Making Sense of Alarm Sensors: Wired, Legacy, PowerG/PowerG+ and More

Home Security Talk
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Making Sense of Alarm Sensors: Wired, Legacy, PowerG, PowerG+ and More

Part of the wireless sensor technology series. View all discussions and infographics here

If you’ve ever gone shopping for a new panel or sensors and been confused by all the options : 319.5 MHz, 345 MHz, 433 MHz, PowerG, PowerG+ and more, you’re definitely not alone.

The good news is that choosing sensors doesn’t have to be complicated once you understand what those technologies actually mean.

With everyone getting their new shiny IQ 5’s I thought now was a good time to issue this basic orientation to the various sensor technologies and types.

In the video below, I walk through the major sensor technologies available for the IQ Panel family, how they communicate with the panel, their advantages and limitations, and where each one makes sense. We also get into encryption, wireless range, battery life, jam detection, buying used sensors, and some of the changes arriving with PowerG+.

:play_button: Watch: Making Sense of Alarm Sensors — Every Type Explained

So…which sensor technology should you use?

There isn’t one answer that’s right for every system.

:electric_plug: Hardwired

If you already have good wired sensors in the walls, don’t throw them away just because you’re installing a modern panel.

Traditional magnetic contacts, motions, glass breaks and other wired devices can remain extremely reliable. Products such as the IQ Hardwire 16-F can bridge existing wired zones into an IQ system, while the IQ Pro provides native hardwired-zone options.

For an existing house with good wiring, keeping it can often be the most sensible option.

:satellite_antenna: Legacy Wireless: 319.5 / 345 / 433 MHz

“Legacy” doesn’t mean obsolete.

The IQ Panel family can support one of several legacy RF ecosystems depending on the installed daughter card:

  • 319.5 MHz — including Qolsys/Interlogix-compatible sensors
  • 345 MHz — including many Honeywell/Resideo and 2GIG-compatible sensors
  • 433 MHz — including compatible DSC wireless sensors

This can be especially valuable when replacing an older alarm panel. Instead of replacing dozens of perfectly functional sensors, an IQ Panel equipped with the appropriate legacy radio may allow you to bring much of that equipment forward.

There are tradeoffs. Many traditional legacy sensors use one-way communication, and encryption depends on the particular technology and sensor. For example, compatible Qolsys S-Line sensors add encryption to the 319.5 MHz platform.

:antenna_bars: PowerG

PowerG represents a substantial step forward from traditional one-way wireless alarm sensors.

Among its advantages are two-way communication, AES-128 encryption, frequency hopping, long wireless range, supervision and excellent battery life.

For new installations where there isn’t existing equipment to preserve, PowerG is an extremely compelling option.

:plus: PowerG+

PowerG+ builds on PowerG rather than replacing its underlying RF technology.

The new generation adds capabilities designed around easier enrollment, device authentication and future device management. It also introduces some new considerations—including Dealer Lockdown, which is worth understanding before purchasing PowerG+ sensors through secondary or unofficial channels.

Existing PowerG isn’t suddenly obsolete, either. There are enormous numbers of PowerG devices already installed, and the IQ platform continues to support them.

:house: What about Z-Wave?

This is one area where terminology can get confusing.

The IQ Panels support Z-Wave for home automation, including things like locks, lights, thermostats and other smart-home devices. Some Z-Wave products actually are sensors - door sensors, temp sensors, motion sensors, etc - but alas, they are not supported in the IQ/ADC ecosystem to be used as security sensors. Z-Wave is strictly automation. If you add a Z-Wave door sensor to your IQ panel, you will get an unsupported error on your panel. (But between you and me, direct associations will actually work - but don’t tell anyone I told you that! :smiley: )

:radio: Wireless Jam Detection

One of the more interesting features buried in the IQ Panel settings is RF jam detection.

The panel can monitor its security RF bands for sustained radio activity that may prevent legitimate sensors from communicating. Importantly, a missed transmission isn’t automatically considered a jamming event—the panel evaluates RF activity over time according to its configured jam-detection parameters.

There are separate considerations for PowerG and the installed legacy/SRF radio, and some of these features may not be enabled by default.

If you want to go much deeper into this subject, there’s an excellent technical discussion on the Surety forum linked in the reference section below.

:warning: A word about used and off-market sensors

I’m certainly not going to tell anyone that every sensor has to be purchased new. There can be some fantastic deals on surplus and used alarm equipment.

But know what you’re buying, and understand the risks of hardware with unknown pedigree.

Check the exact model number and frequency, make sure the device is compatible with your panel, and be particularly careful about equipment that may have originally been intended for a different dealer, region or ecosystem.

That’s becoming even more important with PowerG+ and Dealer Lockdown. A bargain isn’t much of a bargain if you can’t enroll it.

:shopping_cart: Hardware featured in the video

Most of the security equipment shown or discussed in this video is available through Surety:

Browse the products at Surety →

  • IQ Mini Door/Window — QS1135-840
  • IQ Mini Extended Door/Window — QS1137-840
  • PowerG Door/Window — PG9303
  • PowerG+ Door/Window w/ Auxiliary Input — PGP9945E
  • PowerG+ Smoke & Heat Detector — PGP9976
  • IQ Panel 5
  • IQ Pro
  • IQ Legacy Daughter Cards — 319.5 / 345 / 433 MHz
  • IQ Hardwire 16-F
  • Alarm.com ADC-VC730P Outdoor PoE Camera
  • Alarm.com ADC-V530 Indoor Camera

Affiliate disclosure: Some product links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, Save the Panel may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships don’t determine what we recommend or what we say about a product.

:books: References & Further Reading

If you want to dig deeper into any of the topics covered in the video:

Infographics from the Video

Click here to see articles containing all the video’s Infographics:
https://discussion.savethepanel.com/tag/sensor-guides

:toolbox: Next Up: The IQ Panel 5 System Planner

In the next video—the IQ Panel 5 unboxing and initial setup—I’ll also release the free IQ Panel 5 System Planner.

There will be a printable checklist as well as an interactive builder designed to take everything we’ve covered here and turn it into an actual system and shopping list.

Until then, I’m curious how everyone else approaches this:

When you’re designing or upgrading a system, what’s your rule of thumb for wired vs. legacy wireless vs. PowerG/PowerG+?

And if you’ve ever scored an incredible deal—or gotten completely burned—buying alarm sensors on eBay or elsewhere secondhand, let’s hear that story too.

Building / Installing your first self-installed system?
FREE IQ System Design Planner Now Available (for IQ Panel 5)