My Home Automation project

If your looking to create groups using the simplehome.net utility click on the link below.

Setting up Insteon groups via software or ’soft linking’ using Simplehome.nets utility

Lets say you want to be able to link and create groups without having to use the Simplehome.net utility, this is how its done.
Lets assume with the previous post that you already have your PLC talking to your PC so you know you can use the Intellisense in VB to see the SDM commands available

setOnLevelText=<INSTEONid>,<onLevelCmdOrValue>[,<hops>] for example

Sm.SetOnLevelText(”0D.39.61″, “10%”) or even or
Sm.SetOnLevelText(”0D.39.61″, 255)  for 100%

A good link and my reference I used to the SDM commands can be found here

Live Example

For the example let’s say you have two devices (Lamplincs, or dimmers) and want to create a group where both of them have a 19 second ramp rate and turn on 100 percent.

The first devices address is 01.02.03

The second device is 05.06.07.

Since we are using the native SDM commands we can use decimals numbers.   Here is a break down of the command / “SetupLink”

SetupLink (”<Device to Modify>” , <True for Responder / False for Controller>, <Group #>, “<My PLC Address>”, <onlevel>, <RampRate>)

<Device to Modify> would be entered with the dots and quotes, in this case “02.03.04″

<True> for Responder for both of them since the PLC will be controlling them.

<Group #>, entered in Decimal for this example we will use #34

<My PLC address>, entered the same as above, with dots and in quotes

<onLevel>, using from 0-255, 0=off thru 255 = 100% on.
<rampRate> using one of the 32 ramp rates., use the chart below, for example 31 is .1 seconds. I like to use either #23 or #24.

Here is the command below

Sm.SetupLink(”01.02.03″, True, 34, “0D.51.32″, 255, 23, 0)

Simple right?.  I recommend testing this with a external device jsut to be sure, the best thing of this is that when the command is executed it automatically creates the controller link on your PLC, so basically you dont have to do anything else!!  When you run the command make sure you dont have other stuff going on, like motion sensors, X10 data, it tends to not act nice.  If you look at the data comming in you will see a confirmation string at the end like this.

7/1/2008 8:30:49 PM receiveinsteonraw=04 01 02 03 0D 51 32 22 2B 17
7/1/2008 8:30:50 PM setupLinc=true,01.02.03,34,0D.51.32,1,255,23,C,0xA2,0,08.B6.6C[7]0×0FC8,[0]0×0000

and our set, now if we want to setup the second one we do the same thing but change the first address. Like this,

Sm.SetupLink(”04.05.06″, True, 34, “0D.51.32″, 255, 23, 0)

Now using our group commands both will turn on at the same time using the defined ramp ramp to the specified value, But you can define different ramp rates and on levels to different device on the same group have a really neat effect, if that is what you want.  For example you can have two devices on the same group but one with 50% on and the over 100% and  with one command you set up a scene!!! neat!.

Here is the command I use to turn on group #34, since im using the sendtext to the SDM directly the values will need  to be entered in HEX for #34 is the equivalent to #22.

Sm.SendINSTEONRaw(”0D 51 32 00 00 22 CF 11 FF”, 3) ‘ sEND broadcast group 17 ON!

#22 is the equpvalent of #34 in Hex and you already know #11 is the on command, to turn off its #13,  You can see a breakdown of the commands here. You can brighten, dim all the devices at once also!!

Only down side of the groups is that you wont get a feedback on the individual devices. So you may need to poll them individually.

Before you ask, yes there is a way to confirm the record was created but that will be for another post.

Enjoy!

Luis