Re: Survey: Home Control Software

[Bream Rockmetteller <bream(dot)rockmetteller(at)mac(dot)com>]

On 2007-12-26 19:45:18 -0800, "John J. Bengii" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:

> Thanx for the reply. I have a couple of questions for you.
>
> 1) Can you explain how your wiring is too old for Insteon. I thought
> it was backed up by RF connection and much faster but using alower
> freq over the power line. This sounds more tolerable.
>
> 2) How does this software know any unit has received a bad message?
> Everyone of my units receives an "All lamps on" signal about once per
> month. A few receive "unit off" signals when I get collisions
> sometimes.
>
> "Bream Rockmetteller" <bream(dot)rockmetteller(at)mac(dot)com> wrote
> in message
> news:2007122323155616807-breamdotrockmettelleratmacdotcom@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> I'm using Indigo from Perceptive Automation. The software supports
>> both X10 and Insteon (although, my house wiring is too old for
>> Insteon, so I'm stuck with X10 and all of its quirks). It's nice
>> because it runs a server invisibly in the background, then the
>> client software may connect from any computer on your network. I've
>> also been able to set up responses to expected "bad" X10 messages
>> from my wireless transmitters so that the software sends the correct
>> message when a bad one is detected. It's very sophisticated software
>> and worth the price.
>> --
>> Bream Rockmetteller
>> Donaldson's Dog Joy
>> 509-450-0301

The Insteon switch require power for its own purposes.

In a modern electrical box, you'll find individual wires for power and
return as well as ground wires and wires to the load. All of the common
return wires are typically bundled together, and each load gets its own
switched power line.

An Insteon switch has three wires: one for power, one for  return and
one for load. You can connect the Insteon switch to the power and
return, and connect a lamp to the load, but only assuming it has its
own common return path.

My old house only has power entering the box, and a single wire to the
load. There's no power for the Insteon circuitry itself, and the load
has a return path I can't access. So, The blue wire out of the Insteon
switch doesn't do me much good. I've discussed this with the SmartHome
folks, and they basically told me it won't work.

The old-fashioned X-10 switches have only two wires: power in and power
to the load... 1970's-style code. The switch gets its own power and
provides power to the load from the same source.

Regarding the software, the reason it knows it has received a "bad"
message is because I told it so. When I have a light act in a strange
manner, I look at the log that Indigo keeps.

If I see that an RF switch somehow transmitted "turn on E10" instead of
"turn on the kitchen lights" which are E1, I'll  add a script in the
"Trigger Actions" sections that says something like "If you receive a
message to turn on E10, send a message to turn on the kitchen lights."
That way, even if the switch or the receiver or some random noise has
caused the message to go bad, the software will re-transmit the correct
message.

I hope this helps...
--
Bream Rockmetteller
Donaldson's Dog Joy
509-450-0301