HOME Forums Controllers EZX10RF Configuration in Simplehomenet Utility Suite

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  • Anonymous
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    Is there documentation for configuring the EZX10RF in the Simplehomenet Utility Suite?

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 256

    Unfortunately there is no documentation yet for this utility. Please try it and let us know if you can do what you need with it.

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 6

    Yes, I have tried it and can’t get it to work. I think a better explaination is I don’t know what to enter to make it work. That is why I asked for documentation. I’m not trying to do anything trickly, just what the one page instruction sheet states the device will do: take and X10 command and translate it to an INSTEON command. I’d then plan on using this command to trigger macros in mControl. I may have some control the INSTEON device directly, but currently I can’t get past square one. A simple explanation of what the commands I can enter into the utility are and do would be helpful. Should I put in 1, 20, or what?

    The index code seems to be a sequential number of the translations that I can enter.

    Linked and In Use appear to do nothing.

    I would think that timer is the amount of time before automatically sending an “off” command after sending an “on” command. Does 0 mean never send or immediately send?

    X10 House and Unit address would be the received X10 address to translate.

    Group is some sort of INSTEON Group.

    Cmd1 and Cmd2 for on and off are what are sent when the X10 house/unit code pair for the index is received. What is the significance of the two digit hex value here?

    Answer these questions and I believe you have sufficient documentation to get most people going…

    It would also be very nice if the utility remembered that I use a PLC and the EZX10RF address so I don’t have to enter that every time I use the utility.

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 12

    @mfoley wrote:

    …It would also be very nice if the utility remembered that I use a PLC and the EZX10RF address so I don’t have to enter that every time I use the utility.

    I made the same comment down in the Utility section. It would also be nice if the X-10 filter did NOT apply to the “Last X-10 Address Received” window. It is easier to troubleshoot problems if you can see when your RF transmitter is sending something different than what you are looking for.

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 6

    That’s an excellent point. I haven’t even gotten far enough to notice that. I would have expected the last X10 address received to be just that and not the last one forwarded.

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 6

    Has anyone got the EZX10RF translation to work? Mine will rebroadcast X10 commands, but I haven’t gotten the tranlation to work. Since there isn’t any documentation for the software utility and SimpleHomeNet customer service states there isn’t any documentation and they have no plans to provide any, I tried manual linking as described in the Quick-Start guide. (Learning an X10 Code and Linking INSTEON devices: section) The lights on the various modules work as stated. When I look in HouseLinc, a link is made between the EZX10RF and the LampLinc I’m testing with, but the LampLinc doesn’t change state when the X10 commands are sent from a wireless remote.

    I also figured that this would create an entry in the X10 to INSTEON tranlation table read from the EZXZ10RF in the Simplehomenet utility suite which I could then mimic for other functions. However, that isn’t the case. The table remains unchanged.

    Any thoughts on what it takes to get this working in translation mode?

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 12

    I entered the translation information using the utility and then set up the links using the manual linking method. This worked for me and I now have 2 motion sensors both triggering group 1 which is linked to 2 insteon lamp modules.

    If you are going to start over I would do a factory reset first so you know which group you are linking to.

    Anonymous
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    Post count: 256

    CODE RECORDS EXPLAINED:
    The EZX10RF receiver uses a “Code Record” for each of the learned X10 addresses it will handle. The various fields in these records are as follows:
    a) The Index (Code Record Number 1-20). This corresponds to the virtual button pair that the code for this record represents.
    b) Linked flag. If checked, this record is linked in the Insteon device database. Meaning that an Insteon group command will be sent when this code is received. If unchecked and the In Use flag is checked, we have a valid record which is not linked, so we simply send a broadcast message.
    c) In Use flag. If checked, this record is valid. If unchecked, the code on this record will be ignored.
    d) Timer value in minutes for a forced OFF command (or broadcast message) to be sent after the ON command/message. If this value is zero, then no OFF command will be sent.
    e) X10 House. The House (A-P) for this code.
    f) X10 Unit. The Unit number for this record.
    g) The Insteon group number that will be sent upon this code activation. Note that multiple codes can be on the same group, and that the groups don’t have to be sequential or the same number as the record index.
    h) Insteon Command 1 to be sent for the ON portion of the X10 received code.
    i) Insteon Command 2 to be sent for the ON portion of the X10 received code.
    j) Insteon Command 1 to be sent for the OFF portion of the X10 received code.
    k) Insteon Command 2 to be sent for the OFF portion of the X10 received code.

    😀 The above is documented in the EZX10RF Command Set document, also available for the downloads section.

    Because the underlying PLM engine (currently version 5.2) ignores the MSB of the address on pokes, the links database is overwritten when the code records are written upon (when the MSB is 0). This is a known defect that SmartLabs is correcting on a future release of the PLM code. Therefore, the sequence suggested by Upstatemike is best. First enter the records the way you want them, keeping track of the assigned groups, and then do the links manually.
    We hope to bring you the desired enhancements to the utility very soon and the ability to do all the linking electronically.

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 6

    @simplehome wrote:

    … the sequence suggested by Upstatemike is best. First enter the records the way you want them, keeping track of the assigned groups, and then do the links manually.

    How do we determine what group IDs are known to the Insteon network?

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 6

    OK, disregard my last post to this thread, I now realize that my question was invalid. Group IDs are not know to the entire Insteon network, only to individual controllers — in our case the EZX10RF. Also, until the SimpleHomeNet Utility Suite (currently at version 1.2) gets a fix to its Manage Device Links feature, we cannot determine what group IDs are known to the EZX10RF.

    @tim.vargo wrote:

    How do we determine what group IDs are known to the Insteon network?

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 408

    We are working aggressively to get v1.3 out of the utility with link management – stayed tuned.

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 192

    Is V1.3 going to be able to overcome the limitations in PLM firmware 5.2;
    As described above?

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 408

    v1.3 will provide electronic link management, so while the issue is still present in the 5.2 PLM, it is relatively easily corrected by managing the links in the PLM using the utility.

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 192

    Sounds good.

    Anonymous
    Inactive
    Post count: 6

    I use HomeSeer v2.2. My goal is to rid my power-line of all X10 devices and replace them with Insteon; but still allow X10 RF devices like PalmPads, Key-Fobs, & motion sensors. The EZX10RF seemed like the ideal solution, but now I’m beginning to wonder.

    Will I eventually be able to use a PalmPad to trigger HomeSeer events with Insteon messages? I think this would require NOT linking my EZX10RF to any Insteon device, since I just want it to trigger HomeSeer events, which will in turn control my Insteon devices using conditions, scripts, etc. But since I don’t want X10 signals on my power-line, simply re-broadcasting X10 is not the answer. Might “Broadcast” messages (versus sending Group commands) be the answer? If so, how would that work?

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