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Plano_Mike
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 15:18 | IP Logged
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I'm experimenting with Insteon and Powerhome to see if I want to commit to this technology for a home I have under construction and will be undergoing electrical trim-out in the next few weeks. I'm thrilled that you have done what you have with PowerHome for managing Insteon! I'm just not sure I fully understand all of the nuances yet...
Here are some questions:
I have a lamp in the bedroom on a lamplinc. I have a SwitchLinc in the den that is linked to the bedroom lamplinc. I have a bottun (#3) on keypadlinc in the bedroom linked to the samp lamplinc.
(1) Can I make the LED for button #3 on the bedroom keypadlinc come on when I turn on the lamplinc from the switchlinc?
(2) If I turn the lamp in the bedroom on locally (i.e with the lamp's switch), can I have the keypadlinc LED #3 come on?
(3) Once I have all of my links established, if I move the serial PLC from my PC to an ELK, will all the links be there for the ELK to use?
TIA!
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Mike
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dhoward
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 15:40 | IP Logged
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Mike,
First of all, welcome to PowerHome and Insteon.
1. Yes, all you have to do is crosslink the SwitchLinc to the #3 button on the KPL. You can do this either manually or from within PowerHome. You've already setup a group for the switchlinc to control the lamplinc and a group for the keypadlinc to control the lamplinc. Just setup a group for the switchlinc to control the keypadlinc and you'll also want to setup a group for the keypadlinc to control the switchlinc if you want the switchlinc LED to also reflect the actual status of the lamplinc.
2. The bad news...I don't believe so. Everything Ive read says that the lamplinc cannot control another device. If the lamplinc cannot be linked as the master to any other device, then there is no way for it to tell when it has been switched on locally (even PowerHome). I have not actually tried it however. Im going to feel really stupid here...but how do you turn on a lamplinc locally? I can find no button or switch other than the set button (unless you actually turn switch at the light...in which case Im pretty sure that you won't ever get an indication).
3. Im not sure. Ive talked with a couple of people who've asked the same thing and I don't believe anybody has really tried. I plan on getting an ELK shortly and adding as much integration as I can, but someone told me that they didnt think so since the Elk had to know what the links were beforehand. Again, Im not yet familiar with the ELK so don't know for sure. I know that whatever links are created between devices (not the PLC) with PowerHome will remain there whether the Elk is involved or not, but am not certain of what the Elk's capabilities even are yet in regards to Insteon.
Sorry to have not been much help  .
Dave.
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Plano_Mike
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 16:01 | IP Logged
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Dave--
Thanks for the prompt reply.
#1. I discovered the answer on another post just now. Sorry to take up your time. I had not noticed that you could specify the button number when linking a Switchlinc.
#2. As for turning on a Lamplinc locally, I my be using the wrong terminology. However, X10 modules work this way as well: If you turn the lamp itself off and back on again, the lamp comes on. For X10 modules, they somehow detected that the lamp went from not wanting any current to wanting current and used that to self trigger the X10 module to the ON state(if that makes any sense). My lamplinc seems to work the same way. The good news is that if I turn a lamp on "locally", PH detects that it is on after a few minutes, I presume as a result of background polling. Could I trigger an event from that change of state to accomplish the result I am after?
#3. I really like PH but would like some of my basic HA functions to occur without the need for a PC. So, I am hoping I can make an ELK handle that part. Perhaps PH could manage links for the ELK just like it does for other Insteon devices??? The little I have read about ELKs Insteon support thus far seems primitive in comparison to what you have done. Perhaps PH could be a "business partner" with Elk and handle the link managment. I'm hoping so! 
Keep up the great work!
PS: I'm realizing I should have posted three different threads. Sorry
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Mike
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dhoward
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| Posted: March 05 2006 at 16:30 | IP Logged
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Mike,
#2, yes...PowerHome is doing polling in the background and will eventually discover the actual state of the device. This will not fire a trigger however. You could setup a timed event to run say once a minute that uses the ph_insteongetstat function to query the status and then keep the switchs in sync. The only problem is that it will not be very real time depending upon the number of devices that you have. I will create a function (or make a change to a current function) so that you can request the current status of a device (not just PowerHome's stored status) so you can do this as often as you like.
#3. I'll have more info at the end of this month when I meet with them at the EHX Expo  .
Dave.
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Lazyman
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| Posted: May 17 2006 at 23:25 | IP Logged
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I have am Insteon plug-in dimmer controlling a light. I have a button on a keypadlinc linked to that dimmer.
I also have the light set on a Powerhome timer. How to I get the button to go on and off with the light? Do I need to set a timer for both the button and the light? Can it be done in one command? Can they be strung together? What is the command for the button?
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dhoward
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| Posted: May 18 2006 at 19:34 | IP Logged
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Lazyman,
What you want to do is create a PLC group with both the KPL and the LampLinc as members. Then control the group using PowerHome group commands. This will keep the KPL and the LL in sync with each other.
If this isnt clear, let me know and I can go into more detail.
Dave.
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Lazyman
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| Posted: May 20 2006 at 14:46 | IP Logged
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Sorry, I do need a little more information. I set up a PLC group with both the button and the lamplinc.
Also, the same button remains linked to the lamplinc. What's next?
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dhoward
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| Posted: May 22 2006 at 23:02 | IP Logged
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Lazyman,
Ok, you've got a PLC group with the KPL button and the Lamplinc as responders. To control this group now just send either a ph_insteonrawgroup function or the macro command "Insteon Raw Group". When you setup the PLC group, you had to choose a group number from 1 to 254. The syntax for the ph_insteonrawgroup function would be:
Code:
| ph_insteonrawgroup("THE ID OF YOUR PLD CONTROLLER",PLC group number,ion,0) |
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Substitute the first parameter with the ID of your Insteon controller (this is the ID that was setup in the Controllers section of the Explorer...not the Insteon ID of the PLC). Substitute the second parameter for the PLC group number you setup. The "ion" enumerated value is for Insteon On. This will control the lamplinc and the button together as a group.
It's ok that the button is linked to the lamplinc and is the way it should be. Insteon groups are unique to each controller with no way for the PLC or another device to tell a different device to "turn on your group X". You must duplicate a group into each device that is going to "control" the group.
Dave.
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Lazyman
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| Posted: January 09 2007 at 17:18 | IP Logged
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I lost my Powerhome database and had to start over with the new version. I am running into some old problems including the one that got me on this string originally.
Where did I go wrong?
I want a timed event to turn my son's night light on and off. Since it is also controlled by a keypadlinc button, I want both the load and the keypad button to be triggered. A want the light (load) to come on at 25%.
I created a group containing both the light and the button (setting the level of the light to 25%). I named it "night light group" I cannot get the group to trigger as a timed event using the Insteon Group timed event command. When I PLC group the light at 100% it works.
Is there a better way to do what I want to do? How do I get a group to respond as a timed event.
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TonyNo
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| Posted: January 09 2007 at 19:36 | IP Logged
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Quote:
| How do I get a group to respond as a timed event? |
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Create a timed event of type Formula like this...
ph_insteonrawgroup( "THE ID OF YOUR PLC CONTROLLER", Group Number, ion, 0)
Now, when the timed event fires at the preset time, that group (the light) will be turned on to 25% as set in the group.
Keep in mind that a 25% level for Insteon is 0.25 * 255 = 64.
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Lazyman
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| Posted: January 10 2007 at 11:55 | IP Logged
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I am not sure where my problem is. I can get the timer to work, but the light comes on at 100%, not 50%.
My Formula is: ph_insteonrawgroup( "INSTEON", 4, ion, 0)
I may have just found a new problem. In the Powerhome Explorer, my PLC ID (the insteon DM) is INSTEON.
In the Insteon Explorer, the PLC is called POWERLINC1. Shouldn't they be the same?
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TonyNo
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| Posted: January 10 2007 at 13:14 | IP Logged
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First, double-check that the dim level for the group is set to 64.
Note the statement by Dave above...
Quote:
| Substitute the first parameter with the ID of your Insteon controller (this is the ID that was setup in the Controllers section of the Explorer...not the Insteon ID of the PLC). |
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Lazyman
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| Posted: January 13 2007 at 15:21 | IP Logged
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I checked my group. It does come on at the correct time, but it comes on at 100%. In the group, I set the lamplink at 64. Still comes on at 255.
I tried setting the keypadlinc button at 64 also.
Any other suggestions?
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dhoward
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| Posted: January 15 2007 at 20:50 | IP Logged
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Lazyman,
Can you email me a screenshot of the Insteon Explorer Links screen with the appropriate ID's indicated? I might be able to spot the problem or suggest a course of action.
Concerning the differences in ID's...each Controller you define gets an ID (the Insteon DM in this case that you've defined as "INSTEON") and each Insteon device gets an ID (including the PLC which you've defined as "POWERLINC1"). The POWERLINC1 is the PLC that is connected to the Insteon DM controller INSTEON.
Dave.
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Topic: KeypadLinc button show status?
