm system, so if you consider it, you should check. Alarm techs are also sometimes reluctant to use relay boards also, for a variety of reasons, but it is done, and it does work.
brickeyee
14 years ago
Without knowing the current carrying ability of the signal line there is no way to tell what relay coil voltage is needed, or where to get power for the relay coil.

The manufacturer's boards use the knowledge of the signal line's operation they have to create a circuit that works.