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. 

[paulbates]

To add to @Guy Lavoie's answer with a specific examples of products that integrate and work together with eisy:

Yolink is a very good brand complement for Insteon on eISY using the well supported yolink plugin. It offers a number of sensors and devices. eIsy allows these work together with Insteon.

Examples of how I use it:

• Battery operated temp/humidty sensors that can be placed about anywhere. I automate my bathroom fan with one of these that senses humidity rising when a shower has happened, eISY programs and an Insteon switch to operate the fan
   
• The same temp humidity sensors in the fridges / freezers tied to a notification program using the eISY notification plugin (also well supported). I use pushover as my notification app.
   
• Yolink Plug-in module that measures current draw of a device. I plug our second floor dryer into one and it lets an eISY program know the the power draw is up (dryer turned on) to turn on the room fan when the dryer is turned on and shut it back off after a set time after the dryer shuts off. (Without that automation, the fan doesn't always get turned on and it helps control heat and humidty on the second floor.)
   
• I use the yolink smoke CO sensors tied to virtualam for monitoring (eisy not needed for that part).. however I can get urgent notifications through the eisy's notification plugin if any of them go off.

I also get eISY functionality out of an ecobee thermostat with the well supported eISY ecobee plugin. While the ecobee does a lot on its own, there some "halo" functions I get using it with plugin & eisy:

• I use an eisy program to follow up the 2 fan examples above to run the house fan afterwards to move heat/humidty out of those areas for a set time after the room fan turns off
   
• The ecobee thermostat provides reliable (for me) local weather data as part of the product, the eisy can see that via plugin can see that and I use that info to control my drip sprinkler system. The sprinkler system is $50 drip system controlled with a sprinkler control valve and a plugin 24vac transformer (both from the hardware store), and an i3 outlet... and eisy programs.
  
  There are days where it doesn't run based on forecast from the ecobee, or it adjusts the runtime based on how hot it's forecasted to be. Simple but effective
  
  I also use the "fast on" of the deck gazebo lights in the area to manually turn it on if I think its needed... with an eisy program

Those are a examples to research.

[Ken B]

Wow, thanks so much for all of that. Gives me ideas. I already have the Insteon ceiling fan controls, and the ecobee 4 thermostat. Currently controlling the ecobee with Alexa. Always thought about finding a way to have the ceiling fans come on and off with the AC or heat. Now I know

[Guy Lavoie]

40 minutes ago, Ken B said:

Wow, thanks so much for all of that. Gives me ideas. I already have the Insteon ceiling fan controls, and the ecobee 4 thermostat. Currently controlling the ecobee with Alexa. Always thought about finding a way to have the ceiling fans come on and off with the AC or heat. Now I know

There you go. When you can combine information from otherwise isolated sources and add some program logic between them, things like that become possible.