Venstar Thermostat Plugin v1.00 released...

Folks,

I have just created a new plugin that will allow Venstar Insteon Thermostat users to monitor their daily usage of AC, Heating, and Fan usage... This is a basic plugin designed to extend Indigo...

When installed, the plugin is most noticeable in the Log file...

Received INSTEON "Furnace Link" off (button 2)
Thermostat Insteon Thermostat Event being processed
Thermostat Thermostat requesting Heating - Off
Thermostat Furnace Heat Ran for 14 Minutes
Thermostat Thermostat Event Processing Done

Several new variables are created to track usage, Heating_dailymins, AC_dailymins, and Fan_dailymins will track the number of minutes that Heating, AC and the furnace fan have been on.
Please note, you will need to make a new timed action that runs thermo_reset.scpt whenever you want to reset the counters... I would suggest midnight, so that you are capturing the 24 hrs period... The script will append to a csv file in your documents folder that contains the value that are in the AC, Furnace and Fan variables, and then reset the variables to 0.

I'll be expanding on the documentation on the blog either Sunday or Monday, depending on free time.

Download from here...
http://www.schollnick.net/wordpress/201 ... -released/

[matt (support)]

Very neat! You've been busy lately.

Very neat! You've been busy lately.

I try.... One of my long term wants has been someway to monitor the furnace, so that I could track it's usage... And we just had a surprise repair bill for the furnace, so I figured what the heck, get the Venstar....

Thus....

I have another Venstar plugin coming out soon, but I have to finish up the web coding for it... The basic guts are done... Well, I have to evaluate the Google Charts aspect, but...

- Benjamin

Sounds interesting and informative.

As a non-programmer, I looked at the scripts (mostly the notes) and checked your blog and looked for a readme, but didn't see instructions about where to place the scripts (if it matters). More importantly, my review of the script did not reveal whether this version can handle multiple Venstars for multiple HVAC zones.

Can hold tight for your referenced blog update with additional information, just posting these comments as topics I'd like to see included.

Thanks,
mjc
[Edit] PS Also, seems that the scripts' notes reference "alarm" settings. Maybe that's just the proper programming terminology, but, as first, I thought I had downloaded a script for using Indigo as a home alarm system.

Folks,

I have just created a new plugin that will allow Venstar Insteon Thermostat users to monitor their daily usage of AC, Heating, and Fan usage... This is a basic plugin designed to extend Indigo...

Cool stuff. One question though. Is this a plugin or an attachment. I assume the later, by its structure, but you said plugin, so I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

Folks,

I have just created a new plugin that will allow Venstar Insteon Thermostat users to monitor their daily usage of AC, Heating, and Fan usage... This is a basic plugin designed to extend Indigo...

Cool stuff. One question though. Is this a plugin or an attachment. I assume the later, by its structure, but you said plugin, so I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

Good point.. It is an Attachment script... I was using Plugin as a generic term...

But I am working on a web server plugin that will be handling some other aspects of the Venstar data...

Sounds interesting and informative.

As a non-programmer, I looked at the scripts (mostly the notes) and checked your blog and looked for a readme, but didn't see instructions about where to place the scripts (if it matters). More importantly, my review of the script did not reveal whether this version can handle multiple Venstars for multiple HVAC zones.

Can hold tight for your referenced blog update with additional information, just posting these comments as topics I'd like to see included.

Thanks,
mjc
[Edit] PS Also, seems that the scripts' notes reference "alarm" settings. Maybe that's just the proper programming terminology, but, as first, I thought I had downloaded a script for using Indigo as a home alarm system.

I'm not sure I understand the Alarm reference here.... But I do have a security script for Indigo...

The install instructions will be up tonight or tomorrow... I just haven't had a chance to flesh it out at this point... But place the script in /library/application support/perceptive automation/indigo 4/scripts/attachments, and then restart the Indigo server...

Sounds interesting and informative.

... P:S Also, seems that the scripts' notes reference "alarm" settings. Maybe that's just the proper programming terminology, but, at first, I thought I had downloaded a script for using Indigo as a home alarm system.

I'm not sure I understand the Alarm reference here....

Thanks Bob, I was referencing the text notes within the two Venstar scripts you provided. The "thermo_reset_v100.scpt," for example, starts with the following text when viewed in AppleScript Editor:

-- Sample attachment script that illustrates how to listen to commands from security devices. Only the W800RF32 and CM15 interfaces receives these commands. 2003.05.15 (mmb). Only the most recent Version history is at the top, the rest of the Version history is now at the bottom of the file.
--
-- Change & Version History - Are at the bottom of the script...

-- To start using the security script, scroll down to "property Alarm_Matrix", and fill in the entries as needed.

Sounds interesting and informative.

As a non-programmer, I looked at the scripts (mostly the notes) and checked your blog and looked for a readme, but didn't see instructions about where to place the scripts (if it matters). More importantly, my review of the script did not reveal whether this version can handle multiple Venstars for multiple HVAC zones.

Can hold tight for your referenced blog update with additional information, just posting these comments as topics I'd like to see included.

Thanks,
mjc
[Edit] PS Also, seems that the scripts' notes reference "alarm" settings. Maybe that's just the proper programming terminology, but, as first, I thought I had downloaded a script for using Indigo as a home alarm system.

The detailed documentation is here:

http://www.schollnick.net/wordpress/hom ... e-monitor/

And on second reading, I think I understand what happened, I used the security script as the template, and I may have not yet cleaned up all references to the Alarms... I'll take another look when I have the opportunity...

...
The detailed documentation is here:

http://www.schollnick.net/wordpress/hom ... e-monitor/
..

Wow! That was quick.

This will really extend the usefulness of Indigo, especially in when implement with Jay's and berkinet's contribution regarding device usage reports.

Thanks for sharing this with the community.

Installed per instructions and received the following error in the log after Indigo Server restart:

Code: Select all

  Error              script error: in file "thermo_tracking_100.scpt"
  Error              script error: «script» doesn’t understand the _convertHexStrToInteger message. (-1708)
  Error              error dispatching event to attachment script (-1753)

Since it took a day or so to work the usageReporter plugin from Jay and Berkinet into my system without errors, I'll just keep an eye on this for a few days, then report back if errors continue -- if that would be helpful. (Otherwise, I can just zip my mouth while the more knowledgeable members of the the forum discuss.)

Installed per instructions and received the following error in the log after Indigo Server restart:

Code: Select all

  Error              script error: in file "thermo_tracking_100.scpt"
  Error              script error: «script» doesn’t understand the _convertHexStrToInteger message. (-1708)
  Error              error dispatching event to attachment script (-1753)

Since it took a day or so to work the usageReporter plugin from Jay and Berkinet into my system without errors, I'll just keep an eye on this for a few days, then report back if errors continue -- if that would be helpful. (Otherwise, I can just zip my mouth while the more knowledgeable members of the the forum discuss.)

I'm seeing the same errors.

Installed per instructions and received the following error in the log after Indigo Server restart:

Code: Select all

  Error              script error: in file "thermo_tracking_100.scpt"
  Error              script error: «script» doesn’t understand the _convertHexStrToInteger message. (-1708)
  Error              error dispatching event to attachment script (-1753)

Since it took a day or so to work the usageReporter plugin from Jay and Berkinet into my system without errors, I'll just keep an eye on this for a few days, then report back if errors continue -- if that would be helpful. (Otherwise, I can just zip my mouth while the more knowledgeable members of the the forum discuss.)

I'm seeing the same errors.

That's very strange... That is the exact same version of the script that I am using here...
I'll verify to ensure, but I didn't make any changes to the script before release....

What version of the Thermostat adapter do you have?

That's very strange... That is the exact same version of the script that I am using here...
I'll verify to ensure, but I didn't make any changes to the script before release....

What version of the Thermostat adapter do you have?

I have the V2 adapter. My copy of IndigoServer is running on Snow Leopard if that makes a difference.

That's very strange... That is the exact same version of the script that I am using here...
I'll verify to ensure, but I didn't make any changes to the script before release....

What version of the Thermostat adapter do you have?

I have the V2 adapter. My copy of IndigoServer is running on Snow Leopard if that makes a difference.

I believe I found the problem... Email me at benjamin AT schollnick DOT net and I'll send you an updated copy of the attachment...

I believe the core of the issue is that I forgot to include the hex decoder function, and it's working for anyone that uses the security script... Because that includes the hex decoder.... It appears that Applescript shares namespaces between scripts...

eme jota ce, same thing. Drop me a line, and I'll send the update to you as well.

- Ben