Minimote/Miniremote and Two Ways to install it

[Rubber_Boot]

Minimote/Miniremote Two Ways to install it

You can install the Aeon Minimote remote control two ways into your Homeseer network. It took me a week to figure it out and how it actually works. I thought I would put in one posting to save you a bunch of time. It all started when I wanted to dim my lights to whatever level I choose without using an HS3 event. Below are two methods you can add your minimote to the HS3 network.
Method 1
You will be sending your network information to the minimote (Instructions later). Once this is completed a new object is added to your network. You can use the object to perform 8 events on any of the 4 buttons (called scenes). You get 4 events if you do a “short press” and 4 more events if you use a “long press”. This allows for 8 events that can be used for controlling devices on your network. Of course you can configure different light levels/dim values but are limited to 8.
I wanted to be able to press the button and hold the button and dim the light. In order to do this you have to use Method 2.
Tip: Don’t forget you can check the “status” of your device so you can use just 1 click to turn it on and off. If the light is “ON”, then shut it off. If the light is “OFF”, then turn it on. If you use this logic, you can get by using 1 of the 8 events. You also can configure your HS3 controller with this logic to dim your lights with one of the events. Logic: If the light is 25% dim set to 50% and if 50% dim set to 75% etc.
I found a good article on the site which shows how to configure your minimote to use Method 1.
http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=165108
Instructions:

1. Reset Minimote :
   Hold "Associate" and "Learn" until the lights stop blinking.
2. In PlugIns->z-wave->controller management: Actions: send network information to another controller
3. Press start in the HS screen
4. Press the "learn" key on Minimote
5. Wait while the info is transfered into the Minimote
6. Wait some more until it is also 'synchronized'
7. If HS reports it created a new remote device, it's done

Method 2
With the second method you need to add the minimote to your network using the inclusion mode. When you use the “inclusion mode” you will only get 4 events from the minimote not 8. That said, you will be able to hold down 1 of the 4 scene buttons and can dim the lights without adding any events to your Homeseer controller.
Instructions
Make sure your Minimote is up-to-date using your Windows PC. Skip this step if you know your firmware is up-to-date on your minimote.

a) Download the firmware update for your region, you can find it at www.aeotec.com/support
b) Once downloaded, open the application
c) Plug your Minimote into your Windows PC
d) Run the firmware update (should be a big button on the application)

Next
1) Reset Minimote :
Hold "Associate" and "Learn" until the lights stop blinking (resets to factory settings - takes about 5-10 seconds).
2) Take your Z-Stick and put it into “inclusion mode” by pressing and releasing the large round button on one side. A blue LED light around the button will begin blinking slowly.
3) While the Z-Stick is in inclusion mode, position it within 1-3 feet of your Z-Stick. Now press the “Learn” button on the Minimote and observe the blinking LED on the Z-Stick. If successful, the LED light will glow solidly for about 2 seconds and then will begin blinking slowly again.
4) From the web interface, use the pull down menus to navigate to the Z-Wave Controller Management page (PLUG-INS > Z-Wave > Controller Management).
5) Locate the “Z-Wave Interfaces” area and expand your Z-Wave Controller section. Open the “Actions:” menu and choose “Import Node Info from Controller and Scan Device”.
6) Click the ‘Start’ button below the Actions menu. Wait until you see this step was completed. The minimote should now be in included your network as your other switches and dimmers to control them.



Testing and Programming the minimote

First things first… The 4 buttons on the minimote are called “Scene” buttons.

Here is how to check if your Minimote was successfully added to your network.

ALL ON (Press and hold the “top” 2 scene buttons)
ALL OFF (Press and hold the “bottom” 2 scene buttons)

If you can do an “ALL ON” and “ALL OFF” you were successful.

Creating scenes

1) Press and hold a scene, this will cause the minimote to blink rapidly (keep holding!)

2) Go to the device that you want to control (switch or dimmers only), and tap the button on the device (while still holding the minimote scene button down). The LED on the minimote should show a reaction [blink faster and turn solid for 1-2 seconds, then continue to blink].

3) Now here comes the interesting part [you should still be holding onto the scene button still!]

3.1) The Device is ON
-When you let go of the scene button when the device is ON, you can toggle the switch on and off.

3.2) The Device is OFF
-When you let go of the scene button when the device is OFF, you can only turn the switch off.

Note: For most of us, make shure the light is “ON” before letting go of the “Scene” button as described in 3.1.

5) Test, tap the scene button (Sometimes you need to press it a couple of times after you finished configuring it.)

6) Repeat steps 1-5 to add more control to other devices. (You can add multiple devices to a single scene button)

Note: You repeat the steps on the same button to add control to Multiple devices, if you repeat the steps above on the same device, you remove control on that device from that scene button.

Dimmers And Dimming

If there is a dimmer linked to a scene button, then you can press and hold it to dim it up or down. Let go of the scene button when you've come across the correct dimness that you want.

Note: If you dimmed it up before, then it will dim down the next time you use the dimmer function.

I hope this saves someone else some time.

[sparks]

For Method 2 Step 5...do you mean to "Import Node Info from Controller and Scan Device"?

I've tried that and keep getting something similar to the following:

Operational messages will appear here...
Loading network information from your Z-Wave interface...
Done.
Synchronizing network information against HomeSeer devices...
Getting Z-Wave node list for network 018515C5...
Found 20 Z-Wave nodes
Syncing Z-Wave nodes with device list...
Synchronize nodes finished. Number of device nodes to be created/added = 6

Device synchronization needs to create devices for 6 new nodes.



Device synchronization needs to get Z-Wave class information for 2 nodes.
Warning: Failed to retrieve Z-Wave class information for node 19, device synchronization/creation will not continue for this node.
Warning: Failed to retrieve Z-Wave class information for node 20, device synchronization/creation will not continue for this node.
Warning: Failed to retrieve Z-Wave class information for node 22, device synchronization/creation will not continue for this node.
Warning: Failed to retrieve Z-Wave class information for node 23, device synchronization/creation will not continue for this node.
Warning: Failed to retrieve Z-Wave class information for node 24, device synchronization/creation will not continue for this node.
Warning: Failed to retrieve Z-Wave class information for node 25, device synchronization/creation will not continue for this node.
Finished with Z-Wave device synchronization.

I'm very new to Homeseer, but it looks like it is failing when trying to scan the remote (which I don't think it can).


Followup: I was using the beta Z-Wave plugin above. Once I used the .150 plugin.....it worked!!!

[Rubber_Boot]

Corrected the post.

For Method 2 Step 5 (Was incorrect)
I corrected the post it should have been "Import Node Info from Controller and Scan Device"

[isy.taman]

Re: Minimote
I'm gradually transitioning from X10 to Zwave. I currently have 2 TKB ON/OFF modules and an Everspring Dimmer Module, all successfully included in the network and functioning. The primary controller is an Aeon Z-Stick plugged into a PC running Windows 7.

I'm considering buying a Minimote and I've read your excellent description of how to set it up. I'd like to ask a number of additional questions which I'm still puzzled about.

In essence I'd like to know how much of the functionality that you describe will work even when the PC running HS3 is switched off.

1) You mention that you can assign a button to a device such that you can toggle it between ON if it's Off and Off if it's ON thereby having control over 4 devices. Once set up that way, is that functionality dependent upon the computer being switched on when I need to control the devices?

2) When issuing the ALL ON or ALL OFF with the remote, is that dependent on the Computer being ON for that feature to work.

3) Can it be set up such that a short press of a button represents ON and a long press represents OFF and will that feature work when the computer is Off.

4) Can it be set up such that Button 1 represents ON and Button 2 represents OFF and similarly for buttons 3 and 4 thereby having control over 2 devices. Again, I'm sure that's possible but is it dependent on HS3 running at the time.


I'm also puzzled because I read that if a device is capable of association it should be apparent in the "Supported Command Classes" in the device's "Node Information".

In my case both these TKB switches appear as routing slaves in the NODE INFORMATION page and the supported features are as follows:
"Switch Binary(V 1), Switch All, Configuration, Version, Manufacturer Specific".
It doesn't mention "Association" so I'm not sure whether they're even set up to work with the Minimote.

I'd hate to buy the remote only to send it back because my devices have been incorrectly set up or don't support "Association"

Any help would be appreciated.

[Rubber_Boot]

Reply

1) You mention that you can assign a button to a device such that you can toggle it between ON if it's Off and Off if it's ON thereby having control over 4 devices. Once set up that way, is that functionality dependent upon the computer being switched on when I need to control the devices? Yes. Method 1 requires a controller or your computer to be active. Method 2 does not. (You can control 8 devices with method 1 if you include the long-press but again your controller has to be active.)

2) When issuing the ALL ON or ALL OFF with the remote, is that dependent on the Computer being ON for that feature to work. No. If you add it via Method 2 you do not need your PC to be on.

3) Can it be set up such that a short press of a button represents ON and a long press represents OFF and will that feature work when the computer is Off. Yes (Method 1). This still requires your controller/pc to be on.

4) Can it be set up such that Button 1 represents ON and Button 2 represents OFF and similarly for buttons 3 and 4 thereby having control over 2 devices. Again, I'm sure that's possible but is it dependent on HS3 running at the time. Using method 1, you can create an event to turn on a light with button 1 and turn off the same light with button 2.

[isy.taman]

Thank you patiently ploughing through all the options.

[randy]

If you are using a MiniMote with HS3 you can expand the number of functions available with counters and timers. Since you are using "This device had its value set to..." you can count the number of times a button is pressed. Add a timer and you can have events triggered on if button x is pressed x times within x seconds

We use 1 second as a timer, you could use longer if you want to count a larger number of presses. A single press of a button with the light off, turns it on to a preset dim level. A single press with the light on runs a small script to increase the brightness by a preset amount. A double press runs a small script to decrease the brightness by a preset amount. A long press turns the light off. The "Timer Reset" is a failsafe in case the button is pressed more than two times in a second.

[mrGrumpy]

Minimote Dimming

What you have done with the Minimote is exactly what I would like to do. Would you mind sharing your dimchange.Vb script?

[Guest]

That's some pretty creative use of timers and events. I bet I could do something similar for the cooper scene controller and Sonos! Thanks for the inspiration.
Jim

[randy]

What you have done with the Minimote is exactly what I would like to do. Would you mind sharing your dimchange.Vb script?

Not at all. It's not my script, it was posted on this board some time ago. It is very short and simple, but it does what is needed. I would give credit if I could remember who posted it.

As it says at the top of the code you pass two parameters separated by a comma - the Device Reference ID then the percentage change you want. A "-" sign causes it to reduce by the percentage. So the parameter 289,10 would raise the dim level of device 289 by 10% every time the script is run and 289,-10 would reduce the dim level by 10% each time it runs. It does not wrap around at either end, so it is limited in the range of 1-100%. That is a function of CAPI, if I understand it correctly.

 
Sub Main(ByVal inputparms as String)
        ' parameter "1234,10" device Reference ID followed by percentage change "-" for down
 dim pos = InStr(inputparms, ",")
 dim strSize = Len(inputparms)
 dim targetDev as Double = Left(inputparms, pos - 1)
 dim targetDim as Double = Right(inputparms, strSize - pos)   
 dim debugmode as Boolean = True
 Dim devValue As Double
 devValue = hs.DeviceValue(targetDev) + targetDim
 'hs.writelog("Dim Script",CStr(devValue))
 hs.CAPIControlHandler(hs.CAPIGetSingleControl(targetDev, false, CStr(devValue), false, true))
End Sub

[jackallweiss]

This is directly related to Minimote as a secondary controller (option 1). It has been a while since I added the Minimote and since then my network has changed. I would like the Minimote to have the latest routing table. Is there a way to update the routing table in the Minimote from my primary controller (Homeseer Ztroller original serial version) without completely reseting the Minimote and having to re-add it as a secondary controller again? I did try "Send Network Information to another Controller" in the Z-Troller action menu after putting the Minimote into the learn mode but had no success. Has anyone done this already? Thanks and this thread has been very useful.

[mhn]

I think the minimote shall in add mode. As in adding it to Homeseer again.

That's how it is with other remotes.

Regards
Morten