FrayAdjacent

I have set up buttons on my RemoteLinc for different areas using programs. Basically, one button pair turns on my upstairs stuff and sets the thermostat, and the off turns off the lights and sets the thermostat. I've had to set up two programs, though, since I have one set of actions I want to happen during daytime, and another at nighttime, and I'm not sure if a THEN/ELSE will do what I want, but that is my question. I have a variable State that is set to 1 at 30 minutes before sunset, and set to 0 at sunrise, so that acts as my 'night time' indicator. I do an AND statement with the button on my RemoteLinc, and it activates one program or the other. (for the 'turn everything off' program, I only use one, since sending an OFF signal to a light that is already off won't do anything undesireable). My question is, though, can I set up the IF statement to have a button press ANDed to the variable, then have the THEN statement be my 'night time' action, and the ELSE statement to be my daytime action? (given the variable state of 1 in the AND statement) Or will having the variable ANDed to a button execute the ELSE statement if the variable switches and the button is not pressed??

AFAIK, you cannot get the Admin Console to run from a smartphone. The java applet won't work on it. If you can get to the HTML page, that's about as far as you can go. Conductor and MobiLink are a couple of the apps you could run from a smartphone, but you still can't do things with them that you can do through the Admin Console.

Apostolakisl, I understand now... the "from this time to that time" is more like "starting the program (THEN) at the 'from' time, and ending (ELSE) at the 'to' time." Makes sense to me now. ANDing that with a control signal should result in the THEN statement not running unless it is after the first time, before the second time, and the button is pressed.... and the ELSE statement would run at least at the TO time value. Problem was, at least two of the programs I had set up like that were running the THEN statement at the FROM time value without a button press. I think the variable I came up with will work just fine. Thanks for the input, it helps me understand the programming a bit more!

Got a little impatient and logged in from work... had to clear the Java cache stuff... seems to help with the admin console in Linux. I added a second variable, and then was able to doubleclick on the first one, change the name, and save it. The second variable let me save the name the first time I doubleclicked on it. Darn, I was going to play around with setting up programs for vacation days to disable some of my workday timer programs.... and the Java console disappeared. Guess it's still not too stable. I'll probably just avoid using it at work, or RDP into one of my windows machines at home.

Sanders, I'll give that a try. Right now, I only have one State variable, so I couldn't try clicking on another then back on this one. Since I want to set up a 'vacation' state variable, I could do that and try your suggestion. I'm at work on a Linux box, and while I can get the admin console up, it doesn't run as well as it does on my Windoze box at home. I'll wait until then to try your suggestion. Thanks!

Lee, thanks for checking. I'm not sure why my unit ran the THEN statements for several of the programs that had a RemoteLinc control ANDed to the time period, but it did. All of the programs I had set up this way had nothing in the ELSE clause. I know at least one or two of the THEN clauses were executed because the thermostats had changed their setpoints. For information, I updated my ISY to 3.1.14 on Friday, and the programs executed yesterday at sunset -30 and again this morning at sunrise +30. Now with the variable set up, the Program Summary screen doesn't show anything under the Next Scheduled Run, so as long as my variable gets set correctly, my programs triggered by the RL buttons should function as desired. I'm going to run with it like this for a few days and see how it goes. The only bugger now is that I can't rename the variable. I can doubleclick on the name and change it, but the Save button stays unavailable. I'd like to be able to name it, since I'm thinking about setting a variable for 'Vacation' to then use to disable some of my time based programs.

Lee, I already edited my programs to use the variable value I created... but here is an example program I created that shows what I was doing with the IF statement: If Control 'Controllers / RemoteLinc1' is switched On And From Sunset - 30 minutes To Sunrise + 30 minutes (next day) Then Set 'Downstairs / Downstairs Lamp' On Set 'Downstairs / Downstairs Stat' 70° (Heat Setpoint) Else - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

I get what you're saying Oberkc... there's more than likely one way to skin this cat. My first method didn't seem to work. I could see the Program Summary showed the Next Scheduled Run for each of the programs as the next time point (sunset or sunrise). Now that I created a variable, and two programs to set the variable either to 1 or 0 at 30 before sunset and 30 after sunrise, and then changed my programs to use the variable value, it appears to be doing what I want. I'll just have to keep an eye on it, and maybe set some redundancy for the variable state change, so that if there is something like a power interruption, it doesn't flip the bit and end up throwing off my programs.

I had set up several groups of programs to be triggered by buttons on my RemoteLinc, and had several that would execute one program at night, and a different program at day. I did this by doing the control signal ANDed to a time statement that was "from 30 minutes before sunset until 30 minutes after sunrise the following day" for 'night time' and of course the opposite time period for 'daytime'. Well, that ended up executing the program at 30 minutes before sunset for the 'night' programs and 30 minutes after sunrise for the 'day' programs, without any input from the RemoteLinc. I guess the time statement basically ends up meaning "run this program from this time to this time"... so... bollucks. Have to re-think my method here. I decided I'd try to set a variable and use that as a condition in the IF statement of my programs, then have a couple simple programs to set the variable at appropriate times. So I set up a State variable for 'night time' when the value is = 1, and daytime for value = 0. Is this the best way to do what I want to achieve? I can't rename the variable... I can double click on the name and type something else, but it won't let me save it at that point.

Tagging for responses... But that sounds more complex than a simple schedule. I'd do this: Set up a periodic query for the thermostats, then use the thermostat's temperature reading in your 'if' statement. You can use < or >. I set up a program that turns on the ceiling fan in my upstairs livingroom if the temperature is over 75F using that type of thing.

Now I'm poking around.... and it's working. All I did was add it back to the scenes that it dropped out of when I deleted and re-added the device. Perhaps something was messing with communications? I don't have anything else that would be transmitting on the same band in the house. (no baby monitors or anything) The dishwasher may have still been running, but that's downstairs. Oddness. I'm going to have to keep an eye on it.

Meh, I did the manual upgrade to 3.1.14... One of my LampLincs is fubar, I think. It was acting flaky before I got the ISY99i in... I've ordered a few X10 lamp modules to replace that one and add on a couple more lamps. The problem I'm having now is one of my thermostats. Either from Conductor (on my Android phone) or through the Admin Console, if I set the heat setpoint, it refreshes in the console, but doesn't change on the thermostat. Query the thermostat, and it shows the previous setting. The Setpoint Up 1 and Setpoint Down buttons on the Admin Console actually DO work. The HTML page controls work under Devices as well. It's just the setting through the Admin Console, and on Conductor. Changes via programs appear to work fine, too. My downstairs thermostat (same stat, same dongle, v1.3) works fine when doing any of the above. I just deleted the device and re-linked it. No change. I'm gonna do a little digging around in the forums to see if I can find anything that may help.

I got my ISY99i in this week, and got it all set up and programmed yesterday. I noticed that the firmware is 2.8.16. Registered it this afternoon on UD's website... (I searched the forum, apparently 'firmware' is too common, so the software won't let you search for it!) How do I get this sucker to update the firmware?

Got everything in, and I'm starting to link everything now. Got one thermostat linked so far, and I like that everything is in actual degrees. This thing is SO much better than the EZServ!

Yep, looks like it's going to turn off your outlet, not your light.

Michel, no, this was a used unit from a seller through Amazon. Got a good deal on it, so I'm not too upset. Looking forward to getting it up and running soon.

Got the ISY99 in today. It's a 99i-IR PRO, and the PLM is a 2413S.. but no power supply. Oh well, I ordered one from Smarthome this morning. I won't have a real chance to sit down and get it up and running until at least Wednesday, but probably Thursday, anyway.

Lee, THANKS! That cleared it WAY up for me! I appreciate you taking the time to explain it for me.

Lee, Thanks for the response. I would guess that what I was saying I'd want to do that would result in an if/then/else/if, would actually have to be done in two programs. This is the way I did it in the EZServ. The issue was, when I hit the ON button on my RemoteLinc that triggered an action during the day, the action triggered by that same button at sunset was run at sunset, because the button was previously pressed.... basically the button goes into a state, and the EZServ read it as "button 5 in ON state AND sunset..." As for scenes, I agree, I was just saying that I never figured out how to get the EZServ to activate a scene from an action. I'd much rather use scenes than actions/programs with individual actions set.

Lee, Thanks for the response. I would guess that what I was saying I'd want to do that would result in an if/then/else/if, would actually have to be done in two programs. This is the way I did it in the EZServ. The issue was, when I hit the ON button on my RemoteLinc that triggered an action during the day, the action triggered by that same button at sunset was run at sunset, because the button was previously pressed.... basically the button goes into a state, and the EZServ read it as "button 5 in ON state AND sunset..." As for scenes, I agree, I was just saying that I never figured out how to get the EZServ to activate a scene from an action. I'd much rather use scenes than actions/programs with individual actions set.

Thanks guys, I'm pretty sure I'll get the hang of the ISY99 pretty quick. I work in IT, so technical stuff is not alchemy to me! I never did figure out how to get a scene to respond to an Action on the EZServ... I mostly gave up on it, but maintain some simple actions set up as timers. I did manage to get an action called by a button on my RemoteLinc as well, but that took some digging and fooling around. One other concern I have is with the RemoteLinc. While I'd like to have some devices directly controlled from it (through the ISY99, I know it's best to run everything through it instead of direct linking), I'd like to have some set up conditionally... like this: If between sunrise and sunset Button 5 ON is pressed then set thermostat to such and such else if between sunset and sunrise Button 5 ON is pressed then set thermostat to such and such AND turn on some lights The issue or question about that scenario I have is that if I press the ON button 5 during daytime, as soon as sunset hits, does the second sequence of events get triggered? IIRC, when you set a program to be triggered by a button on the RemoteLinc, it sets it to a status, as a wall switch would be. Is there a way to get around that? So that if I do something like the above, and then leave for the day, the sunset action won't be triggered, without having to push the OFF button 5? Basically, I'd rather have the buttons on the RemoteLinc act as just triggers for scenes or actions (some depending on time of day), but not have the ISY trigger other events because a button on the RemoteLinc was pressed X hours ago!

I've been reading around, trying to glean info while I wait for my ISY99 to get in - actually it's at the post office, and I'll go pick it up this morning - and will start setting it up soon. Currently, I run an EZServ, which has left me sorely disappointed, and has driven me to get an ISY99. I already know the ISY99 will do SO MANY THINGS my EZServ can't dream of. Heck, the last firmware update for that unit came out in 09, IIRC! Anyway, my mind is still in the EZServ state of mind... but what do I mean by that? I mean that most concepts are different with the EZServ. It has Areas (groups of devices), Scenes and Actions (programs). You can't do much with the Areas area, except, well, have a list of devices that are in the same area. Scenes works like I think one would expect scenes to work, although I have none set up. Why you ask? Because in the Actions area, you can't activate a scene from a program!! Yeah. It sucks. Bad. So I think I need to change my state of mind to work with the ISY99. I've skimmed around the forums, and the Wiki, but only have a slight grasp on the best way to approach setting up my ISY99. I know I'll have to get the individual devices set up. I'll use the Wiki for a guide there. The next part is the change of mind, and my questions relating to it: Currently the 'actions' on my EZServ are mostly just timers (at this time, do this, etc.) Since I can't call scenes from actions with the EZServ, and the number of actual actions each action can perform is pretty much limited to 5, it's left me limited. I'm expecting that on the ISY99, I can set up scenes, and then just have programs call the scenes. I guess that's just a longwinded way of saying "on the ISY99, for 'timer' events, is the best way to do what I want to set up scenes and then call them from programs?" I apologize if this kind of question is redundant... I know that forums that have been around for a while usually have many of the same questions asked and answered, but often it's in different ways, and it's a bit tricky to separate the wheat from the chaff.

That would work. I suppose WHS does the DNS updating dynamically for you. Bum thing on my end is that I have to do it manually, but the IP doesn't change very often. If I'm at work and it has changed, I just check gmail, as it will show the IPs I've logged in from.

Accessing something over the internet requires that you 1. know your home IP address (which can change) 2. have a router/firewall and set it up to forward appropriate traffic to the device It's like this, when you're at home, you're on a closed phone system. When you connect to your ISY from your phone at home, it's like calling an extension in the same building. Of course, when you're outside of that building, you can't call the extension, because the phone system you're on outside, doesn't know what it is. You need the phone number that will get you into the building. This is an overview,of course. There are several variables, but the above is a good analogy of how it works.

Hey Tim, yeah, the seller is including a 'dual band PLM', but doesn't say what model it is. I would bet since it's a used unit, it's probably what the original buyer purchased. I'll update when I get the unit in. I am very glad to hear the unit can do at least one of the things I want it to. Once it's in and set up, I'll then want to expand... a few outlets, a couple motion sensors...