What is proper way to poll garage door status at 15 minutes?

[arw01]

I have 4 keypadlincs with a garage door status light on them. 2 can control the garage door, 2 only show status. Most of the time they are all in agreement and correct. Once a week or so at least one is out of whack, which causes some panic as you check a couple of others, or slog outside to find the door really is closed.

 

What's the proper query from a program to absolutely make sure that garage door is closed, or are those io lincs just not reliable in reporting their status over time when querried?

 

Alan

[Xathros]

Hi Alan-

 

In my experience, the IOLinc is quite reliable in reporting status. Insteon however, can be less reliable when it comes to passing that message down the wire due to noise or signal attenuation.

 

Assuming you are NOT using the Trigger Reverse option on your IOLinc, and that you have a scene containing all of the KPL buttons involved, you can poll as follows:

 

Program: Poll GD Status (run at startup is checked!)

If 
  Time is 1:00 am

Then
   Repeat every 15 minutes
      Run Program Fix_GD_Lights (if Path)

Else

 

 

Program: Fix_GD_Lights (Disabled)

 

If 
  Status GD_IOLinc_Sensor is On

Then
  Set Scene 'GD_KPL_Lights' On

Else
  Set Scene 'GD_KPL_Lights' Off

 

This however, seems to me like a band aid. The real problem is a comm failure.

 

Hope this helps

 

-Xathros

[oberkc]

What's the proper query from a program to absolutely make sure that garage door is closed

 

Like Xathros, I find the IOLincs quite reliable....it is the communication that can let you down from time-to-time.

 

There are several considerations, I believe, to having confidence that your door is closed (or open, or whatever). First, one must decide which status (open or closed) is a priority of knowing truth. You have chosen CLOSED. So have I. Then one must decide how one wants to indicate CLOSED on a keypad button...do you want it ON, or OFF? I have chosen OFF = closed.

 

Once chosen, I believe it best to continue with the sensor, both type and mounting location. Choose the type where sensor in contact is OFF (or ON, if you prefer ON = closed). I believe it best to avoid the sensor reverse option of the IOLinc, out of concerns that this may get reset during power outages. Then locate the sensor in such a way that it is in contact only when the door is FULLY closed.

 

Then, put all the keypad buttons into NON-TOGGLE ON (or non-toggle off, if you want ON to indicate closed). Putting your keypad button in non-toggle mode will ensure that there is no way that someone can manually put the button in a status that would falsely indicate door closed. Link your sensor and your keypad buttons in a scene, with sensor and buttons all as controllers. Make sure you have no programs that can turn OFF your keypad buttons..

 

Configured this way, there is ONLY ONE WAY for any of your buttons to be turned OFF: if the door is closed. If you find one button on, but the rest off, you can be near certain that the one button is an anomaly.

 

Having said this, I remain a fan of webcams.

[arw01]

Thank you gentlemen, I will check my periodic program to see how I did the query. I also use a program behind the buttons of the status only kpls, to manually run the query. Next time I see that they are out of sync (and this program being manually triggered at the keypad does not seem to do it (but that's normally the one that is off, or a bedroom one), I will endeavor to run the program via the admin console to observe the traffic.

 

 

If
       Control 'Hallway_keypad / Hallway_keypad - Garage' is switched On
    Or Time is  5:35:00AM

Then
       Set 'Garage_Door_IO-Sensor' Query

Else
       Set 'Garage_Door_IO-Sensor' Query

 

My thinking of the above, was that it would cause the status of the IO linc to be directly checked when I hit that button or each morning. It was my intention, and I think I do, to run that Query in a couple of other programs that are timers that close each hour or so with motion around the house. Sort of a pseudo random interval.

 

I, also chose off to indicate closed and bought the inverse reed switches so as to not need to use the sensor reverse and avoid the losing the settings issue! Knowing full well, that I would get a call from the wife while I was out of town that the "d87m" switches are not working again.

 

Since I had two used kpls die in the last month, I bought 3 dual band replacement units from the St. Patrick's day 20% sale, perhaps they will assist with better communication, but as with all of us with extensive networks, I have a couple problem children still.

[oberkc]

I bought 3 dual band replacement units from the St. Patrick's day 20% sale

 

I added a few new units (dual band) also during that sale. It seems to help with speed of response with my system, so I would suggest that your hope is not unfounded.

[arw01]

Hi Alan-

 

In my experience, the IOLinc is quite reliable in reporting status. Insteon however, can be less reliable when it comes to passing that message down the wire due to noise or signal attenuation.

 

-Xathros

 

Thank you Xathros, have put that little program in place instead of my keypad query, which did not seem to function how I wanted. Hopefully, no more out of sync kpl buttons will occur.

 

Since I put my dual band out in the garage, my walkway lights applianclinc doesn't communicate reliably with the ISY anymore, but always seems to be on and off as it should be. Strange..

 

Alan