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geo_geer
Newbie
Joined: November 28 2006
Location: Canada
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Posts: 7
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| Posted: December 07 2006 at 10:26 | IP Logged
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Hey all,
newb question here...
I'm having a tough time figuring out how to use insteon groups. The overall point of what I'm trying to do is an ALL OFF button or trigger or whatever you call it.
I want to be able to press a keypad button (on a couple different keypads throughout the house) and have the PLC see it and send a FASTOFF to every device in the house.
So, I've made a link to every device where the PLC is the controller, and all of the devices are in group 1 or 2, where 1 is main floor and 2 is upstairs. I added the PLC group names in the PLC GROUPS tab too.
For now I'm just trying to build a button in control center just to see if I'm doing this correctly. So I created the button with device control with this:
INSTEONGROUP+UPSTAIRS+FASTOFF
When I try to click on the button, nothing happens. It doesn't even "click in" like the other buttons that just control one light do.
What am I missing here? Is there some easy way to define an insteon group, and give it a name and all that?
The phinsteon.rtf doc seems a little out of date, because it's mentioning screens and buttons that I just don't seem to have in my version.
Ideas?
Thanks!
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GSOUZA
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Joined: October 20 2006
Location: Brazil
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| Posted: December 07 2006 at 11:44 | IP Logged
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1. Create a group called (ALL OFF) with goup number (254).
2. link everything you want to control to this group.
3. Save all the insteon IDs to PLC.
4. create a trigger like this:
TRIGGERID (ALL OFF)
TRIGGERDESCRIPTION (ALL OFF)
Raw formula
ph_insteongroup("ALL OFF",ifastoff,0)
Queued
Active
Insteon Group In
ID of FASTOFF switch (switchlink or keypad)
1 (1 for switchlink or the # of the keypad button you want)
Fast Off (switchlink or OFF for keypad)
1
5. dont forget to change the keypad button to non toggle mode (always send off command).
6. enjoy your ALL-OFF new settings :)
ps. you can do how many triggers like that you want.
see this article about it:
http://www.power-home.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=942&PN=1
cya
Gustavo
Edited by GSOUZA - December 07 2006 at 11:46
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geo_geer
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Joined: November 28 2006
Location: Canada
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| Posted: December 07 2006 at 22:23 | IP Logged
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Yeah, I saw that post that you linked too and I've been trying to emulate that from the beginning.
I think I'm stuck on the very first part.
1. Create a group called (ALL OFF) with group number (254).
How do I do this?
Is this the same as highlighting the PLC in the LINKS tab under devices, and adding the all the other devices as responders under group 254?
Everything I've read makes it seem like there is another place to create groups of insteon devices and give them names, but I can't seem to figure out where it is. Sorry if this is seeming really dumb.
Edited by geo_geer - December 07 2006 at 22:24
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GSOUZA
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| Posted: December 08 2006 at 00:53 | IP Logged
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No,
in Insteon Explorer you have a PLC groups tab. near links and devices.
just go there and create a group called ALL OFF with 254 as a group. this is a global PLC group.
cya
Gustavo
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geo_geer
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| Posted: December 08 2006 at 15:08 | IP Logged
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OK, yeah I did that.
Then I went into the links section and added the other devices to the PLC as responders under group 254.
Now I want to create a button in control center that would send an off command to that group.
So I'm using "device control" just like all of the other buttons I've made for a single light, but this time I'm using the Insteon Group, instead of just Insteon. In the builder, (control center object properties) my ALL group shows up and it seems like everything should work fine. When I click on the button, nothing happens.
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dhoward
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Joined: June 29 2001
Location: United States
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| Posted: December 08 2006 at 19:19 | IP Logged
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Geo_gear,
Welcome to PowerHome!
I think there's a little confusion going on so I'll try to detail below:
The PLC supports a total of 254 individual groups and the global group for a grand total of 255 groups. These groups are simply numbered from 1 to 255 (or 01 thru FF) in Insteon terms. Group 255 is the global group and you should never add or create links directly to this group.
To create links to any of the PLC groups, you would use the "Links" tab in the Insteon Explorer. These PLC groups will be with the PLC as the "Controller" and the other devices as "Responders". To do this, just select the PLC in the middle window labeled "Devices" and all devices "controlling" the PLC will appear in the top window and all devices "responding" or controlled by the PLC will appear in the bottom window. This is the window we'll be working with to create Insteon groups. In the right hand window, select the devices you wish to add as PLC responders by clicking on them. You can select multiple rows by holding either the Control or Shift keys while clicking. If you click on a heading, then the window will toggle between selecting all rows or unselecting all rows. Once you've got the devices selected, click on the left facing arrow beneath the right hand window to copy the devices into the "Responders" window. Once the devices are copied, you'll need to type the group number of the PLC that you wish the devices to respond to. You'll also need to fill in the button number if the device is a KPL and the Desired Level and Desired Ramprate if they differ from the default. When you're done, click the "Save" text to save the changes and start PowerHome creating the links.
The "PLC Groups" tab just allows you to assign an easy to remember "ID" to each of the PLC's 255 groups and in no way has anything to do with creating or setting up the groups or links that make up a group. It's just a way to substitute an ID for a number (and required with the Device Control strings as this only excepts the ID and not a number).
Now, Group 255. Group 255 is the global group. What this means is that when you send a group command to group 255, any device linked to the controlling device in any group will respond. So if you have devices in PLC groups 1,3,4,5,8, and 10 and send an ON command to PLC group 255, then every device that is in either group 1,3,4,5,8, and 10 will turn ON. Group 255 is the master group that encompasses ALL groups. This is exactly how the ControLinc performs it's ALL ON and ALL OFF commands. Even though it only has groups 1 thru 5, the All On and All Off buttons send commands to the global group 255.
Soooo, with all that explained, I think you're mostly there. If Ive read your posts correctly, it sounds as if you've already added all of your devices to PLC groups 1 and 2. So, the next step would be to go to "PLC Groups" and declare an ID for Group 255 (you might as well declare ID's for group 1 and group2 also). Make sure everything is saved. Next, I would create the Control Center button from the Control Center Design View rather than the PowerHome Explorer since a bug has been discovered where the Device Control Strings are not saved (this very well may be your problem). When creating the Device Control String, use the Global group 255 ID and Insteon Group. You can then use the Fast On or Fast Off commands. Save the Control Center changes, close and reopen the CC and test the button. If it works, then move forward to creating the trigger.
Hope this helps,
Dave.
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GSOUZA
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| Posted: December 08 2006 at 23:47 | IP Logged
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Exactly, Exactly what i was trying to explain!!!
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geo_geer
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| Posted: December 09 2006 at 01:45 | IP Logged
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awesome. That's what I needed. I had everything up to the creating a 255 group in the PLC Links tab. I'll play with this some more and hopefully it'll work.
Thanks guys!
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Dean
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Joined: August 21 2003
Location: United States
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| Posted: December 09 2006 at 09:51 | IP Logged
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Dave,
This question is not specific to Powerhome, but Insteon, but I thought since we are on the topic of Insteon groups I would ask it here.
I have a ControLinc that I configured with Powerhome to turn on a bunch of lights and some ceiling fans. When I press the All On button on the ControLinc all lights and fans that it controls turn on, as would be expected based on your previous explanation of Insteon groups.
Is there any way to prevent the fans from turning on with an All On command? It sounds like there isn't a way to do this.
Thanks,
-Dean
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dhoward
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| Posted: December 18 2006 at 13:42 | IP Logged
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Dean,
Unfortunately no. Ive been trying to think of a way that it could even be tricked with some creative programming of the ControLinc and there is no way to do it. Basically if it's going to respond from a normal 1 thru 5 button press, then it will also respond to the All On/Off button as well (group 255).
However, the reverse is possible. You can setup the ControLinc so that normal button presses 1 thru 5 turn on certain lights/fans and then an All On/Off command turns on those same lights and then some. The "and then some" is accomplished by changing the ControLinc type groups from 5 to 6 and then creating links to devices within group 6 (normally not available on the ControLinc). Any device in group 6 will respond to an All on/off but will not be controlled by the normal 1 thru 5 buttons. Doesnt help with your problem but I thought it would be interesting to note while were on the subject.
Dave.
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doctorjerry
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Joined: November 10 2007
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| Posted: January 13 2008 at 23:47 | IP Logged
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Dave,
I created a group of a few insteon modules. Only one indicates verified in both Ctrl Link Status and Resp Link Status. This module responds to group commands. The other modules indicate verified in the Ctrl Link Status, and FLAG CREATED in the Resp Link Status. They do not respond to group commands. What does this mean and how do I correct the problem.
Jerry
__________________
Jerome
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PowerHome Messageboard : PowerHome Programming
Topic: Insteon Groups
