Installing an NX-8e

[judge_l]

I've got a NX-8e and I am planning to install it myself. I've read a bunch of the posts and I am not looking forward to the programing, but I have a few (OK maybe more than a few, and I'm sure there will be more as I go) install questions before I get started. Their very basic, but this is my first time touching an alarm system other then entering my code at work.

Is there a minimum distance between the alarm panel and the main circuit panel (200 amp)?

The battery goes inside the panel and the wires run straight from the battery to the terminals on the circuit board? Any fusing or protection for the battery terminals?

The transformer appears to get mounted on an outlet, which I can install below the panel, but what's the best way to run the wires into the panel? There's knockouts, but should I use a smaller gauge (14?) romex so the wires have some protection, even though they will be low voltage?

Thanks in advance, I'm betting before I'm done, my post will end up being a newbies guide to installing an alarm system, and I apologize if I couldn't find answers in the previous posts.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

Is there a minimum distance between the alarm panel and the main circuit panel (200 amp)?

Doesn't matter. They are unrelated.

The battery goes inside the panel and the wires run straight from the battery to the terminals on the circuit board?

Yes, there should be a lead from the panel to connect to the battery.

Any fusing or protection for the battery terminals?

Should be built into the panel.

The transformer appears to get mounted on an outlet, which I can install below the panel, but what's the best way to run the wires into the panel?

18 gauge wire should be fine.

 

[Timoh]

Yep... What AutomatedOutlet mentioned.

I think the real fun in installing a panel is how to wire the sensors and or wireless, keypad, etc. All of my sensors are wired and at this stage of the game I only use contact sensors. I wired my house to the max when it was built so it's easy to install sensors. If I was installing after the fact, I would have had to evaluate the use wireless vs wired and what could get away with by removing door trim to run the wiring.

Outside of basic functionality, my panel is closely tied into my Ocelot HA controller and Housebot HA software.

For example, the ocelot needs to know if the garage door is open in order to do automatic closes at times when it should not be open. But at the same time, the Caddx panel needs to know if the door opens when armed in order to raise an alarm.

Same for an armed status... My ocelot knows directly from the caddx panel if the system is armed and actually runs a different lighting sequence for the inside and outside lights.

The last thing my panel does is report all of it's info into Housebot for zone changes, alarm condition, armed status, etc. Some features are still in development, but all of the basics are there.

Tim