instructables

ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System

by Giovanni Aggiustatutto

Hello and welcome to this guide! Today I will show you my latest home automation project, a smart anti-theft alarm
system, so an alarm that is connected to our phone and Alexa. The alarm I am making can have various opening sensors
for doors and windows, and today we are going to build one. We can add many sensors to the alarm, all connected with
the WiFi network.
Using the app we can turn the alarm on and o with a code, and of course if the alarm goes o we get a noti cation on
the phone. The noti cations we receive show also which sensor triggered the alarm, which is very useful to know which
door was opened.
On top of the door sensor there are also these LEDs, which can be programmed to indicate various things, both the
status of the alarm, so whether it is on or whether something has triggered it, and also other noti cations from our smart
home. For example, I set one of these LEDs to turn on when there is at least one light on in the house, so when I go out I
can immediately see if I forgot any lights on.The fact that we have LEDs on it that indicate other things in my opinion is
very convenient, but it's something I haven't seen on other smart home products.
Building a door sensor like this is relatively easy, and in this guide I will show how I did it. But now let's get started!
To see more details on how the alarm works and on the build process, check out the video on my YouTube channel (it in
Italian but it has English subtitles).
Supplies:

The two main components we need for this project are:

An ESP8266 or ESP32 board - it is similar to an Arduino, but it has a much more powerful chip and WiFi
connection, that is why I have used this kind of board for various projects in the past
A magnetic switch - it works like a switch, which when a magnet approaches it closes the circuit; for this
project, the magnet will be put on the door and the sensor on the wall, to detect when the door is
opened

Then we will need:

Adressable led strip WS2812B (a piece of 4 LEDs)
Wires
3D printer lament
White plexiglass

Tools:
Soldering iron
3D printer
PC
ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System: Page 1
 Hot glue

To make this project you also need to have Home Assistant installed on a Raspberry pi or on a PC (using a virtual
machine).

https://youtu.be/2_gY2EBdv4s

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Step 1: Home Assistant and ESPhome

Let's take a look at the software that will be running on the ESP32 board. In the next steps we will see also how to build
the door opening sensor. The alarm system will be connected to Home Assistant. Home Assistant is a home automation
system that works locally which allows us to control all our home automation devices like smart bulbs and sockets from
one interface.
To run Home Assistant I use and old Windows PC running a virtual machine, but if you have it you can use a Raspberry pi,
which consumes less power. To see the data from your smartphone you can download the Home Assistant app. To
connect from outside the local network I'm using the Nabu Casa Cloud, which is the simplest solution but it's not free.
There are other solutions but they are not totally safe.
So from the Home Assistant app we will be able to turn the alarm system on and o and to receive a noti cation when
the alarm is set o .
To connect the ESP32 to Home Assistant we will use ESPhome. ESPhome is an add-on that allows us to connect ESP
boards to Home Assistant via WiFi. To connect the ESP32-cam to ESPhome you can follow these steps:
Install the ESPhome plugin in Home Assistant
On ESPhome's dashboard, click on New device and on Continue
Give your device a name
Select ESP32 or the board you used
Copy the encryption key that is given, we will need it later
Click on EDIT to see the device's code
Under wi , insert your wi ssid and password
To make the connection more stable, you can give the board a static IP address, with this code:

ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System: Page 4

wifi:
ssid: yourssid
password: yourwifipassword

manual_ip:
# Set this to the IP of the ESP
static_ip: 192.168.1.61
# Set this to the IP address of the router. Often ends with .1
gateway: 192.168.1.1
# The subnet of the network. 255.255.255.0 works for most home networks.
subnet: 255.255.255.0

At the end of the code, paste this one:

binary_sensor:
- platform: gpio
pin:
number: GPIO23
inverted: true
mode:
input: true
pulldown: true
name: "Sensore porta"
device_class: door

light:
- platform: fastled_clockless
chipset: WS2812B
id: light_fastled
pin: GPIO22
num_leds: 4
rgb_order: GRB
name: "Led sensore porta"
effects:
- pulse:
- platform: partition
name: "Led 1 sensore porta"
segments:
- id: light_fastled
from: 0
to: 0
effects:
- pulse:
- platform: partition
name: "Led 2 sensore porta"
segments:
- id: light_fastled
from: 1
to: 1
effects:
- pulse:
- platform: partition
name: "Led 3 sensore porta"
segments:
- id: light_fastled
from: 2
to: 2
effects:
- pulse:
- platform: partition
name: "Led 4 sensore porta"
segments:
- id: light_fastled
from: 3
to: 3
effects:
- pulse:

ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System: Page 5

The rst part of the code, de nes the magnetic switch to sense if the door is open or not. Then with light: are de ned the
adressable LEDs that will be controlled by Home Assistant automations.
In the end the code should look like this, but not paste directly the code below, because to every device is given a
di erent encryption key.
esphome:
name: sensore-porta

esp32:
board: esp32dev
framework:
type: arduino

# Enable logging
logger:

# Enable Home Assistant API

api:
encryption:
key: "xxx"

ota:
password: "xxx"

wifi:
ssid: yourssid
password: yourpassword

manual_ip:
# Set this to the IP of the ESP
static_ip: 192.168.1.64
# Set this to the IP address of the router. Often ends with .1
gateway: 192.168.1.1
# The subnet of the network. 255.255.255.0 works for most home networks.
subnet: 255.255.255.0

# Enable fallback hotspot (captive portal) in case wifi connection fails

ap:
ssid: "xxx"
password: "xxx"

captive_portal:

binary_sensor:
- platform: gpio
pin:
number: GPIO23
inverted: true
mode:
input: true
pulldown: true
name: "Sensore porta"
device_class: door

light:
- platform: fastled_clockless
chipset: WS2812B
id: light_fastled
pin: GPIO22
num_leds: 4
rgb_order: GRB
name: "Led sensore porta"
effects:
ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System: Page 6
 - pulse:
- platform: partition
name: "Led 1 sensore porta"
segments:
- id: light_fastled
from: 0
to: 0
effects:
- pulse:
- platform: partition
name: "Led 2 sensore porta"
segments:
- id: light_fastled
from: 1
to: 1
effects:
- pulse:
- platform: partition
name: "Led 3 sensore porta"
segments:
- id: light_fastled
from: 2
to: 2
effects:
- pulse:
- platform: partition
name: "Led 4 sensore porta"
segments:
- id: light_fastled
from: 3
to: 3
effects:
- pulse:

After the code is complete, we can click on Install, connect the ESP32 to our computer with an USB cable
and follow the instructions on screen to upload the code
When the ESP32 is connected to the WiFi, we can go to the Home Assistant settings, where we will
probably see that Home Assistant has discovered the new device
Click on con gure and paste there the encryption key you have copied before.

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Step 2: Connecting the Magnetic Switch

Now that we have loaded the program we can connect the magnetic contact to the ESP32. I soldered the magnetic
sensor onto a piece of millefori. Then with two wires I connected the magnetic contact between the 3.3v of the ESP32
and pin 23. Now I have attached the power supply to the ESP32, and on Home Assistant I see that the door is closed or
open when I approach or move the magnet away from the sensor.
You will nd the schematic of the connections in the pictures above.

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Step 3: Connecting the LEDs

Theoretically the sensor for the alarm works and would be ne as it is, but I decided to put LEDs on the sensor. Perhaps
having LEDs on an alarm sensor may seem a little strange, but actually in my opinion it is very convenient. In fact these
leds can be programmed to signal the status of the alarm and the status of other home automation devices. So for
ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System: Page 10
example as we walk out the door we can see right away if we have forgotten a light on in the house, because we will
have an LED that signals that.
The LEDs I will use to add this function are individually addressable rgb LEDs. These led strips do not have normal rgb
LEDs, because you can control the color of each led individually by connecting a single wire for data using an Arduino or
similar board. For this project, I cut a piece of 4 LEDs. I soldered three wires to the led strip, two for the power supply and
one to the data input, which is marked by the arrow. I connected the power supply of the led strip to 5v and GND of the
esp32, and the data to pin 22. So now from Home Assistant I can also turn each of the LEDs on and o , and I can also
change the color. Later we will also see how to connect these LEDs to automations.
You will nd the schematic of all the connections in the pictures above.

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Step 4: Enclosure for the ESP32

So now the circuit is nished, but it still lacks a box to put it in. So I designed and 3D printed a small box with its lid. The
3D printing les can be downloaded from below. To di use the light of the LEDs I will use opaque plexiglass, so I cut a
piece and glued it under the hole in the lid of the box. Underneath I put the piece of led strip. Then I put the ESP32 in the
ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System: Page 13
box, with the USB port aligned with the hole. I glued the magnetic contact near the wall of the box, so that the magnet
could activate it. I closed the box with 4 screws, and we were done.
To power the sensor, I used a USB power supply. Both the door opening sensor and the LEDs work well, so we can mount
the sensor on the door.

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Step 5: Installing the Door Sensor

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The sensor will be mounted on the wall next to the door. I used a piece of double-sided tape to mount it. Then I
connected the sensor to a nearby outlet with a usb power supply. With another piece of double-sided tape I xed the
magnet on the door, so that when the door is closed the sensor will detect the magnet. And so the sensor works, because
on the Home Assistant app I can see if the door is open or closed.

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Step 6: "Alarmo" Integration

Now we need to turn the sensor into an actual alarm. To do this I will use Home Assistant's Alarmo integration. This
integration allows you to create a real alarm system with the various sensors that are connected to Home Assistant.
To download this integration you can use the Home Assistant Community Store (HACS). Installing it is very easy, as it is
using it.
Once you have opened the integration's settings page, in the General tab you can set the di erent alarm
modes (Armed away, Armed home, Armed vacation) each with its settings
In each alarm mode you can set the exit and entry delay
From the Sensors tab you can add to your alarm system di erent sensors that are connected to Home
Assistant; I added the entity of the sensor we have just built
From the Codes tab you can set di erent codes to arm/disarm the alarm system assigned to di erent
users
In the Actions tab you can set to receive noti cations on your phone when the alarm is set o , and in the
noti cation you can add the name of the sensor that triggered the alarm, the date and the time - these
informations are very useful
In the Actions tab you can also create some automations based on the status of the alarm (for example
turning a siren on), but these don't o er yet a lot of functions

The Alarmo integration also provides a card for the Home Assistant dashboard.
For what I have tested it, this integration is really well done, and it is also very easy to use.

ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System: Page 18

Step 7: Controlling the LEDs

To control the LEDs I put on the sensor you can use the classic Home Assistant automations. For example I chose that the
rst two LEDs indicate the alarm status with various colors: when the alarm is disermed, the LEDs are blue, when ti is
armed they are green, when the alarm is set o the LEDs are ashing red and when the timer after which the alarm
ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System: Page 19
activates they are yellow. The di erent statuses of the alarm are available as conditions in the automations, so making
these automations is really easy. The third led turns on when there is at least one light on in the house, so when I go out I
can immediately see if I forgot any lights on. For the fourth led, I don't know what automation to create yet, so I ask you:
what could the last led be useful for? Write it down in the comments!
Now that we have everything programmed, it's just a matter of trying to see if the alarm works.

ESP32 Anti-theft Alarm System: Page 20

Step 8: Testing the Alarm System

Now let's test if the alarm system works as it should.

I enter the code and activate the alarm, and a 10-second timer starts, allowing me to exit. During this time
the LEDs ash yellow.
After the timer ends the alarm is armed and the LEDs turn green.
If I open the door and don't turn it o in 10 seconds, the alarm goes o , so it immediately sends me a
noti cation on my phone and is also announced by Alexa. In this case the LEDs turn red and ash.
When I disable the alarm with the code, the LEDs turn blue.

Step 9: End

So this is my anti-theft alarm system, and it seems to work just ne. I hope you found this guide interesting and maybe
useful to make this project. To see the building process, check out the video on my YouTube channel (it in Italian but it
has English subtitles). Bye!

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