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    Best IO device to use with HS?

    What is the best IO Device ie Digital/Analog In and Digital out non X10 device to use with HS.

    AB

    #2
    Ocelot

    Comment


      #3
      I agree that the Ocelot with expansion modules is a very good choice. I have two SECU16 modules, two SECU16I modules and several temperature and humidity Bobcats. They are very reliable. What I like best is that it's very easy to connect additional sensors of different types to the system. I also like the fact that you can run one Cat-5 cable to a remote location and daisy-chain multiple Secu16s off of it. For example, I put an SECU16 in my shop and have 8 inputs and 8 outputs on that one module - with just one wire running back to my Ocelot near the HS computer.

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        #4
        It depends how much you want to spend vs how much you want to work. You can get approximately 4 analog, 8 or more digital ins, and 12 digital outs for <$30 using various methods. If you already have an ocelot for IR, then the SECU16 is a great choice. But to buy an ocelot+secu16 is pretty pricey for just DIO.

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          #5
          I use the OCELOT also, And another great feature is the ocelot can run programs in itself with or without a pc connected.
          Of course you have to use the cmax application
          to create the program.

          That was a big plus for me.

          StevenE
          Why oh why didn't I just leave things alone, they had been working.

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            #6
            The Ocelot/Secu16 route is pricey but I also wanted zoned IR so it was an easy choice to stick with same family of products.

            Plus, the reliability is awesome. My ocelot has been running 24/7 for nearly 6 months. It's connected to a UPS and that kicked in once but did not disrupt power to the units.
            Jim Doolittle

            My Twitter
            My Hardware & Software

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              #7
              Jim,

              Got you beat by a little, bud!

              My ocelot has run non-stop non-reloaded for 6, yes 6, years now. When I built the house I mounted it on the wall, hooked it up to the UPS and loaded whatever was the lastest firmware in it.

              I've never had to touch it since. I just hookup new relays, inputs etc to the secu16.

              Comment


                #8
                George, what kind of UPS do you have that has a battery that lasts 6 years? Or can you change the battery without turning it off and unplugging it? I use APC UPSs and the batteries have a useful life of about 18-24 months.

                Comment


                  #9
                  DC,
                  in some other thread Jim asked for ideas what other people do with their Addicon devices. I see that you have quite few of them. Would you be willing to share your setup/system/ideas?
                  I'm sure a lot of people would be interested.

                  Thanks

                  Marty

                  PS. I too second OCELOT as best IO device.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    DC,

                    I have an APC 650 and I've never had to replace the battery in it. We just had a power failure here about a month ago and the UPS still worked great until the backup generator kicked in. Maybe one of the reasons it's lasted so long is I never have to rely on it for more than about 45 seconds until the generator spins up and kicks over.

                    Humm, now you've got me worried! Grin

                    George

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                      #11
                      George, the APC UPSs I have start beeping every few minutes when the battery is bad and has to be replaced so, if yours is not beeping you are probably safe. I have 5 of them at home, and my wife has about 15 of them on computers in her office, and it seems like I replace a battery in one of them about every 3 months or so. I've never kept track of how long a battery in a particular UPS lasted, but I would estimate that it's 18-24 months (it's definitely not 6 years because I haven't had any of them that long!).

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                        #12
                        It seems to me that the batteries in older UPSs definitely lasted longer than in newer ones. I have an older, more expensive APC that's been going for 5 years or so without complaining. It's been a few months since I tested it last, but it was still going strong then.

                        Since they've become much more of a commodity item, the quality (and/or capacity) of the batteries does seem to be have dropped.

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                          #13
                          DC,
                          what kind of UPC do you have? I have old APC500 that powers whole automation system and the batteries are there for over 2 years without any problems.
                          Also - 15 UPSs?

                          Please see my post above - would you be willing to describe a little your Ocelot system?

                          Thanks

                          Marty

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Here is what I have hooked up to my Ocelot/Secu16 setup:

                            INPUTS:

                            1) 9 relay outputs from my alarm panel -
                            * 3 motion detectors
                            * 3 areas armed (house interior, house perimeter, shop)
                            * alarm system ready to arm (all doors and windows closed and no motion)
                            * alarm system communication failure
                            * alarm activated

                            2) Whole-house audio receiver ON - I have a 12VDC wall-wart transformer plugged into the switched outlet on back of the receiver, the 12V output is connected to a 12VDC relay and the NO contacts of the relay are connected to an SECU16 input.

                            3) 5 magnetic contacts on doors -- three garage doors in the house, one in my shop and the door to my equipment room where my HA equipment, network, alarm panel, etc. are located.

                            4) A 120VAC relay I installed in the automatic switch for my emergency generator. This tells HS when the generator starts and when it stops. The most important thing I use this for is to verify that the weekly self test works. I have the generator set to self-test at 8:30 AM every Monday (it starts and runs for 20 minutes). At 8:00 AM on Monday, I set a virtual device OFF. When the generator starts, HS sets the virtual device ON. If the virtual device is still off at 9:00 AM on Monday HS knows the self-test failed and notifies me. I also have HS send me an email at work if the generator starts during the day.

                            5) Two inputs are connected to a directional driveway alert system - this way HS can tell the difference between a vehicle arriving and a vehicle leaving.

                            6) 7 motion detectors (other than the three that are part of the alarm system).

                            7) 3 WaterBug moisture detectors - one in each laundry room and one near the water treatment equipment in my shop

                            OUTPUTS:

                            1) Two garage door openers - one in the house and one in the shop. The relay it connected in parallel with the wall switch so I can open a garage door remotely if necessary.

                            2) One connected to an electric valve in my water main - if a leak is detected, HS shuts off the water main immediately.

                            3) One connected to an intercom doorbell chime input. My intercom has three distinct doorbells. I use one for the front door, one for the garage door and the third one for HS. When HS detects a driveway arrival, it chimes the intercom and then speaks "Excuse me, you have company coming up the driveway".

                            4) Three connected to the alarm system arm/disarm relays so HS can arm or disarm any of the three areas. This comes in handy if I need to disarm the alarm from work to let someone into the house, or the shop, without giving them the alarm code. I also have HS send me an email every hour if any area is not armed when I'm normally at work. This way if I forgot to arm the system, I can arm it remotely from work through the web interface.

                            5) I have 8 security cameras around the house connected to a NOVEX2000 DVR card in a dedicated computer. This card has 8 dry contact inputs that start digitally recording each of the cameras. I have 8 SECU16 relay outputs connected to these inputs. This way HS can record various cameras depending on the situation. When a driveway arrival is detected, two cameras that can see the driveway are recorded. When motion is detected on the front porch, the camera that sees the front door is recorded. When motion is detected by any of the motion detectors behind the house, 3 cameras that see the back of the house and the front of the shop are recorded. When the alarm system is activated (see #1 under inputs) ALL the cameras start recording.

                            This is not all the inputs and outputs I have available. I have other things planned for some of them like additional motion detectors and the water-softener salt level indicator discussed in another thread. This is one of the nice things about this setup, once it's integrated into HS, it's very easy to add another device using one of the inputs.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Marty,

                              I have a wide variety of APC UPSs and I'm not sure what all the models are. I remember a few are BackUPS PRO500s. Some are the flat, what I would call "desktop" models (350 and 500 VA). And I have a couple of larger 1100 (or 1500) VA models that I got at Sams.

                              The 15 UPSs I was talking about are at my wife's office. I put all her desktop computers on UPSs (since they are relatively inexpensive now). I'm not certain how many there are - I just mentally tried to count them and it's about 14 or 15. Having all her computers on UPSs is VERY worthwhile. It saves a tremendous amount of headache when they have a brief power outage (or fluctuation) that would have previously crashed all their computers.

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