linking ouputs R1 & R2

[Anonymous]

#43690

Lee,

Hey that really explains things a lot, thanks very much!

Direct Messsaging seems to be simpler so why bother with Group On/Off or is the answer in the description itself in that Group On/Off can send out a message to several or a group of devices? If so is a Group On/Off like several Direct Messages sent together (group)?

bob

[Anonymous]

#43691

If multiple devices are involved a Group is desirable because all Group devices react simultaneously. The same thing can be accomplished with a series of Direct commands, one to each device, but they will turn on/off sequentially rather than all at once. A Direct message and a Group message are both ACKed and retried. The Group protocol is a little more complex than this explanation but no sense confusing the issue with facts.

Control of the Relays is effectively done with a Direct command. It is preferable to have the EZIOxx Inputs use Groups rather than Broadcast because of the retry built into Group processing. Don’t think you have the option to use Groups with Indigo but that should be confirmed with Indigo.

[Anonymous]

#43692

Lee,

Since Indigo supports Direct messaging I don’t really need to link the EZIO4X2 to the PLM as responder and the PLM to the EZIO4X2 as controller?

Indigo doesn’t support Groups with the EZxx devices but it does with applianceLincs & lamplincs and some others as I can add these to a group scene but not an EZxx device.

I’m still not clear on Group vs Direct messaging. What’t the point of having two ways to do basically the same thing. Direct messaging seems better to me as it supports ACK but you don’t need to link?

Thanks to your tutorials I’m getting a better understanding of how things work. What I’m not sure about is the Link Record settings in the Utility. I understand them all except the Device Link Data.You said that the LD1/2/3 fields in the PLM Controller records are not used by the PLM and are often set to 00 00 00 so I presume they are used by the responder. If I am setting up linking how do I know what to set these to?

In you post you stated “The EZIO2X4 Inputs use Broadcast messages when there are no links and the Virtual Input Group number is zero (and the Configuration Register is set to enable Broadcast messages)”. Where is the Virtual Input Group setting and where is the Configuration Register to enable Broadcast messages?

bob

[Anonymous]

#43693

Since Indigo supports Direct messaging I don’t really need to link the EZIO4X2 to the PLM as responder and the PLM to the EZIO4X2 as controller?

Correct.

As far as Indigo controlling the relays, there is no difference as far as reliability is concerned. Both Group commands and Direct commands will be ACKed and retried as needed. Direct commands are easier to use since no link records are used or required.

All Smarthome device to device control is done with Group commands. An individual Smarthome device does not issue Direct commands to control another device. This allows multiple responders each with different Bright level and Ramp rate responses as that information is stored in the responder link records.

When using automation software/firmware Direct commands offer an additional option beyond Group commands. Also some command functions can only be issued with Direct commands.

The SHN Utility EZIOxx tab displays the Configuration Register. The EZIOxx tab | Input Settings and Monitor tab displays the Input Group numbers. Since the EZIOxx will not have links I suggest Factory Resetting the EZIOxx whick will clear all the links and reset all the Input Group numbers to 00. Indigo will set the Configuration Register with the Broadcast Status Chg option.

[Anonymous]

#43694

I removed the links from the EZIO4X2 as Indigo supports Direct messaging. I reset it to factory settings. I see now in the Indigo log that when I switch a relay on and off whereas before I got an ACK response now I get the ACK and a broadcast message that the output status changed.

Why am I getting a Broadcast Message when I am getting an ACK?

If broadcast messaging gets turned off when Linking is used why have it on when Direct Messaging is used as there is an ACK for both Broacast and Direct Messaging?

The above is all in reference to the relays only and not the inputs.

bob

[Anonymous]

#43695

Indigo is setting a Configuration Register option that enables Broadcast messages for Input and Output changes. This is independent of the Insteon protocol requirement to ACK a Direct message.

There is no ACK for a Broadcast message. The Broadcast message does not contain a To Insteon address which makes an ACK impossible.

[Anonymous]

#43696

So when you have Direct Messaging you can also have Broadcast messaging switched on?

Here is PA’s response to some subjects raised in these postings:

Can you give me an example Applescript for sending an Insteon direct command?

PA: Here is the example shown in the AppleScript dictionary for IndigoServer (from the Script Editor application):
CODE: SELECT ALL
send insteon raw cmd1 68 cmd2 02 to address “05.09.00”

Is it possible to write links using Applescript for devices like the EZIO8SA, EZX10RF, EZIO4X2 etc.?

PA: Not currently. That is why Indigo’s link editor doesn’t allow it.

Using the set buttons can I set up Indigo to respond to Group On/Off messages? I received this message from SHN that says I can’t.

You definitely can. Create the link manually between the EZIO and Indigo’s PowerLinc. To do so, follow the EZIO instructions for how to manually create a link between it and a responder module (like a LampLinc, but in this case it is the PowerLinc). When the instructions say to press and hold the SET button on the responding module (PowerLinc), press the “Send PowerLinc Button Press” button inside Indigo’s EZIO8 Edit Module Settings dialog sheet. Pressing the physical PowerLinc SET button won’t work, which is why we have the UI button to force the PowerLinc to send the SET button command.

Once you do that and you have manually created the link between the EZIO and the PowerLinc for that input (note you have to do the above for EVERY input on the EZIO you want to catch), next just create a Trigger Action in Indigo to catch it. Instead of using the Device State Changed trigger Type, use the INSTEON Command Received trigger Type. You have to do this because you are catching the raw group/scene command in Indigo.

[Anonymous]

#43697

Bob

Good. Indigo is on the record supporting Group messages from the Inputs. Set up the links for the Inputs and use Group protocol. That will give the best Insteon reliability.

Lee

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