Programming ToggleLinc Dimmer

[dwbourn]

Hi,

I have an ISY99i as well as a couple of ToggleLinc Dimmers (2466) and 2420 Motion Sensors. My programs to dim the lights at particular times and bring them up when motion is sensed work well. I would like to get some flexibility to the system by putting in some control at the switch. By this I mean the following:

 

At 9:00PM my lights dim to 50%. I would like it where if I press the switch up once it would increase 25%, right now if I press up it goes to 100% (or on) and if I press it down it goes to 0%. Can I set the light level as a variable and then increment or decrement 25%? I would do it this way because at 9:00 it may be at 50% but at 11:00 it may be at 35% so the starting level is variable depending on the time at which the switch is pressed.

 

Part of the reason I got a dimmer was so I could control the lights. Is there a way to set up step sizes? I assume if I want it to go back into a program I can set a program to watch for lights off. Has anyone put this functionality into programming the switches? I checked some threads and couldn't find anything.

 

Thanks in advance!

--David

[LeeG]

The following answers assume the ToggleLinc Red load wire is connected to the light.

 

“Can I set the light level as a variable and then increment or decrement 25%?â€

 

No.

 

“Is there a way to set up step sizes?â€

 

No.

 

“Has anyone put this functionality into programming the switches?â€

 

No. The ToggleLinc internal programming cannot be changed.

[apostolakisl]

You can sort of do what you want using programs. For example, I have a bunch of programs that work as follows.

 
If light status is off
and light is switched off
then
set light to 25%

 

 

While I haven't tried the following, I assume it would work just as my above program does.

 

 
If light status is >45%
and light status is <55%
and light is switched fade up
then
set light to 75%

 

You would need a handful of programs here to cover all the starting levels.

 

You do have to use the "fade up" and "fade down" rather than "on" "off" because using on/off would cause the light to first go directly to on or off, followed by the program kicking in and putting the light back to the set level. This would be rather annoying.

[dwbourn]

That sounds like a promising line of thought. I could then say if the light is at 99% and switched fade up then run another program to return it to automation mode (meaning back to the motion sensors and timing) and release control from the switch. I could probably do this with a variable that would be set based on switch control. Does that make sense? I will have to map this out. I do wish there was a case statement or something as that would eliminate the need for all the programs and I could do it in one shot rather than 5 programs to cover various scenarios.

 

Thanks again!

--David

[apostolakisl]

I am assuming the switch is connected to the load (directly to the light). If indeed that is the case, then you can not release control of the light from the switch. In other words, if you flip the switch on, the light will turn on. Turning the light on may also trigger a program that subsequently does something else.

 

For example:

 

If light is switched off
Then set light to 25%

 

If the light is on and you push "off" paddle (or toggle off), the light will turn off, then a split second later pop up to 25%. You can not elliminate the fact that pushing "off" makes the light turn off (provided the switch is carrying the load)

[dwbourn]

Apostolakisl, thank you again for the response. Yes, the light is connected directly to the switch. More what I was saying was about conditions. For example, a friend comes over and I turn the light on (100%). I can put in my motion sensor and timing routines a conditions saying the light is not on. Then if I want to enable the timing and motion routines I could press up and have a condition saying

 

if Light is On and light is switched on then 
run motion and timing programs

 

Does that make sense? I think we are saying the same thing. I wasn't sure about trigger off the mechanical act versus the status of the light (in the above example the status is on, and the mechanical act sends a signal when I press the switch).

 

Your help is greatly appreciated!

[apostolakisl]

Yes, except you would use "enable" timing and motion programs, not "run". You would also need a program to "disable" them when you want them to not run.

 

For example:

 

If light status is off

and it is switched off

then disable motion program

 

If light status is on (on means 100%)

and it is switched on

then enable motion program

 

The trouble with this is that you don't have any indicator of whether the program is enabled or not. If you had a kpl you could use a button on it to enable/disable the motion programs and you would know the status by if the kpl back light is on or off.

 

Also, you might just test the basic program that started this whole thing. I haven't tested a program that uses "fade up/down" to trigger a program that in turn acts on the same switch that did the triggering setting its current level. The question I have is what if you are still holding the "fade up/down" and ISY sends the command to go to some specific percentage. I am not sure if the switch will accept that command or ignore it while someone is physically holding the fade up/down.

[Xathros]

Also, you might just test the basic program that started this whole thing. I haven't tested a program that uses "fade up/down" to trigger a program that in turn acts on the same switch that did the triggering setting its current level. The question I have is what if you are still holding the "fade up/down" and ISY sends the command to go to some specific percentage. I am not sure if the switch will accept that command or ignore it while someone is physically holding the fade up/down.

 

 

I have done this, just this week. And yes, it does work. I have 3 Toggleinc Relays around my kitchen and dinning room. If I fade down any of the 3, a program is invoked to turn off 2 scenes. All of the 3 switches exist one or the other of those 2 scenes. When fading down the light will just turn off while I'm still holding the paddle down. I suspect if the device was a dimmer, the light would start do dim then turn off a second later when the program executes.

 

-Xathros