All Collections
Alarms
Configuration and Setup
Configure and Wire Inputs/Outputs on the BP41
Configure and Wire Inputs/Outputs on the BP41

Learn how to wire inputs and outputs to your Verkada BP41 alarm panel

Updated over a week ago

The Verkada BP41 (32-input) alarm panel allows you to connect up to 32 existing or new wired intrusion sensors and 2 programmable 12V outputs for alarm signaling.

Supported input devices

The Verkada BP41 supports all third-party Normally Open (NO)/Normally Closed (NC) sensor inputs. These sensors are typically classified as 2-wire and 4-wire devices.

Supported 2-Wire Devices

Supported 4-Wire Devices

  • Door contact sensors

  • Panic buttons

  • Glass break sensors

  • Motion sensors

  • Water sensors

When you configure an input device, you can specify the normal state as NO or NC.

How devices are wired

In most cases, door contact sensors, glass break sensors, and motion sensors are wired NC. When the circuit is open, such as an open door with separated contacts, the panel detects the change from a closed to an open state and trips the alarm.

Panic buttons and water sensors are generally wired normally open. When the panic button is pressed or when there is enough water to complete the circuit in a water sensor, this would be detected as a change from an open to a closed state and trip the alarm.

Supported output devices

The BP41 has 2x 12V programmable alarm outputs, with a max power draw of 1 amp each. The most common output devices are sirens, bells, and strobe lights that are activated when an alarm is raised.

In Verkada Command, you can select outputs to turn on in response to an alarm. When an alarm is raised, the panel supplies power to those outputs. Multiple output devices can be wired in parallel so that activating a single output can turn on several devices simultaneously.

Auxiliary power

The alarm panel also has 6 auxiliary (AUX) terminals to provide constant 12V DC power. The max current draw for all AUX outputs combined is 2 amps. These auxiliary terminals are most often used to provide power to motion sensors, glass break sensors, and leak detectors.

Recommended input wire gauge for application

Ultimately, there are many variables to consider; for example, wire gauge, material, solid/stranded, and environmental noise. The best way to ensure valid operation is to measure the resistance of your wire.

The max line resistance should be less than 100Ω.

Realistically, it will prove difficult to measure end-to-end wire resistance with a sensitivity of 100Ω for existing building wiring. The table below provides a general guide to the maximum length, depending on American Wire Gauge (AWG).

AWG

Ω / 1000ft

18

6.385

19

8.051

20

10.15

21

12.8

22

16.14

23

20.36

24

25.67

Wire devices to the BP41 alarm panel

There are 32 input terminals (numbered 1–32) and 16 common ground terminals (labeled COM). Two of the input terminals can share the same common ground terminal; for example, inputs 1 and 2 can share the same COM port, inputs 3 and 4 will share the same COM, and so on.

Two-wire devices, such as door contacts, are wired to an input and COM terminal. It does not matter which wire goes into which terminal.

Four-wire devices, such as motion detectors or glass break sensors, have two additional wires to power the sensor. These devices typically have the following terminals: Pos (+), Neg (-), COM, NO, and/or NC. There is no specific wiring coloring convention, but we recommend that you consistently use the same color convention.

These example diagrams illustrate how to wire:

  • A 2-wire device into input 17

  • A 4-wire device into input 18

  • An output device into output B

2-wire input wiring

4-wire input wiring

Wire an output device

Configure wired inputs

  1. In Command, go to the Alarm site settings.

  2. Under Alarm Triggers > Wired Sensors, select Add Sensor.

  3. Select the type of sensor to add and fill in the necessary information.

  4. Click Done.

Configure outputs

  1. In Command, go to the Alarm site settings.

  2. Under Alarm Responses > Alarm Actions, select +Add Output.

  3. Required. Enter the device name, the panel it is wired into, and the corresponding output letter (A or B).


Related resources


Need more help? Contact Verkada Support

Did this answer your question?