ZCV4 Zone Controller and Thermostat API

[cbryan]

I believe some additional calls were added to the thermostat API when the RCS interface was revamped (by RJ) in the past to accomodate RCS zone controllers. For example, there is a GetDamperStatus(controller,tstat) function that returns the current damper status (true open/false closed).

Does anyone have a correct list of the API functions and each function's relationship to the ZCV4 zone controller settings? What functions return system settings (system mode/system fan mode) and what functions return the settings for each zone (heat setpoint/cool setpoint/mode/damper status/fan mode/hold status). Most are self explanatory and function correctly (temp, heat setpoint, cool setpoint, damper status).

What is the function call for mode, fan mode, or hold status on an individual zone?

What is the function call for system mode and system fan mode on the overall system?

These values are displayed correctly in the plugin interface but I'm not clear which function to use in scripts.

Edit: using RCS plugin v2.3.2634.26204

[jstaab]

FYI, I think your running a slightly older version of the plugin. All the standard API calls should work for this plug in. I don't believe many custom APIs were added. There isn't a list anywhere that I'm aware of that outlines the custom functions.
Just quickly scanning a script that I'm using, the two that stood out are
GetOperatingRCS which I believe is the current operating stage and the GetDamperStatus. If you dig around several posts back, I believe there are links to a script or two that has most everything you'd need plus a link to the API thread.

[jstaab]

And by the way, I don't think there is a way to get the overall system status. Logic dictates if one of your zones is heating, cooling, or has the fan on, then your overall system is in that same state. Due to the way the plug-in is written, you pretty much have to fetch all the details via a script. Thus, when I fetch the zone states, I also populate a set of devices that I use for an overall system status.
The API (minus RCS specific extras) is listed here: http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=114698

[cbryan]

Thanks. I did get the API from Rich and, after much empirical testing yesterday, sorted out the issues. I found a couple of bugs (at least in my version) in the web interface in the HSPI.

The HSPI I'm using does not change the hold mode on a couple of stats behind the controller [specifically the 3rd and 4th stat) while the lower stats accept a hold mode change from the HSPI web interface.

The second bug in the HSPI web interface occurs when you change the state of the system fan mode (from fan auto/fan on). The fan mode also changes on the 1st stat (from fan auto/fan on) but not on any other stat. It would probably make more sense to force a change in the fan mode (and probably damper mode) across all stats in response to system fan mode change.

All of this may have been fixed in the later HSPI release which I will load and try. I just need to be able to roll back due to the comm issues we hade a year ago.

I am actually modifying the script you posted to populate a series of virtual devices to use in a graphing script to monitor HVAC performance at each stat. The challenge is to monitor HVAC system calls for heat/cool on the zone controller versus the call for heat/cool on the individual stats behind the controller. It is possible (but not likely) to have one stat call for cool and a second stat call for heat. The controller will actually answer the calls on a heirarchy basis and change the system from cool to heat while opening and closing dampers (including the bypass) to accomodate proper air flow.

[jstaab]

Using the latest version of the Plugin, I haven't had any communication issues, if that is what your referring to. Now, I've never had the extreme where you might have one zone calling for cooling and one for heating, but I believe I read somewhere that the zone controller will do whatever call was first as you mentioned.

Since I've never had this scenario, I'm not sure what happens with the display units. If your system is currently cooling, technically, I wouldn't think another display unit could actually say that its heating, since it isn't since your HVAC is currently cooling. I would think it would be sitting in some sort of queued state saying it is sitting idle until the other zone completes. I may have to experiment at some point.

Since this isn't a concern of mine, I just grab the state a currently active zone, and populate devices as you mentioned with whether the system is currently heating, cooling, stage, etc. Again, all this is a pain to do, but oh well. I run a script once a minute to constantly fetch all this.

Again, beware of the little bug mentioned in this thread.

[cbryan]

Installed the updater version of the RCS serial driver with no comm problems.

The zone controller hold mode bug and system fan mode bug on the web interface in the plugin still exist. Might try to fix these on the HSPI if I get a chance later. Low priority since I rarely use the web interface.

All other scripting and functions still work fine.

[jstaab]

I've never used the system settings as they really don't make any sense. I suppose one might want to turn on the fan for all zones, but if I were to do that, I'd control all the zones individually. Same holds true for the system mode. In my case, the mode and fan run on Auto all the time anyway, so I rarely ever touch the settings.

Installed the updater version of the RCS serial driver with no comm problems.

The zone controller hold mode bug and system fan mode bug on the web interface in the plugin still exist. Might try to fix these on the HSPI if I get a chance later. Low priority since I rarely use the web interface.

All other scripting and functions still work fine.