Insteon ISY-99i Home Automation

specialkayme

specialkayme

Well-Known Member
ISY-99i INSTEON® Enabled Automation Controller with PLM

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with this type of system. You can read all about it on the link, but generally speaking it's a device that makes it so that you can control a great many number of electronics remotely, from anywhere in the world. One could theoretically set up several ApplianceLincs in your grow room. One to control the lights, one to control your exhaust fan, your intake fan, your circulating fan, air pump, water pump, ect. You could theoretically even set up one sensor to fill your resevoir. If you attach a motor to your lights, one sensor could raise your lights for you. They even sell a garage strike plate that will keep track of every day and time that your door is opened.

Vacation problems could become a part of the past.

The only downside I can see is the cost. Anyone have any thoughts or personal experience with this type of thing?
 
B

bfq

Well-Known Member
BigBudBalls has a similar setup he built for his grow... he seems very happy with it... both in terms of usage and also in terms of playing with an uber geek toy.
 
BigBudBalls

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
Not using that one, but this one INSTEON PowerLinc Controller, USB-Based Home Automation Device
Works well. I had/have a large x10 set up and this made it a nice migration. I currently have my water pumps hooked to it for watering. Lights, CO2, fans, etc are controlled with a little more robust/custom system (watering will follow over)

The system works well (x10 _can_ be a bit glitchy)

I have the insteon hooked to a mac, and can access from the road zero prob. (even from a cell phone) Its a fairly good choice, an has a bunch of other aspects to it.

Plant height sensors aren't trivial. Plants don't grow uniform.
To refill a res, just use a float valve, simple.


specialkayme said:
ISY-99i INSTEON® Enabled Automation Controller with PLM

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with this type of system. You can read all about it on the link, but generally speaking it's a device that makes it so that you can control a great many number of electronics remotely, from anywhere in the world. One could theoretically set up several ApplianceLincs in your grow room. One to control the lights, one to control your exhaust fan, your intake fan, your circulating fan, air pump, water pump, ect. You could theoretically even set up one sensor to fill your resevoir. If you attach a motor to your lights, one sensor could raise your lights for you. They even sell a garage strike plate that will keep track of every day and time that your door is opened.

Vacation problems could become a part of the past.

The only downside I can see is the cost. Anyone have any thoughts or personal experience with this type of thing?
Click to expand...
 
specialkayme

specialkayme

Well-Known Member
BigBudBalls said:
Not using that one, but this one INSTEON PowerLinc Controller, USB-Based Home Automation Device
Works well. I had/have a large x10 set up and this made it a nice migration. I currently have my water pumps hooked to it for watering. Lights, CO2, fans, etc are controlled with a little more robust/custom system (watering will follow over)

The system works well (x10 _can_ be a bit glitchy)

I have the insteon hooked to a mac, and can access from the road zero prob. (even from a cell phone) Its a fairly good choice, an has a bunch of other aspects to it.

Plant height sensors aren't trivial. Plants don't grow uniform.
To refill a res, just use a float valve, simple.
Click to expand...
I didn't know with the x10 system you could access the controls from the road. I thought you needed the ISY-99i style to access the controls from further away. So when you are away on vacation you can still control your watering BigBudBalls?
 
BigBudBalls

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
specialkayme said:
I didn't know with the x10 system you could access the controls from the road. I thought you needed the ISY-99i style to access the controls from further away. So when you are away on vacation you can still control your watering BigBudBalls?
Click to expand...
Yup. The Insteon is hooked to the mac running Indigo (software) It has a web server. I have a pair of webcams (pan and tilt) one for each room. I can turn them on, check the plants and see if they need watering, then tell the system to water it.

The mac will hook into the the PLC (the main controller) via MODBUS over Ethernet (once I crack that code/protocol).

When I'm at the airport waiting for my bags, I turn on the house lights.
 
specialkayme

specialkayme

Well-Known Member
BigBudBalls said:
Yup. The Insteon is hooked to the mac running Indigo (software) It has a web server. I have a pair of webcams (pan and tilt) one for each room. I can turn them on, check the plants and see if they need watering, then tell the system to water it.

The mac will hook into the the PLC (the main controller) via MODBUS over Ethernet (once I crack that code/protocol).

When I'm at the airport waiting for my bags, I turn on the house lights.
Click to expand...
Just sent you a PM, but looks like you answered my question anyway. Haha, thanks man. But I have to be honest with you, I am a little bit confused by all of your terms. I'm not as tech savvy as you probably are, but let me see if I get this straight.

The Insteon is physically pluged into your computer that is running the Indigo software. You have that computer connected to a web server (that is not included in the INSTEON PowerLinc Controller, USB-Based Home Automation Device link you gave us, so I would need to get that as well?). So then if you are on a second computer, you can access your computer through this web server and turn on your pumps?

btw .... I have no idea what this means "The mac will hook into the the PLC (the main controller) via MODBUS over Ethernet (once I crack that code/protocol)."

I thought I knew what I was doing but I clearly have much more to learn. Thanks BigBudBalls
 
BigBudBalls

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
The indigo software has a built in web server. Its also server/Client based. But Indigo is only mac. (I'm *sure* the Windows camp has the same-but-different)

The PowerLinc is the only 'brain' you need to buy. Then a module for each item you want to control. To cross phases you need a bridge (I haven't gotten there yet) Software is a different issue.

As the PLC and MODBUS, they are industrial controls communication protocols (part of what I do for a living) Wouldn't think too many here would get it.

specialkayme said:
Just sent you a PM, but looks like you answered my question anyway. Haha, thanks man. But I have to be honest with you, I am a little bit confused by all of your terms. I'm not as tech savvy as you probably are, but let me see if I get this straight.

The Insteon is physically pluged into your computer that is running the Indigo software. You have that computer connected to a web server (that is not included in the INSTEON PowerLinc Controller, USB-Based Home Automation Device link you gave us, so I would need to get that as well?). So then if you are on a second computer, you can access your computer through this web server and turn on your pumps?

btw .... I have no idea what this means "The mac will hook into the the PLC (the main controller) via MODBUS over Ethernet (once I crack that code/protocol)."

I thought I knew what I was doing but I clearly have much more to learn. Thanks BigBudBalls
Click to expand...
 
randomseed

randomseed

Active Member
Lemme do some necromacy here, bigballs I hope you come back.


Ive currently got about half my house hooked up with Insteon already and am thinking of integrating the grow space into it.
Pretty much same setup, going to use indigo to control.
Any tips,hints, roadblocks or other stuff I need to be thinking about?
 
BigBudBalls

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
randomseed said:
Lemme do some necromacy here, bigballs I hope you come back.


Ive currently got about half my house hooked up with Insteon already and am thinking of integrating the grow space into it.
Pretty much same setup, going to use indigo to control.
Any tips,hints, roadblocks or other stuff I need to be thinking about?
Click to expand...
I'm still around here and there.
Indigo kicks ass. Applescript is the bomb with it. (anything Indigo won't do can be done in AS if ya got the Pro version)

Obviously need appliance modules for lights and fans.

The EZIO's that support the DS18B20 one wire temp sensor suck. They lock up and need rebooting randomly. Tried a few of them. Went to a DIY Temp/Hum sensor through a PIC microcontroler into a XBee wireless back to Indigo
 
randomseed

randomseed

Active Member
BigBudBalls said:
I'm still around here and there.
Indigo kicks ass. Applescript is the bomb with it. (anything Indigo won't do can be done in AS if ya got the Pro version)

Obviously need appliance modules for lights and fans.

The EZIO's that support the DS18B20 one wire temp sensor suck. They lock up and need rebooting randomly. Tried a few of them. Went to a DIY Temp/Hum sensor through a PIC microcontroler into a XBee wireless back to Indigo
Click to expand...
Bad news on the sensor, I see they are seeliing a high low temp trigger kit now which would work but Id MUCH rather actually see the remote tempature then just have a trigger. Your DIY is a little over my head but when I get that far Id gladly buy a built unit from you or rep for some plans on it.

Currently Ive got most my upstairs running on it already (several duel band links and 6 in wall dimmers) and some more of my first floor with the same. Just need to get a new dedicated compy for indigo and get to work in the garden area.
Planning on two phases, one is to just get monitoring up and running and then once I get failth in that Ill tear down my room controllers and put it onto the insteon system.

A little worried about the dedicated comp part however, like say I reboot and the temps go up while in restart what happens, what kind of stuff could I do to make sure the system is redundent? Would running indigo AND the i99 work for situations like that? (like the 99 running as a secondary backup controller?) Something like make your program in indigo and load the simpler programs parts(time based actions) into the 99 so they both kick off the events in case one is down.
 
BigBudBalls

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
THe reduntant of indigo and a '99 is counter productive and might cause issues with two brains controlling and polling.

As for temps rising on a reboot, I wouldn't worry. a Mac boots in a minute or two. Temps won't change *that* fast. If they do, then you have other issues to fix.
My DIY Temp needs some tweaking. Was actually just on the 'bench on a temp control for another project.

randomseed said:
Bad news on the sensor, I see they are seeliing a high low temp trigger kit now which would work but Id MUCH rather actually see the remote tempature then just have a trigger. Your DIY is a little over my head but when I get that far Id gladly buy a built unit from you or rep for some plans on it.

Currently Ive got most my upstairs running on it already (several duel band links and 6 in wall dimmers) and some more of my first floor with the same. Just need to get a new dedicated compy for indigo and get to work in the garden area.
Planning on two phases, one is to just get monitoring up and running and then once I get failth in that Ill tear down my room controllers and put it onto the insteon system.

A little worried about the dedicated comp part however, like say I reboot and the temps go up while in restart what happens, what kind of stuff could I do to make sure the system is redundent? Would running indigo AND the i99 work for situations like that? (like the 99 running as a secondary backup controller?) Something like make your program in indigo and load the simpler programs parts(time based actions) into the 99 so they both kick off the events in case one is down.
Click to expand...
 
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