How Do I Add Alarm.com Remote Services To My Concord 4?

A Concord 4 needs a SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway (60-861) to support an Alarm.com communicator. Panels with existing communicators will already have a gateway. Concord 4 panels that want to add Alarm.com service must find a gateway in the secondary market, then add an LTE Upgrade module.

Basically, the SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway connects to the Concord 4 panel bus, and the LTE Upgrade communicator connects to the SuperBus 2000 with the gateway acting as a translator. Under normal circumstances, the user is upgrading from a 3G or CDMA cellular communicator, so they will already have a gateway module installed. However, if you have a Concord 4, that does not have an existing 3G or CDMA communicator, and you want to upgrade it to have access to Alarm.com via a VoLTE device, it can be done, but only if you can find a SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway.

Interlogix, the company that produced the Concord 4, shuttered their residential security business in late 2019. For this reason, new Interlogix parts are hard to come by. Until recently, Alarm.com sold a kit that included both an LTE communicator and the SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway, but due to supply chain issues, they are no longer able to offer these kits. That means, the only way to upgrade a Concord 4 panel that didn't already have access to Alarm.com is if you either have an existing unused gateway, or if you can find one for sale on eBay or some other secondary marketplace. Once you have a compatible SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway, you can purchase a CD-410-US-AT-LTEUP AT&T LTE Dual-Path communicator, or a CD-410-US-VZ-LTEUP Verizon LTE Dual-Path communicator and add the service.

Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to add a VoLTE communicator to a Concord 4 panel that had not already been monitored through Alarm.com previously. However, due to the supply chain issues we're seeing at this time (late 2021) if a customer has a SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway, and they purchase one of the VoLTE Upgrade communicators, Alarm.com will help to facilitate the creation of an account. We have no way of knowing whether Alarm.com will ever be able to offer the gateway as a part of an upgrade kit again, or how long they will continue to facilitate this type of upgrade. In the absence of this option, a Concord 4 owner who wants access to any type of remote service will need to consider replacing the Concord 4 panel with a new one. If remote control is not required, there are a number of universal LTE communication options that can work with the Concord 4 for alarm reporting only. Options include the Telguard TG-1Express, or the Honeywell Home LTEM-PA or LTEM-PV with a PRODCM installed.

To add Alarm.com service to a Concord 4 perform these steps:

1. Power the system down. Unplug the Concord 4 transformer and disconnect its backup battery. If you have an existing SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway, be sure that it powers down. It may be getting power from an auxiliary power supply like the SuperBus 2000 2A Power Supply (600-1019). If that is the case, you'll also need to unplug the transformer and battery for the power supply.
2. Prepare the Account. If you will be replacing the old communicator on an existing Alarm.com account, backup any data, such as panel programming through the Alarm.com Dealer Portal (the alarm dealer needs to do this step). Go through with the replacement process, replacing the identifying information for the old communicator with the information from the new one. The Alarm.com website will walk the dealer through this process.
   
   If this is a new account, the alarm dealer will need to create the account as a commitment. After filling in all the information required, the dealer must contact Alarm.com CORE technical support, and they will then assist with the remainder of account creation. It is recommended that this step be completed before moving on to the next step.
3. Prepare to add LTE Communicator. If there is an existing 3G or CDMA communicator connected to an existing SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway and the panel, remove it. There are potentially four (4), but likely only two (2) screws holding the cellular daughterboard to the SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway. Remove these screws and pull the existing cellular communicator straight up and away from the Gateway. You'll see where it was joined to the Gateway via a 10-Pin connector.
   
   If there was an older, unused cellular communicator that came already mounted on the SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway, in the case of a used Gateway having been purchased, you can remove it as described above. Or, if there is no existing cellular communicator, then install the SuperBus 2000 Gateway Module in the vicinity of the panel and connect the terminals from the Gateway to the Concord 4 panel as shown below. Before permanently mounting, you'll want to go through the process of temporarily powering on the Gateway and LTE module to verify adequate signal in the mounting location. Refer to the Concord 4 Dual-Path LTE Install Guide for details on how to do this. Don't assume that because there was adequate 3G or CDMA signal in this area, that it will automatically have adequate LTE signal. The antennas for the LTE communicator should come pre-installed. When they are in use, they should be as far from one another as possible and as far from the communicator itself as possible, for best results.
   
   
   
   
   Note: If you plan to use Image Sensors with the system, and you want the image sensors to be able to cause an alarm or other indication on the Concord 4 panel, there is an extra step you must complete. If you are replacing an older communicator with a VoLTE Dual-Path device and image sensors were being used with the older 3G or CDMA communicator, there should be a wire, probably blue in color, that runs from the communicator daughterboard over to the Z1 terminal on the SuperBus 2000 Wireless Gateway. There should also be a 2.2k resistor between Z1 and GND (Not ZCOM). Remove the wire from the existing 3G or CDMA communicator. You will connect it to the HW slot on the new VoLTE Communicator.
   
   If this is a new install, then you will need to install this wire, and the resistor. With this wiring in place, any image sensor that is tripped while the system is armed will cause an alarm for whichever zone is programmed for this input, assuming it's programmed as an alarm zone. This means that if multiple image sensors are used, they will all trigger the same zone on the Concord 4. You won't be able to tell which image sensor caused the alarm. For more information on programming, refer to the Concord 4 Installation Guide starting on Page 67.
   
   Below is an image of what the actual HW connector looks like on a VoLTE Dual-Path communicator. In the image below, the Blue wire is not being used:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Install VoLTE communicator. At this point, the system, including the auxiliary power supply if used, should be powered down. The connections between the Gateway and the Concord 4 should be complete. The Hardwire connection from the Dual-Path communicator and the Z1 input on the Gateway should be complete (if image sensors will be used and Concord 4 panel notification is desired) and signal for the LTE module should be verified as good. Now, you're ready to permanently connect the VoLTE Dual-Path module to the SuperBus 2000. The back of the communicator should have a 10-Pin connector that fits with the 10-Pin connector on the front of the SuperBus 2000. The daughterboard should snap into place, and the screw holes on the communicator should line up with corresponding holes on the Gateway. Secure the LTE module to the Gateway with at least two (2) screws.
5. Power Up. It's now time to power everything on. Reconnect the battery at the panel, and power supply if used. Then plug in the transformer for the panel and power supply. Allow the system to boot up, and the Concord 4 to scan the bus. If this is a new installation (not a replacement) you may need to enter programming and turn off Access Code Lock. If this is not disabled, the system won't be able to communicate with Alarm.com. To disable ACL, do the following:

Press [8] the screen displays Enter Code.

Enter Installer Code (default is 4321) the screen displays Enter Command.

Press [00] for system programming

Press [#] to enter programming

Press [0003] for the shortcut to Access Code Lock On/Off.

Press [1] to turn ACL OFF. The display will flash the entry. If a [2] is entered, then Access Code Lock is turned ON.

Press [#] to save the setting.

Power cycle the panel after making this programming change

6. Complete registration. Once everything is powered on, and the panel is back to its normal operation, work with your alarm dealer to complete the registration of the new Dual-Path VoLTE communicator. They will walk you through performing an LTE Manual Phone Test. This will register the module, and will enter and exit programming several times. This process takes between five (5) and eight (8) minutes. Do not touch any keypad buttons during this time. If you do, the panel clock will not set. Report LED activity you see during this time to your alarm dealer.

To perform the manual phone test, do the following. Prior to the manual phone test, the bottom RED status LED should be ON and the YELLOW status LED should be flashing. The YELLOW LED will stay on solid once the manual phone test is finished:

• Press [8].
• Enter the Installer Code (default is 4321).
• Press [3] to send the test.
• Press [1] + [Installer Code] within 10 seconds of beginning the phone test!