MCSTemperature and HAI devices

[almarsh@gte.net]

I am a Homeseer novice and could use a little help.

I recently downloaded the MCSTemp program.

I am also using the HAI panel and the HS plug-in for HVAC control and it has a few additinal temp and Bar sensors.

I am also using Weatherman and could use some direction in getting this data into the MCS program/database.

I cannot figure out how to get the values from the HAI system or weatherman into the MCS program. I know there is a file in homeseer\config\weathermandata.ini

Do I need to populate virtual devices or use a CSV file or?

Also, do you know if a Wind speed and direction devices be attached to my HAI panel (I will ask HAI but thought I would try here)?

Or do you have a recommendation for a good weatherstation?

Thank You,

AndyM

[Michael McSharry]

I have some answers, but likely not all. I'm not familiar with HAI, but I will assume that a virtual device exists that contains a temperature reading from HAI.

The general approach to interfacing data that already exists within the homeseer environment to mcsTemperature is via virtual devices. In this example the virtual device code (e.g. $4) would be placed on one of the Temp tabs of mcsTemperature. Its value would then be transfered to the database at the update interval specified for periodic update and then available for charting. If the device is not a temp measurement then it likely goes on the Weather Devices tab where the type can be specified. There is also provisions for user-defined data types that go on this third tab. Raw analog data also is managed via this tab.

mcsTemperature parses the device string of a virtual device looking for the first numeric value after it removes all the HTML tags.

If it is a discrete then the interface is via script since mcsTemperature only records transistions for discretes. There is some discussion in this formum presented by Bill Walton on how he performed the discrete interface into mcsTemperature.

Weatherman data can be done the same way, but mcsTemperature is not geared to gracefully accept internet-sourced data other than the native MSNBC weather data and the Weatherbug data as obtained via the weatherPlug plugin. I suspect if you told the plugin you are running weatherPlug, and you put the weatherman virtual devices in the same sequence as produced by weatherPlug then it should work well.

As for weatherstations go, I know there are some high-end ones available. I also know many who run the one from AAG which is a wind and temp station for around $130 after import duties.

[This message was edited by Michael McSharry on Tue, 07 October 2003 at 01:45 PM.]