Cloud Security Alarm Security Hub

The Russian SecurityHub fire alarm system works with wired and wireless sensors, can remotely control various devices, is integrated with iVideon video surveillance, and uses a wired Ethernet connection and mobile Internet for communication.

I’ve been studying this system for two weeks now.

I saw the stand of the Kazan company Teko at the Securika exhibition a year ago. Among other things, they showed the Security Hub home alarm. I was interested in two things: support not only wireless but also wired sensors and the ability to connect to the Internet via a regular Ethernet cable.

Now many manufacturers produce home alarms that only support wireless sensors. Not only is it expensive, it is also less reliable. I believe that at least two sensors (opening the front door and movement in the corridor) must be wired. Wired connection to the router also seems more reliable than Wi-Fi.

I'll start with the Security Hub features.

• support for wired security and fire sensors for short-circuit, open or two-level;
• up to 4 inputs for wired sensors (any number of sensors can be connected to each input);
• support for up to 30 wireless sensors with its own secure exchange protocol;
• support for up to six wired outputs (beacons, sirens, actuators);
• Touch Memory (TM) input for managing iButton keys and / or keyboard;
• management and transmission of information about alarms and status via wired Internet (RJ45 connector) and mobile Internet (two SIM cards);
• management and configuration through a mobile application, computer program or website;
• integration with iVideon service (recording 10 second clips during an alarm);
• powered by three independent sources, built-in battery.

There are three configurations of the Security Hub:

• only the controller for 4768 rubles;
• “Starter kit” for 7691 rubles (controller, wireless sensors for opening doors / windows and movement);
• “Kit with a video camera” for 13,653 rubles (“starter kit” + Ivideon Wi-Fi camera).

To create an inexpensive home alarm system, you can do with the purchase of one controller and use it with cheap wired sensors.

Of course, to any configuration you can buy wireless sensors, there are many of them.

The Security Hub has many operating modes and subtle settings, but if you perceive the alarm as a “kit out of the box”, everything is quite simple. Power is supplied from a conventional USB power supply via USB AB cable. The Security HUB application is installed on the smartphone, an account is created.

You can arm and disarm the alarm using the mobile application. In case of an alarm, a push notification will come, a sound notification will sound (there is an opportunity to set your sounds for any events) and a voice notification.

SIM cards in the Security Hub are used only for data transfer. The alarm system does not know how to call and send SMS. To increase the reliability of alarm message delivery, you can configure one of the outputs and connect an external dialer with its own SIM card to it, for example, a cheap car GPS tracker.

If the alarm has to be armed and removed from it often, the buttons in the application on the smartphone are not the most convenient option. You can connect the TM reader to the Security Hub (150-200 rubles) and use the “on-door” key-tablets “i-button” (30 rubles each) to arm and remove from it.

Other additional devices for setting / removing are also offered: a wired keyboard for entering the code (1411 rubles), a wireless keyboard (2065 rubles), a keychain (1062 rubles).

It is possible to set the delay of the sensors (this is necessary when the opening sensor is on the front door, and arm / disarm is carried out using the TM key or indoor keyboard). By default, the delay is 45 seconds to exit and 60 seconds to enter, using the optional LocalConfig configurator program, you can change the delay time (20-30-45-60-90-120 sec).

The “kit with a video camera” includes a Security HUb controller with a 3.7V 600 mAh battery installed, a USB 5V 1A power supply, a two-meter USB AM-BM power cable, 1 meter UTP patch cord, 4 3.9 kΩ resistors, Astra wireless door / window open sensor -3321 with LS14500 battery, wireless motion sensor with Astra-5121 thermometer with CR123A battery, Ivideon Cute Wi-Fi camera (Nobelic NBQ-1110F), USB power supply 5V 1A, 3-meter USB-MicroUSB power cable, quick alarm setup guides and cameras, dowels and screws for mounting sensors, quick start instructions, passport.

The controller board has a slot for two SIM cards, a tamper switch, a two-pin block for connecting a TM reader, contacts for connecting two 12 V power supplies, contacts for four programmable inputs / outputs and two outputs.

Installing sim cards is optional, but if Ethernet does not work, data will be transmitted through the first SIM card, if it does not work and it is through the second one. It is also possible to work only via mobile Internet without a wired connection.

The Astra-5121 motion sensor detects movements of objects of more than 20 kg (insensitive to animals) at a distance of 2 to 10 meters in a 90 ° zone in the horizontal plane. It runs on batteries up to 4 years, it can be used in the temperature range from -10 to + 50 ° C. The sensor has a built-in thermometer.

The door / window opening sensor Astra-3321 runs on batteries for up to 7 years, it can be used at temperatures from -20 to + 50 ° C, there are contacts for connecting additional wired sensors.

Nobelic NBQ-1110F Wi-Fi camera has a resolution of 1.3MP (1280x720 pixels), supports the H.264 compression protocol, motion detection, has IR illumination up to 10 m for night vision, is equipped with a built-in microphone, speaker and microSD card slot. The camera works with iVideon service.

To assess the quality of the picture, I placed the camera in the center of the end of the room at a height of 2 meters. The distance to the closet is 5 meters.

Shooting in artificial light. Click on the photo to open it in full size.

Shooting in complete darkness with an IR-illuminated camera.

At a free rate, the camera records ten-second clips using its motion detector (you can watch them in the iVideon application). When an alarm is triggered, the camera also records ten-second clips (they can be viewed in the Security Hub application). Rollers are stored day.

The application shows complete information about wireless sensors and event history.

Unfortunately, not all Security Hub settings are intuitive. So to add the TM key, you need to click the "Management" button, there "+", "real identifier", "enable interactive mode".

Next, touch the reader key, give a name to the key and indicate the sections that will be put / removed by this key.

There are no problems with adding sensors: just go to the "sensors", press "+", select the method of connecting the sensor (wired or wireless), specify the input number for the wired sensor, select the type of sensor and the section in which it will be added.

With the exits, things are a little more complicated. The first four contacts can be either inputs or outputs. Fifth and sixth - only exits.

The simplest thing is to add a manually controlled relay. We go to the "relay / outputs", press "+", "add relay", select the connection method, come up with a name, enter the terminal number from 1 to 6 for the wired relay, select "manual control".

In the “Relays / outputs” section, the created relay will appear with the “turn on” and “turn off” buttons. Such a relay can be used to control light, heating, or to manually turn on a powerful siren.

There are two special exit modes - “beacon” and “siren”. “Beacon” is a light indicator showing the light and flashing state of the alarm (it lights when the alarm is armed, it flashes slowly during the delay of disarming / arming, and flashes quickly when an alarm occurs). The "Siren" turns on continuously during a normal alarm and intermittently during a fire.

Script control allows you to implement various logic of the outputs. In total, the Security Hub has 23 scripts in five categories. Briefly list some of the features:

• Turning on the relay for a given interval (instead of turning on / off, the relay will have one button pulse, which turn it on, for example, for 5 seconds).
• Turning on the relay by any sensor and turning it off after the specified time (can be used to control the light by motion sensors)
• The inclusion of watering plants on a humidity sensor;
• Gate control (applying a pulse to the relay when the button is pressed);
• Management of taps from the leakage sensor;
• Scheduled exit management (once a day or three times a day);
• Relay control depending on temperature.

Configuring and managing the Security Hub is possible not only through the mobile application. There is a management site cloud.security-hub.ru.

There is also a program for PC monitoring station Astra.

I shot a short video review.


Security Hub has many features and it has many advantages:

• support for wired and wireless sensors operating over a secure protocol;
• TM support;
• the availability of outputs with great control capabilities;
• Internet connection via wired and mobile Internet;
• management and configuration through a mobile application, computer program or website;
• integration with iVideon.

The main drawback of the Security Hub is the lack of alerts via calls and SMS. Everything works only through the cloud. It is clear that the system was developed, first of all, for remote control, and there it is not necessary, but since the Security Hub is sold as a system for “self-protection”, alarm calls could be added. Of course, you can connect an external dialer with a separate SIM card to one of the controller outputs, but these are “crutches”.

A less significant drawback is the lack of the possibility of arming using the button (and it would be convenient to leave the house just by pressing the button) and the TM operation logic: all keys are armed and disarmed, so that one key is armed, and another shot, you can’t.

And the Security Hub has no detailed instructions. Have a WIKIwith a description of the functions and settings, but, for example, there is no list of scripts explaining what everyone does (they are only in the mobile application and you need to click on all the items in a row to understand what they are doing).

However, the Security Hub impresses with the number of settings and features. I can imagine how much time and effort was spent on developing such a system. I really hope that the developers will add call and SMS alerts in the new firmware, as well as add the ability to arm the system by locking the TM input, and write detailed instructions.

© 2020, Alexey Nadezhin

PS It would be interesting for me to study other domestic home alarm systems. If you are a manufacturer of one of them, please contact me.