What do you want? Suggestions, please!

[KHarms]

We would like your suggestions about where to take HCA next. Both small changes and large. Now is your chance to speak and have your comments sent on to the developers.

What would you like to do with HCA that you can’t do now?

[ewelin]

being someone who has run HCA on Windows Home Server since WHS was being beta tested, I would love to see HCA be able to run as a service and have a proper install, WHS addin, file. The options for home automation software officially supporting WHS is very slim, I think there really are only two. I wouldn't mind having to RDP into the WHS box in order to edit HCA, but it'd be great to just have an HCA service that can startup when WHS starts so one doesn't have to go through the autologin procedure, or the VNC route for remote connection.

[ewelin]

What about wireless temp and humility sensors that can connect to the W800... Maybe adding support for the rfxcom.com receivers (http://www.rfxcom.com/receivers.htm) and sensors (http://www.rfxcom.com/sensors.htm) as well since the w800 is now discontinued on smarthome. I'm currently looking into adding some temperature sensing throughout my house for different things and this would be handy.

[scottb8888]

I would like to see a more stable odem. 2414 and 2412 are just not that good!

[KHarms]

Hi Scott.

Things only get better when we get reports. What are the issues you are having with the Insteon PowerLinc and Insteon PowerLinc Modem?

[ocgltd]

I'll second the request for run as a service. Split the front and back ends, so it can cleanly run without having to autologin a machine...

[ghostt]

I'll second the request for run as a service. Split the front and back ends, so it can cleanly run without having to autologin a machine...

I'd guess that this would be a huge coding change for HCA, thus requiring a ton of work, but I'll chime in that this would be a hugely welcome feature. I am constantly tinkering with my HCA setup from various machines, and always have to RDP/VNC to the HCA box first, which does get rather annoying.

[ranger_ut]

1. Ability to change Security Wireless ID's.

2. An option to have bottom portion of the any display to view say last ten lines of the logs in real-time.

Maybe even a way to customize you display with camera view's that pulls the image or video from camera software.


Brett

[mjl]

Regarding 1, I second the motion to be able to change or add security wireless ID's manually without having to wait for the device to trigger an alert. I occassionally see wireless security ID's which are either not mine or are falsely read by the W800RF32 - these always come in as the same ID but I can't enter a device so that I can trigger VP's on specific IDS' - I can only use the trigger from the troubleshooter to trigger on unknown devices.

Regarding 2, you can sort-of do something like this now with the log viewer (from HCA->View->Log Viewer menu). This opens the log in a separate window so you an resize the HCA window smaller and resize the log window so that you can see both. Filters can be applied to the log viewer window if you only want to see certain events (say receptions only - I use this filter to monitor activity in the house).

1. Ability to change Security Wireless ID's.

2. An option to have bottom portion of the any display to view say last ten lines of the logs in real-time.

Maybe even a way to customize you display with camera view's that pulls the image or video from camera software.


Brett

[ranger_ut]

Ok some others.

Insteon devices have alot of hidden or not very well known settings.

1. I would like some diag views. What device is having problems with signal.
Retry counts, ACK counts, etc.

2. Change X10 address of any insteon device.

3. Change onlevel/ramp rates from HCA.

4. Be able the change KPL from 6 to 8 button from HCA.

I know there is away to change HOP counts per device but I dont have any info on that. It can be turned off so if you have to many repeating the same message it can cause problems.

Just some ideas..

And a log rotation of some kind.


Brett

[Mudguppie]

I would have to agree with ghostt that having the server separate from the GUI would be nice--sort of like a "thin client" which could run on all the PC's in the house (without using RDP or VNC). I know I can use the web interface now but it's very limiting.

[jazbell]

My biggest problem with HCA is reliability, I have about 40 Insteon devices and the network congestion is bad. Right now all of the service traffic works (on, off, dim) but any attempt to read a device database from any device fails. This is fixed if I shutdown HCA, unplug the 2412U and reconnect everything. Then it will run for a while. If I plug in the two WAPs that I have, then almost nothing works, I think, due to very heavy network congestion. This may not be an HCA problem of course, but an overall system problem.

[KHarms]

There are three issues with reading Insteon linking tables from devices.
First, for V1 devices you can only read the table byte by byte. It’s actually worse than that as you have to send additional commands to get the read started. A write is much worse as you have to read the byte in order to write it – to set the address. The number of commands on the powerline to read just one eight byte record is huge.

Second, the commands are not “stateless”. This means that, in effect, you say “read me the byte at location 0xffe” and the reply message contains the byte data but *not* the address. So the reader has to remember what byte is being read. This is a problem because….

Third, all the repeats on the network makes the number of powerline commands flying around the network (point #1 above) much bigger. In a big network just the read of a single byte could result in more than 40 messages. And because the protocol isn’t stateless the initiator of the read may be fooled into thinking that one of those repeats is the data from the next read.

HCA tries to wait until things quiet down before initiating a new read so that when it sees a data report it knows that it is from the current read. But sometimes the data repeats come so late that it pick up the repeat from the previous read as the data from the current read.

For writes, HCA tries to do minimal writes. If it wants to modify a record it writes only those bytes that are changed. Also, HCA does retry at the byte level. So if during the read of a record it has a problem with retrieving the 3rd byte, for example, it retries only the read of that byte not the whole record.

Now a lot of this is much better if you have a V2 device and are using the PowerLinc Modem (2412U or 2412S) as those can do extended reads that give HCA the whole record in one message.

But even with the PowerLinc modem if it is reading a V1 device then it has to use the byte by byte read with all the problems described above.

We spent weeks on tuning the read algorithms but I’m still amazed that it works at all given all the problems inherent in the Insteon protocol.

Having said all that, you may want to try adjusting a key parameter. First off, use the IPLUS code so that you can focus on a single device rather than use Network Capture. Then on the HCA-Properties dialog Advanced tab there is a parameters for Insteon linking table reading. You can adjust the “Remote memory access” time. A bigger value would give HCA more time to read a record. On a large network the number of duplicate messages is so great that HCA waiting for “quiet time” can eat up a lot of time.

I too wish that the Insteon protocol was different and if it had been better thought out it would be less error prone.

[ghostt]

Another feature request...

I feel like I'm probably missing an already existing feature and I'm just blindly not seeing it, as it seems like the sort of thing HCA would already have in it, but I haven't found it yet. Essentially what I'm looking for is a Visual Programmer element that will send information to a text file.

I know there is the "send to log" element, however I prefer to have my "critical" logged items sent to a text file on my file server, so that a number of various tools can process the file (RSS feeder, Web server, etc). While HCA is fantastic at logging, it logs to a binary file until you export it to the CSV file manually. I also am not interested in the entire HCA log being available to the other tools on my network.

An example of when I log something straight to a text file is for instance whenever a door opens and HCA believes that I am not home. I have a triggered program for an event such as this, which will send a page to my blackberry (using the awesome email element), and I also have it spawn a "Run Command" element that just runs an "echo [some text] >> z:\path\to\logfile.txt". This works well enough, but it would be nice to see a simpler element for this someday in the future.

Very minor request that isn't a huge deal, but something I think a lot of people could make use of.

Thanks!

[scottb8888]

My biggest problem with HCA is reliability, I have about 40 Insteon devices and the network congestion is bad. Right now all of the service traffic works (on, off, dim) but any attempt to read a device database from any device fails. This is fixed if I shutdown HCA, unplug the 2412U and reconnect everything. Then it will run for a while. If I plug in the two WAPs that I have, then almost nothing works, I think, due to very heavy network congestion. This may not be an HCA problem of course, but an overall system problem.

Jim is refering to the repeaters that we each bought at the begining of the insteon era. Kimberly, could you comment on that? Are we better off without them?

YMMV

[jazbell]

I am using the IPLUS feature and it is very useful. Sometimes a button has a controller link that does not show up in a normal table, visual editor, multiway editor, just in the database map information. The IPLUS feature allows me to ferret out the proper link for that device and remove it, allowing that button to be used as controller for a new link set.

[jazbell]

Very few of my Insteon devices are Version 2, only the newer ones, that is probably part of the problem. I shouldn't have jumped from X10 so quickly and let someone else take the hit on older devices.

[KHarms]

Thanks for the suggestion. Have you looked into the new Script ability? Doing stuff like this in a VBScript is very simple. The problem with some of these things is that as soon as you start down the path it gets more and more complex and you want to do more and more - how should the file be opened? Should it overwrite or append? You get the idea.

[KHarms]

The problem is the repeaters. The good features of Insteon are the repeaters. Kind of like the line "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times". If you can still get reliability of signal for action commands - ON, OFF, etc - with fewer repeaters then great. I would have only the minimum needed in my network.

[MrMagic]

being someone who has run HCA on Windows Home Server since WHS was being beta tested, I would love to see HCA be able to run as a service and have a proper install, WHS addin, file. The options for home automation software officially supporting WHS is very slim, I think there really are only two. I wouldn't mind having to RDP into the WHS box in order to edit HCA, but it'd be great to just have an HCA service that can startup when WHS starts so one doesn't have to go through the autologin procedure, or the VNC route for remote connection.
I have to vote in favor of having HCA being able to run as a Service as well. There are so many times and ways that this would be useful that I would really like to see it happen.

[mjl]

I've been trying to find a way to combine motion sensors with the new "Green" feature which turns lights off after a fixed time. The "Green" timer resets if the switch is manually controlled again, but I would also like it to reset if motion is detected in the room by one or more motion sensors, and also by other devices in the same room being controlled - basically what I think I need is something like a "Room is Occupied" state which I can control with a VP and which prevents the "green" function from turning off lights while the room is occupied. I'm just brainstorming at this point. For HCA to accomplish this without a VP, HCA would need internal knowledge about "rooms" or maybe groups could be used for this function.

We would like your suggestions about where to take HCA next. Both small changes and large. Now is your chance to speak and have your comments sent on to the developers.

What would you like to do with HCA that you can’t do now?

[KHarms]

I beleive that if you control the light to ON then the timer that is counting down to turn it off after 'n' minutes will be reset back to the full amount. So have the motion sensor control the light to ON each time it is triggered then the coutdown tiomer should shut it off.

At least that is how it should work!

[ghostt]

I beleive that if you control the light to ON then the timer that is counting down to turn it off after 'n' minutes will be reset back to the full amount. So have the motion sensor control the light to ON each time it is triggered then the coutdown tiomer should shut it off.

At least that is how it should work!

This is how I handle occupancy sensing with motion sensors, albeit I use VP scripts rather than the Green mode, but it should work the same.

Essentially each room has a number of motion sensors, all tuned to the same X10 address (each of the sensors in a given room share the address, but each room's sensor address is different of course). Each time motion is sensed, the program is started, and the VP program basically does this:

1. Set a flag MOTION_BATHROOM on (or whatever flag for a given room)
2. test if the light is on or not, if it is not, turn it on, if its already on, go straight to #3
3. Pause for 5 minutes
4. Set flag MOTION_BATHROOM off
5. Turn the light off
6. exit

- In the properties of the program where you define the behavior if the script is already running when it is started, I have it stop the running program and start over from the Begin element, otherwise lights would be turning off constantly even if motion is sensed (as older iterations of the program exit).

Essentially this works out to making it so as long as a motion sensor in a room is actually sensing motion, the lights will stay on. As soon as motion stops being detected, a maximum of 5 minutes will pass before the lights will auto-shutoff.

I set that flag for use in other programs. I have a rather elaborate alarm setup (using DS10A's and HCA), so when the alarm is armed, one trigger in the alarm is if a motion flag is changed, thus tripping the alarm.

I'm sure this could all be translated to use the green functionality in HCA 9, I just haven't had a chance to look into it yet. :)

[mjl]

This does not work since HCA at this time does not recognize the current preset "on" level of a device.

We currently do not use the motion sensors to turn lights on. When my wife hits the on paddle, the light goes to the preset on level, say 70 %, but HCA assumes 100%. I currently have a VP which reads the on level for certain devices after they are turned on, but that does not work for KPL's with dimmers built in.

When the motion sensor (W800RF32) picks up motion, it sends an on command which turns the light (Insteon) on and the light goes to 100% rather than staying at the current on level. It does reset the timer, but what I really need is for the motion sensor to reset the timer without changing the current on level of the light if the light is on, and I would rather not put an extra Insteon command on the power line to set the device to the same level it is already at. If the light is off, I want the option of turning the light on to a specific dim level, or *not* turning it on at all.

I don't use the motion sensors to turn lights on at this time. My wife is very particular about what lights she wants on and not and does not like when they change automatically.

I beleive that if you control the light to ON then the timer that is counting down to turn it off after 'n' minutes will be reset back to the full amount. So have the motion sensor control the light to ON each time it is triggered then the coutdown tiomer should shut it off.

At least that is how it should work!

[mjl]

Yes, this is similar to how I currently do my outside lights, but I was hoping to avoid writing a separate VP for each room, which can get a bit messy. One of the goals of HCA 9 is to enable functions such as this without the need to write VP's, which is why I submitted this as a feature suggestion.



1. Set a flag MOTION_BATHROOM on (or whatever flag for a given room)
2. test if the light is on or not, if it is not, turn it on, if its already on, go straight to #3
3. Pause for 5 minutes
4. Set flag MOTION_BATHROOM off
5. Turn the light off
6. exit
t. :)

[MrMagic]

One thing I would REALLY like to see is support for the 2 touch screen controllers that Smarthome has available. Not only these two but also for Cortexa touch screens. The Smartome in-wall and hand-held touch controllers are very small screens and will serve me in some installations, I would also like to see support for the Cortexa in-wall displays.

Cotexa does advertise that to some degree, their displays controllers are Insteon compatible but I haven't researched it in great detail.

I'm really in need of support for a touch screen that hides ALL the backend stuff in HCA and gives the homeowner access ONLY to controlling the state of devices in the network. Switches, thermostats and such. they shouldn't even see a reference to a schedule, program or anything else. Just a whiz-bang in-wall controller that they can impress their friends and neighbors with, and HOPEFULLY make ME some money at the same time.

Steve

[DuaneR]

1. A Windows Media Center plugin
2. the ability to exclude status requests from ny log file.

[KHarms]

Trying another way to make known your issue with status requests? What is really going on here with the Status Requests? Why are there so many? Maybe that is the real issue.

But to address this: Suppose you had some global way to say "Log these commands" and "Don't log these commands". Or would you want this on a device by device basis?

[MrMagic]

Yes, this is similar to how I currently do my outside lights, but I was hoping to avoid writing a separate VP for each room, which can get a bit messy. One of the goals of HCA 9 is to enable functions such as this without the need to write VP's, which is why I submitted this as a feature suggestion.
Maybe I'm missing the point here but why don't you just use HCA's ability to restart a program from the beginning if a trigger is received?

In my kitchen, I have an X10 motion sensor and 4 overhead lights with and insteon 3 way controlling them. I have a small program that when the motion sensor trips the program starts running. It has a built in 2 minute delay. The motion sensor is at its default value of 1 minute.

Each time the motion sensor kicks, the program restarts and enters the 2 minute delay and of course it does not respond to the OFF from the motion sensor at the 1 minute mark.The lights do not flash when this happens, but of course they are at a 100%.

Net effect is that as long as somebody moves every 2 minutes or less in the kitchen, the lights stay on because the program keeps restarting. After 2 minutes of no motion, the lights go off and stay off.

I use a similar program with a 5 minute delay for my front port lights. I admit, you CAN get into a maze of tiny little programs this way, but it works for me.

Am I missing something here?

Steve

[DuaneR]

Trying another way to make known your issue with status requests? What is really going on here with the Status Requests? Why are there so many? Maybe that is the real issue.

But to address this: Suppose you had some global way to say "Log these commands" and "Don't log these commands". Or would you want this on a device by device basis?
The status requests show in the log file from a program I run omce an hour. I use it to keep my screen displays updated. just a simple visual programmer program that requests status from all devices that report. It is useful but jams up my log file. 20 + insteon devices generate a lot of traffic.
global way to deal with them sounds best or if anyone has a better plan for keeping HCA cuurent to what happens at the local level letme know please

[KHarms]

Those status requests and replies generate a lot of powerline traffic that could easily collide with things you want to do - schedules - and inbound signals - you pushing buttons on keypads.

If you are using UPB then each device can simply be set to transmit its state when locally controlled. That way HCA is always current.

If you are using Insteon then you can link each switch to HCA and then HCA will capture it's state (well, sort of, it will know it is on or off but it may not know the light level because the switch doesn't send that in the transmission but with some smart programming you can capture that as well with a delayed status request). And if you keep HCA's knowledge of the linking tables up to date then HCA will know the effect of any scenes that are activated by keypads.

For X10, well most of those don't even support status requests.

Just my thoughts....

[jhendric1]

I would like to see the Home Contents, the split window on the left when HCA opens, to have its own seperate window or tab. I would like to see just the floor plan of the house.

[jazbell]

I finally got around to increasing the timeout value in HCA->properties->advanced->remote status timeout from the default value of 15 to 20 and the linking and database reading reliability is much improved. I suspect that when you have a large number of devices on line, this should be increased.

[KHarms]

And in the new point release that will come soon we added even more turning parameters.

[KHarms]

I'm going to close this thread and open a new one with a summary of what I have gotten from this.