How do I ...? (1.8 public beta questions)

My new PowerLinc V2 USB arrived today and I am happy to report that Indigo public beta 1.8 has been 100% successful. ( I have an Insteon only household, as X-10 equipment/commands proved very unreliable at my current address.)

I do have two questions:

1) Is there currently any way to set the ramp level of an Insteon device using Indigo?

2) Is having several lights, on different modules, adjust at the same time referred to as a scene? (Please correct me if I am wrong.) If so, I thought I read somewhere that this could not be done with the current software, but can't seem to find where I read this. If there is a way to do this, please tell me how.

Matt, thanks for all your hard work! I can't wait to upgrade to the next feature-filled version of Indigo (2.0?). I am sure it will be worth every penny.

pbanana

[matt (support)]

1) Is there currently any way to set the ramp level of an Insteon device using Indigo?

Unfortunately, there is no INSTEON command available to set the ramp level remotely. I believe the old X10 command sequence still works, so if you have assigned a X10 address to the SwitchLinc/LampLinc, then you can create another Device within Indigo using the old X10 SwitchLinc/LampLinc type to get the remote ramp rate / on level UI. If you try this, then let me know if it works.

2) Is having several lights, on different modules, adjust at the same time referred to as a scene? (Please correct me if I am wrong.) If so, I thought I read somewhere that this could not be done with the current software, but can't seem to find where I read this. If there is a way to do this, please tell me how.

With the current beta you cannot create an INSTEON group/scene remotely. You can create an Action Group to sequentially (one at a time, but it is faster than X10) set the brightness levels for the devices. Indigo is INSTEON group/scene aware, so if you activate a group/scene from a KeypadLinc or ControLinc then Indigo will show the correct brightness settings for all the devices... but you cannot directly execute or edit an INSTEON group/scene.

Regards,
Matt

From what I have read, a device's X-10 ramp rate is seperate from the same device's Insteon ramp rate. Also, I believe a seperate Insteon ramp rate exists for each controller linked to a device.

I did find a way to sucessfully lock-in a ramp rate for each LampLinc V2 and SwitchLinc V2 device as controlled from the PowerLinc V2 (using Insteon commands):

1) After you have already set up an Insteon device in Indigo, use Indigo to set the device's brightness level to correspond to the ramp rate you desire. (There is a table which explains this in the owner's manuals for the LampLinc V2 and SwitchLinc V2. The manuals are available online at SmartHome.com.) In my case, I set the device to 30% brightness, which equals a ramp rate of about 4.5 seconds.

2) Once you have set the brightness level to correspond to the desired ramp rate, double-tap the device's set button.

3) Double-click the device in Indigo (to edit) and click "Define and Sync" and then "Start" as you did when you first set up the Insteon device in Indigo. Complete the rest of the setup steps, and when you are finished, the device will respond to commands from Indigo using the selected ramp rate.

pbanana

1.8b2 is working beautifully, however I am reluctant to start going around and checking the Insteon address of all of my SwitchLinc's and keypads. Is there now (or are there plans for) a way to do a more "traditional" link besides entering the address by hand?

If not (or even if so), does anyone know a way to get an Insteon device to report its address via Indigo?

Thanks!

Glen

My PowerLinc V2 arrived yesterday and worked fine until this afternoon. After I tried using it through a USB hub (unsuccessfully), Indigo no longer will recognize and connect to it. "About this Mac" shows it on the USB bus as "SmartHome PowerLink USB E."

I re-installed the drivers (several times) and disconnected and reconnected it several times. I also followed the Setup Instructions carefully, step by step, from beginning to end.

Is there anything else I should try before returning it as defective?

[matt (support)]

From what I have read, a device's X-10 ramp rate is seperate from the same device's Insteon ramp rate. Also, I believe a seperate Insteon ramp rate exists for each controller linked to a device.

True... I thought you were referring to the local "turn it on/off at the switch itself" ramp rate. That ramp rate should be settable remotely via the old X10 command programming sequence.

...and when you are finished, the device will respond to commands from Indigo using the selected ramp rate.

Very interesting. I wonder if that just changed the local (at the switch) ramp rate? Probably, which means the direct commands Indigo is sending also obey the local ramp rate. If this is the case, then you can probably set it via the X10 command sequence.

Regards,
Matt

[matt (support)]

...does anyone know a way to get an Insteon device to report its address via Indigo?

Try doing it the traditional way -- Press and Hold the PowerLinc Button for 10 seconds, then press and hold the SwitchLinc button for 10 seconds. This should show you in the Event Log the address of the SwitchLinc. You should then use the Device dialog to specify that address and let Indigo do its syncing. This will especially save you some grief for the KeypadLincs, so you don't have to manually link every single button (Indigo does all of them).

Regards,
Matt

[matt (support)]

...Indigo no longer will recognize and connect to it.

What error message are you seeing? And what does the Event Log show?

If you have not already, definitely try a reboot with it connected directly into one of your Mac's USB ports.

Regards,
Matt

Matt,

As I understand, setting the bright/dim value of an Insteon device and then double-tapping the device's set button does set the local ramp rate. Further, if you link to that device, after doing the above mentioned, within approximately four minutes, that ramp rate is then associated with the just linked controller, and the previous ramp rate is enabled locally. If you do not link a device within that time, the new ramp rate stays as the local ramp rate.

Please correct me if my understanding is in error.

pbanana

Matt,

After a reboot with the 2414U connected to a USB port on the Mac (and with About This Mac reporting it present), the following dialog is displayed at Indigo launch and after trying to connect manually:

"Failed to establish connection with interface. Make sure you have run ... etc."

The Event Log shows:

Dec 4, 2005 10:30 AM
Starting Indigo version 1.8.0 beta 3
Launching Attachments
Loading "device target attachment.scpt" (script)
Loading "group target attachment.scpt" (script)
Loading "iTunes attachment.scp" (script)
Loading "scenes attachment.scpt" (script)
Loading "time stamp attachment.scp" (script)

Nothing is added to the log when I try to connect.

And yes, I have tried a new USB cable, and trashed Indigo's preferences. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[matt (support)]

And yes, I have tried a new USB cable, and trashed Indigo's preferences. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Send me an email offline (indigo-support at perceptiveautomation.com) and we'll try a few more things.

Regards,
Matt

[matt (support)]

...Further, if you link to that device, after doing the above mentioned, within approximately four minutes, that ramp rate is then associated with the just linked controller, and the previous ramp rate is enabled locally. If you do not link a device within that time, the new ramp rate stays as the local ramp rate.

After you adjust the ramp rate (dim/brighten, then double-tap set), you have two different options for locking in that rate. You can link a controller (ControLinc, KeypadLinc) to that SwitchLinc in which case that ramp rate is used when that controller's button is pressed, OR you can do nothing for 4 minutes at which point that ramp rate is used for local (at the switch) on/offs. I believe the above are mutually exclusive. If you lock it in to a controller (via linking) then the local ramp rate is not changed from whatever it was before you started the process. I think this is the same thing you stated above.

Note that when Indigo turns on a SwitchLinc or sets its brightness, the local ramp rate is the one that is used. This is the opposite of how ControLincs and KeypadLincs work when controlling a SwitchLinc, since they do not use the local ramp rate. This has to do with the fact that Indigo does not insert a receiving group link into the SwitchLinc, but instead sends a direct command to the SwitchLinc.

Indigo uses direct commands instead group commands because otherwise Indigo would have to insert a unique link into every SwitchLinc for every brightness level used by all Actions. If you had 3 different actions in use within Indigo that set the brightness to 33%, 50%, and 100%, then Indigo would have to insert 3 unique links into the SwitchLinc. This would be slow and prone to errors, which is why direct commands are used instead. Although I might add that type of capability in some fashion... Eventually, I'm hoping an INSTEON direct command is added that will allow the use of a per command ramp rate. A bit confusing I know...

Regards,
Matt

Matt,

Thank you for the clarification.

pbanana

I got my new INSTEON Powerlinc and it seems to work well. I linked up a bunch of devices using my powerbook and everything worked fine. Then I transferred everything to my headless mac mini. Now when I try to link those same devices, using the mac mini, it complains that they're already in the powerlinc's database. So how can I reset the Powerlinc so that it forgets its database?

[matt (support)]

Now when I try to link those same devices, using the mac mini, it complains that they're already in the powerlinc's database.

Those aren't complaints, but rather notifications that those devices already have their addresses properly linked. Everything should still be working fine, even after you switch over to using a different Mac. Is something not working correctly now?

Regards,
Matt