Home automation

[richardj]

Can somebody explain what software is included with mce for home automation ?  I understand scenes/scenarios exist that you can control with an orbiter or md but how would you create events for an X10 system ? ie.  timed events, events that get triggered by x10 commands, etc ?

[rocco]

I also am interested in the X10 control, I connected a CM11a to my system and tryed to find where and how to control drices add House code and Device type and code?

Rocco

[richardj]

found the answer myself ... sorry for being lazy

check out events ... etc
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/LinuxMCE_Admin_Website#Devices

[tschak909]

Once a set of devices has been installed into the system, you can define two main uses:

* Scenarios - These are buttons which appear on your orbiters, to trigger commands. These are scoped by room. For example, I may have under lighting:

- On - Turn all lights on in the room to a comfortable level
- Off - Turn off all the lights.
- Lounge - Turn all the celing lights to 20%, turn the floor lamps to 30%
- Reading - Turn off all ceiling lights, turn the lights farthest from my reading chair to 20%, turn my reading lamp to 50% and the rest off

etc.

These buttons appear next to the Floorplan button, and provide a quick way to send a series of commands to any of the devices.

But how do you know which devices are which?

When, for example, a new device is known to the system, i.e. for lighting, the Setup Wizard will start and go through the process of verifying how many lights you have in the system, what they are (and naming them), and what rooms they are in...

Once this is done, each light is given a device # in the core.

You can then in the Web Admin site use the Scenario wizards (such as lighting), to create new scenarios, and to add light levels to each light for a scenario (and if you switch to Advanced Wizard, any other commands you wish to send to other devices...)


* Events - Events are simply things which happen during the course of time within the system, you can either respond to events such as (Sunrise, Sunset, someone is at the door, etc.), or you can have timed events (this should happen every morning at 7am), etc... They work the same way as scenarios, except they have a series of event conditions attached to them. There are LOTS of events, and some of them are only available in the advanced menu, and should you use more advanced event scenarios, a lot of care should be taken to make sure the events work properly.

-Thom

[richardj]

thanks for the help, got my lights responding to x11 commands ... nice and easy

What event would I need to create to respond to X10 commands ... ie. if I sent a X10 command A1 from a remote control my pc will receive this signal and issue further X10 commands ... ?

[tschak909]

unfortunately, X-10 by nature is not bi-directional, so this isn't possible. Go to another technology... Insteon is becoming a better option every day.

-Thom

[richardj]

I dont think I explained properly CM11A can receive X10 signals ... so I want an event on my linux mce core to be triggered by a received X10 signal ...  Ive done this in homeseer ...

[Zaerc]

There are problems with receiving X10 signals in LMCE, see the CM11 wiki page for some info.

[richardj]

k, well if I want to test receiving X10 commands with and without the work around, what type of event do I create ?

[Zaerc]

Sorry, but I have no idea about that.  I myself don't have any X10 input devices like sensors or remotes.

[chrisbirkinshaw]

* Events - Events are simply things which happen during the course of time within the system, you can either respond to events such as (Sunrise, Sunset, someone is at the door, etc.), or you can have timed events (this should happen every morning at 7am), etc... They work the same way as scenarios, except they have a series of event conditions attached to them. There are LOTS of events, and some of them are only available in the advanced menu, and should you use more advanced event scenarios, a lot of care should be taken to make sure the events work properly.

I'm struggling to find on the wiki any mention of what is allowed in the "Time of day" box, aside from Sunrise and Sunset. Can you use Night, Day etc?

Also if you use the <> operator do you give then separate items with a comma? e.g. <> Sunrise, Sunset

Many thanks,

Chris.

[chrisbirkinshaw]

Found this:

http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=136.0

Anyone know if these changes were made?

[ddamron]

My insteon driver <will be> able to send and receive X10.  if you are currently using a CM11A, maybe upgrade to a PLM...

HTH

Dan

[tschak909]

ddamron: where are you buying your Insteon schwag? we need to get this written down on the wiki!

-Thom

[ddamron]

I just ordered it all from smarthome.com.

They have a few starter kits that help out...

PLM's there are $59.00, PLC's are $69.00 (ish)

HTH

Dan