Does the ISY auto sync to the devices on the network?

[Guest]

It seems that if I set up a new scene or change a ramp rate, there is a busy progress bar but it doesn't seem to impact the device immediately (i.e. if I go to a swich that I just changed to ramp rate to 9s, it turns on/off at the old ramp rate). When I restore a device everything seems to be in sync. Am I doing something wrong? Should devices be automatically updated to match the latest settings in ISY?

[sloop]

i think it writes the changes immediately

 

but

 

if you are talking about pressing the paddle on a dimmer or the load button on a keypad, it does not set them - someone said that if you airgap the device, the dim/rate will take effect - i tried it on one keypad and it did not work - i might have done something wrong though

 

as i understand it, it is a limitation of the hardware

[Guest]

What's the sense then? If you can't set ramp rates remotely, that seems useless. I thought the idea was ISY would make it so I didn't have to program the switches anymore at the switch.

[Michel Kohanim]

What's the sense then? If you can't set ramp rates remotely, that seems useless. I thought the idea was ISY would make it so I didn't have to program the switches anymore at the switch.

 

Heatvent,

 

You are right! There's no point in trying to adjust the local ramp rate and on levels for controllers since INSTEON devices require you to reset the device for any local settings to take effect.

 

This said, however, if your devices are within a scene then the ramp-rates/on levels for all but the local controller are set remotely and you do not have to reset anything.

 

With regards,

[Guest]

What's the sense then? If you can't set ramp rates remotely, that seems useless. I thought the idea was ISY would make it so I didn't have to program the switches anymore at the switch.

 

Heatvent,

 

1) You are right! There's no point in trying to adjust the local ramp rate and on levels for controllers since INSTEON devices require you to reset the device for any local settings to take effect.

 

2) This said, however, if your devices are within a scene then the ramp-rates/on levels for all but the local controller are set remotely and you do not have to reset anything.

 

With regards,

 

1) What do you mean by INSTEON devices require you to reset the device for any local setings to take place? I have set ramp rates before by setting the switchlinc to a dim level and then pusing the set button twice. It takes effect immediately.

 

2) If the local ramp rate is not set, what is, the remote ramp rate? If that is the case, what happens if a device is in more than one scene with different ramp rates? Is it the ISY that is controlling the ramp rate or is it the switchlinc/controller?

 

I'm getting the idea that with everything unlinked, the ISY gets inbetween the units and causes the scene to work. Is anything downloaded to the device?

[Michel Kohanim]

What's the sense then? If you can't set ramp rates remotely, that seems useless. I thought the idea was ISY would make it so I didn't have to program the switches anymore at the switch.

 

Heatvent,

 

1) You are right! There's no point in trying to adjust the local ramp rate and on levels for controllers since INSTEON devices require you to reset the device for any local settings to take effect.

 

2) This said, however, if your devices are within a scene then the ramp-rates/on levels for all but the local controller are set remotely and you do not have to reset anything.

 

With regards,

 

1) What do you mean by INSTEON devices require you to reset the device for any local setings to take place? I have set ramp rates before by setting the switchlinc to a dim level and then pusing the set button twice. It takes effect immediately.

You are pushing the set button twice: this, in effect, is like unplugging the device and plugging it back in. I used the word "reset" which is wrong. You basically have to do what you just said: after you make changes to the local on level and ramp rate for a device then you either do an air-gap or push the set button twice, or unplug the unit and plug it back in depending on the "type" of the device.

 

2) If the local ramp rate is not set, what is, the remote ramp rate? If that is the case, what happens if a device is in more than one scene with different ramp rates? Is it the ISY that is controlling the ramp rate or is it the switchlinc/controller?

By remote onlevel/ramp-rate I meant onlevel/ramp-rate for the devices within a scene. Each device can belong to multiple scenes with different on level and ramp rates for each scene. Setting "remote" ramp rate/on level does not require you to airgap/double click set button/unplug and plug back in. Only "local" on level and ramp rate are the issue here. And, ISY is not in between ANYTHING except when you use triggers or schedules.

 

I'm getting the idea that with everything unlinked, the ISY gets inbetween the units and causes the scene to work. Is anything downloaded to the device?

ISY writes all the links,groups, attributes to each device. Again, the only time that ISY is in between and controlling traffic is IF you use triggers or schedules. To test, just unplug ISY and you'll notice that all your programmed scenes/links will still work

 

I hope I am able to answer your questions ... please let me know if I am causing more confusion than clarifications.

 

With regards,

[Guest]

Thanks Michel. Your clarifications help. Re: the local ramp rate and reset. Is there any way the ISY could set the local ramp rate and then I manually reset the device (airgap or whatever)?

 

Also, I don't seem to be able to affect ramp rates from the ISY. As an example, if I change the ramp rate to 19 sec from the Main Lighting for my main office light, it doesn't change when I turn on off from the buttons in the GUI for Office under My Lighting. I get a busy bar so it seems to work when I change the ramp rate but then nada. I have tried restoring the device, restoring the PLM etc.

 

Finally, FYI, I also have Houselinc desktop and a PLC. I can change the local ramp rate in Houselinc on KPL's (not sure why not Switchlincs). If Houselinc can do it I would assume ISY could too.

[lpollis]

Ok. I'm puzzled! I was playing with Ramp Rate and on level yesterday and I saw that the LL responded to the on level but not the ramp rate.

Now that I've read this thread I thought I was starting to understand.

 

I just reset my ISY (I downloaded 2.1 yesterday - darn!) and it rebooted. I saw a progress bar and waited while it did its thing and I received 2 warnings that it could not communicate with a particular LL. It happened to be one of the units that I was adj the level and ramp rate on. First, it responds just fine with the buttons at the bottom of the page for that LL! I do not know what the loss of communication error means. Second, I noticed that the On button at the bottom of the page honored the level I had set but not the rate. Why is the level set but not the ramp rate and how did I do that?

Lp

(Larry)

[Michel Kohanim]

Thanks Michel. Your clarifications help. Re: the local ramp rate and reset. Is there any way the ISY could set the local ramp rate and then I manually reset the device (airgap or whatever)?

Yes! Just set the on level and ramp rates in ISY GUI and then walk to each of the devices you configured and then do any of: unplug/replug them back in, click on the set button twice (on some units only), or do an airgap for SwitchLinc. For KPLs you should do an airgap till our next release (see below).

 

Also, I don't seem to be able to affect ramp rates from the ISY. As an example, if I change the ramp rate to 19 sec from the Main Lighting for my main office light, it doesn't change when I turn on off from the buttons in the GUI for Office under My Lighting

please see the answer to your previous questions.

 

I get a busy bar so it seems to work when I change the ramp rate but then nada. I have tried restoring the device, restoring the PLM etc.

please do not reboot ISY/restore it/restore PLM. All it takes is to "reboot" the INSTEON device (see above). If this does not work for you, please let me know what type of INSTEON device you are using and we'll follow up with SmartHome.

 

 

Finally, FYI, I also have Houselinc desktop and a PLC. I can change the local ramp rate in Houselinc on KPL's (not sure why not Switchlincs). If Houselinc can do it I would assume ISY could too.

heatvent, you GOT us here. You are absolutely right and this feature will be enabled in our next release but only for KPLs. In short, there's an INSTEON command which updates the EPROM from RAM but it only works for KPL (for some unknown reason). Thank YOU.

[Michel Kohanim]

Ok. I'm puzzled! I was playing with Ramp Rate and on level yesterday and I saw that the LL responded to the on level but not the ramp rate.

Now that I've read this thread I thought I was starting to understand.

 

I just reset my ISY (I downloaded 2.1 yesterday - darn!) and it rebooted. I saw a progress bar and waited while it did its thing and I received 2 warnings that it could not communicate with a particular LL.

 

It happened to be one of the units that I was adj the level and ramp rate on. First, it responds just fine with the buttons at the bottom of the page for that LL! I do not know what the loss of communication error means.

 

This usually happens when a device does not respond back to the PLM within 4 seconds. If this happens often, then you might want to consider some signal boosters such as SignaLinc, etc.

 

 

Second, I noticed that the On button at the bottom of the page honored the level I had set but not the rate. Why is the level set but not the ramp rate and how did I do that?

 

Larry, this is an excellent question which hopefully will answer some other questions as well:

The reason is that if you do an on level from the GUI, ISY takes the stored on level and turns the device on to that level using an INSTEON command. Unfortunately, there's no such command for "turn on the device to this level and at this ramp rate" till the next release of INSTEON; or that's what we've been told.

 

So, ISY tries to mitigate the issue of having to do airplug/etc. for onlevel if you try to control a device using the GUI but it cannot do the same for ramprate. Futhermore, this does not change the behavior of the device if its turned on manually (which requires airgap/etc.). This is specifically the case for KPLs and SLs. Now, thanks to heatvent, we are going to fix the issue for KPL ramprates. But for SLs, you still have to do an airgap/etc.

 

For LLs, and since in most cases they are part of a scene, it normally doesn't matter since you can adjust the scene onlevel/ramprate for each device in the scene without having to airgap/reset them.

 

I hope I haven't added to your puzzlement!

 

With regards,