Basic Question on Linking

[dukdukgoose]

I just installed several Insteon devices and an ISY controller and am beginning to educate myself on how to set up my system.  (BTW, this forum has been very helpful, so thanks to all those who contribute!)  When I installed the new light switches, I manually cross-linked the switches to replicate the three-way circuits that I had before switching to Insteon.  I realize i can also create this cross-linking using scenes on the ISY controller as opposed to doing so manually at the switches.  My question is whether there is any reason to create these cross-links using scenes rather than doing so manually.  Is there any difference between the two methods?  I'd like to get the basic setup correct before starting to develop more complicated scenes and programs.

 

Thanks for your advice!

[LeeG]

The ISY is not aware of the manual links.   No linking should be done manually.   Turning On/Off either switch with a ISY Program statement 

 

Set Scene 'xxxx' On/Off

 

would normally have both devices respond.

 

Cannot be done with manual linking.

 

Here is example of cross linking using Admin Console 

[dukdukgoose]

That was what I suspected.  Thanks for the quick reply!

[Techman]

That was what I suspected.  Thanks for the quick reply!

 

You should factory reset the switches then link them individually with the ISY

[Teken]

It should be noted 99% of the time all linking and scene creations should be done with the 994 Series Controller. But there are use cases and times where a person may want to have something happen outside of the controllers knowledge.

 

This can be due to needing different logic which the controller may not support or is very hard to craft to meet the same. This is also used where there is some kind of hardware / controller issue.

 

Ex. When a new Insteon device is not fully supported by the controller or where firmware has disabled previous behaviors of operations.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Teken

[dukdukgoose]

Thanks for the multiple replies.  I've followed the advice given.  I've performed a factory reset on the switches to remove the manually created links.  While not mentioned, I also deleted the switches from the ISY controller and then relinked them so that I have a "clean" installation.  Then I created a new scene listing both switches as controllers.  The effort seems to be successful in that I now have a working 3-way circuit.  Either switch will control the set of overhead lights and the LEDs on both switches are synchronized -- either all on or all off.

 

With all of the above working as expected, I'm experiencing an unexpected result.  On one of the circuits I've setup, I'd like the two switches/controllers to function differently.  When switched on from "Switch A" I'd like the lights to go to 100%.  When "Switch B" is switched on, I'd like the lights to go on to a lesser amount...say 20%.  I believe I've set this up properly in the controller (see attached screenshot).  Let me try to describe what is happening.  After the factory reset (but before linking to the controller), one of the switches controls the bank of lights while the other does nothing.  On the Admin tool, I've marked this "master switch" with an asterisk.  After linking the switches to the ISY controller and setting up the scene in the controller, whatever On Level I set for the master switch seems to control both switches.  The attached screenshot shows the result.  The "MBR Hallway MBR" switch is set with an On Level of 100%.  When I manually switch on the lights from either switch, the lights go on to 100%.  If I reverse the settings (MBR Hallway MBR to 20%), then both switches turn on the lights to 20%.  In other words, the On Level selected for the "slave switch" seems to have no effect.

 

Any thoughts on the issue?  I had the switches professionally installed by someone who isn't familiar with Insteon.  Is this a problem with how the switches were wired?  Something else?  Again, thanks for the help.  I'm trying to gain a basic understanding before I try more complicated scenes and programs.

 

 

[stusviews]

Select each controller. Set what you would like that particular controller to do.

[dukdukgoose]

Thanks again.  I may not be understanding your answer as that's what I've done.  I've set Controller A (the "master" switch MBR Hallway MBR) with an On Level of 100% and Controller B (MBR Hallway Entry) with an On Level of 26%.  The issue is that the setting on Controller B doesn't seem to have any impact.  Whether I switch on Controller A or Controller B, both actions turn the lights on to 100%.  I would expect lights to go on to 26% when I switch on Controller B, but that isn't working as expected.

[larryllix]

You need to create two scenes, one with both lights at 100% and one with both lights at 20%.

 

Each scene needs to have one switches as a controller.

 

Playing with the On level for each switch will only affect that switches local operation and not the other responder. To affect both you need to adjust the levels in the  scenes created..

[LeeG]

Verify that the correct values are being set.  For the ISY Scenexxxx, need to first click on Red Controller A.  Set Controller A and Controller B to 100%.   Then click on Red Controller B.   Set both Controller A and Controller B to 20%

 

Scenexxxx

Controller A

Controller B

[dukdukgoose]

Yes, that makes perfect sense.  Should have figured that out on my own.  Thanks again!