Steve - thanks for the welcome! And thanks for that link - it is close to what I want to do - but I'm trying to do this with actual keypads, not keyfobs of any type. Wife is concerned that the kids will lose them. Also we might want to give someone a code while we're away, to let them into the house, etc. So, I'd like to put a small ELK keypad in the front door jamb (to keep it safe from weather, but accessible when the storm door is opened).
Then, be able to give people access codes that unlock the door (standard output, used to fire a relay that drives the door release latch). I don't want this external keypad to actually disarm the system though - I have an interior ELK keypad for that. (I don't want a keypad openly accessible outside of the monitored/alarmed zone that could be used to disarm the system - for security)
So basically I assumed that I need to use an ELK keypad to get on the RS-485 bus (to get the individual codes to be recognized, which would not be possible with a 3rd party keypad) - but then could not figure out if you could just use this type of code
WHENEVER ACCESS Keypad 01(KP1) IS TRIGGERED
THEN TURN Door Strike (Out 7) ON FOR 10 SECS
to get what I want done - but modify it so that there is some recognition of unique user codes.
Perhaps this can be done with LAST USER? Something like this;
WHENEVER Area One (Area 1) ARMED STATE BECOMES DISARMED
AND THE LAST USER WAS Little Johnny (User 2)
THEN ARM AREA(S) 1 TO STAY IMMEDIATELY
THEN DIAL Mrs. Smith (5551234) AND ANNOUNCE Miscellaneous 1 (vm239)
this one is from this ELk newsletter:
link
So, combining the two into
WHENEVER Area One (Area 1) ARMED STATE BECOMES DISARMED
AND THE LAST USER WAS Little Johnny (User 2)
THEN TURN Door Strike (Out 7) ON FOR 10 SECS
I guess the question then becomes, can I define a keypad to be in its own unique "Area" so that this area is being "disarmed" (although, there is nothing else in that "Area"), thereby using the above logic? i.e., for example "Area 1" has the entry keypad, and "Area 2" has several keypads used for arming/disarming the main house?
Feel like I'm getting closer, but still can't quite figure it out. (I'll forget about the email stuff for now, I'll start by figuring out this basic access control first)
Also thanks both Steve and Digger for your fast responses!