Re: Lighting switch state communication

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

"intergate news groups" <djraher@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>I am planning out my new home HA system, and one of the requirements is to
>have a light switch status, or more precisely, change in status,
>communicated back to the ELK system I will be using. It dawned on me that my
>plans to use X10, INSTEON, or Z-wave may not RELIABLY provide this
>capability. I had been thinking that if I changed the light in question via
>IR, that the communication of status would work, but not so if the switch
>itself was used.  Has anyone any real life experience with communicating
>switch status using any of these protocols?
>
>Dennis
>

Smarthome-manufactured two-way X-10 switches and modules transmit (preset
Dim codes) when there is a change. Insteon switches and modules can also be
programmed to transmit on a status change - you need to program your
controller to receive/report them.

I'm not as familiar with UPB but believe they can also transmit on a status
change.

Some Leviton switches and some X-10 made modules transmit when there is a
change but they send extended X-10 codes and not all software can handle
that.

I'm not familiar with the various ELK systems so cannot say whether they can
handle preset and/or extended X-10 codes or whether their Insteon and UPB
add-on modules can be programmed to receive the changes.

Z-Wave cannot do this in a timely manner.

http://davehouston.net
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