Fanlinc / Mobilinc Control

[Nuttycomputer]

Hey Everyone,

 

Installed a Fanlinc and KPL yesterday but I'm having a bit of problem with the programming logic. I've got mutually exclusive buttons ABC setup to control the fan. These are linked to the fan settings via Scenes. Locally everything works fine. If I hit A fan turns on low. If I hit B, A light turns off, fan turns medium. If I hit any of the ABC buttons while they are on it correctly turns fan off.

 

So the problem is when I get to controlling the system through Mobilinc. From what I understand Mobilinc doesn't directly control the ABC buttons but rather turns the Scenes themselves on and off. However this is causing problems for me and I can't figure out a good way to resolve:

 

If I turn A on from Mobilinc the fan turns Low and the Light on the KPL turns on.... however if I try to change speeds and hit KPL Button B. KPL A still shows on via both Mobilinc and the KPL.

 

Edit: This is Fanlinc specific but seems like it would cause problems with any setting in which scenes themselves need to be mutually exclusive.

Has anyone found a good way to manage this or is it just a matter of waiting until direct motor control comes to Mobilinc.

[LeeG]

Mutually exclusive button operation is unique to the KeypadLinc device only. The KPL does not indicate to other devices that buttons have been turned Off. Also the mutually exclusive relationship is not in effect when the KeypadLinc is controlled from another device.

 

If the KeypadLinc is firmware v.40 and above the situation can be handled within the Scene definitions. If it is an older KeypadLinc than additional ISY Programs and Scenes are needed. The issue is that below KeypadLinc firmware v.40 a Scene On from another Controller cannot be used to turn a Secondary KPL button Off. This capability was added at KPL firmware v.40.

 

If the KeypadLinc has v.40 firmware

 

SceneA

KPL button A - Controller

KPL button B - Responder - On Level 0%

KPL button C - Responder - On Level 0%

FanLinc Fan - Responder - On Level Low

 

SceneB

KPL button A - Responder - On Level 0%

KPL button B - Controller

KPL button C - Responder - On Level 0%

FanLinc Fan - Responder - On Level Med

 

SceneC

KPL button A - Responder - On Level 0%

KPL button B - Responder - On Level 0%

KPL button C - Controller

FanLinc Fan - Responder - On Level High

 

If the KeypadLinc firmware is below v.40 then an ISY Program will have to be triggered on the Secondary button A On and have the Program issue a Set Scene Off containing Secondary buttons B & C. This Program is replicated for KPL button B and KPL button C.

[Nuttycomputer]

LeeG,

 

I do have v.40 and also most up to date version of ISY however the result is opposite of expected, all scenes/lights show as on. Does the ISY support this function yet? I think the problem is the Mobilinc when pressing a KPL button doesn't do anything with the button but instead triggers the scene directly. In this case (Fan Low) the scene settings themselves don't allow me to adjust the On level of the other KPL buttons only the speed of the motor.

 

Edit:

I think the issue is slightly complicated by the device being a responder only yet the purpose for most is to link it virtually to a switch. In a lot of ways it is like setting up a 3-way-circuit. The downside however is when the device is controlled remotely (since it is not a controller) it can't report it's status to the other device.

 

I'll probably just write some programs to get around these limitations.

[LeeG]

My mistake. The 3.2.4 level supports defining the Scene such that the KeypadLinc buttons work correctly without using mutually exclusive buttons. The UI has not been updated to allow the new v.40 KeypadLinc function to work when the Scene name is used.

 

 

 

[Nuttycomputer]

My mistake. The 3.2.4 level supports defining the Scene such that the KeypadLinc buttons work correctly without using mutually exclusive buttons. The UI has not been updated to allow the new v.40 KeypadLinc function to work when the Scene name is used.

 

Hey LeeG see my edit above. Additionally what is the benefit of using the scenes to setup mutually exclusive buttons instead of just doing it locally? Would I be correct in assuming it would come more into play when dealing with multiple KPLs?

[LeeG]

If you used the ISY to set up the mutually exclusive button definition you would have seen the popup warning against using the feature. It can mess up what the Scene definition is doing. Anytime something is done outside of the ISY it can be lost. Also the ISY cannot restore it should a Restore Device be needed.

 

I was actually only partly mistaken about the UI v.40 support. If another KPLs buttons are added to the Scene those additional buttons can be set to 0% On Level. It is only the Scene name as Controller that is missing the ability to set the Secondary buttons to 0% On Level.

[Nuttycomputer]

It does sound like setting up mutually exclusive buttons in the ISY is the way to go if your entire setup is keybutton presses on other insteon devices. The problem I'm facing (and I'm finding is somewhat of a problem with how the Insteon products are developed) is that as smartphones, ipads, automation controllers, are becoming more prevalent devices that would normally function as just responders (the fanlinc for example) can assume more the role of a controller in that the device no longer needs to be turned on via another switch.

 

This complicates the setup and is one of the reasons I posted in the Product Request Forum to the affect of creating virtual nodes/controllers the ISY could use to bridge the gap.

[InsteonNut]

Hi Nuttycomputer and LeeG,

 

Our next release of MobiLinc for iOS in late April/early May will include our new IP camera plug-in as well as proper UI support for the FanLinc.

 

Wes

[carealtor]

My mistake. The 3.2.4 level supports defining the Scene such that the KeypadLinc buttons work correctly without using mutually exclusive buttons. The UI has not been updated to allow the new v.40 KeypadLinc function to work when the Scene name is used.

 

[attachment=1]FanLincScene.JPG[/attachment]

 

[attachment=0]FanLincScene2.JPG[/attachment]

 

Michel, is this omission something that needs to be corrected for the ISY? Or is there some other reason the KPL buttons don't show in the scene? I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one running in to this. I'm pretty new with the ISY and I thought maybe I just didn't know what I was doing!

[Nuttycomputer]

Hi Nuttycomputer and LeeG,

 

Our next release of MobiLinc for iOS in late April/early May will include our new IP camera plug-in as well as proper UI support for the FanLinc.

 

Wes

 

InsteonNut,

 

Thanks for the information. Once that is out I can bypass this problem (sorta) using the fan status itself and some programs to properly show status on the KPL when controlled remotely.