Homeseer plugin

[jhimmel]

Is a Homeseer plugin for the ISY something that UDI would consider writing?

[upstatemike]

Is a Homeseer plugin for the ISY something that UDI would consider writing?

 

Jim-

 

I'm curious how you are currently managing your device to device links with Homeseer? Are you also using something like PowerHome? Are you trying to manually tap-tap manage them? I ask because I think this is the weak part of the current Homeseer plugin strategy. Homeseer does not want to provide a general tool for managing the Insteon environment and yet they let their plugin blunder around in the link tables of individual Insteon devices causing potential conflicts with whatever is used to manage the device to device link structure.

 

Managing your environment with an ISY and then using an ISY plugin as the gateway from Homeseer to Insteon would likely solve those problems but would the cost of developing such a plugin be of sufficient benefit to UDI for it to be worth pursuing? Even if you and some others would purchase an ISY based on the availability of this plugin, how many other Homeseer/Insteon folks would be willing to do so?

 

Also how would such an animal work? Homeseer maintains a device database that needs to be coordinated with the ISY device database. I know I make changes to my Insteon environment at least once a week... how much of a pain is it going to be to re-sync the two system's device tables that often? How much editing of Homeseer scripts and events will have to happen each time you change devices around with your ISY? (or any other link management tool)

 

Also what is the value added from having a Homeseer plugin? Once you have an ISY, you will want to put any scheduled or sunrise/sunset Insteon stuff directly into the ISY. If you want to trigger from motion sensors, you can use X10 translation for X10 RF stuff or the existing Elk M1/ISY integration for hard wired detectors. Putting Homeseer into the middle of either of these situations does not add any value. If you have other triggers interfaced to Homeseer you can easily use an X10 transmission or an Elk M1 rule to facilitate Insteon operation.

 

There is perhaps some value in being able to trigger Homeseer events with Insteon triggers, but I think there is already a way to do that if you use the Elk M1 interface. A direct ISY plugin might make this a little more direct but is it really worth the significant development and support effort from UDI as well as the added complexity to the end user of keeping the two systems in sync?

 

I'm not saying there is no case to be made for an ISY plugin for Homeseer, but I think some of these things need to be analyzed before UDI can justify the development and support effort. Maybe it would be better if a third party were to take this on?

[upstatemike]

I personally would love to get out of the Insteon low-level I/O stuff and just deal with the HomeSeer side of things. If ISY is interested in HomeSeer support and Insteon customers are willing to move to a more expensive interface solution in order to have more put into the HomeSeer / UI side of things I can certainly propose that to Rich and company.

 

Jon

 

Maybe Jon (author of the current Insteon Plugin for Homeseer) will be able to convince Rich to do a Homeseer supported ISY plugin.

[Michel Kohanim]

JHimmel,

 

We would consider any type of business relationship which enables us to sell more of our products. The only issue is that we do not have any one well versed enough in HS to take on this task and, thus, especially given our aggressive schedule it would be a little impractical to assign any resources. This said, however, we would be more than willing to HELP anyone who's going to take on this task. We have done this with other projects and the results have been great (some of which you will see soon).

 

upstatemike,

 

Thank you so very much for your response and feedback. Based on your post, it might be easier to add facilities to call HS routines (if they are URI based) from programs instead of creating a plugin. This way, ISY can initiate HS events and HS can initiate ISY events. You are 100% correct vis-a-vis getting out of synch with ISY.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[jhimmel]

Old thread, but interesting to see this actually happening.

Mike, looks like you will get the answers to all those how and why questions you posed (hopefully).

 

As to the value added question, I may be able to answer that one. I personally find Homeseer to be a nice bridge between all kinds of technologies and interfaces. I/O contacts and low voltage switching (hardwired) through my SECU16, IR I/O through my Ocelot, window and door sensing through my W800RF, and then Insteon. Homeseer makes it trivial for me to use them all together as if they were one.

 

Now, I -may- be able to re-create all of the functionality with an ISY-99i/IR and some Insteon EZIO's - I'm really not sure. What about my wireless DS10's? Also, I don't think the ISY OUTPUTS IR, does it? How well do the other Insteon IR devices work - could I rebuild the same sophistication and have it all working through the ISY?

 

I really don't know the answer to all those questions, or how well the end result would work out for me, but I also saw no reason to spend all the time and money to find out, if all I really needed to improve my Insteon integration is an ISY, and a plugin to my current Homeseer system.

 

Jim H.

[Brian H]

http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.ph ... post832142

 

Looks like Homeseer is now dropping the Insteon Plug In and teaming up with UDI. At least on new devices if I read the post correctly.

[upstatemike]

Yes, there will be a Homeseer plugin for the ISY and this will open up a number of new possibilities for Insteon integration. While it is true that some hardwire IO, thermostat control, and security functions can be achieved with existing integrations with Elk M1, EZIO modules, etc, Homeseer will bring some truly unique functionality to the table including:

 

TTS based voice prompts for Insteon actions ("party scene activated")

Insteon control via voice recognition

Insteon control based on home weather station input

Insteon control via telephone

etc.

 

An ISY + Elk M1 + Homseer Hometroller 2 + Way2Call modem would be and incredibly flexible automation platform.