hart2hart

Direct from the wiki: “SKIP if a new SD Card Format the SD Card - you do NOT' have to format the SD Card if it's new Telnet To Your ISY Login with the admin password Issue "FS" to format the SD Card, answer the "Are you sure question" with an upper case "Y" Please note: the ISY works with both FAT 16/32, but FS function formats it specifically for use with ISY with some performance improvements so its preferred you use this method.” The wiki appears to contradict itself. It says “SKIP if a new SD cCard” and “FS function formats it specifically for use with ISY with some performance improvements so its preferred you use this method.” Which is correct? Thanks.

So is the concept/conjecture for POLISY architecture: 1. Abstracted Devices 2. Protocol specific and mixed scenes including keeping up with membership for things like replace device 3. Programs 4. Variables 5. Nodeservers that directly update devices through memory on SSD instead of network overhead calls a. lnsteon b. Zwave c. IP d. Many others as now exist for specific devices and protocols including things like network resource e. Zigbee f. Lutron Programs would interact with Devices, Scenes, variables in a abstracted fashion REST interface on a direct to POLISY or via a nodeserver interface The million dollar question is how current setups could be migrated to this type architecture?

Sorry but one more clarification please. Are you saying that just putting card in , booting, locating ISY with finder, installing correct firmware , and restoring the backup works. Or do you have to unzip a backup and copy files to card before steps above will work?

I had dropped the idea of cloning the card and was going to follow UD standards of how to create a card after an email exchange with Michel. Then others above started listing things that this standard method did not cover as in were not in the backup when restored. Like time zone email server etc. To be clear, I’m not planning to have a backup ready to go microsd card on the shelf. I’m wanting as a preventative measure to replace the one I have (original to the ISY994) now before it starts giving less than optimal backups and/or fails.

I received one of the industrial cards today. After email with Michel via support I had planned as a preventative measure to make another backup (I’ve got hundreds from over the years), remove existing card, format new card in ISY, install correct firmware and then restore backup. Now I’m second guessing all that. [mention]Michel Kohanim [/mention] can you please clarify about all the steps others say are not in the wiki or what was in our email like location, time zone, email server. Are there any others or were the above results from other users an anomaly that should have been restored with the backup?

Michel, I felt and continue to feel that UDI is one of the best companies and staff that I’ve ever encountered. However, this revelation about POLISY after it was targeted as a replacement for ISY which supports Insteon is very concerning to me. Fully understanding and respecting that UDI is a business and you need to make decisions in its interest, we with large investments in insteon need to make plans for our future. I for one am not moving to zwave. Additionally, I don’t want a cobbled together solution that will slowly loose support as could happen over time with UDI and Insteon. If I need to change platforms away from Insteon and select supporting HA controllers I need to know that so I can research it and start making plans over the next couple years. I don’t want to be in a position of making an abrupt decision. My true preference is staying with UDI and the incredible team here on the forum. Thanks as always for incredible support, Paul

Same goes for us that adopted ISY for Insteon before zwave was even real. Please help us plan what our future will be be. God forbid but do we need to be looking for another HA platform? I’m suddenly very sick to my stomach.

Which do you consider high endurance microSD cards? Just SanDisk?

Thanks for the feedback. I’ve got a spare laying in wait for wiki defined process and hoping it’s not needed. Not that it’s relevant anymore but my thought had been to get one the same size as in the ISY to prevent size related cloning. I’ve had that be an issue on RPis.

Some people got carried away with external antennas and thought the higher the gain the better. They didn’t realize high gain created signal strength that was directional. They about drove UD staff out of their minds complaining. Not speaking for UD but it may have be part of reason it was removed in new board and maybe something to do with zwave standards. I worked with new board for two weeks and could not get it reliable. I dropped back to older firmware and board and am 100% reliable again. Looked to see if their was a way to solder a connector to new board but decided I’d just stay put until Polisy with its Zwave interface arrives. Also looked at Schlage Encode but it doesn’t have a reachable local or cloud api. If that happens, I’d drop Zwave in a heartbeat.

The only way I got them to wok was with an external antenna with a slight gain on the 300 series board. I had it “pointed” at my 2 schlage deadbolts.

Where did you get PCB? Is it a prototype board? Can’t see any detail from photo. Thanks

Schlage BE469ZP? Reports changes near 100% of the time with repeaters or or zwave devices to form a mesh.

Sorry to repeat a bunch of stuff you were already aware of. I think they’re like mine and the batteries are inside - right so don’t think temp would be a factor. Do you still have the 4 batteries so you could test sit a multimeter ? I’ve had one of four go bad suddenly and since they are in series they fail instantly. It wasn’t a lock but same principle. Of course it could be a bad lock. There were a few settings that impacted battery life but nothing like you describe.

The locks do not display 100% of usable life. It’s 100% of total voltage. For example 4 AA Batteries in series will register 100% until voltage is less than 6 volts. At 90% the voltage is 5.4 V. The usable voltage is somewhere around 60% for me and then it’s too low to move the bolt. But you’ll notice it slowing near the end. I have program the tells me below 65% and I replace rather than get a failure. Good Alkaline batteries have a linear drop off. Lithium batteries go from hero to zero very rapidly but have a longer overall life. In other words they fail before you can be warned sometimes.

Thanks gentlemen. I know about the way to do a recovery if a card were to fail using backups which I have. It felt like if a simple image of card could be created on a new card there might be less moving parts and potentially less room for issues. With all respect for the advice given, does anyone know if a cloned image will work? I’ve long considered this as another backup before a major upgrade.

Will something like win32 imager clone an ISY SD card? My ISY card has not failed and it’s from time if release of 994. Thinking of doing as preventative maintenance.

I’ll pay shipping if you want to get rid of syncrolinc. I’d like to replace capacitors and see if it will work. I’ve been using 2 for many years dreading when one or both fail.

Since I have three Venstar thermostats, I would execute rest command three times for ven1, ven2 and ven3. Correct?

Look this up On amazon Aeotec by Aeon Labs ZW096 ZW096-A Smart Switch 6 I’ve used it to replace a syncrolinc to monitor dishwasher. I just hate all the zwave distance issues so I’ve got more repeaters than actual devices to make it reliable.

What are you trying to do? Turn a lamp on wit a switch? Are they Insteon or zwave or a mix? If Insteon you should create a scene. One of best features of Insteon.

Use replace device in ISY. That feature for Insteon is worth the price if ISY. Ive got very large scenes and it has worked every time for 12 years. Loved it as I moved to dual band devices after big smart home sales. Only limitation is you can not replace unlike devices. Say a relay with a dimmer. Also, if it impacts battery operated device, you’ll need to wake them up and apply the changes. Kinda surprised that all with Insteon don’t feel like this is gold. But to each his/her own.

Thanks for everything over the years. NodeLink and it’s xxxlinks before it are a huge part of my home automation.

Will that mean reworking programs?

My current use case is it to program a reboot of ISY on time change nights to get it back in sync. If it’s easy to do, would be great. Now I have a email sent to make me manually reboot. May all be moot if US legislature puts us on DST permanently. I can’t help but think that other use cases exist. Also, think I recalled it was a command from ISY to reboot computer that xxxLink was running on that I remember. Is move to net 5 next big change?