Transmitting Ramp rate to OutletLinc Dimmer

[djones1415]

New installation, new user.

 

I have a lamp plugged into an OutletLinc Dimmer. I tried several times to change the ramp rate in the ISY. It would change, and the ISY would say it was updating the outlet. But the ramp rate wouldn't change. Would always come on immediately.

 

Next night I tried again. Same problem. I just couldn't change the ramp rate to the outlet.

 

Next night, I added another device (Open/Close Sensor) and then added a scene in which the sensor was the controller and the outlet was the responder. When setting up the scene, I used a very slow ramp rate - and somehow that got properly transmitted to the outlet. Now the slow ramp rate is local, at the outlet.

 

Now I can't get it changed back to a faster ramp rate. I've tried moving the slider on "Ramp Rate". I've tried right-clicking on the device in the left pane and selecting both "Write Updates to Device" and "Restore Device." Restore Device shows the pop-up that says it's writing to the device...but nothing changes. The screen will show the 0.3 sec ramp rate, but the ramp time will actually be more than 10 seconds.

 

Setting the "On Level" works fine.

 

I haven't yet messed around with setting up another scene with a faster ramp rate and see if, again, the scene logic somehow gets the ramp rate sent to the outlet.

 

Before continuing to try and figure this out myself, I wondered if there is something I'm doing wrong, or some trick to when/how to send commands to a device via the ISY.

 

Thanks for any comments/guidance/ideas.

[LeeG]

There are multiple On Level and Ramp Rate values in a device. The On Level (applied locally) and Ramp Rate (applied locally) have an effect when the OutletLinc is controlled locally or with an Insteon Direct command.

 

When an ISY Scene is used each Controller of the Scene has a unique set of Responder On Level and Responder Ramp Rate values unique to that Controller. All this information is stored in the Responder (OutletLinc in this case) and keyed to the Controller Insteon address. When the Sensor turns the OutletLinc On/Off the Responder On Level and Responder Ramp Rate in effect are displayed when the Red Controller node below the Scene name is selected.

 

When the Scene name itself is selected the ISY PLM is the Controller which will have its own set of unique Responder On Level and Responder Ramp Rate values for the OutletLinc. These values are in effect when the ISY Scene name is controlled from the Admin Console or with an ISY Program.

 

EDIT: note that the 9 minute ramp rate is actually something like 0.2 seconds. SmartLabs made that change some years back to avoid a 00 Ramp Rate (the 9 minute value) from looking like the device was not responding at all.

[djones1415]

Ok. Thanks.

 

So apparently the ramp rate associated with the PLM is not getting changed even though I'm using the Admin Console, and the Admin Console tells me the ramp rate is 0.3 seconds. When I turn the lamp on from the Admin Console, it is using a much longer ramp rate. When I turn the lamp off at the lamp, and turn it back on (with the OutletLinc being 'on' the entire time, ie without sending any command to the outlet via the ISY), the lightbulb ramps up using a much longer ramp time than the 0.3 seconds that the Admin Console says it should.

 

Any way to get that ramp rate changed?

[LeeG]

Move the slider to some other position. When the Progress Bar is finished (that update is complete) move the slider to where you want it. The ISY does not write a value to a device it thinks has already been written.

 

If the ramp rate is not achieved run Tools | Diagnostics | Event Viewer at LEVEL 3. Move the slider to some other position and back to the desired ramp rate once the first progress bar completes. Post the trace.

 

What ISY firmware is being used?

 

What is being controlled from the Admin Console, the specific device node or the Scene?

[LeeG]

I cannot set the Ramp Rate (applied locally) on my OutletLinc Dimmer. This will take some investigation.

[djones1415]

Thanks, LeeG. I'm glad someone with more experience with the ISY can confirm the problem. Let me know if you find a solution.

 

I'm kind of surprised this hasn't come up before...would seem to be a fairly common task. Isn't it common to put a different ramp rate to each dimmer outlet, and isn't using the Admin Console the easiest way to do that? If there's another way to get the local ramp rate set to an OutletLinc Dimmer, please let me know how.

 

Thanks again.

[LeeG]

I added the OutletLinc to HouseLinc which does not present an option for setting the Local Ramp Rate for this particular device type and firmware level. This OutletLinc has v.40 firmware and is not I2CS. I have to conclude this version of the OutletLinc does not support setting the Local Ramp Rate programmatically. Perhaps it has to be the new I2CS version to have this capability.

 

EDIT: The OutletLinc User Guide indicates the Local Ramp Rate can be set by adjusting the Bright/Dim level and tapping the Set button twice (quickly). The OutletLinc beeps when done correctly and does adjust the Local Ramp Rate. Does not appear to have the range of ramp rate values normally available when doing it this way.

 

EDIT2: the OutletLinc User Guide has a chart that lists the Local Ramp Rate values that can be set. It shows a maximum of 8.5 seconds which explains why I was not able to set the Local Ramp Rate to long ramp values.

[djones1415]

Odd because once I got the ramp rate set in a scene, that ramp rate has stayed in the outlet and is applied locally (even when I turn on the lamp at the lamp itself when the outlet is already hot). And this continues even after I've deleted the scene and taken the controller in the scene totally offline.

 

I'll mess with it some over the weekend and see if I can reset the ramp rate by putting in another scene...

[LeeG]

The Local Ramp Rate and Responder Ramp Rate (Scene) are different things. The Responder Ramp Rate for each Controller of the Scene can be different as that information is stored in the link records in the OutletLinc link database, where the Local Ramp Rate is normally stored in the device configuration area of memory. I have found HouseLinc to be current with what can and cannot be done at each firmware level as HouseLinc maintains that information by firmware level.

 

I expected to find some unique command sequence to set the Local Ramp Rate using HouseLinc. Instead HouseLinc has no option for setting the Local information, On Level or Ramp Rate, for this OutletLinc.

 

See my EDIT in a previous post for how to set the Local Ramp Rate manually using the Set button. The process is documented in the OutletLinc User Guide.