[HELP] FanLinc How-To Instructions

Posted on
Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:41 pm
CraigM offline
Posts: 578
Joined: Oct 28, 2007

[HELP] FanLinc How-To Instructions

Is there a definitive, start to finish guide on setting up a fanlinc and KPL?

I've read the "FanLinc and KeypadLink" wiki, and configured my "Auto-Off" and "Toggle Mode" action group.

Then the wiki jumps to the "Managing INSTEON Device Links" and my head explodes! I understand why my KPL button #1 [of 8] needs a device link in order to control light on/off/dim
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Am I also suppose to create four more device links for the fan speeds [#2 high] [#4 med] [#6 low] [#8 off]?
Picture 6.png
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When you define a FanLinc you get two devices xxxFan and xxxLight. But the above UI screenshot is extremely confusing. The only selection for a responder [to control speed] is xxxLight. I would expect the selection in the menu to be xxxFan. This is not intuitive at all.

If fan speeds need to be Device Links, how does that differ from just creating triggers [instead of DL's] for when you press the KPL buttons?
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Picture 8.png
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I would hope that as Indigo evolves and gets more complex, the need for more clear and detailed tutorials would be available for the users. Self help translates into less posts from users, which frees up your time to move v6 out of beta, and on to iTouch.

Keep up the great work. Looking forward to v6gm and your response.

Posted on
Wed Dec 19, 2012 8:06 am
matt (support) offline
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Re: [HELP] FanLinc How-To Instructions

CraigM wrote:
Am I also suppose to create four more device links for the fan speeds [#2 high] [#4 med] [#6 low] [#8 off]?

The Wiki says:
wiki wrote:
Creating INSTEON links is covered in the Managing INSTEON Device Links document - you want to link button 1 to the FanLinc lights and buttons 3-6 to high, medium, low, and off respectively

So yes, you do create multiple links. But note you link to the KeypadLinc buttons 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. You skip button 2 because the KeypadLinc in the wiki example is in 6 button configuration and in that configuration button 2 is hidden (button 2 is really the top-right most button but that is combined with button 1 when in 6 button layout mode).

Note you can always experiment to see what/if it works. If the links added don't work correctly, then you can delete them.

CraigM wrote:
When you define a FanLinc you get two devices xxxFan and xxxLight. But the above UI screenshot is extremely confusing. The only selection for a responder [to control speed] is xxxLight. I would expect the selection in the menu to be xxxFan. This is not intuitive at all.

Indigo gives you 2 logical devices because so that it can show you the state of both devices. But there is really only 1 module, so you always specify the links to the main/first device which in this case is the light.

CraigM wrote:
If fan speeds need to be Device Links, how does that differ from just creating triggers [instead of DL's] for when you press the KPL buttons?

You can do that instead. As is often the case, there are several different ways to accomplish the control logic with Indigo. Using KeypadLinc directly will be slightly faster and will work even if Indigo or your Mac isn't running for some reason. Using Indigo Triggers gives you more flexibility, such as the ability to use conditionals. The choice is yours as to which approach you use.

Image

Posted on
Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:38 pm
CraigM offline
Posts: 578
Joined: Oct 28, 2007

Re: [HELP] FanLinc How-To Instructions

matt (support) wrote:
CraigM wrote:
Am I also suppose to create four more device links for the fan speeds [#2 high] [#4 med] [#6 low] [#8 off]?

The Wiki says:
wiki wrote:
Creating INSTEON links is covered in the Managing INSTEON Device Links document - you want to link button 1 to the FanLinc lights and buttons 3-6 to high, medium, low, and off respectively

So yes, you do create multiple links. But note you link to the KeypadLinc buttons 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. You skip button 2 because the KeypadLinc in the wiki example is in 6 button configuration and in that configuration button 2 is hidden (button 2 is really the top-right most button but that is combined with button 1 when in 6 button layout mode).

I have 8 button KPL's, so [#2 high] [#4 med] [#6 low] [#8 off] is my set up

CraigM wrote:
When you define a FanLinc you get two devices xxxFan and xxxLight. But the above UI screenshot is extremely confusing. The only selection for a responder [to control speed] is xxxLight. I would expect the selection in the menu to be xxxFan. This is not intuitive at all.

matt (support) wrote:
Indigo gives you 2 logical devices because so that it can show you the state of both devices. But there is really only 1 module, so you always specify the links to the main/first device which in this case is the light.

What about in menus, such as trigger actions. Do we always select xxxLight, or should we select xxxLight [for light functions] and xxxFan [for fan functions]? This finally might make sense of the disastrous results i have been getting when sending fan trigger commands and the light comes on instead.

CraigM wrote:
If fan speeds need to be Device Links, how does that differ from just creating triggers [instead of DL's] for when you press the KPL buttons?

matt (support) wrote:
You can do that instead. As is often the case, there are several different ways to accomplish the control logic with Indigo. Using KeypadLinc directly will be slightly faster and will work even if Indigo or your Mac isn't running for some reason. Using Indigo Triggers gives you more flexibility, such as the ability to use conditionals. The choice is yours as to which approach you use.

This is why it is confusing. The wiki says device links [which sounds definitive], Smarthome says device links NEVER triggers [which sounds definitive], and now "it's my option". I believe most users would appreciate docs that spell out any/all options with their pro/con, in real life scenarios, this would allow us to make an educated choice for our personal needs.

So Matt, assuming that I can get either method to work correctly, what about these questions:
1) Do the xxxLight, xxxFan names mean anything to Indigo? In other words can we re-name these to ANYTHING we want and split them into different folders?

If xxxLight is in your words "the main device", would it make sense not to have the word "Light" in the title? xxxMain? What two names do you and Jay use?

2) My final goal is to have two fans act as one from two KPL's
- Livingroom KPL button [#1=Livingroom Fan Light]
- Livingroom KPL button [#2 high] [#4 med] [#6 low] [#8 off] control both Livingroom AND Kitchen fans.
- Kitchen KPL button [#1=Kitchen Fan Light]
- Kitchen KPL button [#2 high] [#4 med] [#6 low] [#8 off] control both Livingroom AND Kitchen fans.

What are my options?

I don't need individual control of the fan speeds from the KPL's. If I ever needed to operate them individually I would do that from iTouch.

As always I appreciate your response.

Posted on
Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:00 pm
matt (support) offline
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User avatar
Posts: 21411
Joined: Jan 27, 2003
Location: Texas

Re: [HELP] FanLinc How-To Instructions

CraigM wrote:
What about in menus, such as trigger actions. Do we always select xxxLight, or should we select xxxLight [for light functions] and xxxFan [for fan functions]? This finally might make sense of the disastrous results i have been getting when sending fan trigger commands and the light comes on instead.

Are you referring to actions? There are fan specific actions (low, medium, high) and light specific actions (on/off/brighten/dim/etc). Actions are specific to the sub-device. For linking the module is considered a single device.

Note I am positive this isn't related to the problem you are having. The Event Log you posted on the other thread shows Indigo sending the correct commands to control the fan speed. I think you have a bad FanLinc. It looks like you have the same logic and actions programmed for both FanLincs, but one of them doesn't behave correctly. Must be a bad FanLinc, right? Look at the commands Indigo is sending int he Event Log to the FanLincs. Do they look the same? But one of the FanLincs behaves differently, right?

CraigM wrote:
This is why it is confusing. The wiki says device links [which sounds definitive], Smarthome says device links NEVER triggers [which sounds definitive], and now "it's my option". I believe most users would appreciate docs that spell out any/all options with their pro/con, in real life scenarios, this would allow us to make an educated choice for our personal needs.

Honestly, you can do it either way.

The Wiki is giving an example of how to set it up. It isn't saying you HAVE to use links. No where does it say that is the only way to do it. As often is the case, there are several different ways to accomplish home automation logic with Indigo. We don't have the resources to explain in a single wiki articles all the different permutations of a solution.

Smarthome support folks don't always know Indigo well, so whoever you talked to might not even know what a Trigger is, and thus was telling you how they know how to do it (links).

CraigM wrote:
1) Do the xxxLight, xxxFan names mean anything to Indigo? In other words can we re-name these to ANYTHING we want and split them into different folders?

If xxxLight is in your words "the main device", would it make sense not to have the word "Light" in the title? xxxMain? What two names do you and Jay use?


You can rename them and put them in whatever folders you want.

CraigM wrote:
2) My final goal is to have two fans act as one from two KPL's
- Livingroom KPL button [#1=Livingroom Fan Light]
- Livingroom KPL button [#2 high] [#4 med] [#6 low] [#8 off] control both Livingroom AND Kitchen fans.
- Kitchen KPL button [#1=Kitchen Fan Light]
- Kitchen KPL button [#2 high] [#4 med] [#6 low] [#8 off] control both Livingroom AND Kitchen fans.

What are my options?

Triggers or links. It is up to you. Since you seem more comfortable with Triggers, I'd recommend that.

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