Scott,
How do I see/set the state of the various "other" buttons on an Insteon Keypadlinc (2486D)?
If I set the KPL up in HouseBot as an Insteon Switch Device, I can see the status of the local load, but I do not have properties for the other buttons (I'm using the KPL in 8-button mode). I have linked every button to the 2414 PLC and I see a change on the SDMs status screen when one of the buttons is pressed but nothing in HB, except for the local-load status (which is the upper-right button when in 8-button configuration).
EDIT: Additional info
Layout:
KPL in 8-button mode - buttons labeled A-H - "A" controls local load
If I press "A", HB power state property changes to "On" and button "A" illuminates.
While "A" is On, pressing any of the other buttons "B"-"H" causes the pressed button to illuminate but has no effect in HB. Pressing the same button (B-H) again to turn it off causes the power state property in HB to "pulse" Off for about a second and the return to it's previous On status.
If I press "A" again to turn it off, HB power state property changes to "Off" and button "A" extinguishes.
While "A" is Off, pressing any of the other buttons "B"-"H" will now cause the power state property to pulse On for about a second and then return to it's previous Off status. As before, the pressed button will illuminate. Pressing the same button again (to turn it off) has no effect on HB, but the pressed button extinguishes.
TIA
Terry
Insteon KeypadLinc V2
Terry,
Sorry to not respond to your questions, but I've never really had a good understanding of the individual button controls of the KeypadLinc device. I'm actually trying to implement linking in the PowerLinc Hardware Interface that will allow you to interact more precisely with the individual buttons, but that's not going well at the moment. Hopefully I'll get something working for the next version, but I'm not sure if what you are trying to do is even possible with manual linking.
Sorry to not respond to your questions, but I've never really had a good understanding of the individual button controls of the KeypadLinc device. I'm actually trying to implement linking in the PowerLinc Hardware Interface that will allow you to interact more precisely with the individual buttons, but that's not going well at the moment. Hopefully I'll get something working for the next version, but I'm not sure if what you are trying to do is even possible with manual linking.
Scott
Thanks for the reply Scott, I've created a "workaround" that kinda works but is less than ideal. First, here is what I'm attempting:
I have a keypad link that I've installed on the patio. It will be used to control the patio lights, a pond fountain, and (the part I'm having a problem with) controlling music on the Patio. The music setup is as follows - I'm using HB Guy's iTunes script (Thanks!) to push Internet radio streams and stored music to a set of remote powered speakers on the patio, all of which works great. I have the Insteon KPL setup in 8-button mode, the top two buttons control the lights and fountain pump. The middle four buttons are used to select four different iTunes playlists and the bottom two buttons move forward/back through the individual items in the selected playlist.
To make it work with HB, I had to set up 8 different "Insteon Single Group Controller" devices, each assigned group 1-8 for each button. Doing this will allow HB to read the states of the buttons but I cannot control the state of the buttons with HB. This presents a problem because each button is set up on the KPL as toggle on/off and each button has a light to indicate it's status. This isn't a problem for the top two buttons (light/fountain) but the remaining six would be best if the they acted like momentary pushbuttons. As an example: when I push the "Jazz" playlist button it lights, but to change to the "Country" playlist I have to push the Jazz button again to turn it "off" and then push the "Country" button. It's especially annoying when using the forward/next buttons to move through playlists as you have to press each button twice.
What I would love is for the middle four buttons to act like a group of radio buttons so that when one is turned on, the other three turn off. The bottom two buttons should ideally act like momentary push buttons. I know I can do all of the above with code in HB, but not if the KPL does not react to HB commands as it currently cannot do with using the Group Controller Device. Others have told me that what I want may be possible with manual linking within Insteon but it seemed like an extremely complicated procedure to get what I need. I have downloaded a trial of PowerHome as it is supposed to be the do-all of Insteon Linking to see if that can provide the links I need, but the program is far from being user-friendly. I will be happy to act as a guinea pig for and thing you want to try. This is a Wife-requested project and I would like to make it work as smoothly as possible to keep the WAF high. :)
Thanks again,
Terry
I have a keypad link that I've installed on the patio. It will be used to control the patio lights, a pond fountain, and (the part I'm having a problem with) controlling music on the Patio. The music setup is as follows - I'm using HB Guy's iTunes script (Thanks!) to push Internet radio streams and stored music to a set of remote powered speakers on the patio, all of which works great. I have the Insteon KPL setup in 8-button mode, the top two buttons control the lights and fountain pump. The middle four buttons are used to select four different iTunes playlists and the bottom two buttons move forward/back through the individual items in the selected playlist.
To make it work with HB, I had to set up 8 different "Insteon Single Group Controller" devices, each assigned group 1-8 for each button. Doing this will allow HB to read the states of the buttons but I cannot control the state of the buttons with HB. This presents a problem because each button is set up on the KPL as toggle on/off and each button has a light to indicate it's status. This isn't a problem for the top two buttons (light/fountain) but the remaining six would be best if the they acted like momentary pushbuttons. As an example: when I push the "Jazz" playlist button it lights, but to change to the "Country" playlist I have to push the Jazz button again to turn it "off" and then push the "Country" button. It's especially annoying when using the forward/next buttons to move through playlists as you have to press each button twice.
What I would love is for the middle four buttons to act like a group of radio buttons so that when one is turned on, the other three turn off. The bottom two buttons should ideally act like momentary push buttons. I know I can do all of the above with code in HB, but not if the KPL does not react to HB commands as it currently cannot do with using the Group Controller Device. Others have told me that what I want may be possible with manual linking within Insteon but it seemed like an extremely complicated procedure to get what I need. I have downloaded a trial of PowerHome as it is supposed to be the do-all of Insteon Linking to see if that can provide the links I need, but the program is far from being user-friendly. I will be happy to act as a guinea pig for and thing you want to try. This is a Wife-requested project and I would like to make it work as smoothly as possible to keep the WAF high. :)
Thanks again,
Terry
Re: Insteon KeypadLinc V2
I'd like to add a +1 for this post. Is there any way for HB to control the KPL non-dimmer related buttons? I can detect when button 3-6 have been pressed locally; however, changing the PowerState in HB has no effect on the KPL buttons locally. Similar to what roussell was planning, I would like to control some media functionality via the KPL. If the switch was the only method to control Play/Pause, Mute/Unmute this wouldn't be a problem (when KPL button 3 = On then Pause or when KPL button 5 = On then mute). The problem arises if you mute or pause from the KPL and then for some reason pick up the Sonos controller and unmute or play. HB has no mechanism to update the KPL to the status for that particular button. Is this even possible? I can't seem to get the PLM to link as a controller for these buttons...only a responder.
Osler
Osler
Re: Insteon KeypadLinc V2
Ok..I have been able to get this to work with a single button. However, when I attempt to enable the PLM to control additional buttons on the KPL it overwrites the settings on the KPL. I can go into the PLM hardware interface, select linking -> Add and select (PLM and Remote) with the PLM as controller checkbox checked for group 3/button 3 and after this has completed I can turn the 3 button on and off via the HB Group Controller Device. If I try to do this for additional buttons it will work for the newly selected button but prior buttons no longer function as expected. I don't know if this makes sense, but I know it is doable....it's just that the linking aspect isn't working properly from within HB. Scott...you have a KPL handy to try and debug this?
Osler
Osler
Re: Insteon KeypadLinc V2
Ok...I was able to get two-way control of all non-on/off buttons on a KPL. I think the KPL device ID is permanently etched on my cerebrum as a result of this, though. Kudos to Scott because just playing with linking was quite a pain...I can't imagine trying to debug this in code. Scott's linking protocols in the hardware device work well...the pitfall is the abstract notion of linking combined with the rudimentary network topology implemented in insteon.
The major issue is linking and reverse linking as implemented in the hardware device code. Reverse linking for the KPL buttons ABCD isn't quite complete. In order to get status AND control these buttons, each button has to have a Controller/Responder link from the PLM and the PLM has to have a Controller/Responder link to each button. Link with reverse linking only establishes the PLM as a controller OR responder on the KPL, not both. You would think this occurs based upon the messages that appear when you go through the ADD link protcol on the interface, but it does not. Don't know if this is a bug or how it is supposed to be coded. It may be good to have a seperate check box for "Link a KPL button" that does this in one action.
Do gain both notifcation and control of the KPL buttons, do the following:
1) Start with a fresh KPL. If it ain't fresh, do a factory reset (this is partly superstition on my part...but its the first thing I did).
2) Look at the PLM link database in the hardware interface. Delete any links to the KPL for groups 3-6 (this is for a 6 button KPL...would be 2-7, I believe for an 8 button).
3) Look at the KPL link database...make sure it's empty.
4) Select ADD, make sure the KPL is selected as the target, input your group# and button# (say 3 and 3 for button A of the KPL), check PLM as controller, select PLM and remote, select reverse linking, and click OK.
5) Make sure all goes well. If the list doesn't update then a problem occured. You will need to check the PLM and KPL link databases and delete any links that were established for the particular button you were targeting (i.e., anything with group/button 3).
6) If this works correctly, the PLM link database should show both a Controller and Responder link to the KPL button and the KPL should show a Controller link for that button back to the PLM. What is missing is the Responder link...
7) Select ADD again, make sure the KPL is selected as the target, input your group# and button# (say 3 and 3 for button A of the KPL), check PLM as controller, select remote ONLY, select NO REVERSE LINKING, and click OK. This will now establish the missing responder link.
Check each link database to ensure the correct links are present.
9) Make a Group Controller device, set the group number to the button number and go to town.
Osler
The major issue is linking and reverse linking as implemented in the hardware device code. Reverse linking for the KPL buttons ABCD isn't quite complete. In order to get status AND control these buttons, each button has to have a Controller/Responder link from the PLM and the PLM has to have a Controller/Responder link to each button. Link with reverse linking only establishes the PLM as a controller OR responder on the KPL, not both. You would think this occurs based upon the messages that appear when you go through the ADD link protcol on the interface, but it does not. Don't know if this is a bug or how it is supposed to be coded. It may be good to have a seperate check box for "Link a KPL button" that does this in one action.
Do gain both notifcation and control of the KPL buttons, do the following:
1) Start with a fresh KPL. If it ain't fresh, do a factory reset (this is partly superstition on my part...but its the first thing I did).
2) Look at the PLM link database in the hardware interface. Delete any links to the KPL for groups 3-6 (this is for a 6 button KPL...would be 2-7, I believe for an 8 button).
3) Look at the KPL link database...make sure it's empty.
4) Select ADD, make sure the KPL is selected as the target, input your group# and button# (say 3 and 3 for button A of the KPL), check PLM as controller, select PLM and remote, select reverse linking, and click OK.
5) Make sure all goes well. If the list doesn't update then a problem occured. You will need to check the PLM and KPL link databases and delete any links that were established for the particular button you were targeting (i.e., anything with group/button 3).
6) If this works correctly, the PLM link database should show both a Controller and Responder link to the KPL button and the KPL should show a Controller link for that button back to the PLM. What is missing is the Responder link...
7) Select ADD again, make sure the KPL is selected as the target, input your group# and button# (say 3 and 3 for button A of the KPL), check PLM as controller, select remote ONLY, select NO REVERSE LINKING, and click OK. This will now establish the missing responder link.
Check each link database to ensure the correct links are present.9) Make a Group Controller device, set the group number to the button number and go to town.
Osler