Bought another HAI thermostat...

[bktabinga]

so now i have 2...understand from a previous post that there are no plans for multiple com port support.

So how do I get 2 thermostats setup. The therms are connected via preexisting CAT5 wiring converted to serial cables at the server closet.

Is there a way to run multiple instances of the HAI Therm plugin, if so, how?

Thanks.

[bktabinga]

HAI forums seem dead

Based on the lack of activity here, it must be that the HAI plugins are pretty stable and everyone is hunky dory. (which I can attest to, no problems with the plugin so far).

I guess that doesn't bode well if I had a request such as "multiple plugin instances".

Would anyone care to elaborate what the best way to get this question answered is...help desk (not sure how that would be appropriate, nothing is broken)...or maybe the main discussion page?

[cadillackid]

I think this is similar to the RCS serial plugin, they arent going to support multiple com ports in that plugin.. sothat puts those with multiple RCS serial thermostats out of business... not sure why thyey are doing this asI thought there are a lot of people that may have one furnace upstairs and one down...

-CHristopher

[mnsandler]

so now i have 2...understand from a previous post that there are no plans for multiple com port support.

So how do I get 2 thermostats setup. The therms are connected via preexisting CAT5 wiring converted to serial cables at the server closet.

Is there a way to run multiple instances of the HAI Therm plugin, if so, how?

Thanks.

if you wired them correctly (according to installation guide) and assigned a unique ID to each one (according to the user guide) (the default id is 1, so you must change the second to ID 2) the plug-in can control them. you just create two devices on the Configuration tab in the plug-in.

i have attached two docs that should help with wiring and configuration

[bktabinga]

Missed the point

I think you missed the point. I have one wired correctly, HAI plugin controls it perfectly. I am asking about having one therm upstairs and one downstairs...don't really, (or should I say have no idea) know how or want to try to wire the therms "together" on one RS-232 line much like you do with ELK keypads.

If you have two seperate instaces of the therm, each wired correctly, then you have two therms connected to two different com ports. HOWEVER, hai plugin only has an option to select ONE com port. Even if you assign seperate addresses, how is HS going to connect to the other therm if the plugin hasn't even considered the extra COM port.

As has already been discussed, it seems that multiple com ports is not going to be supported although, EVERYONE I know that has two story houses, has two different HVAC systems, one for up, one for down. Seems silly to assume everyone has one multi-zoned HVAC system.

So in the meantime, I've been trying to figure out how to run mulitiple plugin instances because when I did a search on this in the previous HS archives, someone had mentioned just doing that to get around the lack of multiple com ports support.

[mnsandler]

you just wire the stats together in parallel to the same comm port

at the top of page 18 of the install manual it says,

"Additional thermostats are connected in parallel. They may be
connected in home-run or daisy chain configuration.

"

its just like wiring 2-line phones using 4 conductor cable. either homeruns back to the interface or daisy chain from 1 device to next.

Now to your setup.

none of your homeruns should be terminated with a serial connector since you have more than one. you will need the following two items (make em or buy em)

1. this a 1 to 5 jack adapter
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=family

2. this is a serial to rj12 adapter (specifically for the rc80 stat)
http://www.iautomate.com/21a052.html

here is how to proceed:
1.connect the serial adapter to the computer
2.connect the jack adapter to the serial adapter
3.for your three cat5 homeruns that terminate in your closet, (REMOVE THE SERIAL CONNECTORS) and terminate the 4 conductors that you connected to each stat with an separate rj12. (the color order is important and should match the specs of the serial adapter. all will be exactly the same)
4. connect the 3 newly terminated wires to the jack adapter

if you have a unique id assigned to each stat, hs/the plug-in will communicate with them thru a single comm port.

note. i think 50ft is max length for a single run without a signal booster.

i hope this clear

[bktabinga]

yeah...sorry.

I guess when you read stuff, you get selective comprehension. I'll have to digest this stuff, but thanks, maybe I can get this to work without too much effort.