Wireless thermometer to report temperature to ISY99??

[Xathros]

Try this link: http://www.sheepwalkelectronics.co.uk/R ... ware.shtml

 

-Xathros

[MaddBomber83]

I'll probably start out small and grow the system once I see how well it works. I would start with one node and probably 3 clusters.

 

Is there a limit on wire length between the clusters?

Does the cluster need power?

Could I use cat6 and RJ45 3 way splitters to connect everything? I figured I could solder cat6 onto the sensors and stick a plug on the end to simplify connections to the main bus line. I'm pretty fast at adding the connectors to cat6.

 

Thanks for all of your help! This is something that I've been looking into for a long time and previously I thought the only way to do with was with a PLC and HMI, but that is a daunting task! This seems much more manageable!

 

For a house, it is unlikely that you will run into any issues. You'll only need to wire up 2 wires. You may use any cable that you want. You may connect them with splitters in any configuration that you want. You likely won't need to worry about any length issues.

 

But, never assume over the internet!

 

What these clusters do is provide a slight resistance to the network to enhance the stability. 2m is the recommended, however you can often get away with > 50 foot runs from the sensor to the cluster. I am running a 50 foot run between clusters without issue. You can get away with 150 feet without too much worry.

 

You can connect things however you want if the total weight of your network is <600 feet. Anything over this distance (and the values I use are conservative) you will need to arrange the network in a more advanced way, possibly with additional devices to supplement power and provide switching. Now for most house setups you are looking at a max of 300 feet, and are thus not limited really on the number of detectors you can have.

 

Take that 600 feet and subtract 3 feet for every detector. Also subtract the distance of the wires. I'll give the below example for my network:

 

My Bus is located in my Attic next to my HVAC Unit.

- 25 Feet to a Cluster at the front of my house that has 4 temperature Probes on 6 foot wires

- 50 Feet to a Cluster at the back of my house that has 4 temperature Probes on 3 Foot wires

- 10 Feet to a Cluster at the Bus connected to 4 temperature probes on 10 foot wires

- Each Cluster has a temperature probe on it.

 

Runs between clusters (85) = 25 + 50 + 10

Runs from Cluster to Probe (76) = (4x6) + (4x3) + (4x10)

Temperature Probes (45) = 15 x 3

House Weight is 206 feet. So I have a lot of room for expansion.

 

The second consideration is Network Radius. Essentially this is the largest distance a signal has to be transferred to. So from the Bus, to the farthest detector. If you keep this less than 600 feet then you can do whatever you like. Anything over and you'll find yourself looking at more advanced configurations.

 

In the above example, the longest run is from the Bus to the cluster 50 feet away, to the probe 3 feet away.

53 feet is well within 600.

 

 

Why these limitations?

Essentially you can think of the 1 wire bus as Morse Code. Each detector taps out a series of high/lows in a wave form to say I'm the detector in the attic. It then does a similar thing to say I'm at 75.216 Degrees F.

 

The Network Weight is limited because the entire bus must go from a high voltage to no voltage. The more bus you have, the harder/longer that takes.

The Network Radius is limited because it takes time for that farthest detector to send its wave over a long wire. If it takes too long then the bus will ignore it.

 

 

 

 

Lets talk wiring options.

 

The one wire bus is 3 wires.

Ground to supply a return power path.

Power to supply a supply power path.

Data to supply the data communication (and since the data is all on one wire, this is where the 1 wire comes from).

 

Two power options.

Parasitic Power gets its power from the Data Line as well.

External Power gets its power from the Power Line.

 

Most people, especially in homes, are going to use Parasitic Power.

If you are going over that 600 feet, you may need to explore External Power.

 

The 1 wire bus that I use supplies both power over Data and Power over Power. In this way I can use either type of device, but I only use parasitic.

 

 

 

 

So, a 1 wire temperature detector has 3 pins, in your Parasitic Power the Power and Ground pins are connected to form 1 connection, and then you have the Data Pin.

 

You could simply plug these pins into an RJ45 Connector. The bus I use, you would connect the Power/Ground to Pin 5 (normally the Blue/White one in Cat 5); and the Data Pin to Pin 4 (Normally the Blue Pin).

Then the other end of the Cat 5 cable you can connect to your cluster. From the cluster you would just connect up Cat 5 cable to the other clusters (and can split them out). One of the Cat 5 cables will go to the Bus Master.

 

Now the probes I use actually just have the Data Pin soldered to the Blue Wire, and the Power/Ground pins soldered to the Blue/White Wire, with a shrink wrap. The other end I plug up as described. The rest of the network is just RJ45 Cat5 plugs.

 

You could use phone wire, or any 2 wire strands to connect up instead.

 

 

 

 

With you starting with 1 Node and 3 Clusters, the next question is how many probes at each cluster you would like.

 

A rough shopping list so far is (I'll need to know the number of probes to complete):

- ($39.95) Raspberry PI Model B 512MB Ram (You can save $10 on Model A, but I like Model B better as it gives a bit more headroom to do other things with it).

- (You are using a Wired Network so this is Optional) ($19.95) USB WiFi (B/G/N) with Antenna (You can save $8 for the one without an antenna but I like the added range as mine is in the attic)

- ($7.95) A 4gb SD Card

- ($5.95) Micro USB Power Supply

- ($3.95) USB Cable

- Note, you can do much better on prices if you search around.

 

Temporary Items:

- HDMI Cable to connect up a display

- USB Mouse

- USB Keyboard

- If also using WIFI a USB Hub

 

1-Wire Items:

- (13.95# or $22.60) RPI2 Host Adapter (You can save 5#s by buying the kit instead)

- (12.95# or $20.98) SWE2 Clusters x3 (You can save 2#s by buying the kit instead)

- (5.95# or $9.64) Pre Wired Temperature Probes. Since you are wiring your own, a pack of 10 chips for you to sodder up to wires is 14.95#

- Note, with the 3 clusters you'll have ~12 probe slots available depending on how you wire it up (can be up to 18 if you were using the screw wires).

- (29.95#s or $48.55) Humidity Sensor (Can save 5#s by buying the kit instead).

 

 

Look over the list, ask questions if any, lay out your plans in more detail (where the probes will go, how they will be connected, lengths needed.

[MaddBomber83]

I did forget, you'll need an RJ11 to RJ45 cable to connect the Bus to the first Cluster (possibly a RJ45 Union if the Cluster is far away).

 

The Sheepwalk Electronics has these cables, and the wiring diagrams if you were to make your own.

[jgorm]

I'll simplify to get started. Will this work? Comes out to about $100

1 of these

RPI2 Host Adapter

Item no. RPI2

Please Select:: Assembled

 

2 of these

SWE2 sensor connection module

Item no. SWE2

Please Select: Assembled

 

1 10 pack

DS18B20 temperature sensor TO-92

Item no. DS18B20pk10

Quantity:: Pack of ten

 

1 of these

RJ11 to RJ45 cable

Item no. RJ11RJ452m

Length: 2m

 

And then the international shipping for 7#

I can get this for $42 shipped with my amazon prime

http://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Pi-Mode ... spberry+pi

I already have the other cables, usb power

If this will work, I'll put in the order.

[io_guy]

I should add that IO guy has an ISY Variable Data Logger that is useful for temperatures.

FYI, I've added some logging functionality similar to this directly to OWLink in the next release. It logs the data right from 1-wire instead of from the ISY (so you get decimal values).

 

jgorm,

What you listed will work.

 

Personally I don't use anything but the RPI2. The SWE is nice but somewhat bulky. With a little soldering you just attach a DS18B20 to the end of Cat5 and all is good.

Or crimp a sensor directly into an RJ45 connector - I have them all over the house. I have RJ45 Levition Quickports in all my walls and run the sensors into them. Once my internet is back (phone right now) I'll post some picks of them.

 

Bought a 10 pack of sensors off ebay for about $5.

[madcodger]

 

MadCodger;

 

The same would apply to you. I have thoughts on getting a proper thread together that goes into more detail, but I would like to get more of my install done first so I can give pictures and such..

 

Maddbomber83,

 

Thank you! I need to wrap up a couple of projects before starting this one, and want to do essentially same as described by others here. Will follow thread, and contact you soon. Greatly appreciated!

[gkisyuser]

I purchased the Insteon 2441ZTH and have not used it yet. There is also a connection to run a remote waterproof corded sensor.

 

The question I have is without a PC or other modules, can the ISY communicate to the Thermostat and receive data or copy to a variable so the information can be sent out via email?

[Xathros]

Thermostat values can be sent via email using the builtin notification system in the ISY. No PC needed for that. Variables cannot yet be used but that is coming in the next release I believe.

 

-Xathros

[gkisyuser]

in Notifications the categories listed are

Alert

System

Variables

Open ADR

 

I have inserted System info (date & time) to emails

Variable values to show on off conditions

don't know what Alert and OpenADR are for

 

I do not see any data value fields

 

Maybe after the thermostat is linked other options appear.

 

Thanks, will try things this weekend, The forum is handy to get a hint what I may run into versus what I expect to work.

[MaddBomber83]

I would be interested in knowing as well. I've tried a few of the alerts but no settings available.

[Xathros]

Here ya go guys:

 

For example ${sys.node.11 22 AA 1.ST} would provide the current temp of the thermostat whose address is 11 22 AA 1

 

 

http://wiki.universal-devices.com/index ... _Variables

 

-Xathros

[MaddBomber83]

Here ya go guys:

 

For example ${sys.node.11 22 AA 1.ST} would provide the current temp of the thermostat whose address is 11 22 AA 1

 

 

http://wiki.universal-devices.com/index ... _Variables

 

-Xathros

 

Nice! I'll have to play around with that Wiki link.

 

 

For those interested, I have the Alpha version of the guide up:

[Guide] Setting Up OWLink with Raspberry PI and ISY

 

It is essentially a go here, download that, copy and paste this. Still under construction but far enough that I won't be too embarrassed by it.

[gkisyuser]

Thanks for your help

tried the thermostat address only 20.4B.E9 and did not work without the 1 after the address

What is the 1 mean?

a little problem linking to the ISY but got it going not using auto link but selecting Insteon thermostat

 

in custom email:

Current Outside Temp = ${sys.node.20 4B E9 1.ST}

 

 

Will be waiting for the ability to use this value in variables.

 

Thanks again

gkisyuser

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi gkisyuser,

 

You have to use addresses as you find them /rest/nodes. You can also right mouse click on the node | rename and you'll see the address.

 

The 1 indicates that this is the device's primary node.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[Xathros]

Hi Michel-

 

I guess the real question here is: Is the temperature (status) of the remote sensor exposed as a node and if so, what would be it's node number to follow the TStat's address ?

 

-Xathros

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Xathros,

 

I am so very sorry for not paying more attention. Humidity is a property of the thermostat (CLIHUM) and not an extra node. The only reason we make things into nodes is when they can participate in scenes individually. Otherwise, everything else is a property (or Control in our vernacular).

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[Xathros]

Hi Michel-

 

That makes sense. What would the property name of the external (remote) temp probe be?

 

Thanks.

 

-Xathros

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Xathros,

 

Unfortunately we cannot get that from the thermostat.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[sparkgates]

Wireless mesh networks are reliable and offer great redundancy. If one wireless mesh node can no longer operate, all the other wireless mesh nodes can still communicate with each other, directly or through one or more intermediate outdoor wireless bridge links