Virtual Control

[jgcharlotte]

Has anybody figured out a way to do a virtual control or is dedicating a module that does nothing the answer?

I just installed a garage door status kit and as an extra safety, when it is being closed under program control (IE, phone, etc) I want to have a 5 second delay while a strobe and audible warning (Z-Wave 

WA105DBZ-1) are active before the door starts closing.
Thanks!

[mwester]

???  Perhaps you can clarify what you mean by "Virtual Control"?

 

I'd solve this by simply coding your program thusly:

 

Turn on alert device

wait 5 seconds

Turn off alert device

Close garage door

[jgcharlotte]

Not tied to a physical Insteon device.  IOW turning it on would set an internal bit to '1', turning it off would set it to '0'.  That could be used to trigger other things in the program just like a physical Insteon device would.  I looked at turning a scene off and on, but you can't monitor the status of a scene.

[paulbates]

Then it would be the program statements mwester listed, but instead of taking device action, set a State variable:

$GarageDoorActivated = 1 when its in process of moving, and = 0 when its not. Have programs activated based on that variable change.

 

I have a "layer" of variables like this that can be mixed and matched for various automated activities; sprinlers

 

Paul

[jgcharlotte]

Yeah I looked at that, but how would you activate it from a phone with a standard on/off control?

[larryllix]

Create a program that set the variable to true or false.

 

Remote control apps can modify variable values also.

 

Another method is to define an dummy x10 device. Since x10 is one way ISY has no idea whether anything is out there or not.

[mwester]

Yeah I looked at that, but how would you activate it from a phone with a standard on/off control?

 

Ah, so that's the REAL question -- how can one cause a program to run on the ISY from a phone?

 

What phone?  (Android or iPhone?)

[jgcharlotte]

Ah, so that's the REAL question -- how can one cause a program to run on the ISY from a phone?

 

What phone?  (Android or iPhone?)

 

Yeah, or any other software based on/off control.  I have it set up now with an on/off module that doesn't control anything but allows me to turn it on and off and monitor it's status, which I use in the program.  Works perfectly.  I just wish I didn't have to use a module, I wish I could do it just in software, create a 'virtual module', if you will.

I'm sure I could probably do it with some phone app or something, but so far I've gotten by just fine with the Ajax interface, which is not ideal at all, but it does work.  And my wife is fine with it as well.