IOLinc Workaround - Turning a light ON & OFF

[Wingsy]

I've had my stairway lights working with an IOLinc and an Open/Close sensor. But that sensor generates so much Insteon traffic that I want to try another solution. (Instead traffic = lights flickering.) I have the same scenario with my driveway lights.

 

The objective is to have my stairway lights come on the instant someone steps on the first or last step, and stay on for a set period of time (like 45 seconds). The time delay needs to be retriggerable to allow a 2nd person entering the stairs to have the same amount of on-time as the first. I also want to do this without using an Open/Close sensor, just an IOLinc (in Latching Mode). The limitations of the IOLinc prevent one from doing this in a straightforward way.

 

I have a reflective photosensor on the first & last step to sense someone entering the stairway. This photo-sensor has a transistor output switch that does not trigger the sense input of the IOLinc - the photo-sensor's ON voltage is 0.7v, not zero volts like the IOLinc wants to see. So I've wired my photosensors (2 in parallel) to operate a small 12v relay and use it's contacts to signal the IOLinc (via its sense input) and to instantly light the lights.  When the IOLinc is turned ON via a program, it takes over powering the lights and allows the photo-sensor to sense a 2nd person entering the stairs.

 

Here's how it works:

* The stairway sensor output turns on when someone steps on the first or last step. This closes the 12v relay (K1).

* The 12v relay C-1 and NO-1 contacts are connected to the IOLinc's sense terminals. The relay closing will trigger a program in my ISY994. 

* When the 12v relay closes it also latches itself ON so that it stays on even when someone steps to the next step, and it also powers the stairway lights via C-2 and NO-2. This happens instantly. As long as the IOLinc stays off the K1 relay will power the stairs.

* A program in the ISY, triggered by the IOLinc's sense input, turns ON the IOLinc (eventually - sometimes there is a significant delay in the program sending the ON command), then delays for 45 seconds then turns it off. When ON the IOlinc powers the lights and unlatches the relay so that a 2nd person entering the stairs can retrigger the program.

 

You would think that there would be a way for you to turn something on quickly from one source and turn it off via a different source. I've not been able to do it without help from this hardware. If it will even work... haven't tried this yet. If you see a problem with this please let me know before I go to the trouble of wiring it up. I'll post again when I get it done.

[larryllix]

Have you tried the transistor open collector intoo to IOLink? Usually, open collector outputs pull almost to 0 volts output unless heavily loaded. They do in any logic chip I used.

 

The IOLnk sense input should have a better tolerence than that. I am guessing it will work.

 

 

I don't see the purpoese of building a latching circuit. ISY programs can be ade retriggerable and tming can be set with one line of ISY code.

 

If

.....control IOInk.input is switched ON

Then

,,,,Wait 30 seconds /this will get retirgged ever input pulse

 

If

....status IOLink.input is On 

Then

....Wait 30 seconds /this will only get triggered when ioLink status changes.

 

 

The ioLink has options for the output  latching or momentary, following input and divorced. Check the device page options in admin console.

[Wingsy]

Have you tried the transistor open collector intoo to IOLink? Usually, open collector outputs pull almost to 0 volts output unless heavily loaded. 

Yes. It will partially light the green sensor light on the IOLinc but it's not quite low enough to trigger the IOLinc. This photo-sensor has what's called a Darlington output, where 2 transistors are connected together to act as one with very high gain. Drawback is that a Darlington only pulls to about .7v when on. (In my drawing it's shown as a single transistor, but it's actually a Darlington pair.)

 

 

The purpose of the latching circuit is to turn on the stairway lights immediately and to hold them on until the ISY program finally gets around to turning on the IOLinc. If the lights were turned on by a program, you'd sometimes be on the 3rd step before the lights come on. Programs are often very very slow to execute.

 My program is:

 

If 'Stairway-Sensor' is On

Then

  Set 'Stairway-Relay' On

  Set 'StairwayOverheadLightsGR' On

  Wait 45 seconds

  Set 'Stairway-Relay' Off  

  Set 'StairwayOverheadLightsGR' Off

 

The StairwayOverheadLightsGR and the Stairway-Relay will sometimes come on up to 3 seconds after the photo-sensor is tripped. Not acceptable for a light that will light up that toy firetruck on the 3rd step. If I trigger the IOLinc's relay with it's sensor, it comes on right away but then the IOLinc relay will go off whenever the sensor signal goes away (i.e., when someone's foot leaves the 1st or last step).

 

I went round and round and round with this a couple of years ago when my house was built. Best I could come up with was an Open/Close linked to the IOLinc relay, plus a program. That works as I want, with the exception of flickering lights due to Insteon traffic for up to 10 seconds when someone enters the stairs. I traced all that traffic to the Open/Close. I don't get that (nearly as much) if I use the IOLinc sensor input to trigger my program.

 

Do you see anything that would cause my relay circuit to not do what I need?

[Brian H]

The Sensor LED is part of a pull up on the Sensor Input and can start to glow if pulled partway to the Ground pin.

Mine will sense an on at about .90 volts measured to ground.