HSTouch for RCS Serial thermostats in HS3

[chubafelix]

In my HS3 install with RSC Serial plugin, I have 6 thermostats enabled and they are working. Interestingly, each function of each thermostat is configured as HS3 device. So, for the 6 thermostats, I have 48 HS3 devices (8 per thermostat). The problem I am hoping to solve is HSTouch support of these 6 thermostats. These 6 thermostats do not appear in HSTouch climate menu. Instead, I see the 48 devices in Lighting and Devices menu. Do I need to write some scripts or create customer HSTouch menu in roder to see these thermostats under climate? Help please.
F

[Mark S.]

I am not familiar with the RCS serial plugin, but I do connect my RCS thermostats to HS via the UltraM1G plugin. My thermostats do not automatically populate in the HSTouch default climate screen. Click on the thermostat device name on the normal HS web interface, go to the Advanced tab, and look at the Device Type Internal - it should say Thermostat API. If so, it should be associated in as a thermostat - so you should be able to add a text box or button and display/control it as a thermostat device. I built my own screens for my thermostats - example attached.

[jono]

In my HS3 install with RSC Serial plugin, I have 6 thermostats enabled and they are working. Interestingly, each function of each thermostat is configured as HS3 device. So, for the 6 thermostats, I have 48 HS3 devices (8 per thermostat). The problem I am hoping to solve is HSTouch support of these 6 thermostats. These 6 thermostats do not appear in HSTouch climate menu. Instead, I see the 48 devices in Lighting and Devices menu. Do I need to write some scripts or create customer HSTouch menu in roder to see these thermostats under climate? Help please.
F

First of all, I would write Krumpy and get his bug free version of the RCS HS3 plug in. It works great.
I don't use HS Touch so can't be of much help on your specific issue, but if you need a fix I would do the fix on top of Krumpy's version.

[Krumpy]

It’s really not my plugin, I just made some very minor changes to HomeSeer’s plugin. If others want it, then I will send it back to HomeSeer to distribute however they want.

[clafa]

Krumpy,

I would first check how those thermostats appear on the devices page.

On my Zwave thermostats on the "parent device" on the Advanced tab, does the "Device Type internal" appear as Thermostat API or as a light?

From what I know HStouch reads this to display the thermostats.

Chris

[chubafelix]

Thanks everyone for your comments. In my HS2 setup, I also had to create a custom HSTouch page so, that's not a barrier.

The reason I have 6 thermostats is because I have 2 furnaces with 3 zones each. I would prefer not to change my 485 serial hub setup, its a lot of work. HSTouch is a desire because I have unsophisticated users needing to control climate. So, the question is whether I can get an HSTouch screen working correctly by updating the RSC Serial plugin or I should move to UltraM1G plugin. Attached is the screen shot of one of the parent devices. As pointed out earlier, It does say "NO API". That does not sound good. So, does Krumpy's update make the RSC Serial plugin provide API and device type? Do I need to do this manually? Or do I switch to UltraM1G? THank you
Felix

[chubafelix]

RCS Serial device page

[Mark S.]

No API is not good - something seems to be wrong with your devices or plugin setup. Perhaps someone familiar with the RCS Serial could advise on recreating the devices or reinstalling the plugin.

[jono]

Krumpy's update fixed a very bad set point bug in the plug in. His version works perfectly. I don't think he did anything affecting HS Touch functionality. All I was saying is that you might start with the best working version before doing anything else. Set point problem discussed here:
https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/th...ug-work-around

[chubafelix]

Krumpy's update fixed a very bad set point bug in the plug in. His version works perfectly. I don't think he did anything affecting HS Touch functionality. All I was saying is that you might start with the best working version before doing anything else. Set point problem discussed here:
https://forums.homeseer.com/forum/th...ug-work-around

Where do I find the update from Krumpy?

[chubafelix]

I am not familiar with the RCS serial plugin, but I do connect my RCS thermostats to HS via the UltraM1G plugin. My thermostats do not automatically populate in the HSTouch default climate screen. Click on the thermostat device name on the normal HS web interface, go to the Advanced tab, and look at the Device Type Internal - it should say Thermostat API. If so, it should be associated in as a thermostat - so you should be able to add a text box or button and display/control it as a thermostat device. I built my own screens for my thermostats - example attached.

Mark, one thing I am not clear on. The RCS thermostats are connected via ELK panel or are these serial thermostats connected via serial hub to a serial port on HS3? I do not have ELK panel so, I am not sure how I could use UltraM1G plugin for my serial connected RCS Thermostats.

[chubafelix]

It’s really not my plugin, I just made some very minor changes to HomeSeer’s plugin. If others want it, then I will send it back to HomeSeer to distribute however they want.

Can you please point me to where i can get the RCS Serial plugin update that was mentioned? I don't seem to have any other option but to try to fix the support in HS3. Pleaes let me know.

[Mark S.]

Mark, one thing I am not clear on. The RCS thermostats are connected via ELK panel or are these serial thermostats connected via serial hub to a serial port on HS3? I do not have ELK panel so, I am not sure how I could use UltraM1G plugin for my serial connected RCS Thermostats.

Correct, my t-stats on on my ELK via UltraM1G, so that doesn't help you. But the point is that your t-stat devices in HS must be device type Thermostat API, and for some reason yours are not. So I would suspect that the plugin didn't install right or HS did not create the devices correctly during install of the RCS Serial Plugin. I imagine you might need to reinstall and recreate the devices, but hopefully someone familiar with the RCS Serial plugin can help with that. If not, I would try uninstalling the plugin, delete your devices, reboot, and try installing again.

[chubafelix]

I think I understand why plugin is not building the devices correctly. When I enabled the detailed debug log, I can see that the communication on Serial port fails. Plugin does not find the thermostat at the address it is set to. I am not sure why cause these thermostats worked on previous Windows 7 with HS2 just fine and I did not change the addresses. Perhaps, my new PC serial port is not configured correctly. Are there specific settings for serial port needed for this plugin to work with RCS serial tstats?

[Mark S.]

Hopefully someone else can advise on the port settings for the RCS Serial plugin, but those are usually pretty standard. But one other thing to check - verify the serial network address of each thermostat (in the menu on the T-stat) to look for duplicates. Apparently the addresses can change somehow, and then communication stops when you have a duplicate. Yes, it has happened to me more than once.