RE: Re: Home Automation Integration and touchscreen front end

["Paul Gordon" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Ben,

Yes, I'm afraid you must have got it totally wrong!... :-0

It's been a while since I installed the plugin, so my memory of the
exact process is a little bit vague, but you have to go through some
setup steps to create devices in Homeseer to represent all your Comfort
devices (inputs, outputs, counters, etc.) - You should end up with
*hundreds* of Homeseer devices for comfort. - Have you done this setup
&
got all those devices?

Paul G.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of Ben McCormack
> Sent: 06 January 2009 18:54
> To: UKHA Group
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Re: Home Automation Integration and touchscreen
> front end
>
> OK
>
> I have now spent as couple of evenings trying to get homeseer and
> Comfort to do something slightly useful and I am getting no where.
>
> I have installed Homeseer and the Comfort plugin.
>
> I get the homeseer to query Comfort and retrieve the version
> information but not much else.
>
> Maybe I have got it all wrong but I was expecting to be able to see
> 'real time' zone status etc. Have I got it totally wrong?
>
> Ben
>
>
> On 5 Jan 2009, at  14:34, Gareth Cook wrote:
>
> > I'm the opposite - and the support for the plugin is , well, p155
> > poor.
> >
> > Paul - time to re-invent your modified plugin ? :-)
> >
> > Yup. that's the one. I've found it to be extremely relaible
(touch
> > wood).
> >
> > Paul G
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx on behalf of Ben McCormack
> > Sent: Mon 05/01/2009 13:31
> > To: UKHA Group
> > Subject: [ukha_d] Re: Home Automation Integration and touchscreen
> > front
> > end
> >
> > Guys - Are you using the pjcComfort2 plugin to connect Comfort to
> > homeseer?
> >
> > --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Paul Gordon" <paul@...>
wrote:
> > >
> > > Indeed, Gareth's experience does generally differ from my
own, but
> > I've
> > > always attributed that to the fact that Gareth generally is
> > "pushing the
> > > envelope" rather further than I do...
> > >
> > > :-)
> > >
> > > Paul G.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On
> > Behalf
> > > Of Gareth Cook
> > > Sent: 04 January 2009 19:21
> > > To: UKHA Group
> > > Subject: Fw: [ukha_d] Home Automation Integration and
touchscreen
> > front
> > > end
> > >
> > > Paul and myself chat often as we have almost the same
installation
> > with
> > > Comfort, CBUS, Homeseer, and Sonos.
> > >
> > > I would like to say that the PC component is as flakey as a
box of
> > > cornflakes - always has been and I've been running Homeseer
for
> > several
> > > years.
> > >
> > > The Comfort plugin is ok, but has a temper now and again -
and the
> > Sonos
> > >
> > > plugin is not stable at all. If you dont mind checking your
system
> > every
> > >
> > > now and again, you'll be fine. I too, like Paul, have CBUS
buttons
> > > activating Sonos stuff and the like - and we have to use
Homeseer
> as
> > > that's the only route between Sonos and Comfort - but it's
often
> not
> > > functioning because one of the 2 plugins has died on its
arse.
> > >
> > > I plan to reinstall (for the umpteen time) and try to keep
to a
> > stable
> > > revision of everything (ie one but last of the Comfort
plugin) but
> > both
> > > plugins really requires some extensive QA work - stability
is
> > severely
> > > lacking. Even Comfort has it's moments, but CBUS has never
ever
> gone
> > > wrong.
> > >
> > > G.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Ben,
> > >
> > > I agree with pretty much all those choices, with the
exception of
> > > Smartfit... - the good thing about it is there is a
dedicated UCM
> to
> > > integrate smartfit & comfort, but the downside is that
smartfit is
> a
> > > pretty dumb system, and is only suitable for certain Central
> Heating
> > > designs. The newer Hometronic system is far better in most
> respects,
> > > although there isn't a dedicated UCM for it unfortunately. I
> believe
> > > Cytech were (are?) attempting to make an arrangement with
> > Honeywell with
> > > a view to developing a Hometronic UCM, but I've heard
nothing on
> > this
> > > for the last 2 years or so, so I guess that idea never got
off the
> > > ground (shame). Hometronic is, as you've noticed,
significantly
> more
> > > expensive, especially if you have lots of radiators all
needing
the
> > > hometronic control valves on them, although I guess you
*could*
> > > implement it in phases to reduce the initial impact.
> > >
> > > In case you hadn't sussed, it *is* actually possible to
implement
a
> > > degree of integration between Hometronic & Comfort,
using some of
> > the
> > > Hometronic modules that provide digital input/outputs that
can
> > then be
> > > connected to Comfort outputs/inputs to signal discrete
states, and
> > > enable Comfort to control Hometronic (i.e comfort could have
a
> > number of
> > > outputs connected to Hometronic, each signal line could then
be
> > > programmed in Hometronic to set a particular
"lifestyle" so for
> > instance
> > > Comfort would be able to turn off all heating when set to
away
> > mode...)
> > >
> > > I already have almost all the components of the system that
you've
> > > specified (Comfort, CBUS, SONOS, Homeseer) and I actually
settled
> on
> > > Hometronic for my heating as well, and even went as far as
getting
> a
> > > quote for a system. Unforseen circumstances have repeatedly
forced
> > me to
> > > put it on hold unfortunately, so I still haven't got round
to
> > purchasing
> > > it, although I do still intend to when circumstances allow.
> > >
> > > If you haven't already experimented with Homeseer, its worth
> > pointing
> > > out that there is just about to be a new component launched
for it
> > which
> > > is specifically designed for easy implementation of
touchscreens.
> > > "Homeseer Touch" is in beta at the moment, and
I've been playing
> > with it
> > > for a couple of months. It is pretty simple &
straightforward, and
> > > integrates seamlessly with Homeseer. It's still a bit rough
around
> > the
> > > edges, but I believe in time it will be an extremely capable
> > system, and
> > > almost a no-brainer for anyone who already runs Homeseer.
> > >
> > > Using this combination of components I've been able to
achieve
some
> > > additional integration that actually isn't possible if any
of them
> > are
> > > omitted. For instance I can have CBUS buttons control SONOS
zones
> so
> > > that my "room off" button that I have on all my
CBUS keypads can
> > also
> > > stop the SONOS zone playing in that room as well, which
makes for
a
> > > nicer overall experience. This particular function uses
Homeseer
to
> > > bridge several systems via their respective plugins (signals
go:
> > CBUS
> > > --> Comfort --> Homeseer --> SONOS)
> > >
> > > If you'd like any further info about my experiences, then
just
> > holler.
> > >
> > > HTH
> > >
> > > Paul G.
> > >
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On
> > Behalf
> > > > Of Ben McCormack
> > > > Sent: 04 January 2009 16:16
> > > > To: UKHA Group
> > > > Subject: [ukha_d] Home Automation Integration and
touchscreen
> > front
> > > end
> > > >
> > > > All
> > > >
> > > > As I am suer many of you are aware we have recently
moved into a
> > new
> > > > house that needs renovation. This has given me the
chance to
> > automate
> > > > the house. I have tried to use best of breed in each
area where
> > > > possible and integrate systems as well.
> > > >
> > > > I have arrived at the following scheme
> > > >
> > > > Lighting : Cbus
> > > > Alarm : Comfort
> > > > Heating : Smartfit
> > > > Temp Monitoing : 1-Wire using HA7Net. This is based on
recent
> > > > discussions.
> > > > All the media in the house will be supplied from my Mac
Mini
> > Server
> > > > and Sonos.
> > > >
> > > > cbus and Comfort are linked
> > > > Comfort and Smartfit are linked
> > > >
> > > > So I have Lighting, Heating and Alarm integrated. So
far Comfort
> > will
> > > > be my main interface so I can use Comfort keypads or
the DECT
> > phones
> > > > in the house to control things.
> > > >
> > > > Now I have added 1-Wire I am starting to think how to
integrate
> > that
> > > > and make intelligent decisions based on room
temperature and
also
> > > > provide temp logging and graphing.
> > > >
> > > > There is one area that I don't think I have worked out
yet and
> > that is
> > > > the overall control mechanism. I guess ideally I would
like a
> > couple
> > > > of wireless touch-screens that could display
information about
> the
> > > > house and allow me to control various functions.
> > > >
> > > > I can see that homeseer could be used as an interface.
It has
> > plugins
> > > > for most of my components.
> > > >
> > > > Are there any other options I could look at?
> > > >
> > > > Ben
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------
> > > >
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> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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with
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> > >
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> > number
> > 741598.
> > Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth,
Hampshire
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> 06/01/2009 07:56

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