Clearing Keypad Messages. . . Can ISY do it?

[apostolakisl]

If you wanted a message sent to the keypad to expire at some point, how do you get ISY to clear it? Elk rules have that function available but I don't see it in ISY. Sending a different message will clear the old message, but then you have the new message showing.

[kevkmartin]

Make a message (mine is called BLANK) with no subject or content.

 

When you send the BLANK message to the keypads, they no longer display the previously sent message.

[Chris Jahn]

If you wanted a message sent to the keypad to expire at some point, how do you get ISY to clear it? Elk rules have that function available but I don't see it in ISY. Sending a different message will clear the old message, but then you have the new message showing.

In the 'Display Text on Keypads' Elk Area program action, select the 'Off Timer' checkbox, and then specify the number of seconds. The program action should look something like this:

 

If
  - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition')

Then
       Set Elk Area 'Apt 1102' Display Text on Keypads for 10 Seconds, Content 'elk tstat 1'

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

 

I did notice that Elk may ignore the Off Timer depending on the state of the area (e.g. if there are any violated zones).

 

To send an actual clear command to Elk, the easiest thing to do is make a blank customized message and send it without a timeout. Doing this causes the ISY to send an actual Elk Clear msg command. We may add an option in the future so you won't have to use this work around.

[apostolakisl]

Good deal.

 

I think it would be a nice idea to add the "clear message" command as an option. Sending a blank message, while perhaps being functionally the same, is not very elegant.

 

Also the issue with a 2 line message requiring alternating two separate messages is not terribly elegant.

[Chris Jahn]

Also the issue with a 2 line message requiring alternating two separate messages is not terribly elegant.

 

Can you elaborate on this issue? You can have 2-line message, you just need to separate them by a newline.

 

e.g. The following content for a custom notification would show both "Hello" and "Goodbye" messages on the keypad

Hello

Goodbye

[apostolakisl]

OK, silly me.

 

Elk does wrap around so I thought ISY would also and when it did not (it truncates), I assumed you just got one line, not thinking to put a "return" in the message.

[Chris Jahn]

Elk does wrap around so I thought ISY would also and when it did not (it truncates), I assumed you just got one line, not thinking to put a "return" in the message.

You make a good point, we should wrap the message if there is only one line supplied in the custom notification.