Time slips past sunrise

[oatflake]

Hi! I'm a new ISY-99i owner and I'm still learning to program the device!

 

In particular, I'm trying to find the most elegant way to do the following:

 

1. Monday-Fridays, I want a particular my "Couch Lights" to turn on at 6:20 am and then shut off 10 minutes after Sunrise.

 

2. 7 days a week I want the same lights to turn on 30 minutes before Sunset and stay on until 10:30 pm at night.

 

I've condition #2 down, that one is straight out of the example in the manual. #1 however, I'm unsure what to do about the case when during the summer, Sunrise is earlier than 6:20 am. How do I make sure this condition doesn't end up turning on my lights at 6:20 am and then leave them on all day because Sunrise already past?

 

If

(

On Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

From 6:20:00AM

To Sunrise + 10 minutes (same day)

)

Or (

From Sunset - 30 minutes

To 10:30:00PM (same day)

)

 

Then

Set 'Couch Lights' On

 

Else

Set 'Couch Lights' Off

[LeeG]

One approach is to use a variable that indicates Sunrise and use that variable in the first part of the If. Define a Program that sets an Integer variable to a value of 1 Sunrise. Add a check of the Integer variable not equal to 1 in the first part of the If. Define another Program to reset the variable to 0 at Sunset.

 

 

 

If

Time is Sunrise

 

Then

$IVar4 = 1

 

Else

- No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

 

If

(

On Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri

From 6:20:00AM

To Sunrise + 10 minutes (same day)

And $Ivar4 is not 1

)

 

 

If

Time is Sunset

 

Then

$IVar4 = 0

[TJF1960]

Lee, how about 1 program for the variable instead of 2?

 

If

Time is from Sunrise

to Sunrise (Same Day)

 

Then

$IVar4 = 1

 

Else

$IVar4 = 0

[oatflake]

Interesting. I'm not using version 3 yet (should I be worried about running Beta software if I'm still a beginner?) so I'm wondering if this technique can be used with a separate program, IsBrightOutside:

 

If
       From    Sunrise + 10 minutes
       To      Sunset  - 25 minutes (same day)

Then
  - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

Else
  - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')

 

Then the main program uses it like this:

 

If
       (
            On Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
            From     6:20:00AM
            To      Sunrise + 10 minutes (same day)
        And Program 'IsBrightOutside' is False
       )
    Or (
            From    Sunset  - 30 minutes
            To      10:30:00PM (same day)
       )

Then
       Set 'Couch Lights' On

Else
       Set 'Couch Lights' Off

 

Is this the same thing?

[apostolakisl]

Lee is on the mark.

 

I have a variable I call "Light.outside". It sets to 1 when the sun rises and 0 when the sun sets. So anything that you want to happen while the sun is up includes "if $light.outside is equal to 1" as one of the conditions.

 

so

 

If

$iLight.Outside is equal to 0

and

From 6:20am

To sunrise plus 30

 

Then

Set couch light on

 

Else

else set couch light off

 

One note, the light will get turned off at 6:20 if the variable is equal to 1 (or in other words, if 6:20 is after sunrise). You might not want that and if so you need to split the "off" part into another program.

 

Also please note, you need to use an integer variable. A state variable would trigger the program every time it changes and potentially run the program at unintended times or force an "else" to execute that you didn't want.

[LeeG]

TJF1960

 

Single Program for variable control is a much better idea. Thanks.

 

oatflake

 

The V3 images are Betas so there is some exposure. The same thing can be accomplished using a Program True/False state as a binary switch rather than using a variable. There are many examples on the Wiki for using Programs as binary switches. That was the technique before variables coma along in V3.

[oatflake]

Thanks for all your help. I decided to use a program instead of a variable since I'm not on V3 yet, and it seems to do the trick. Thanks for your help!