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dhoward
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 00:42 | IP Logged
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The latest beta of PowerHome version 1.03.4.7 is now available.
You can get it here:http://www.power-home.com/download/ph10347setup.exe
Several Insteon enhancements with what should now be FULL support for Insteon KeyPadLincs. A new KeypadLinc configuration utility, Insteon macro commands and triggers, a new more stable version of the SDM, and hopefully auto recovery if the SDM does crash. Numerous bug fixes as well as reliable X10 communication using the Insteon PowerLinc.
If you're upgrading, be sure and check out the readme.rtf for important upgrade instructions.
One note on the KeypadLinc Config Util...you can create XOR buttons and flag buttons as toggle or non-toggle, but you cannot read or set a non-toggle button to either on or off. The word from SmartHome is that the current KPL's do not support this. It's still a lot easier though than manually doing it. To make a non-toggle on or off, start with a toggle button. If you want the button to be non-toggle on, then press the button until it's light is on. For non-toggle off, press the button until it's light is off. Read the KPL configuration, change the desired buttons from toggle to either on or off (it doesnt matter since current KPL's don't support it) and then save the configuration. If the button's light was on when you saved, it will be a non-toggle on. If off, a non-toggle off.
As always, let me know if you have any problems and I'll be happy to help.
Dave.
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TonyNo
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 08:38 | IP Logged
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Are there any non-Insteon related changes? I have yet to get my Insteon PLC... I should get off my butt and order one today.
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dhoward
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 08:55 | IP Logged
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Tony,
A few...most new changes wer Insteon related.
Non-Insteon related changes:
A new macro command for X-10 using the ID instead of the house/unit.
A fix for the webserver critical error you had.
A fix for the CM11A array boundary error you received.
A fix to the webserver ccmap and ccimage functions that caused a critical error if the CC page had no buttons.
So a couple of changes were tailored just for you  .
There were also some minor bug fixes to hopefully provide more stability. This is an easy upgrade if you're already on 1.03.4.5 or 1.03.4.6. No changes occured to formulas, etc. There is still a database upgrade, but that mainly to get new views and data for dropdowns.
Dave.
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UpstateMike
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 09:53 | IP Logged
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I must have overlooked it in the readme. How do I get to the new KeypadLinc configuration utility?
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TonyNo
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 10:37 | IP Logged
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Thanks Dave!
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redoubt
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 14:19 | IP Logged
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GO DAVID!
Great stuff. I've started playing with the global vars using an insteon trigger, thank you.
Now for a couple questions...
1. What are toggle, non-toggle, non-toggle on... switches?
2. I removed a device from a group in my device list by group, but it still shows as a responder to that device. Why is it still linked?
3. Can I turn KPL button lights on and off from the program?
Thanks again!
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dhoward
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 14:49 | IP Logged
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Mike,
From the Insteon Devices (Units) screen, right-click and it shows in the pop-up menu. It wont be enabled though unless you right-click on a KPL device.
Dave.
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dhoward
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 15:21 | IP Logged
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Redoubt,
If you read the documentation on the KeyPadLinc, it will tell you about toggle vs non-toggle and even XOR buttons. They crammed a lot of features into the KPL, some of it more useful than others.
Essentially, the extra buttons on a KPL (besides the On/Off buttons) default to toggle. You press the button once, it sends an "ON" command and the buttons light comes on. You press the button again, and it sends an "OFF" command and the light goes off. You can change a button from toggle mode to non-toggle and alwasy send either an "on" or an "off". If a button is non-toggle on, then it's light will always be on. Just the opposite for a non-toggle off.
You can set this functionality from within the KPL utility within PowerHome...almost. The one thing the current rev of KPL's don't do, is expose the byte that tells whether a button is non-toggle on or non-toggle off. Since this cant be read, it also cant be set. There is a byte that says whether the button is toggle or not though so we can read and set that. You can still use the KPL util though to create these buttons easier than manual though. All you have to to is start with the button in toggle mode. The buttons that you want to change to non-toggle on, manually press the button until it's light comes on. The buttons that you want to change to non-toggle off, manually press the button until it's light is off. Then open the KPL util. Initially the buttons will be read as toggle. Just click the buttons that you wish to change from toggle to non-toggle (either on or off, it doesnt matter since the KPL doesnt expose the byte). When you save the configuration, the buttons that had the light on will be non-toggle on and buttons with the light off will be non-toggle off (as long as you changed them within the KPL from toggle. Buttons you left as toggle remain as toggle).
The XOR buttons are even more complicated. Especially to setup manually. All XOR buttons are are a way for 1 button on the same KPL to control the light of another button on the KPL. The important thing to note here is that the buttons LOAD or controlled devices are in NO WAY affected by the other button (unless you actually make links). Just by making changes in the KPL util, you in no way effect the actual database links. With a toggle/non-toggle, you change the command that is sent, but the links remain the same. The same thing is true with an XOR button. You can change what button lights turn on or turn off, but you in no way send (or cause to trigger) a command to it's links.
With that said, by clicking the little checkboxes associated with each button, you can control the lights of the other buttons. It's hard to explain and you'd really have to play with it to see how it works, but you can press button A and have it turn off the lights to buttons B,C, and D (remember that it doesnt turn off the devices connected to B,C, and D though). You can also press button A and turn ON the lights on other buttons. The KPL gives you full flexibility with setting the individual lighting bits.
For a true XOR button (just like can be setup manually with a dozen steps), I'll give you an example. Starting with a 6 button KPL, you have the big ON switch, buttons A,B,C, and D, and a big OFF switch. Button A is really button 3 in the KPL. If you were to setup an XOR button manually between buttons A and B, the checks would be as follows: button 3 would have checks in both on and off for button 4. Button 4 would have checks in both on and off for button 3. If you saved this configuration back, then when you press button A, button B would turn off. If you press button B, then button A would turn off. You could only have either button A or button B lit at a single time (it doesnt effect the other buttons loads however...if you press button A and button A turns on and button B turns off, then the only thing that has happened loadwise is that button A's loads have turned on).
I don't know how much use XOR buttons are, but I imagine you could do all sorts of bizarre things with combinations of non-toggle and XOR buttons.
Concerning your #2 question (boy number 1 was a doozey)...how did you remove the link? Did you use "Delete from PH" or "Delete from Device"? Delete from PH will only delete it from the PowerHome database and will cause it to be eventually rediscovered. Delete from Device should delete it from the device and when done, delete it from the database. If you used delete from device and it's still there, PowerHome may have been interrupted before it had a chance to fully remove the link. I would use the "Reverify" option and have PowerHome recheck the link. If you don't have any "VERIFIED" in either the controller or responder, then just use a "Delete from PH" because the link is only in the database and not in a device. If either the controller or responder comes back as "VERIFIED", then use "Delete from Device". Press the "F5" key to actually update the database status so PowerHome will start the actual delete process. Give it a minute or two and hit "F5" again and see if the link is now gone.
#3...Yes, all you have to do is setup a group with the PLC as the master and the KPL as a responder using the Create/Edit/Clone window. Scroll all the way to the right in the responder list and then set the "Button" value to the button that you wish to turn on or turn off (this won't effect the links attached to that button...only the buttons light). Once the link is created, use the ph_insteonrawgroup function or the new Macro command "Insteon Raw Group" to send either an on or an off to that group and you will control the KPL's light.
Hope this helps,
Dave.
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redoubt
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 15:50 | IP Logged
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I deleted it with "delete from power home" I also checked in the creat/edit/clone group control window.
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dhoward
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 15:56 | IP Logged
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Redoubt,
The "Delete from PowerHome" only deleted it from the PowerHome database. It is still actually in the Devices. Given time, PowerHome will eventually "rediscover" the link since it was never actually deleted from the devices.
Use the "Delete from Device". Save the changes with "F5". PowerHome will pick up on the "Flagged Delete" and will actually remove the link from the devices. When done, it will then removed it from the database.
Dave.
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Herdfan
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 17:12 | IP Logged
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dhoward wrote:
| I don't know how much use XOR buttons are, but I imagine you could do all sorts of bizarre things with combinations of non-toggle and XOR buttons. |
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Now that I understand them, neither do I. Its as if they allow you to do triggers of sorts, yet when triggered, the triggered button controls no load.
Are these functions even covered in SH's KPL documentation?
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dhoward
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 19:19 | IP Logged
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Yes, they're discussed in the KeyPadLinc documentation, down towards the end I think. I wasnt even aware of them until someone asked if I supported them.
I talked to SmartHome and in the case of true XOR buttons (only 1 is on at a time...turning 1 on turns the others off) asked why in addition to controlling the button light why didnt they control the load? Never really got an answer, just an explanation that you could accomplish the same thing by using links and setting the dim level to 0 on the lights that should be going off.
If I play around with it enough, maybe I'll find a use for them. In the meantime, I figured if it's available, I might as well add support for it  .
Dave.
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UpstateMike
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| Posted: March 06 2006 at 09:04 | IP Logged
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I think they are supposed to be used to set scenes in a room. Fist button might be all lights on. Second button some lights off others dim. Third button all lights in the room on but dimmed, etc. This lets you go directly from one scene to the next using the keypad and only the LED for the last scene eselected is lit. (Keypad LEDs stay in synch with scene selected)
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cgoffredo
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| Posted: March 06 2006 at 15:57 | IP Logged
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With this version, does the software support x-10 to Insteon triggers? If so, does the computer need to be on, or are they stored in the Powerlinc? If they aren't stored in the Powerlinc, is that a future feature? (I know, lots of questions, thank you!)
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dhoward
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| Posted: March 06 2006 at 18:14 | IP Logged
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Welcome to PowerHome!
You can setup triggers to convert X-10 to Insteon no problem. However, PowerHomes needs to be running.
PowerHome does not currently support the downloading of code to any of it's supported interfaces and is not currently planned for. The variability of features between interfaces would make this a very difficult task to achieve unless the design screen for this feature were handled on an individual controller by controller basis.
I know that SmartHome did offer an Insteon Translator PLC (essentially just a PLC with special SALad code) but my understanding is that it was pulled. The stories that I heard from people that actually purchased one is that not all X-10 features were supported and there was limited memory for setting up the translations.
Now if leaving the PC connected and running PowerHome, then you should be able to setup whatever triggers you like.
HTH,
Dave.
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bmaupin
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| Posted: March 27 2006 at 00:25 | IP Logged
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Here's my use for the KeypadLink XOR buttons.
I have a new home with a tankless / endless hot water heater (http://www.rinnai.us/products/waterheaters/REUV2532FFU.asp) . It's a rather large house so the plumbers installed a hot water recirculation system. The 2 items are nice but they contradict each other, along with reducing my 10 year warranty to a 3 year. The tankless heater is meant to save money and recirculation system keeps the water flowing through the heater, which keeps the burners on, wasting money. But I have a fix. I installed an Instion switch on the recirculation pump and 2486 Keypad switches in every bath and kitchen. With just a little forethought we get the best of both worlds by simply turning on the pump for a minute or 2 before using the hot water. Instant hot water when we're ready without the waste of running water or heating 24/7. The system works great. I've linked all the switches together so that when you turn on the pump from any location the appropriate "Water Heater" (A) button in every location lights up or goes off with the heater.
I've experimented with both mControl and HomeSeer. IMO mControl is charging $ for a beta product and don't really have a clue. HomeSeer is much better product but the Insteon plug-in still needs work. They've not figured out how to manipulate the XOR buttons.
What I need is for the software to see the recirculation pump switch turn on, wait 20 minutes and turn the pump switch off along with the status lights on all the KeypadLinks. So far this isn't possible with any software that I've found but is sounds like it is with yours. I look forward to giving your software a try.
Bill
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ColinB
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| Posted: March 29 2006 at 11:16 | IP Logged
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Hi Bill, I see you've found this site too! (Bill and I have the exact same water heater and want the same Insteon functionality)
I've just started playing around with PowerHome and I think I've managed to do it without resorting to the XOR buttons which do seem to be more for scene control. I'll start a thread in the Macro section about it to make it easier for others to find in the future.
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dhoward
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| Posted: April 04 2006 at 18:13 | IP Logged
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Bill,
What you want to do should be very easy with PowerHome. Since every KPL linked to the other KPL's, you should get an Incoming Insteon Group In message whenever an "A" button is pressed. You'll need to create a trigger for each KPL button A and just have them all call the same macro. This macro should check to see if it's already waiting and then extend the macro wait by 20 minutes. If it's not waiting, then wait 20 minutes. After the wait expires, send an Insteon group command to turn the pump and the KPL buttons off. For this last step, you'll need to create a PowerLinc group. If PowerHome has already discovered all of your links, this should be an easy "Clone" operation of one of the "A" buttons.
Let me know if you need help setting this up.
Dave.
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Sparrow
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| Posted: June 05 2008 at 23:43 | IP Logged
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Dave,
Where can I find the 1.03.4.7 download... the links I have found thus far return 404.
Thanks
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TonyNo
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| Posted: June 06 2008 at 07:22 | IP Logged
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I don't think you really want .7, do you?
The current version is 1.03.4.12 and is linked on the download page.
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Topic: Latest PowerHome Available
