Sub-Routine

Larry, you will need to create a scene that contains the KPL button as a responder and turn that scene Off when you turn off the floodlight in the Then section of your program. The Else section does not execute after Then. Have a look at this wiki article: SwitchLinc_Emulates_Countdown_Timer for some interesting programming ideas. #2, I like to add all the responders and then the controllers, but it doesn't really make much difference. Rand

Rand, was this post meant for this thread? I was not sure who you were responding to... Oops.

If you have the older switches Smarthome has agreed to replace some of them. You should phone Smarthome. Rand

Oh, and be sure to point out how the weather data can help make the village safer, as well as more efficient. Rand

Darrell, yes, I am lucky that the high school has invested and surprised the airport didn't. Perhaps your village/newspaper/radio station/etc. would sponsor a station at your local high school The one I see is sponsored by a local TV/radio corporation. If you connect to WeatherBug the data would be available to everyone. I've posted in the How-Tos an example to buffer the light/dark signals. My first program was a bust WeatherBug Light data thread. Rand

When the sky brightens this program runs. If Module 'Climate' Light >= 65 And Program 'Wait to Change' is False Then Run Program 'Wait to Change' (Then Path) Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') When the sky brightens Only runs if sky was dark during last check When the Light level crosses the threshold (65) it will have to remain above or below that level for 5 minutes before the lights change. Crossing the level during the wait will restart the Wait. Rand

I found a WeatherBug site close to our home that includes Light data. I can use this to turn lights on when it's overcast and turn them off if the sky clears. To avoid cycling the lights on partly cloudy days I wanted to add a Wait. I selected 5 minutes which would see 5 data changes at the default polling interval of 60 seconds. Unfortunately, my original program ran every time the data changed (every 60 seconds) and the Wait kept being restarted. If Module 'Climate' Light < 65 Then Wait 5 minutes Set Scene 'Light Experiment' On Else Wait 5 minutes Set Scene 'Light Experiment' Off Don't use this!!! So I broke it down into three programs. The first program runs the Wait and then performs the Action. The Status of this program defaults to False but once run it will report True if the Then section was last executed. Wait to Change If - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition') Then Wait 5 minutes Set Scene 'Light Experiment' Off Else Wait 5 minutes Set Scene 'Light Experiment' On Bright Day = True Dark Day = False When it gets dark this program runs. If it was dark last time the Light data was polled the control program is already running the Else section and reports it's status as false. This program then quits without changing the control program and restarting the Wait. If it was light during the last poll this program begins the Wait before turning the scene on. If Module 'Climate' Light < 65 And Program 'Wait to Change' is True Then Run Program 'Wait to Change' (Else Path) Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') When the sky turns dark Only runs if sky was light during last check

You aren't missing anything, there is no way to turn a button off when you turn a scene on except with a program. You will have to put the buttons as responders in a scene and use a program to turn the scene off when you want the buttons off. Rand

Watching the Light data changing I added some Waits to my program. The 65 seems like a good number for the inside lights on the north side of our house. I will probably use a lower number for lights on the south end of the house, at least for the winter. I will also use noon to change the number for our foyer/hallway which has a window facing east. I was up early enough this morning to watch the sunrise. When the Light reaches 8-10 it's so bright that the outside lights are unnecessary. I've been turning the lights on 30 minutes before sunset and leaving them on 30 minutes after sunrise to allow for cloud cover. This is going to save me some electricity! Darrell, I haven't looked at the personal weather stations lately, and now I don't need to but I imagine the rates and other data are probably features of the more advanced (expensive) stations and software. Still watching the Light, Rand

There have been numerous reports that v.35 switches are buggy, if you tap On twice does it then report Status? I would suggest waiting for a fix. Michel says Smarthome is aware of the problems and are working to fix them. It doesn't make any sense to install them when they don't work on top of the PLM. Rand

Hello Frank, Programming the ISY is fairly straight forward, it's design for ease of use demands simplicity and allows many programs to run at once on a small processor. There are a few caveats though. Could it be that the motion sensor is sending an Off? Or your Sunset program ends (becomes false). A small change to your program could fix that. If Control '2nd Floor_MS Hall Sen' is switched On And Program 'ISYPrg_Sunset Inside Lts Prg' is True Then Set '2nd Floor_Hall Cans' 35% Wait 5 minute Set '2nd Floor_Hall Cans' Off Else Wait 5 minute Set '2nd Floor_Hall Cans' Off Or use two programs. This is more in the line of ISY programming. If Control '2nd Floor_MS Hall Sen' is switched On And Program 'ISYPrg_Sunset Inside Lts Prg' is True Then Set '2nd Floor_Hall Cans' 35% Run Program 'Hall Lights Out' (Then Path) Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') Hall Lights Out If - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition') Then Wait 5 minute Set '2nd Floor_Hall Cans' Off Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') I do suggest using a scene rather than a device so you can control the ramp rate. Rand

Here is a screenshot of the HTML page added with the WB module: Rand

I just added the WeatherBug module to my ISY99. There are 50 sites available to my location, a northwest suburb of Chicago. They are listed in order of distance, the furthest at 18.09 miles. I found the site closest to my home (1.8 miles), a small airport with an official weather station (KPWK), was missing the above data, except perhaps Rain Today. Site #2 on my list, a local high school (still only 2.57 miles), has ALL the data, except perhaps Rain Today. I think that Snow is different then Rain as it has snowed about 3-4 inches already today and Rain Today says 0 mm. It's pretty overcast, enough for a few extra lights on in the house and the Light was about 54 (percent?) when I first connected. I am able to observe the Light diminishing and rising as the clouds move through. And the Light Rate indicates +/- as it changes (percent/hour?). Pretty cool. It should be better than Dawn/Dusk from a MotionSensor. These folder schedule conditions coincide with our weekday schedules. Daytime Folder Conditions for 'Daytime' Add conditions to limit when programs in this folder are allowed to run. If From 8:30:00AM To Sunset - 1 hour and 30 minutes (same day) And Program 'Weekend On' is False Then Allow the programs in this folder to run. I will have to monitor the Light level for a few days to determine how correct 65 is. Stormy Day Don't use this! See here. If Module 'Climate' Light < 65 Then Wait 5 minutes Set Scene 'Indoor Lights - Stormy Day' On Else Wait 5 minutes Set Scene 'Indoor Lights - Daytime Away' On I am definitely going to be able to change the 'Sunset - 1 hour and 30 minutes (same day)' part. I'll have to look through a few other programs at the same time. I wish there was Snowfall and Snowfall Rate, but I suppose that would involve equipment more sophisticated than the average person can afford. I was hoping to see that, or a conversion to Rain data, from the airport. I'm guessing it will be March or later before I can assess Rain data here. This module makes a great addition to the ISY! Rand Edited to add the Waits to the program. Edited to note the Program doesn't work

As Burak says, folders can have conditions. If these conditions are false the programs in the folder will not run, even by direct command. But I think the first use of folders would be just to organize your programs. I have many folders without conditions in my root directory. Within these folders may be more folders, with or without conditions. Adding conditions to a folder allows all the programs within that folder to use the condition(s) of that folder as well as additional folder or program conditions. Rand

If you are already controlling the lights in groups (scenes) can't you check the level of one light in each scene? Otherwise I'm afraid it's check each light's status. I would suggest breaking that down into groups of programs with different times on the folders. Rand

> Off is also a valid test, like is not Off. Rand

Tough and also Odd. Why would you dim the lights at sundown? I agree it would take some time to write a program for each device, although Copy Program can speed that up. It's going to take Scenes to use long ramp rates for slow dims. Fades happen quickly. You could make several scenes with several lights in each scene and set new levels for each device in the scene. Use Sundown +/- to stagger the programs by a minute or two. I don't know why you have the 75% criteria. , but I do have a program where, at a sundown offset, if a specific light is below a certain level I activate a scene to brighten the room (Welcome Home). If that one light is above the test level I assume someone is already using the room and no changes occur. Rand

The symptoms you describe indicate communication errors. It is unlikely that rebooting the PLM or the ISY would overwrite existing links. Even Restore ISY should not affect device links. If the PLM didn't reboot properly you could try Restore Modem. A bad switch may be sending noise which could cause poor communications. Are the Access Point LEDs flashing? Is the PLM LED flashing? Since you added a circuit you may have to relocate your Access Points. Does the new circuit have a new load? Rand

I just got several new SwitchLincs - is there something I should know before I install the rest of them? Best to install and test one at a time. The poll is reading 7/10. Be sure to factory reset each one. I bench test every unit As far as comm issues huddadudda, no change here, everything is working great for scene control. Changes to a scene induced some invalid links in 2.6.8 - 2.6.12, but 13 and Restore Device have cured those ills. I have to echo Jim H and type look for a new GameBoy or cellphone or something as the culprit. Big screen? You could downgrade again as a test. Rand

That is what the Insteon specifications say, but... While I haven't bought any new devices in the last year or so ALL of my ~45 devices use the last ramp rate and not the default with direct On/Off commands. It is always reproducible. Rand

Yes, that is normal Insteon behavior. I don't know of any work-around other than to send a dim or bright immediately following the on command, then the device will jump to the preset level. Rand

That doesn't sound good. It could be a communication issue but if links are created without errors (new scene) then Status and Control should function properly. Rand

Until you run out of RAM. If the ISY allows you to save the programs the programs are running. Status should work but it will take a change before the program triggers. The ISY has to be a member of the scene to see the changes. Rand

Just to clarify, Two simple programs would accomplish the same thing. After you write the first... Fan Off: If Control 'Bathroom' is switched Off Then Wait 5 minutes Set 'Bathroom Fan' Off Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') You will write the second program after a few uses: Cancel Fan Off: If Control 'Bathroom' is switched On Then Stop program 'Fan Off' Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') The original example cantates the two by using the negative of the second program to negate the first program. Just so to save you a step I wondered that a lot when I started too, I hope this helps explain it. Rand

It's your favorite Wait command If Control 'Bathroom' is switched Off And Control 'Bathroom' is not switched On Then Wait 5 minutes Set 'Bathroom Fan' Off Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action') By using the not switched On condition the program will be stopped is someone re-enters the room. Rand