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ISY-26 Product Requests


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Posted

Consider allowing the grouping of items that should happen at the same time. For example, if I have multiple events that will happen at sunset -15 minutes, why not allow them to be triggered by this time rather than having to have separate scheduled items for each?

Posted

What about the possibility of naming triggers. For example, if I have a trigger that is an 'All off for all KPLs', rather than digging through the trigger criteria to remember what this trigger is for, allow us to assign short names to the triggers like 'All Off - KPL'

Guest bjcatlin
Posted
[...] allow us to assign short names to the triggers like 'All Off - KPL'

 

Named schedules would also be nice. On a day-to-day basis, I don't really care to see the dates/times of my schedules, I just look for my "Sunset" schedule.

 

Also, it would be nice to keep the "Last Run" information through a schedule add/remove/change. Right now, if you add, remove, or change a schedule, the "Last Run" times are deleted on all schedules, which is kind of annoying. But, it's a pretty minor annoyance.

Posted
[...] allow us to assign short names to the triggers like 'All Off - KPL'

 

Named schedules would also be nice. On a day-to-day basis, I don't really care to see the dates/times of my schedules, I just look for my "Sunset" schedule.

 

Also, it would be nice to keep the "Last Run" information through a schedule add/remove/change. Right now, if you add, remove, or change a schedule, the "Last Run" times are deleted on all schedules, which is kind of annoying. But, it's a pretty minor annoyance.

 

 

The triggers release will allow you to name triggers/schedules. Supporting persistent "last run" depends on how soon/late we are with our triggers release.

 

Thanks so very much for the feedback,

With kind regards,

Michel

Posted

My feature requests -- some are repeated from earlier requests (but may be slightly different):

 

* A "random" ability for scheduling to help out with burglar security -- IE: instead of lights going on at 6pm can go on at 6PM +- 30mins.

 

* A way to trigger a schedule from button presses -- for example if I have a security schedule for when i travel, i can just turn on A and B buttons on a keypad somewhere and this would activate the schedule -- i cant have my wife using a web interface to do that... i guess it could just be another type of trigger that started or stopped a schedule.

 

* Timers timers timers :) Hit one switch, lights go on for X minutes...

 

* Heres one that may not have been suggested -- a checkbox on certain switches to deactivate updating to the PLC/ISY.. for example, if i use a "Scene" to make multiple switches operate multiple lights, etc. right now you automatically add an update back to the PLC/ISY -- if I rarely use the software, this is a waste... it just adds another layer of uncertanty/delay into the system -- if there are any communications issues to the PLC or problems with PLC then it delays the switch functionality... maybe a checkbox on a button or Scene, or even an overall one in settings would state whether I want status updates sent back to PLC. For many things I might not care -- after changing a checkbox, I could resubmit to have it go to all switches.

 

* I have not had the need to replace a switch but can totally see the search/replace functionality as important for people who do (i saw that request somewhere in this thread) -- id love to see that just in case

 

* X10/Insteon bridging support -- receive X10, emit Insteon and vice versa so we can use legacy X10 stuff

 

-John

Posted
My feature requests -- some are repeated from earlier requests (but may be slightly different):

 

* A "random" ability for scheduling to help out with burglar security -- IE: instead of lights going on at 6pm can go on at 6PM +- 30mins.

In release 2.3

 

* A way to trigger a schedule from button presses -- for example if I have a security schedule for when i travel, i can just turn on A and B buttons on a keypad somewhere and this would activate the schedule -- i cant have my wife using a web interface to do that... i guess it could just be another type of trigger that started or stopped a schedule.

In release 2.3

 

* Timers timers timers :) Hit one switch, lights go on for X minutes...

In release 2.3

 

* Heres one that may not have been suggested -- a checkbox on certain switches to deactivate updating to the PLC/ISY.. for example, if i use a "Scene" to make multiple switches operate multiple lights, etc. right now you automatically add an update back to the PLC/ISY -- if I rarely use the software, this is a waste... it just adds another layer of uncertanty/delay into the system -- if there are any communications issues to the PLC or problems with PLC then it delays the switch functionality... maybe a checkbox on a button or Scene, or even an overall one in settings would state whether I want status updates sent back to PLC. For many things I might not care -- after changing a checkbox, I could resubmit to have it go to all switches.

Unfortunately, this request is something that might render ISY a lot more confusing + it adds a lot of overhead trying to maintain which devices are linked to PLM and those that are not.

Although I understand your concerns, however PLM is just another Insteon device and acts as one. So, would you have the same concerns if you added just another Insteon Switch?

 

 

* I have not had the need to replace a switch but can totally see the search/replace functionality as important for people who do (i saw that request somewhere in this thread) -- id love to see that just in case

In release 2.5

 

* X10/Insteon bridging support -- receive X10, emit Insteon and vice versa so we can use legacy X10 stuff

In release 2.4 or 2.5 depending on the contents of 2.3

 

-John

Posted

Regarding if I would have the same concerns if I just added another switch -- I suppose not, but being a tech guy/programmer, I hate to do things that serve little or no purpose and could make disrupt the functionality. Any additional item adds a point of failure, and for many people most switches would not need to communicate to the ISY I would think.

 

I was thinking if there was a checkbox, that the display (when a switch was pulle d up) would just say "UNLINKED" or something instead of On/Off for a status -- it would seem like a very simple option to implement and convey to the user.

 

Maybe an advanced options checkbox in a general settings page that said "turn on/turn off" notification... and then if you wanted to override that and "force" notifications for a specific group or switch you could activate a checkbox in that specific switch or setting.

 

One other thing regarding your question -- i think most of the time there is a difference between "adding another switch" and communicating with the ISY -- 80% of the extra switches added would probably be on the same circuit and thus, very close in proximity. The ISY may be "far away" from most switches and be more prone to communications delays... so I would be less concerned about adding another swtich.

 

Lastly, having this option would improve the end users experience by eliminating the ISY as a source of problems... while it's nice to be able to use the ISY software to setup switches, If I want to use it at all I am forced to program it through the ISY since the ISY cannot "learn" what a switch was setup manually to do... and then I must now live with the extra communication issues.

 

The reason this came up was due to the problem with my bathroom timers to ISY communications... when i turned off the switch in the bathroom, there was up to a 1 second delay before the relay would activate --- it turned out it was due to the communications to the ISY.

Posted
Regarding if I would have the same concerns if I just added another switch -- I suppose not, but being a tech guy/programmer, I hate to do things that serve little or no purpose and could make disrupt the functionality. Any additional item adds a point of failure, and for many people most switches would not need to communicate to the ISY I would think.

 

I was thinking if there was a checkbox, that the display (when a switch was pulle d up) would just say "UNLINKED" or something instead of On/Off for a status -- it would seem like a very simple option to implement and convey to the user.

 

Maybe an advanced options checkbox in a general settings page that said "turn on/turn off" notification... and then if you wanted to override that and "force" notifications for a specific group or switch you could activate a checkbox in that specific switch or setting.

 

One other thing regarding your question -- i think most of the time there is a difference between "adding another switch" and communicating with the ISY -- 80% of the extra switches added would probably be on the same circuit and thus, very close in proximity. The ISY may be "far away" from most switches and be more prone to communications delays... so I would be less concerned about adding another swtich.

 

Lastly, having this option would improve the end users experience by eliminating the ISY as a source of problems... while it's nice to be able to use the ISY software to setup switches, If I want to use it at all I am forced to program it through the ISY since the ISY cannot "learn" what a switch was setup manually to do... and then I must now live with the extra communication issues.

 

The reason this came up was due to the problem with my bathroom timers to ISY communications... when i turned off the switch in the bathroom, there was up to a 1 second delay before the relay would activate --- it turned out it was due to the communications to the ISY.

 

 

Pioneer,

 

Points noted. We shall discuss this in our next requirements meeting.

 

I still need to understand why would ISY add a delay to your timer switch but not to any other switch. As I mentioned before, it's of utmost import for us to make sure ISY performs flawlessly. I'd appreciate as much information as possible such as:

1. Does this happen all the time

2. If not, what are the preconditions (if any)

 

Thanks again for your feedback,

With regards,

Posted
Regarding if I would have the same concerns if I just added another switch -- I suppose not, but being a tech guy/programmer, I hate to do things that serve little or no purpose and could make disrupt the functionality. Any additional item adds a point of failure, and for many people most switches would not need to communicate to the ISY I would think.

 

I was thinking if there was a checkbox, that the display (when a switch was pulle d up) would just say "UNLINKED" or something instead of On/Off for a status -- it would seem like a very simple option to implement and convey to the user.

 

Maybe an advanced options checkbox in a general settings page that said "turn on/turn off" notification... and then if you wanted to override that and "force" notifications for a specific group or switch you could activate a checkbox in that specific switch or setting.

 

One other thing regarding your question -- i think most of the time there is a difference between "adding another switch" and communicating with the ISY -- 80% of the extra switches added would probably be on the same circuit and thus, very close in proximity. The ISY may be "far away" from most switches and be more prone to communications delays... so I would be less concerned about adding another swtich.

 

Lastly, having this option would improve the end users experience by eliminating the ISY as a source of problems... while it's nice to be able to use the ISY software to setup switches, If I want to use it at all I am forced to program it through the ISY since the ISY cannot "learn" what a switch was setup manually to do... and then I must now live with the extra communication issues.

 

The reason this came up was due to the problem with my bathroom timers to ISY communications... when i turned off the switch in the bathroom, there was up to a 1 second delay before the relay would activate --- it turned out it was due to the communications to the ISY.

 

 

Pioneer,

 

Points noted. We shall discuss this in our next requirements meeting.

 

I still need to understand why would ISY add a delay to your timer switch but not to any other switch. As I mentioned before, it's of utmost import for us to make sure ISY performs flawlessly. I'd appreciate as much information as possible such as:

1. Does this happen all the time

2. If not, what are the preconditions (if any)

 

Thanks again for your feedback,

With regards,

Posted

I was getting the delays on all switches on that run -- so it was apparently due to the longer distance to the ISY.

 

Within the same room the switches communicated immediately.

 

It was happening all the time but varying delay times as the communication problems were random.

 

as soon as I unlinked the ISY (reset the switches) the problem went away.

 

-John

Posted
I was getting the delays on all switches on that run -- so it was apparently due to the longer distance to the ISY.

 

Within the same room the switches communicated immediately.

 

It was happening all the time but varying delay times as the communication problems were random.

 

as soon as I unlinked the ISY (reset the switches) the problem went away.

 

-John

 

I think you are confused as to how the ISY functions. Michel has stated several times that the ISY creates the links between the switches and is not involved in any way with switch presses that control other Insteon devices. The ISY is only notified of changes, it does not do the changing.

 

When you reset the switches this may have deleted links to unknown devices. Using the ISY you could/should have selected Restore for each problem switch, that will delete unused links and keep the good links.

 

The ISY only controls Triggers and Schedules, not switch to switch communication. It can be used for direct and scene control.

 

Rand

Posted

No -- I understand that the ISY is not involved in the switching, only receiving notification...

 

However, if I understand correctly, when a switch sends a signal to another switch -- it waits for a response that the signal was received by the ISY... and if this signal takes a long time (due to a poor connection) it can hold up the function of the switch.

 

Example, two switches (A & B) linked and both sending status to each other as well as to ISY -- if the link between A & B is fine but between ISY and switches is slow, the switches may not function immediately. If true this is the "downside" of error proof messages in a poor network.

 

Anyone confirm this?

 

Oh, that brings up a new request...

 

If outgoing signals are done "in order" and each one must fully complete before the next one happens (meaning get a success response from the remote switch), then my request is that the software do "smart ordering". For example in my hall:

 

Switches A (master),B & C (secondaries) and ISY (receive updates)

 

If I press B or C, they should send the signal to the master FIRST, then to each other second, then to ISY third... The first signal should always be the one that triggers some action... otherwise their will be more and more of a delay in the lights activating. Right now I have just A,B,C in my hall manually connected A->B,C B->A,C C->A,B and i notice a "slight" delay when i turn the switch on -- i'm thinking part of it may be the ordering of how the signals are sending. All switches are on the exact same circuit.

 

-John

Guest bjcatlin
Posted

Just had a random thought for a new function for ISY-26. (I do this when I'm bored late at night)

 

Have the ability to "notify" upon an unexpected change in a devices state. For example, if I'm on vacation, sipping mai tai's on the beach, I have my ISY-26 running schedules to keep my house looking lived in. With this new functionality, if someone came into my house and turned on or off a light, the ISY-26 would know that the state change of the device wasn't initiated by the ISY-26, so it would send out a notify message to me at the beach and make me drop my drink while I go running to the nearest phone to call my neighbor and have them check my house. Of course, it could be combined with schedules as well, so that it wouldn't notify me on Mondays between 5pm and 6pm when my neighbor comes over to water my plants.

 

This has been another random thought from B.J. Sorry...

Posted
No -- I understand that the ISY is not involved in the switching, only receiving notification...

 

However, if I understand correctly, when a switch sends a signal to another switch -- it waits for a response that the signal was received by the ISY... and if this signal takes a long time (due to a poor connection) it can hold up the function of the switch.

 

Example, two switches (A & B) linked and both sending status to each other as well as to ISY -- if the link between A & B is fine but between ISY and switches is slow, the switches may not function immediately. If true this is the "downside" of error proof messages in a poor network.

 

Anyone confirm this?

 

easy to test - unplug your plm and see if the delay is there - (i am assuming the link is to the plm - not the isy device - but either way, the test should tell you what you want to know)

 

for me, when the plm is not on the powerline, the links and functions of the insteon network still work - but if the device is a keypad, the button pressed will falsh a few times - i guess to indicate the presence of the error

 

however - the insteon protocol seems to me like a routed network - if packets are missing, the network layer don't give a craplinc - if too many arrive for it to handle, it just tosses them

 

(slooplinc is a mainframe bigotlinc that has been lurking - waiting for a chance to twist a reply so he could insert his rantlinc)

Posted
No -- I understand that the ISY is not involved in the switching, only receiving notification...

 

However, if I understand correctly, when a switch sends a signal to another switch -- it waits for a response that the signal was received by the ISY... and if this signal takes a long time (due to a poor connection) it can hold up the function of the switch.

 

Example, two switches (A & B) linked and both sending status to each other as well as to ISY -- if the link between A & B is fine but between ISY and switches is slow, the switches may not function immediately. If true this is the "downside" of error proof messages in a poor network.

 

Anyone confirm this?

 

Oh, that brings up a new request...

 

If outgoing signals are done "in order" and each one must fully complete before the next one happens (meaning get a success response from the remote switch), then my request is that the software do "smart ordering". For example in my hall:

 

Switches A (master),B & C (secondaries) and ISY (receive updates)

 

If I press B or C, they should send the signal to the master FIRST, then to each other second, then to ISY third... The first signal should always be the one that triggers some action... otherwise their will be more and more of a delay in the lights activating. Right now I have just A,B,C in my hall manually connected A->B,C B->A,C C->A,B and i notice a "slight" delay when i turn the switch on -- i'm thinking part of it may be the ordering of how the signals are sending. All switches are on the exact same circuit.

 

-John

 

Pioneer,

 

When a device is linked to other devices, there are no sequences (unlike ZWave) so there can be no ordering. This is what happens when A, B, C are all linked together in a scene(assume C is the PLM):

When A is clicked, A sends a group command for the group identifying the button (i.e. keypadlinc groups are 1 through 8; switchlinc only have 1 group). All responders which have A as their controller, will respond (i.e. turn on their lights). A, itself, turns itself on before sending the group command. Now, after the group command is sent, A waits to get a response for all the responders in the group. If no response is forthcoming (this definitely takes a LOT longer 1 seconds), then - and as sloop suggests - A's light start blinking meaning that there's a missing response from one of the group responders.

 

So, in short, Insteon group commands are not sequential at all and that's the beauty of Insteon.

 

Hope this answers some of your questions,

With kind regards,

Michel

Posted
Just had a random thought for a new function for ISY-26. (I do this when I'm bored late at night)

 

Have the ability to "notify" upon an unexpected change in a devices state. For example, if I'm on vacation, sipping mai tai's on the beach, I have my ISY-26 running schedules to keep my house looking lived in. With this new functionality, if someone came into my house and turned on or off a light, the ISY-26 would know that the state change of the device wasn't initiated by the ISY-26, so it would send out a notify message to me at the beach and make me drop my drink while I go running to the nearest phone to call my neighbor and have them check my house. Of course, it could be combined with schedules as well, so that it wouldn't notify me on Mondays between 5pm and 6pm when my neighbor comes over to water my plants.

 

This has been another random thought from B.J. Sorry...

 

B.J.

 

This is an excellent idea. It shall be discussed and maybe we could incorporate it into our Triggers/Scheduler release.

 

Thanks so very much,

With kind regards,

Michel

Posted

Ok, have two new requests --

 

* I'd like to see a way to handle more elaborate button presses -- for example if I press C and then D within a certain amount of time it triggers something -- for example press C and then hit D within 2 seconds. Or if I hit D twice or 3 times within a certain time period, it would trigger something...

 

* Second, I would love to see a way to create elaborate status responses -- it could be some new kind of scene but with sequential operations. For example, if I have a button KP-D that turns ALL my lights off -- that triggers an "All Off" scene that shuts all the lights off -- when it's done, rather than just turn KP-D off again (like I do now using a second scene with KP-D as a responder, set to OFF) I would love to be able to do something like:

 

Turn LED for D on, off, on off, on off every half second for like 5 pulses...

 

Another example, let's say i setup a trigger when i leave for vacation to start a "away timer" -- maybe I can turn on C and then turn on D -- when both C and D are on this starts the timer option...

 

I might want to have a rotating LED display to indicate its activated like "A,B,C,D,A,B,C,D,A,B,C,D" -- does not have to be forever, but enough that I can know 100% I have activated that trigger/schedule.

 

 

I envision this being some kind of new thing like a scene called "Status Response" or something which lets me setup an ordered list of items like"

 

Turn D on

Wait .5 seconds

Turn D off

Turn C on

wait .5 seconds

turn C off

Turn D on

 

etc...

 

It could also turn on/off lights in a sequence too -- maybe "hall light on, wait 1 second, hall light off, wait 1 second"

 

Lastly, it could also return the status of the other lights to the state before I did it -- for example if before the above sequence triggered, C was on and D was off -- I could check a box to end with C being on and D being off if I wanted...

 

Some features on my keypad I want to use multiple buttons to activate so some idiot doesn't start hitting buttons and activating all my exterior lights at a party.. I may want to have to press A,B,C all on to turn all lights on or something and in that case, might want some kind of confirmation that it really happened.

 

-John

Posted
Ok, have two new requests --

 

* I'd like to see a way to handle more elaborate button presses -- for example if I press C and then D within a certain amount of time it triggers something -- for example press C and then hit D within 2 seconds. Or if I hit D twice or 3 times within a certain time period, it would trigger something...

This is a little complicated but we shall revisit this requirement after our Trigger/Scheduler release.

 

* Second, I would love to see a way to create elaborate status responses -- it could be some new kind of scene but with sequential operations. For example, if I have a button KP-D that turns ALL my lights off -- that triggers an "All Off" scene that shuts all the lights off -- when it's done, rather than just turn KP-D off again (like I do now using a second scene with KP-D as a responder, set to OFF) I would love to be able to do something like:

 

Turn LED for D on, off, on off, on off every half second for like 5 pulses...

 

Another example, let's say i setup a trigger when i leave for vacation to start a "away timer" -- maybe I can turn on C and then turn on D -- when both C and D are on this starts the timer option...

 

I might want to have a rotating LED display to indicate its activated like "A,B,C,D,A,B,C,D,A,B,C,D" -- does not have to be forever, but enough that I can know 100% I have activated that trigger/schedule.

95% of what you have listed is going to be taken care of in our Triggers/Schedulers release (which keeps getting delayed since we keep adding functions).

 

 

I envision this being some kind of new thing like a scene called "Status Response" or something which lets me setup an ordered list of items like"

 

Turn D on

Wait .5 seconds

Turn D off

Turn C on

wait .5 seconds

turn C off

Turn D on

 

 

etc...

 

It could also turn on/off lights in a sequence too -- maybe "hall light on, wait 1 second, hall light off, wait 1 second"

100% supported in our Triggers/Scheduler release

 

[qoute=pioneer]Lastly, it could also return the status of the other lights to the state before I did it -- for example if before the above sequence triggered, C was on and D was off -- I could check a box to end with C being on and D being off if I wanted...

We shall review the feasibility of this requirement.

 

Some features on my keypad I want to use multiple buttons to activate so some idiot doesn't start hitting buttons and activating all my exterior lights at a party.. I may want to have to press A,B,C all on to turn all lights on or something and in that case, might want some kind of confirmation that it really happened.

You can do everything except the "confirmation" part (yet) in our Triggers/Schedulers release

 

-John

Posted

New question -- possible feature request. Right now triggers happen only when a button "IS OFF" or "IS ON" -- but not when "OFF IS PRESSED" or "ON IS PRESSED"...

 

I wanted to have a trigger in my bathroom such that when i pressed a keypad OFF button, it turned off every light in the bathroom... however sometimes OFF is already lit up, so this would not work with the triggers.

 

However, if I have three linked switches and one of them is on and the other two off -- but hit "OFF" again on one that is off, i see that the third one turns off -- so it seems switches do send signals when you press an already lit item (if OFF is lit, and you press OFF, the switches do send signals still).

 

Can you add a new trigger, "When OFF IS PRESSED" (or ON IS PRESSED)... am assuming this would be easy to add.

 

-John

Posted

Hello Pioneer,

 

Please see my comments below.

 

Thanks so very much for the feed back,

With regards,

 

New question -- possible feature request. Right now triggers happen only when a button "IS OFF" or "IS ON" -- but not when "OFF IS PRESSED" or "ON IS PRESSED"...

You have two choices both of which require "waiting"!

1. Wait for 2.3 where you can make the buttons non-toggle (the button will issue the same command all the time)

2. Wait for 2.4 which is our triggers/scheduler release

In both cases, though, your request will be supported

 

I wanted to have a trigger in my bathroom such that when i pressed a keypad OFF button, it turned off every light in the bathroom... however sometimes OFF is already lit up, so this would not work with the triggers

However, if I have three linked switches and one of them is on and the other two off -- but hit "OFF" again on one that is off, i see that the third one turns off -- so it seems switches do send signals when you press an already lit item (if OFF is lit, and you press OFF, the switches do send signals still).

.

You need to make the keypad button non-toggle which is in our 2.3 release

 

Can you add a new trigger, "When OFF IS PRESSED" (or ON IS PRESSED)... am assuming this would be easy to add.

Yes it's already in 2.4

 

 

 

-John

Posted

Hi, I'm new here. No even an ISY-26 user yet. But I would like to know how many people would like to see a serial port interface support to DSC alarm panels via the PC5401 board. Perhaps Universal-Devices will add support for this Alarm panel.

Posted

Some more cosmetic requests, and one functionality --

 

* A way to "reorder" trigger responses -- i have some triggers that when i hit keypad D it turns off a bunch of things, then shuts off keypad D at the end -- it would be great to be able to drag and reorder things so i dont have to manually move or rearrange.

 

* A way to sort switches in the left list

 

* Improving the dropdown list for adding trigger responses to show whether it is a scene or direct switch... right now it just uses the name and if the names of scenes are similar to switches it gets confusing

 

* A checkbox (or dropdown) to indicate whether there is a "load" on a switch or if it is a "master" or not... When we have multi-way switches there are many without loads -- rather than having to name everything different would be cool to have it be a dropdown item that displays with the name somehow automatically and we can sort on it

 

* The ability to name a keypad with a main name and have the -A -B -C -D etc. be separate -- maybe two boxes for renaming those -- you can put a main name in and also, if you choose, change -A,B,C,D to whatever you want or if u leave blank it defaults to -A -B -C -D etc. right now when u add a keypad or change its name, you have to rename a bunch of lines

 

* The ability to queue up switch changes -- if i am creating a new scene and adding a bunch of switches, right now i have to wait between each add for the system to do its thing... it would be great to do a quick "move to scene" on like 5 items and then say "GO!" and have it do its thing... maybe it checkmarks the order you do things and puts a big * on the page or something and u have to tell it your done.... another option is to have a special "Move to scene" popup that lets you select from a list on left to add to the scene on right and once you hit OK it does all the work -- i can go eat dinner.

 

It could also just be a toggle we "turn off" instant updates then when we turn it back on it fixes everything.

 

* The ability to highlight multiple items at once -- such as multiple switches to move to a scene or "fix" so again, we can have the system fix 5 switches and walk away...

 

Most of this stuff is just to improve the efficiency of editing the system -- it "works" now it just takes a lot of time in some spots between changes.

 

-John

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