New Eisy Owner here

[Ken B]

Finally upgraded my ISY994. Started this 17 yrs ago. Love the system on the house. Now, would y’all please share your knowledge and tell me what extra wild stuff can I do with the new Eisy.

 

thanks so much

[Guy Lavoie]

Well since you've already been using the ISY994i, you're already familiar with the basics. The programming language is essentially the same. The main difference will be the new or expanded connectivity options (zwave, zigbee, and now Matter) and the plugins. If you didn't have the portal and networking modules, then that will also create new connectivity options. 

You might be best starting by asking what you'd like to do that you couldn't do before.

[Geddy]

@Ken B good question - my first comment would be to read the eisy User Guide in the wiki to get the basics. 

https://wiki.universal-devices.com/Eisy:User_Guide

Then, before you begin the migration process make sure you READ the full migration process. It's mostly up to date, but I'm sure a few things might have adjusted since they were originally written. Should be straight forward though.

One KEY suggestion I make to anybody that might be making the migration is to make a copy of all your existing programs. In the Programs tab, right click on the root folder (usually "my programs"), select "Copy Folder to Clipboard" (be sure to use "COPY"). Then paste that into a text editor (like Notepad for Windows). This way you have ALL your programs in one place and can reference them if things go wrong in the migration process and your programs become corrupt. It's much easier to recreate when you have a "copy" of what you've used for 17 years rather than trying to recreate from memory (mostly because you probably haven't changed programs in a very long time!).

Aside from that you can also look at the plugin store - https://polyglot.universal-devices.com/ - to get an idea of what external systems are able to be brought into the IoX world and controlled/monitored from the eisy. Again, after you read the user guide you'll understand more about plugins. Most plugins will have a "more information" button if you click on them to see how to set them up or how they can be integrated with the IoX process.

Make sure you have the proper cable to connect the PLM to the eisy. The eisy only has USB connection (for the PLM). If you have a serial PLM you'll need a modified cord (sold by UD) or if you have the old serial wire that came with the PLM  you can get an adaptor (similar to this) and connect the USB to the eisy. 

Good luck! Don't bite off too much all at once. The migration is the most critical step to undertake. Learning after you have the eisy up and running is fairly straight forward if you take time, read, and have patience setting new systems up.

[Ken B]

Everything that I’ve worked with so far for the past 17 years hasbeen Insteon. Are there any advantages to Zwave, Zigbee, or Matter? What am I missing out on?

[Guy Lavoie]

2 hours ago, Ken B said:

Everything that I’ve worked with so far for the past 17 years hasbeen Insteon. Are there any advantages to Zwave, Zigbee, or Matter? What am I missing out on?

Well, there are device types that just don't exist as Insteon, like door locks, smart bulbs, thermostats, etc. Having these connectivity options expands your possibilities.