KSchex

Modbus would have been nice but simple was the order of the day. 485 was serial byte string address,8 contact inputs, x analog inputs, data length, CRC, binary packed data. Spoke too soon on ISY reliability. It "hung" twice in the last week and came back to life.

DCARD...Spent almost a lifetime with PDP-8, PDP-11, LSI-11 and then VAX. My company originally used PDP-11/34's and 35's for the control system, having only 128K words of memory. Color graphic displays were with Aydin video controllers. The system controlled a pipeline, calculated flows, did leak detection, other system interface, and had a graphic interface all in realtime. All "determination" type logic in my system is done in the ISY. It is the most reliable part. Any required data from the Beagles is sent to the ISY as well as Apache. All display comes from Apache running on an old Windows computer. Everything is written around Apache in C, cURL, JavaScript, and a little PHP. For display I grab data from the ISY and Beagles with Apache and serve up a web page. Any "real time" alarms are done through my own audible annunciators (Zwave) and text messages from the ISY. I like the idea of low power and strive for it but my junk box parts do not always lend to it.

Hi dcard..The Home Automation area is not at all like the industrial automation I am use to. Where if something fails or does not work as described there is a finite reason. A reboot or reinstall is not an acceptable fix. This just means I cannot trust my system. It will fail again. My original foray into data collection was 8051's on a 485 com line. Then 8051 with ethernet. All were my designs written in assembly & C. At retirement I decided to learn about something new and picked the Beagle because it was built well and not widely used like the Pi. It was to be a challenge to learn the hardware and Linux (and it has been). As far as hardware interface for CT's I use an AD736 and what ever is in my junk box; LM224, 308, 311, 741, 324...The A/D is a MAX172. These are all old discrete parts but real design is fun. I am not looking for speed. This Beagle monitors temp, voltage and power then reports back any change in the house 240V feed. All of my "devices" talk over their own hardwire LAN, no WIFI. There are other devices out there that could do this for less than $250, but the best part is I control the hardware and software. All device data including ISY is collected through JavaScript programming and Apache server. My ISY mainly does open/close detection of doors and gates as well as light control and audible alarm annunciation along with text messages. By the way, I use the MIMO2+ to drive mechanically latching relays (P&B/Tyco) for my exterior flood lights. One input tells me if the circuit is on/off the other tells me the status of the relay pair. ISY software is used to select the appropriate relay depending on the state. Unfortunately the antique relay control is a hold over from my early days of X-10. Any input, comments, pointers or welcome.

Yes it does not match the Fortrezz spec sheet. I found that I had to use .8V to 2 volts input, This seemed to be the closest reasonably linear segment, not enough range. I considered doing curve segment breakpoints with a look up table or a curve fit but that was beyond the ISY. My solution was to use the MIMO2+ inputs for contact inputs from switches. I wound up with a Beaglebone black, and an 12-bit A/d to measure my house current. It sends Rest commands to the ISY setting the appropriate variables with the current (amps). Good luck..

I like the Opto 22 modules, using the quad IO modules. There are several different clones also. Usually I can pick them up along with a 4-slot backplane on Ebay cheap. I have used them with my aircondition monitor system along with a Beaglebone Black. Even though I build my own interface, I use only UL and CE approved devices for interface to my home. Best regards..

I do not think I would rely on the internet or a cell network to give you a local leak/flooding alarm within your house. Consider an Insteon siren.

Thanks for the update on the MIMO2+. I have been waiting for this for quite a while so I can press the buy button on Amazon. Having spent a lifetime in industrial and military electronics I believe more could be done to hardware, software, and especially communications to make ZWave more reliable and robust. It would also be nice to be able to interface to some multiple digital input and 12 bit analog input Modbus modules. The unfortunate thing about any HA protocol is it is adapted with time and is never really hardened. Let's also not forget quality, or lack of. Manufacturers are competing with one another for the most cost effective product and trying to keep up with new features at the same time. Just my 2 cents!

I would recommend you read through the posts in Release 5.0.13D (Beta) is now available . My experience in going from 4.xx to 5.0.13D had some pains and was not pretty. My basic configuration was good. As I recall my devices were OK but programs and variables needed attention. All of my disabled programs were enabled and trying to run. Some variables and device names were deleted in the programs. I had to go through each program correct and verify accuracy. I also had a couple of programs that I had to delete and re-enter because they were doing strange things. It took about 4 hours to get my small system running again. I guess data structures within the ISY database software changed causing this, don't know. Update to 5.0.14 from 5.0.13D was flawless. I don't know about a specific tutorial but I have found UDI's "The ISY994 Home Automation Cookbook (downloaded from UDI) to be most helpful along with posts from others. Updating/upgrading my ISY has added a lot of ZWave+ options for me. I am sure others could add to this. Good luck....

In a working world my forte' was hardware design, C and assembly programming. Now I need to learn internet & web related programming (cURL, JavaScript, PHP, Python...) for retirement! Sorry I can't add much assistance to the garage problem. For what it's worth, I have Mimos set for latching and momentary. The diagram I posted is just a switch that I read with a program. I did have problems with the input when the switch was in an open position. The Mimos kept sending analog reports to the ISY as the numbers bobbled a couple of digits. I had to tweak some of the parameters to get it to stop.

The one place that I rely on it is my "mailman audible annunciator". When my mailbox is opened, the ISY turns on an LED on a Homeseer WD200+ and then turns on a Mimo relay driving a sonalert. When my wife gets the mail she presses a button (connected to the Mimo Lite Input) that turns off the blinking LED. I have attached a picture. This happens 6 times a week with no failures, so far....

Nothing against any of the manufacturers, but this is why I have begun using Beaglebone Blacks with HTTP Get / Post and my own optically isolated IO. With this I have over come the single point problem. I still believe Z-Wave and most of the controllers were meant to be a consumer product, designed and manufactured in China with the attitude of sell a bunch and move on, as I have "moved on" through many trash devices. We as serious ISY users have taken this a step further; relying on this for daily performance of home automation. In my case I am disable and rely on it to do it's thing when I press the button, as advertised. As for MIMO, I have several Lites in my system but rely on them to report their status change and do not query them. In all cases I use the input to send me the status of the controlled device. The lack of support for the 2+ and long software lead time is what drove me to the Beaglebone solution as I could not wait any longer. It is unfortunate because they are well built little devices that I have found are easy to deal with and don't get confused with power failures. It has been quite a project. Thanks all for airing your views and findings as well as Michel for his undying support and assistance.

Hi Asbril….I don't know if this will help you but...I have found on some devices if I wait a second or two before asking for status or ask twice with a wait in between that 99% gets a lot better. Not sure if it is the device or the ISY being busy, or a little of both. Perhaps you have already tried this. I have found there are occasional times when the ISY is busy and misses messages. Especially in V5. I stripped my system down to one device and one simple program and the Event Viewer to verify this. With a sensor you tend not to notice it as much (even though it is there), but with a Wallmote keypad commanding a light through the ISY and a program it is very apparent when the ISY does not service the incoming message. As a side note, the first thing I did was verify good RF signal strength and no external interference with a spectrum analyzer. I realize this is above and beyond for some users but I was determined to know where my problem lies.

I too am still waiting on MIMO+2. I am holding back on two automation projects for the +2 compatibility. Because of the lack of multi input support I have used WIFI and Beaglebones in some key home areas. It would be nice to keep everything ZWave within the ISY and have a nice clean system.

Also impatiently awaiting MIMO 2+ complete ISY support. Thanks Michael for putting it in the que. Keith.

Would like to know what Insteon says the problem is. My guess is the output circuit driving the light is of a poor design. It probably uses a triac device or similar that is being turned on an off (modulated if you will) by the line noise. My guess is that later manufactured devices have a more stable circuit with some minimal filtering. Getting rid of the noise makers (switching power supplies, etc.) or adding filters in your home is a solution but in todays digital age this may be impossible. Nobody uses good old fashion analog power supplies any more or worries about harmonic distortion of your home power. Cost effective designs that are quick to market is whats important. It blows me away how a company can sell a device on such a grand scale that is so susceptible to power line noise, hampering the output and/or communication. Sorry, just had to add my 2 cents to a problem I have spent days working on. One reason I switched to Z Wave.

Just out of curiosity why could you not put pgm2 in the then of pgm1? It always calls it when the conditions are met. Thanks..

Hi mikek, I am currently using 3 MimoLites in my system; 1 drives an audible annunciator and 2 drive latching relays for light control. Both are set for momentary and use the output (for control) and input (for status). I added them like any other Z Wave device; exclude then include. I did not need to change any of the parameters. Good luck..

Hi Teken, I would really like to know what UDI has to say. Every computer has it's Achilles' heal. In this case it maybe the inability to handle the added successive Ethernet interrupts in a short time period. Just a guess.

I am not sure this is what you are looking for but …. Over the last year I created my own web user interface using the Home Automation Dashboard software in the UDI Forum as a base. Not having web programming experience I literally took the software apart to learn how it worked. From there I stripped out and saved all the AJAX and communication related code, starting simple. I prefer to stay away from “plugins” like JQUERYUI, etc. although I have used them in places. My UI is hosted on my NAS running Apache. As a personal rule, all logic is done in the ISY. My UI is only for viewing status, commanding devices, and setting user options. It will flag and alert me of status changes in specific alarm devices showing the date and time as well as flagging disabled devices. It is still a work in progress and is a subset of my system. I would recommend you look at the HAD Forum and Wiki along with the REST documentation, on the UDI web site. Also look at the SDK that is available. Best of luck…

Thanks Paul. I learned something new.

I saw the original post here and it got me thinking. Why would you want to query for status. The devices should send the status back automatically on a transition and the ISY should have that data. Am I missing something?

I am considering a zWave "stick" to interface to the Plus devices. I will need to write software to make this work with my graphic interface.

Thanks all....I was hoping I maybe missed something that would make passing and testing parameters simpler.

Has anybody figured a way to call a program with an attached parameter such as like a function call; function(parameter)? This would make annunciating various situations a lot cleaner with a lot less If than elses. Thanks....

Could not resist the comment....As we all know, Mimo2+ full functionality does not work in the current 4 or 5 Beta. Once again, I am patiently awaiting the released version 5 in hopes of full support for Mimo2+ (hint hint). Multi input/output device support would really be nice, two ins and two outs.