X10 to ISY questions

[Joe Dunn]

My home has X 10 devices and Insteon devices with X 10 addresses. I installed an ISY and was able to program my basic needs. Now I want to transition to more Insteon.

 

Can I include an X 10 device in a Scene?

 

Can a program check the condition of a Scene?

 

Can a program control a Scene?

 

How should I convert my Insteon devices from X 10 addresses to native Insteon?

 

Thanks

 

Joe

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Joe,

 

Please see my comments below.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

My home has X 10 devices and Insteon devices with X 10 addresses. I installed an ISY and was able to program my basic needs. Now I want to transition to more Insteon.

 

Can I include an X 10 device in a Scene?

No

 

Can a program check the condition of a Scene?

No. As of right now, ISY does not know what a scene status is.

 

Can a program control a Scene?

Yes. Simply have the program call the scene

 

How should I convert my Insteon devices from X 10 addresses to native Insteon?

There's really not an easy way. But, here are some pointers

1. Add your INSTEON devices for the X10 devices one scene at a time (i.e. those that participate in scenes together)

2. Go to programs, do Find/Replace and remove all the programs that depend on old X10 devices

3. Go to the main panel and remove the X10 devices

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Thanks

 

Joe

[Joe Dunn]

Michel,

 

I appreciate your good information. Two follow-up questions.

 

If a scene includes a device, such as a light controller, could a program test the status of that controller?

 

My question about converting Insteon devices with X 10 addresses was directed at removing the X 10 address from the device and returning it to it's native Insteon mode. I want to transition my Insteon devices from their X 10 address state to their normal state.

 

Thanks,

 

Joe

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi Joe,

 

Yes, you can test for the status of any device regardless of their membership in any scene. You have two choices:

1. Use the Status of the device in your programs. Status changes if and only if the status of a device has changed. i.e. from on to off or vice versa. Status does NOT change and your programs are not re-evaluated if you turn on an already on device or turn off and already off device

2. Use Control in your programs. Control is basically the event generated from physically activating your device. So, if you turn on an already on device, your programs are re-evaluated every time. If you want to test for the status changes of a controller in a scene, it's best to use Status (not Control)

 

From ISY's perspective, using X10 capabilities of an INSTEON device is equal to using X10. As such, there are still no easy ways of migrating from X10 to INSTEON.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

 

Michel,

 

I appreciate your good information. Two follow-up questions.

 

If a scene includes a device, such as a light controller, could a program test the status of that controller?

 

My question about converting Insteon devices with X 10 addresses was directed at removing the X 10 address from the device and returning it to it's native Insteon mode. I want to transition my Insteon devices from their X 10 address state to their normal state.

 

Thanks,

 

Joe

[aLf]

Maybe a dumb question, but how do you run an X10 only device, i.e., Smarthome X10 dimmer or X10 appliance sw. from ISY.

 

aLf

[Joe Dunn]

I bought the X 10 add on program for my ISY. You can program them without this. It just makes it easier. Next I entered all my x 10 addressed devices. Then I developed the nine programs I needed for my basic needs. I used the X 10 device entry for the programming just like it was an Insteon device.

 

Now I'll work my way through my system one group at a time. I will replace X 10 only devices with Insteon devices. And I'll restore the Insteon devices that currently have X 10 addresses to their native state. Then I will replace the old X 10 devices in my programs with the new Insteon devices.

 

When I named all my current X 10 devices I added X 10 to the end of their name. When I restore an Insteon device or install a replacement I'll use the same names with out the X 10 at the end. This will make it easy to see which devices on the device list are X 10 and which are not. The ISY programming system makes it easy to swap devices.

[oberkc]

Maybe a dumb question, but how do you run an X10 only device, i.e., Smarthome X10 dimmer or X10 appliance sw. from ISY.

 

This is pretty much limited to programs, using a program to send X-10 commands. If one purchases the X-10 software module for the ISY, you can add X-10 devices in your device tree, giving them names, and using those name in programs.