Caddx NX-8E Connection To ISY

[LYLEPROPERTIES]

I am looking for a way to connect my Caddx NX-8E security system to my ISY.  I see a lot of information about connecting ELK to it but not Caddx.  My current system is all hardwired and has 70 zones with 6 keypads.  If you look inside the panel, there are wires and resistors everywhere and I have no idea how to rewire it to an ELK system.  I certainly don't want to spend all of the money to convert everything to wireless.  My current system has a motion detector in every room and I would like to be able to use those to control some of the lighting and HVAC Insteon devices that I have.  Any ideas/recommendations on how I might be able to connect the Caddx to the ISY would be greatly appreciated.

[Scottmichaelj]

Cant help you with the Caddx system but I do know you wouldnt have to switch to all wireless if you switched to an Elk and you could use all your current 70 zone sensors. You would need an expansion board (each board has 16 additional zones) as The Elk M1 only has 16 hardwire zones to it. Wiring could stay and just replace the brain, keypads, etc. Your current siren(s), motion sensors, all could stay too.

 

Not saying you should but if you decide you want you could. Then you can integrate the ISY etc more easily into your security system. Also each zone then becomes a trigger for the ISY too which is nice. For example if any window is open the AC/Heat turns off. Stuff like that.

[LYLEPROPERTIES]

Would the ELK system use the same resistors as the Caddx?  If the resistors were not there and it was as simple as pulling the wire out of the Caddx and plugging it into the ELK, I would probably feel pretty good about it.  But I know nothing about how resistors work and what I need a resistor on and what I don't.

[Brian H]

70 Zones and 6 Keypads. That is a fairly large system.

 

Can you see some of the colored bands on the resistors and maybe post what is there.

I would suspect 3.3K 5% {Orange Orange Red Gold}, 680 Ohm 5% {Blue Grey Brown Gold}. If zones are doubled. 3.74K 1% {Orange Violet Yellow Brown Brown} and 6.98K 1% {Blue White Gray Brown Brown}.

 

ELK uses 2.2K Resistors on Zones and 820 Ohms on Two Wire Smoke Detectors Zone 16 only. 2.2K and supervision relay for four wire Smoke Detectors on any Zone.

 

As pointed out already. The Caddx Keypads are not compatible with the ELK Keypad data input buss.

[Guitartexan]

Just to add- maybe you could take a clear picture of the interior of the panel so we could see what you have.

Resistors and security system wiring is not all that hard to deal with. When you change one system for another, labeling is critical so you can identify each device and location on the new circuit board/brain. A color picture is very helpful when switching like for like, but not much help when changing system manufacturers. Label IDs are best in that situation. You would also want to change power supplies and batteries as well, just to make sure you have exactly what the new system recommends.

 

 

GT