Using the HAI Keypad

[bwally]

Can I use the HAI keypad to trigger events in Homeseer?

I have been reading that Homeseer does not directly support the X10 (and along with that Compose) lighting module through the HAI panel. I can I see how that would make sense in a lot ways.

So I have a Smarthome USB X10 module and the HAI X10 module going. I'm thinking of dumping the HAI X10 module (so that all X10 commands originate through the Smarthome module)

As an example, how would i best move the logic for this off of the HAI programming and into Homeseer:

I have an outside light that has no accessible light switch. It's just an electrical junction box, wired into an Smartlinc module and out to the light. All the wiring is above a drop ceiling and feed directly outside to the outdoor light. I have programmed a Button in HAI to turn it on ... and another to turn it off.

Is there an "IF Button ... Then ..." type command? A better way maybe?

[Rick Tinker]

bwally,

Everything that you can do in the HAI panel, you can do in HomeSeer. Even if your event logic in the HAI system is turning on lights and controlling HAI outputs, there are actions in HomeSeer to do both of these. I have the same X-10 interface in my system and do all of my X-10 through that, but I would keep the X-10 interface in the HAI system anyway. Why? In the event of a fire, your security system is wired with red "fire wire" to the smoke detectors and it has a battery. If a fire takes out the power to your HomeSeer computer, then it cannot turn on the lights in your house (and outside) so you can see to get out and (in the case of outside) so the fireman can see your house better. Although a fire on the X-10 circuit of the HAI panel is also a problem, the odds are still better that the HAI system will last longer and be able to turn on those lights for you. It doesn't hurt to keep it there anyway.

Going in the other direction as your question asked, yes - HomeSeer's HAI plug-in you will notice also creates as one of the special devices, one that indicates the last button pushed. If you set a device value change trigger on an event, select this button device, then the list of device values will change to the names of the buttons configured in your system. Choose the button you want to trigger on, and you can then add actions to the event to be carried out whenever you 'push' that button whether it happens from a console or an HAI plug-in action.

[Pete]

Keeping X-10 interfaces set to Omni

Rick,
1 - Do you sync your X-10 schedules with Homeseer or just keep them on for alternate events (IE fire / alarm etc)?
2 - Is there a way to sync just X-10 lighting events and have an event to see what source the commands came from and be able to switch in case of a HS glitch or hicup?
3 - Am I asking for too much? (IE is the HS plugin / Omni embedded application unable to do this?)

[Rick Tinker]

I only have fire handling events in the HAI system, and I think one motion detector based event. I have the motion detector event left over from before the HAI plug-in existed! Everything else I either got rid of or moved over long ago, and I suppose this last one will go away when I replace the switches it controls with a Z-Wave one. (It is a multi-way switch, which Z-Wave could not do until recently.)

As for if you want to have the redundancy, then no there is no way to sync the two as the Omni-Link protocol does not give access to the panel programming such that the plug-in could see what is going on. You can, however, install a dead-man's switch so to speak so that the HAI system takes over if/when you happen to shut down HomeSeer or you install one too many MS updates and the machine fails to boot. ;-) You can set up some program logic and flags in the HAI system that perhaps turns on a flag every 5 minutes. HomeSeer's HAI Unit trigger then detects this and turns it off. If after turning on the flag, the HAI system notices it has not been turned off within a few seconds (or heck, give it a good 10-15 seconds) then you can enable another flag that "enables" the HAI to do its X-10 device scheduling. Detecting the flag being turned back on by HomeSeer (after it is running again) could signal the HAI to stop doing its schedule.

[Pete]

Thanks for the ideas Rick

I'll give it a try. Unrelated topic just noticed that my Smarthome Boosterlinc literay did a melt down. 1/3 of the front of the device has melted towards the inside of the case and it has an "electrical" smell to it.