Smartenit EZIO Series

[jay (support)]

This topic is to discuss the EZIO line by Smartenit. Some of the models currently being sold are (but are not limited to): EZIO8SA, EZIO8T, EZIO4O, EZIO2X4.

How to use with Indigo

Anyone using the EXIO8SA to monitor a temp sensor?

Thanks,

Carl

Hi,

I just purchased an EZIO8SA, Model #3011A 7-input/8-output controller for a bedroom remodel and control of some AV equipment (drop down motorized screen, 90-degree sound sound rotation relay box, and to monitor various shutter and window open/closed states).

I didn't notice that I also needed a PLM. I think I need the 2413S PLM but I read someplace in another thread here that the 2413S PLM may not be supported by Indigo.

Questions:
1) Which PLM do I need to use the EZIO8SA with indigo?
2) Will I need to purchase a firmware upgrade for the EZIO8SA and where do I get it?
3) Will I need to purchase a separate 12VDC power supply for the EZIO8SA or can it get it's power from the PLM?

Thanks, -al

[matt (support)]

At one time I believe the EZIO8SA requires a special PLM version (it was the 2413S but slightly different), but I think now you can just use the standard 2413S. I'm not 100% positive on that though, especially now that the PLMs have the newer i2CS firmware. So I suggest you check with smartenit.com to make sure.

The EZIO8SA firmware should be okay, I think.

I do believe you'll need an external 12VDC power supply.

It's been a couple of months but I finally got back to setting up and using the EZIO8SA coupled to a 2413S PLM.".....okay, setting it up; "using" will come later with luck First impression: It's a fun funky device. My first inclination was to try and add the 2413S PLM to my insteon system... like it was any other device... my only other PLM experience was with the USB PLM that I used on day one of my first dive into Insteon 2 years ago; I forgot one important basic characteristic... PLM's do NOT have a standard insteon address that is accessible using Indigo (they may appear to have one but basically they don't because the address they pass along is that of the device they are connected to... not the PLM itself.) After struggling for 15 minutes with that I remembered that the PLM would not work like that.... and I would need to plug it in with the EZIO8SA plugged in and powered up; or so I thought.

(this is all meant in the best of humor... I actually enjoyed figuring all this out on my own... And true story... This is really the story of my 1st experience with combo EZIO8SA and 2413S PLM, and I hope it helps some other home automation person someday.)

Powered up the EZIO8SA using a spare 12VDC wall wart and .....no LED on the EZIO8SA... was it really powered? Funky. I decided it was powered.

Plugged in the "serial cable" which highly resembles an ethernet cable... which it may or may not actually be, but I plugged the "ethernet-like serial cable" (funky) from the PLM to the EZIO8SA.

I plugged the PLM 2413S into the wall... created a new device using INDIGO and...... nothing. No Insteon address appeared. Okay, not to worry... the insteon address must be printed someplace on the EZIO8SA.... right? right? .... wrong. No Insteon address printed on the EZIO8SA anyplace... I went over every square millimeter with a 5" magnifying glass... literally... looking for insteon address numbers... none to be found... looked at the box, the documentation... nothing... looked at the PDF's I could find (extensive). Still nothing. Funky.

Okay, so the only way to get that address out of it would be to press a reset button and make the EZIO8SA cough it up.... NO BUTTON!!! I resorted to pressing the reset button of the 2413S PLM. And miracle of miracles (or so I thought) there was an address on my new device. So I link to it. Great... except it finds it as an I/O Controller device... not an EZIO8SA... funky.

So I spend another hour trying to figure out why it's calling my EZIO8SA an I/O Controller... because it sure LOOKED like an I/O controller, when I pressed the "Edit Device Settings..." button in the device window, it came up with for exactly 1 input and 1 output... just like my 3 other Insteon "I/O Controller" devices. So how to tell INDIGO that this was an EZIO8SA??? Funky.

Eventually, I notice that the address of the new device, which I thought was my EZIO8SA, was actually a DUPLICATE of one of my I/O Controller devices I use on my garage door! Hmmm, that isn't right I say to myself. A duplicate device with the same address? Well................ I have NO idea how that happened... but it did. I deleted my new device.

This time, do factory reset on PLM 2413S... unplug, wait, hold down reset while plugging it in until beeping stops... wait... hear 2 beeps and done.

Still, no Insteon address from my EZIO8SA on my INDIGO new device sync window... cough it up! cough it up!!!

So, I press the reset button on the 2413S one last time... you know to put the device it is connected to into linking mode? IT'S A MIRACLE! It worked... an address pops up on the new device window... one which I had never seen before... and most importantly... one which is NOT a duplicate of any of my other 120 insteon devices. I finish the Sync... and mother of all holies, it comes up as an EZIO8SA, with a bunch of inputs and outputs... angels singing in my head. I'm a happy camper.

Lastly, I physically pick up the EZIO8SA and thinking I'll connect wires to it and see if the inputs are inputing... and it sprays randomly changing I/O numbers all over my Indigo event log. Funky. I've seen other posts about this behavior, but it will wait until tomorrow when I can connect it all up properly and start to get to know and love my new funky companion.

[matt (support)]

I'm glad you finally got it up and working.

Some of the EZIO's and EZ-Flora will misidentifying themselves as an I/O-Linc device if they don't boot up correctly (or are connected correctly). It is odd and can be, needless to say, very confusing.

I'm having issues with my EZIO8SA. I'm assuming this is a hardware issue and not an indigo one?

It normally works without issue, but every now and then, instead of flipping the input that it is supposed to flip, it flips all the other inputs instead.

Input 4 is tied to the motion detector. Normally it flips back and forth as we go by, but about once a week, when input 4 should flip, input 4 stays the same, and the other 7 inputs flip instead. Very strange.

Unfortunately when this happens it turns on all the lights in the house, starts the fans, sprinklers, etc.

Activity log below. The first four are normal behavior. The last is the erratic one.

Jul 25, 2015, 8:13:47 PM
Received INSTEON "EZIO8SA" inputs status changed: 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0
Received INSTEON "EZIO8SA" inputs status changed: 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0
Received INSTEON "EZIO8SA" inputs status changed: 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0
Received INSTEON "EZIO8SA" inputs status changed: 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0

Jul 25, 2015, 8:16:44 PM
Received INSTEON "EZIO8SA" inputs status changed: 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1

[matt (support)]

That does look like either a hardware issue, firmware buglet in the EZIO, or a garbled command being sent to Indigo (possibly because of INSTEON collisions). Unfortunately, Indigo is just showing you in the log what it is being passed to it by the PowerLinc. So the problem is higher upstream than Indigo and there isn't a way for Indigo to know the command is bad.

I"m thinking about getting a EZIO8SA to play with as I seem to be getting a lot of I/O requirements lately. I would have it controlling several simple closure contacts, a couple tilt sensors, maybe some hard wired temperature probes (Looks like maybe this only supports 1?), doorbell sensors, etc.

It seems like a much more economical way to go (and more efficient) than using a bunch of 2450s. Am I going to regret this approach because of the flakyness? If not, I understand I'll have to buy a second PLM as well as the power supply to support it.

I have two EZIO8SA's,, an EZIO2X4, an EZIO4O, an EZIO8T, 3 EZFlora's and several IOLincs. I have all of them working reliably. You may find what you need in one of these devices....the 8T is for 24VAC switching only but does have a few inputs.... Like the floras.

I use my EZIO8SA's for attic temperature sensing, projector screen automation, surround sound rotation, gas fireplace control, security sirens, cheap window status sensors, and glass break sensor monitoring.

If you want to consider other SmartEnit products, the 2x4 gives you two outs and four inputs, and the 4O gives you 4 outputs...no inputs.

Some users here prefer arduino IO but I've not dived into that.....yet. I do have a future servo project to open and close a projector door that hides the projector. I have yet to open that can of worms. As far as temperature probes, you're right. One input only on the 8SA. You might consider an AEON multi sensor, but be careful since indigo does not yet have support for some of the most recent AEON devices.

As you stated, you'll need a serial PLM to go with each EZIO8SA and the power supply is not too difficult. I pull 12VDC from a 12v/5A din-rail mounted supply that I bought for various home automation tasks. SmartEnit sells a couple of attachment adapters for the floras and the 8T that are nice.

Thanks for such a quick reply! Funny that the least expensive place I can find to buy it is directly from smartenit.com. Since you aren't having any issues, I'm going to copycat you and ask you which PLM you are using. I thought about the 2x4, but it doesn't have the sensor input for temperature.

You caught me at a good time. I use a PLM 2413S serial modem I believe. Look back in this same thread a few posts and you should find a wordy post documenting my initial setup experience. Setting up my 2nd EZIO8SA went very smoothly. I documented my setup here on the first unit. Operationally they both are working great.

I want to register my only minor complaint of the EZIO8SA....no mounting holes. I ended up using wire ties but usually like something more professional looking to placate my OCD.

This page http://smartenit.com/product/ezio8sa/ says "Please note that this requires its own dedicated PLM to function."

When they say "dedicated" do they mean in some way different from a typical Insteon PLM? Like the one I already have connected to Indigo?

Insteon PLM 2413S

S for serial.