RE: Advanced xPLHal usage?

["John B" <home-automation@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Frank,

> >For example, if someone switched the lights on using the
> light switch,
> >the automated lighting system won't try and switch them off after
a
> >period of inactivity.
>
> Would have to be a lite that the rest of the family dont use
> as it would be left on all night in our house .

I have a determinator to switch all lights off when the alarm is set to
night mode, so even if someone does leave a light on, it will get
switched off when we go to bed.

> >The other great thing about C-Bus is that you know exactly
> which light
> >switch was responsible for switching on a light
>
> I like this....I lost the remote for the telly in the Sunroom
> and created a Determinator which watched for a light being
> turned on by a certain switch which ran a macro in Homevision
> to turn the telly on ;-)

Neat :-)

> >This unit sends a C-Bus message at dusk, and another at dawn,
which
> >signals xPLHal to update it's Period flag accordingly
>
> Has anyone designed a xPL enabled light sensor ?????

Not that I know of.
Though there are plenty of ways of making a light sensor available to
xPL:
- Using a C-Bus PIR (as I do)
- Using an LDR connected to a joystick port (as I used to do)
- Using a light sensor connected to Comfort/HV/any other xPL-enabled
controller
- Using a light sensor connected to a VIOM
Etc.

> >If xPLHal detects that the TV is being operated (by
> detecting infra-red
> >codes from the TV remote control), the lighting in the lounge will
> >automatically be configured to a "watching TV"
>scene.
>
> Nice ;-))......I made a prototype sensor for my loungeroom
> which i call a vacancy sensor which is triggered by ir from a
> remote OR a small sensitive pir to detect movement....Either
> sensor retriggers a 5 minute timer...Homevision polls the
> sensor via my probe system and after 15 minutes will turn the
> loungeroom lites off if neither sensor has been triggered......

Never thought of doing that. Have you ever had a situation where someone
has sat still and not pressed any buttons on the remote for more than 15
minutes?

> >PLHal automatically switches off all the lights, and simulates a
> >ived-in look while we are away.
>
> How is this done John ?? ...Im assuming its possibly done via
> an Event ?? using ramdonisation ???

Yep - nothing more than a load of randomised events triggering C-Bus
loads.

It's more of a "lived in" look because it sequences the lights as
if
there was a real person in the house.
E.g. I have a determinator that simulates someone visiting the bathroom
- so you get hall light on, then bathroom light/extractor on for a few
(randomised) minutes, then bathroom light/extractor off, then hall light
off - you get the idea.

Regards,

John