Open by design. Yours to control.

Your home.
Your alarm.
Your rules.

Meet RoboAlarms. A standalone DIY alarm controller that runs its alarm logic on the panel, with clear touchscreen controls and optional Home Assistant integration.

Meet the panel Read the docs

DIY software · Hardware sourced separately
No RoboAlarms subscription

RoboAlarms Home screen showing Disarmed, Ready to arm, and Away, Stay and Night modes — A little clarity. Every time you walk past.Actual interface · Example data

Local alarm logicOpen source at releaseHome Assistant integration

A different starting point

An alarm you can
make your own.

For people who like to understand how their home works—and have a say in how it works next.

01 / LOCAL

The decisions stay home.

The alarm engine runs on the panel. Core alarm decisions don’t need a cloud service or a Home Assistant server.

Network-sourced sensors and connected services still need their connections.

02 / OPEN

Built to be shared.

We’re preparing the firmware for an open-source release under Apache 2.0. Development stays private until that first release; the guides and Home Assistant integration are public now.

What’s available and what’s next

03 / YOURS

Fit the way you live.

Choose Away, Stay or Night. Name your zones, give people their own codes, and see what happened in one clear activity history.

See the everyday essentials

The alarm runs here.

The touchscreen and alarm controller live on the same panel. Home Assistant connects to it as an optional companion.

INPUTSLocal sensors

Supported wired or radio inputs connected to the panel.

ALARM CONTROLLERRoboAlarms panel

Alarm decisions, arming controls, user codes and event history.

OPTIONAL CONNECTIONHome Assistant

Alarm status and controls in your connected home.

Sensors shared through Home Assistant take a different path: they need Home Assistant and the network. Sensor support is still being validated. Check compatibility or see what happens during an outage.

Made for the everyday

Know what’s happening.
Know what to do next.

A familiar touchscreen. Clear words. Useful details when you need them. Take a look inside the real interface.

Home screen with Disarmed status and three arming modes — Home · Your system’s status, without the guesswork.

Current development interface · Captured from the real panel software running on a computer with example data.

More screenshots: Zones, Arming, Activity, Back Door alarm.

Beyond the touchscreen

From first setup
to everyday control.

Two tools make the panel easier to install, configure and understand—at your workbench and around your home.

USB · Desktop app

Meet the Flasher.

A guided path from a new board to a working panel. Choose your connected parts, see the wiring, back up the board, install the firmware and test the result.

In development for the first public release, with Windows as the initial focus.

Explore the Flasher

Local network · Browser

Meet Panel Manager.

See and control the actual touchscreen in your browser—even to walk someone through their panel while you’re on the phone. Manage people, zones, settings and activity in the same place.

Connect over your local network or an existing VPN, with access based on your account. Home Assistant is optional.

Explore Panel Manager

Part of your connected home

Meet your new
Home Assistant
housemate.

Bring alarm status, zone states and events into Home Assistant through the optional RoboAlarms custom integration.

Pair with a code you compare on both screens
Connect directly over your local network
No MQTT broker required for the native integration

Testing release

Pairing and status verified on development hardware. Broader acceptance testing is ongoing.

Explore the integration guide

RoboAlarms integration in Home Assistant showing a connected example panel and its entities — Actual Home Assistant interface · Example lab panel

Open software. Your hardware.

The project is the software.
The build is yours.

Development starts on the Elecrow CrowPanel Advanced 7-inch display, powered by the ESP32-P4 and ESP32-C6. You source compatible hardware separately; RoboAlarms doesn’t sell panels, kits or sensors.

See what goes into a build

Current development platformCrowPanel Advanced 7″ESP32-P4 + ESP32-C6 · 1024 × 600 touch display

128zones

64users

4partitions

Software limits in the current P4 build, not physical inputs. Sensor support and hardware validation are still evolving.

Why we started

Built out of frustration.
Built together.

Read the original story and discussion

A note from the project creator

I started RoboAlarms out of frustration with monthly subscriptions and features behind paywalls. I wanted an alarm that runs locally, works with Home Assistant, and gives me control over how it works.

I’m a professional software developer with more than 20 years of programming experience. I’m building this with my dad, who brings 50 years of experience in electrical engineering and the alarm industry.

I use AI to help with development, alongside hands-on coding, code review and testing. I can jump into the code, investigate a problem and change the implementation myself. The engineering decisions and responsibility for the project stay with us.

How we’re building it

Testing is part
of the work.

From an arming delay to a lost connection, the project checks both everyday behavior and what happens when something goes wrong.

600+automated component test cases run on a PC

100+interface states in scripted UI checks

Real panelshardware checks, with further validation ongoing

01 / ALARM LOGIC

Hundreds of automated tests.

Tests exercise arming, entry and exit delays, user permissions, sensor states, event history and recovery after simulated power loss.

02 / REAL INTERFACE

Walk through the screens.

Scripted checks run the real panel interface on a computer. An interactive simulator also lets us try arming, opening a door and changing sensor states.

03 / FAILURE CASES

Test the awkward moments.

Event-log tests simulate power loss during writes. Radio tests exercise noise and incomplete messages. The simulator can exercise network outages and power troubles.

04 / DEVELOPMENT HARDWARE

Then check real panels.

Recorded checks include display and touch behavior, Wi-Fi, signed updates and rollback, and Home Assistant pairing. More sensor, power and accessory testing remains.

Recorded development checks · September 24, 2026. Software tests and simulated scenarios help find bugs; each hardware feature still needs its own real-world validation. The project status below distinguishes those stages.

Preparing the first release

A work in progress.
And a lot to look forward to.

Firmware development is private until the first public release. Here’s where the project stands, including work that still needs validation.

First public release ahead

Targeting the next few weeks.

We plan to publish the firmware and source together under Apache 2.0. Testing continues as we prepare the release, so the timing is a target.

Explore nowPublic documentation Home Assistant integration

Check this page for release news and firmware/source links when the first version is published.

On development panels

Taking shape today

Touchscreen controls and local alarm engine
Zones, user codes and event history
Browser Panel Manager and remote keypad
Signed firmware updates with rollback
Home Assistant pairing and status

Implementation & testing

On the workbench

Wired and 433 MHz sensor validation
Home Assistant sensors as alarm zones
Native Zigbee radio support
ntfy and Pushover notifications
Desktop firmware installation tool
Optional battery-backed clock

Planned

Further down the road

Additional physical keypads
Touchscreen lights, locks and climate
Schedules and automatic arming

A few good questions

Before you
jump in.

What you can build, what depends on a connection, and how the project is being developed.

Getting started

Can I buy a RoboAlarms panel?

RoboAlarms is a DIY software project. We don’t sell panels, kits, sensors or installation services. You source compatible hardware separately. The build overview explains the parts involved and links to suppliers.

When can I get the firmware and source code?

Firmware development is private until the first public release, when we plan to publish the firmware and source under Apache 2.0. See the current release target. The documentation and Home Assistant integration are already public; a public integration does not mean panel firmware is available yet.

What will I need to build one?

A supported panel, a suitable power supply, compatible sensors and any receiver or wiring those sensors require. An enclosure and mounting are part of your build too. Firmware installation and setup will follow with the public release. Start with the hardware guide; there is no complete ready-to-install kit.

Will it work with the sensors I already own?

Check the exact model and protocol. Sharing a radio frequency does not establish compatibility. The sensor compatibility table separates implemented software, testing on real hardware and future support. Native Zigbee is in development; buying an ESP32-H2 module does not enable it in the current firmware.

Is there a subscription or a feature paywall?

There is no RoboAlarms subscription or paid feature tier. We plan to release the firmware as open source under Apache 2.0. You provide the hardware; optional third-party services, such as notification providers, may have their own costs.

Connections & outages

Does the alarm need Home Assistant to run?

No. The panel runs its own alarm engine, so it can operate as a standalone controller. The optional integration connects that controller to Home Assistant. You do not need a separate alarm-logic integration in Home Assistant to run RoboAlarms.

What happens if Home Assistant stops working?

The panel’s alarm engine and controls continue to operate while the panel has power. Supported sensors connected directly to it do not depend on Home Assistant. Sensors shared through Home Assistant, along with its controls and automations, do depend on that server. Sensor sharing is still awaiting hardware acceptance testing.

What happens if the internet or Wi-Fi goes down?

The local alarm engine does not need internet access. Losing internet affects services that need it, including external notification delivery. Losing Wi-Fi or the local network also affects Home Assistant connections and network-sourced sensors. Supported local sensor inputs continue to depend on their own connection and power.

Will it keep running during a power cut?

Continued operation requires suitable backup power for the panel and any other equipment your setup depends on. Battery sensing and power-saving behavior are implemented, but testing with a connected battery, including runtime and power transfer, is still pending. We do not have a verified backup-runtime figure yet. The optional DS3231 coin cell keeps the clock running; it does not power the alarm panel.

What if someone removes or damages the panel?

This panel contains the alarm controller as well as the touchscreen. If it loses all power or is disabled, it cannot keep running the alarm. The current build does not provide automatic enclosure-removal detection. Additional physical keypads are planned; they are not part of the current build.

Can I connect an external siren?

The software has alarm output logic, but the hardware drivers and external-siren setup are still planned. The panel’s own sounder is separate from an external siren. We do not yet provide a validated external-siren wiring recipe; a siren needs appropriate power and driver hardware.

Development & testing

Who is building it, and how is AI used?

The project creator is a professional software developer with more than 20 years of programming experience, working with their dad, who has 50 years in electrical engineering and the alarm industry. AI assists development alongside direct code work, review and testing. The team makes the engineering decisions and takes responsibility for the implementation. Read the project story.

How much testing is being done?

Recorded checks include more than 600 automated component test cases run on a PC and over 100 interface states in scripted walkthroughs. Tests cover alarm behavior and failures such as interrupted storage writes and invalid radio messages. An interactive simulator and development panels provide further checks. See the testing approach. Those checks do not establish that every sensor, accessory or installation is validated.

Does the first release mean everything is finished?

The first public release is the start of sharing the project. Features marked in development or planned may still be unfinished. Use the project status and compatibility information to understand what has been implemented and tested before planning a build.

Is it certified or professionally monitored?

No. RoboAlarms is a DIY development project, not a listed or certified alarm system. The project does not provide professional monitoring or emergency dispatch. Development testing is separate from certification.

The first release is ahead

Make yourself at home.

Explore the guides and hardware while we prepare the firmware and source for release.

See release plans Read the documentation

Your home.Your alarm.Your rules.

An alarm you canmake your own.