OutletLinc 2472D and Ramp Rates

[CSharron]

Hello all -

 

Newbie post (at least to these forums), please advise if inappropriate to this forum.

Objective is to imitate sunrise/sunset for animals. I had setup Houselinc scenes to control the light loads (which were plugged in to 2472D v .40) to a maximum ramp rate of 8 minutes. This was working quite well, but I decided to move to the ISY994i Pro (ZW/IR) as Houselinc software was no longer supported.

I have not been able to figure out how to get the OutletLinc to turn the lights on using the slow ramp rate, even though the device is set to a ramp rate of 8 minutes, and in the scene, the Outletlinc is set to 8 minutes.

 

Note - there is no controller for the scene - it is only triggered by the ISY994i.

 

Any suggestions?
Much appreciated,

CSharron

 

[stusviews]

 

 

Note - there is no controller for the scene - it is only triggered by the ISY994i.

 

Do you mean that you are using a program? If so, paste the program here. Right click on the program name > select Copy to Clipboard.

[LeeG]

CSharron

 

Being invoked from a Program, the Set Scene 'SceneOutletLinc' On will have the PLM as Controller.

 

Need to set the OutletLinc Responder Ramp rate at bottom right side when the Scene name is selected.

[CSharron]

Excellent! I get a response from both StusViews and LeeG - makes my day.

 

The program is

 

10. Evening - [iD 001A][Parent 0010]

If
        On Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
        Time is  9:14:00PM
 
Then
        Set Scene 'Evening Halogen Scenes / Halogens / 10. Evening 10' On
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
 

 

 

Not quite sure how to paste a screenshot, LeeG, but the ramp rate for the device in the scene is set to 8 mins. just where you spec'd. On Level is 10% (the next program, set exactly as the first, goes to 0%).

 

Thanks, guys.

Christopher

[LeeG]

What does the OutletLinc actually do?

[stusviews]

Ensure that you didn't accidentally set the ramp rate to beyond 8 minutes. Anything beyond that value responds immediately because the 9-minute ramp rate has been discontinued, but it's there for those who have much older devices.

[CSharron]

It steps down without the ramp rate - going from (for example) 80% to 60% in a blink.

Dbl-checked - nothing set to more than 8.0 minutes.

[stusviews]

Ramp rates are based on going from full on (or off) to full off (or on). At 8 minutes, going from 80% to 60% should take a little more than 1-1/2 minutes. What is the result if you set a different ramp rate, say 4 minutes?

[CSharron]

Updates - of the 3 outletlincs, 1 is working as expected. 1 is not. 1 is unknown. That, at least, might indicate it's quite probably the outletlincs themselves, and not the ISY994 or the programming. I'll do some more sleuthing and get back to you.

 

BTW - Stu, so the slowest a full "off" can go is 8 minutes? Any way around that? I'd love it to be about 30 minutes with a completely gradual off.

 

Again, thanks for all the help (not just here, but on all the forums I've been reading).

Christopher

[Teken]

Ramp rates in the past were defined as 9 minutes max. But most recently it has been changed to 8 minutes. The 994 Series Controller can not extend that time to 30 minutes though.

[stusviews]

so the slowest a full "off" can go is 8 minutes? Any way around that? I'd love it to be about 30 minutes with a completely gradual off.

 

Yes, but it'll be a step-wise rather then a gradual dimming.

 

If

        whatever

 

Then

       dim device or scene to z%

       wait x time

       dim device or scene to y%

       wait x time

       dim device or scene to x%

       wait x time

       .

       .

       .

       wait x time

       dim device or scene to 0%

[LeeG]

CSharron

 

I found one of the 2472D devices would not turn On or Off.   It would respond to Fast On and Fast Off which sounds like it was simply using a very slow ramp rate but that was not the case.   I finally double tapped the Set button and the OutletLinc responded as it should.   Try a Set button double tap on the OutletLinc that appears not to be working at all.

 

Now the OutletLinc takes a full 8 minutes to go from Full Off to Full On.with a Scene On. 

 

EDIT:  right click on OutletLinc (not Scene) and select Query.   It will show the OutletLinc Current State value moving up or down at the 8 minute ramp rate when OutletLinc is reacting to Scene On or Scene Off command. 

[MWareman]

Question. If you dim from 100% to 90% with a ramp rate of 3 minutes, will it take 3 mins to get to 90%?

 

If so, couldn't this be repeated to achieve a 100% to 0% dim over 30 minutes?

 

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

[Teken]

Question. If you dim from 100% to 90% with a ramp rate of 3 minutes, will it take 3 mins to get to 90%?

 

If so, couldn't this be repeated to achieve a 100% to 0% dim over 30 minutes?

 

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

 

As Stu illustrated there is a work around but it would not be a smooth transition. I am unsure if this would be a big issue so long as the lights started to dim in a step fashion which is ultimately what the OP wanted anyways. I just took what the OP had asked at face value and literally and did not consider using other methods to extend the time frame.

 

Stu's suggestion is a great work around for this and to me would fit the OP's needs.

[LeeG]

MWareman

 

"Question. If you dim from 100% to 90% with a ramp rate of 3 minutes, will it take 3 mins to get to 90%?"

 

No.   The Ramp Rate is from Full Off to Full On.  From the User Guide.....

 

Definition: Ramp rate is the time it takes OutletLinc Dimmer to go from Full-off to Full-on (& vice versa)

 

That is consistent across the Insteon dimmers. 

 

EDIT:  the ramp time from 100% to 90% would be 10% of 3 minute Ramp Rate.

 

180 x .10 = 18 seconds to go from 100% to 90%

[MWareman]

MWareman

 

"Question. If you dim from 100% to 90% with a ramp rate of 3 minutes, will it take 3 mins to get to 90%?"

 

No. The Ramp Rate is from Full Off to Full On. From the User Guide.....

 

Definition: Ramp rate is the time it takes OutletLinc Dimmer to go from Full-off to Full-on (& vice versa)

 

That is consistent across the Insteon dimmers.

 

EDIT: the ramp time from 100% to 90% would be 10% of 3 minute Ramp Rate.

 

180 x .10 = 18 seconds to go from 100% to 90%

Thanks! That what I thought deep down.

[larryllix]

Updates - of the 3 outletlincs, 1 is working as expected. 1 is not. 1 is unknown. That, at least, might indicate it's quite probably the outletlincs themselves, and not the ISY994 or the programming. I'll do some more sleuthing and get back to you.

 

BTW - Stu, so the slowest a full "off" can go is 8 minutes? Any way around that? I'd love it to be about 30 minutes with a completely gradual off.

 

Again, thanks for all the help (not just here, but on all the forums I've been reading).

Christopher

Here is a v5.x method to ramp up/down at any speed you desire. The in/decrement steps can be 1% per step at any time speed you desire.

 

Note I use two repeat loops as my LED bulbs are very nonlinear. The change from about 30% to 100 % is not that great so I speed it up to 3% per jump. Alternatively, the ramp step time could have been increased for the same effect.

 

If the nonlinearity of the lamp response is not a concern the second loop can be eliminated and the first 'Repeat While' condition set to 100% for simplicity.

Test Dim Loop - [ID 00F0][Parent 0001]

If
   - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition')
 
Then
        Set 'Master Bedroom / MBR Wall Lamp' Fast Off
        $MBR_Lamp.level  = 1
        Repeat While $MBR_Lamp.level <= 30
           Set 'Master Bedroom / MBR Wall Lamp' On '$MBR_Lamp.level %'
           Wait  1 second
           $MBR_Lamp.level += 1
        Repeat 1 times
        Repeat While $MBR_Lamp.level <= 100
           Set 'Master Bedroom / MBR Wall Lamp' On '$MBR_Lamp.level %'
           Wait  1 second
           $MBR_Lamp.level += 3
        Repeat 1 times
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

[stusviews]

If

        whatever

 

Then

       repeat n times

       dim device or scene to z%

       wait x time

[jerlands]

 

Here is a v5.x method to ramp up/down at any speed you desire. The in/decrement steps can be 1% per step at any time speed you desire.

 

Note I use two repeat loops as my LED bulbs are very nonlinear. The change from about 30% to 100 % is not that great so I speed it up to 3% per jump. Alternatively, the ramp step time could have been increased for the same effect.

 

If the nonlinearity of the lamp response is not a concern the second loop can be eliminated and the first 'Repeat While' condition set to 100% for simplicity.

Test Dim Loop - [ID 00F0][Parent 0001]

If
   - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition')
 
Then
        Set 'Master Bedroom / MBR Wall Lamp' Fast Off
        $MBR_Lamp.level  = 1
        Repeat While $MBR_Lamp.level <= 30
           Set 'Master Bedroom / MBR Wall Lamp' On '$MBR_Lamp.level %'
           Wait  1 second
           $MBR_Lamp.level += 1
        Repeat 1 times
        Repeat While $MBR_Lamp.level <= 100
           Set 'Master Bedroom / MBR Wall Lamp' On '$MBR_Lamp.level %'
           Wait  1 second
           $MBR_Lamp.level += 3
        Repeat 1 times
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Whoo-hoo   Works great and good example of 5.xx new While command..

 

Thanks,

 

Jon...

[CSharron]

Sheeeeyuuuuut. I had been cooking that concept in my head (how to write a program that would dim 1% every x seconds). Now I don't have to!

 

(Between this and the tutorial at http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/5410-triggers-and-conditions-and-ifs-oh-my, I have a strong feeling my setup and skills are going to increase at an alarming rate.)

 

And thank you, LeeG, StusViews, Teken, and larryllix. A most impressive response.