Switchboard Setup?

Can't seem to find how to get Switchboard setup. It would appear that it can replace multiple triggers
to execute an action? When I create a new trigger and select the plugin it doesn't seem to allow multiple
triggers.

If there's a doc on how to implement it I'd appreciate a pointer to it.

Thanks,

Carl

Found and setup the Group Trigger plugin....works great.

Carl

Can't seem to find how to get Switchboard setup. It would appear that it can replace multiple triggers
to execute an action? When I create a new trigger and select the plugin it doesn't seem to allow multiple
triggers.

If there's a doc on how to implement it I'd appreciate a pointer to it.

The easiest way, is to Turn on Action Group support for the Monitored Device Group. Just Click on the Action Group Support checkbox, and type in an action group name....
Here's the docs from the Switchboard page...

Turn on Action Group Support, takes the type of action (e.g. Open, Closed, TurnOn, TurnOff, etc) and will run an action group that you designated in the text field and append the action to the Action Group name. For example, if the Action Group name is “Kitchen”, when a door sensor is opened, it would attempt to run the “Kitchen_Open” Action Group.

The important difference between indigo’s triggers, and this, is that the plugin will automatically launch the multiple action groups. There is no need to create multiple triggers for the Monitored Devices.
The current list of actions that are recognized, and the Action Group names, are:

On (XYZ_On)
Off (XYZ_Off)
Open (XYZ_Open)
Closed (XYZ_Closed)
Armed (XYZ_Armed)
Disarm (XYZ_Disarm)
Panic (XYZ_Panic)
LightsOn (XYZ_LightsOn)
LightsOff (XYZ_LightsOff)

Please keep in mind, that the Action Group suffix is Case Sensitive (XYZ_LightsOff is not the same as XYZ_LiGhTsOff).

So let's take a real world example.

Let's take DiningRoom_Motion_Detector, and DiningRoom_Lights is the "base" action group name.....

Now, you don't need to create the DiningRoom_Lights action group. Instead if you look at the chart above, you'll see On and Off. Motion Sensors send "On" and "Off" signals...

So, you would create DiningRoom_Lights_On and DiningRoom_Lights_Off and place the commands you want performed in those action groups.
You don't need to create any triggers, or any other logic. If an ON is detected by a Monitored Device Group that contains DiningRoom_Motion_Detector, then it will automatically attempt to activate DiningRoom_Motion_Detector_On or DiningRoom_Motion_Detector_Off, assuming Action Group support is turned on with b]DiningRoom_Motion_Detector[/b] being the base name for the action group.

Now, Action Groups can be shared between different Monitored Device groups, which can seriously reduce the amount of work you need to do if you have common activities.

In addition, in the example above, the Action Group support is not limited to On/Off, for Example, if you have an RemoteLinc, or another device then the LightsOn, LightsOff, etc will also be used.

Any Action Group(s) that do not exist, will be documented in the log, but will not cause any problems... So you can create only the action groups that you need.

Please let me know if I should expand on this in any way, or if you have any suggestions for improvements....

- Ben

OK...I must be an idiot. I can't find anywhere to turn on Action Group Support or set up
a Monitored Device Group. Is the plugin applied to a trigger or an action?
Tried both but I just don't see any of the options you discussed.

Thanks,

Carl

OK...I must be an idiot. I can't find anywhere to turn on Action Group Support or set up
a Monitored Device Group. Is the plugin applied to a trigger or an action?
Tried both but I just don't see any of the options you discussed.

Look in the Monitored Device Group definition.

It's the third section, just under the timed device support....

Beginning to think there may be areas of Indigo I know nothing about.
Still not finding, or have any idea where to look for, Monitored Device Groups
or timed device support.

Maybe a step by step of how to setup Switchboard?

Thanks,

Carl

Doh....again. I had no idea that Switchboard is setup as a device. All better now.

Carl

Beginning to think there may be areas of Indigo I know nothing about.
Still not finding, or have any idea where to look for, Monitored Device Groups
or timed device support.

Maybe a step by step of how to setup Switchboard?

The issue is that every switchboard install will be slightly different.... So it's hard to make it general enough for everyone, yet give correct information without having some information from the person trying to use Switchboard....

But... Let's try.

Switchboard is an Overseer that monitors particular devices that are in Monitored Device Groups....

Keep in mind, there are 4 different devices in the plugin.

* Monitored Device Groups - This is a grouping of devices that you want to trigger an "action". So for example, The Exterior doors of the house. Or the Lights in the Recreation room being turned off. Or the heat lamps in the Fish / Turtle Tank. This device contains the information for what is going to happen. For example, trigger an Action Group to be fired off. It also contains the optional settings (Speak something when this is triggered, Send an email, etc)

The Monitored Device Groups, are really the brains of the plugin. The idea is that in most cases, you don't have a single sensor that only does one specific thing. For example, you may have multiple exterior doors.... (I happen to have 3). In most cases, you will want to monitor those common sensors in the same way, so you create a Monitored Device Group (let's say, outside doors), and add those XX sensors into that group.

So some examples of MDGs, might be:

• Garage Door
• House Doors
• House Windows
• Bedroom Lights

Once added, any of those sensors will trigger off the Action Group defined in the Monitored Device Group, and/or the Timed Profile devices that are defined.

This way you do not need to create custom triggers, etc....

* X10 Monitored Device - Optional - Since there is no native X10 Security devices, I have created a X10 place holder. Define the X10 Security ID, and the system will monitor for that ID. (The intention is for this to be added to A Monitored Device Group.) But the X10 Monitored Devices can be used without a Monitored Device Group...

* Timed Profile(s) - Optional - When a Monitored Device group is triggered, one option is for a "Timed Activation Device" to be triggered. For example, in my configuration, my Timed Activation Device is an X10 Chime that will alert us when an exterior door is opened. You can set how long the device is left on, along with preventing the timed device from activating if it has been triggered within the last X minutes... This allows you to configure the device once, and use it within multiple Monitored Device Groups. (Or you can configure multiple variants, and use them as needed....)

* Security Center - Optional - The newest device in the Switchboard Plugin. It acts as a overseer to the X10 Security Commands. It monitors for Panic requests, Arms, Disarms, etc. This way you can easily see if a panic state is active, or arm your house. The state is recorded in the Security Center, and trigger actions can be created against the Armed status, etc...

So that's the devices that are included with Switchboard...

But how do we use it?

Number One rule with Switchboard. Make a Monitored Device group.

To make a Monitored Device Group, make a new device:

Type - Plugin
Plugin - Switchboard
Model - Monitored Device Group

Does this help? What is confusing? A little feedback would allow me to help you more...