Adding Wired Motion Detectors to the VISTA 20P

In this video, Joe teaches users how to add hardwired motion-detecting sensors to a VISTA 20P Security Panel. A hardwired motion will use four (4) wires in total. Two (2) of these wires will be for power transmission, while the other two (2) are for zone status transmission. The sensor will take up a zone.

Motion sensors are very common accessories for a security system. These devices let your system know if there is movement in a particular area. When the sensor detects movement, it will send an alert to the control panel. The system will then respond based on the programming settings for that zone. This may include triggering an immediate system alarm. For example, if the zone is programmed as "Interior Follower" and the motion sensor is activated while the system is Armed Away without an Entry/Exit Zone being activated first, then the system will go into an immediate intrusion alarm.

Wiring a motion sensor to a hardwired panel like the VISTA 20P is a fairly easy process. You just have to make the appropriate connections. The two (2) wires for power transmission will go to the ECP bus on the panel. This is also where any keypads are connected to receive power. Meanwhile, the two (2) wires for zone status transmission go to the actual zone used with the sensor. Since four (4) wires are needed in total, it is recommended that you use 4-conductor wire. Alternatively, you can also use two separate 2-conductor wires. As for the gauge, 18 AWG is recommended, but you can use a similar wire thickness like 16 AWG or 22 AWG if that is what you have around.

The most difficult aspect of wiring a motion sensor to the panel will be the process of getting the wires to the device. Depending on where the sensor and the panel are located, you may need to run the wire through some walls. This might be a task best left to a professional. But if you feel confident fishing wires through walls, then you can certainly do it yourself. Remember, most motion sensors will use Normally Closed (NC) wiring, also known as Series wiring. However, there are some motion sensors that will let you use Normally Open (NO) wiring, also called Parallel wiring. A motion sensor that allows for NC or NO wiring is called a Form C motion sensor.

In this example, when Joe talks about wiring a single motion detector, he suggests wiring with no End-of-Line Resistor (EOLR). This option may or may not be available to you, depending on which panel you use. The VISTA-20P panel will allow you to configure zones 2 - 8 as either Normally Open, Normally Closed, EOLR, Zone Doubled, or Double Balanced. At Alarm Grid, we always recommend using a properly placed resistor for any hardwired zones, but in some cases, this may not be possible. A properly placed resistor is at the last contact in line on any particular zone and is in series for a normally closed zone, and in parallel for a normally open one.

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