Integrating URC with HomeSeer

[mark_anderson_us]

Hi All

I recently installed a URC system (MX-780's and MSC-400 - part of the complete control suite that are pretty cheap now) and have integrated with HomeSeer. Now, from anywhere in the house, with an RF remote I can run any event in HS. It was actually pretty simple to do once I'd learned how to program the MX and MSC.

I basically connected the MSC-400 to HS with a serial cable (using an EdgePort 16 USB to RS232 - these things are awesome) and create RS232 commands to run events. So now, I can send any event (that I've added to the remote) to HomeSeer.

For those interested, I switched from Logitech Harmony to URC. I wrote an article about it here: http://www.hometoys.com/emagazine/20...er-remote/2066

The script to receive RS232 commands and trigger events is:

In startup.txt added (I'm using com19)

 e=hs.OpenComPort(19,"9600,n,8,1",1,"com19_event.vb","main")
         if e<> "" then
              hs.writelog "Error opening COM19",e
         else
              hs.writelog "COM19", "Setup complete"
     end if

Added this to shutdown.txt

  e=hs.CloseComPort("19")
         if e<> "" then
              hs.writelog "Error closing COM19",e
         else
              hs.writelog "COM19", "Port was closed"
         end if

Created Callback script "com19_event.vb"

sub main(data)
     dim EventName 
     EventName = Right(data, Len(data) -1 )
     hs.writelog( "Serial", "Data Received: " &  chr(34) & EventName & chr(34))
     If hs.eventexists(EventName) = True Then
          hs.triggerevent(EventName)
          hs.writelog( "Serial", "Triggered Event: " & chr(34) & EventName & chr(34))
     Else
          hs.writelog( "Serial", "No Event Matching " & chr(34) & EventName & chr(34) & " Exists")
     End If
 end Sub

I added this line to remove an extra \x0D at start of every string:

EventName = Right(data, Len(data) -1 )

Now I can run any event in HomeSeer from my URC MSC-400


Links:
MSC-400: http://www.universalremote.com/produ...ations/msc-400

MX-780: http://www.universalremote.com/produ...remotes/mx-780

Regards

Mark

[pbibm]

Mark

nice, thank you. I have been a long time harmony user who has outgrown my current remotes and was extremely disappointed by user reviews of the harmony link.

Help me out here, how hard is it to get the software from the dealer?

Nice review and thanks for the clear documentation on the scripting.

[mark_anderson_us]

Best thing is buy from someone on ebay and ask them in advance if they can supply the software

[pbibm]

Great, thanks

[NicolaiL]

Hi Mark

Nice article. Great integration work. I was wondering if you have done any work in the other direction, i.e. getting the MSC-400 to react to commands from HS?

Thanks
Nicolai

[mark_anderson_us]

Hi Nicolai

Thanks for compliments

Unfortunately, there's no bi-directional support. URC apparently planned to add 2-way support, but scrapped it with the proliferation of IP control. IP control is only available in the new total control product range. (Apparently, the editor software for this will be much more rigorously controlled than CCP was).

Only option for 2-way is via sensor input, so you could use voltage sensors and have something in HS trigger a relay (or something else that switches a voltage) to cause a voltage sensor to trigger, (which is then linked to an MSC macro) but, of course, you're limited to 6 inputs per MSC-400. If you really wanted to do it, the Total Control products would be better. Alternatively, ProControl have some nice, inexpensive remotes/controllers.

Regards

Mark

[Mario23]

Great writeup Mark!

I've been waiting for IP control to mature a bit and had looked at URC as well.
When I rebuild my wiring closet, I want to place all DTV receivers in there and centralize all contols. I really want to try IP control and hope this stuff becomes a little more consumer friendly.

I would also prefer the base device to be ethernet connected as I'm pretty much out of usb/serial ports.

[Mario23]

Hey Mark...curious how you feel about this these days compared to Total Control products.

Total Control has some really features over complete control but from a DIY perspective I wonder if CCP is the still the best option.

Tks

[mark_anderson_us]

Hey Mark...curious how you feel about this these days compared to Total Control products.

Total Control has some really features over complete control but from a DIY perspective I wonder if CCP is the still the best option.

Tks

Hi Mario

If I was buying new from a dealer and didn't have HA I would buy Total Control for sure.

For my needs (replacement of Logitech harmonies and HS integration) complete control is more than adequate. If total control was the same price, I would buy that without a doubt IF (and it's now a really big if) I could get the software - apparently URC are being much more stringent about it's distribution). I read about a lot of issues over the last several months and it seems to have settled down quite a bit. The reason the total control is much cheaper is because it's discontinued. The 1 big thing I wish I had was bi-di RS232 (or IP comms). With the MSC-400, RS-232 is output only.

I hardly ever go to HS on my PC, iPad or iPhone anymore. Nearly everything I do with HS is event driven. The rest I do from my MX-780's and wall mounted HS Touch panels (3 x Kindle Fires) the latter is usually just lighting scenes like cooking, dining, bedtime, etc.)


Regards

Mark

[Mario23]

That's what I figured. The diy part is very important to me too. 2 way comm would be great but as you said, not necessary if programmed right. I'm looking forward to the new challenge. Thanks.

[Mario23]

I was reading some URC stuff today and noticed the MRX-2 which allows for IP integration. Then the Complete Control App for Iphone/Android could be used. Sounded interesting but not sure if I want to go there. I'm always afraid URC is going to drop CC in favor of Totat and the Gen2 stuff they're doing.

It looks to me like I would add the MRX to my setup along with the MSC400 but not sure programming wise how it would look yet.

[Mario23]

Hey Mark how can I learn how to set up serial commands in CCP?
The videos I've found deal with products that have preloaded databases.
I figure if I try to tackle this first then maybe I can try the Homeseer side of it.
Tks

[mark_anderson_us]

Hey Mark how can I learn how to set up serial commands in CCP?
The videos I've found deal with products that have preloaded databases.
I figure if I try to tackle this first then maybe I can try the Homeseer side of it.
Tks

Hi Mario

Attached is a doc I wrote about debugging via serial port. Should give you the basic idea. I added a dummy device called HomeSeer, set it as Serial and just put event names in as Serial strings (see screen shots). I can;t remeber exact settings I used for LF, etc. but can lookup if you need them (it's probably same as attached).

Let me know if you need more info

Regards

mark

[Mario23]

I appreciate it. Let me take a look and see if I can figure this stuff out.

Sent from my SM-T520 using Tapatalk

[dcarreiro]

Hi. I know this is an old thread. But I wanted to revisit. I have been using HomeSeer for sometime now and I am becoming a URC dealer. I just finished their training session. They do have their own zwave product which is called TRF-ZW2 Z-Wave Gateway. However, it looks like its a rebranded vera and it definitely uses MiOS. Not knocking if that is any good and might look into it for small installs. However, I would like to know if anyone has been able to figure out two directional with the URC IP version which is Total Control? If not, can anyone guide me in the right direction? Thanks in advance!