ExpressControls3in1

Revision as of 15:11, 19 February 2011

Overview

This unit is functionally identical to the HomeSeer HSM100 device. The user's manual is here: http://www.expresscontrols.com/pdf/EZMotionOwnerManual.pdf

You can add an Event to your Scenes 'sensor tripped' or 'armed sensor is tripped' so the scene is executed when the motion sensor is tripped. (See also Intro Security.) You can see the current temperature and light level on Vera's dashboard or on the mobile phone interface.

To pair the sensor with Vera (i.e. add it to Vera's Z-Wave network), bring Vera's dongle near the sensor as you would pair any device, and press the blue button on the 3-in-1 sensor. Reconnect Vera's Z-Wave dongle.

Vera needs to communicate with the sensor to identify what type of device it is and configure it. But the sensor will only talk to Vera within a minute of pressing the blue button. After re-connecting Vera's Z-Wave dongle, wait 60 seconds, and if the sensor shows up as 'Generic IO', go press the blue button again, and again wait 60 seconds. Vera should show it as an 'Express Controls' with 3 embedded devices. Assign it to a room like any other device.

If you want Vera to be able to use the sensor, click the '+' button next to the device. Check the box "Let Vera manage the associations". Fill in the 'wakeup interval' box. The sensor is normally asleep to conserve the batteries and will only report the temperature and light reading when it periodically wakes up. This is the frequency of the wakeup. The minimum number you can put in is 360, which means 6 minutes (i.e. 6 minutes * 60 seconds/minute = 360 seconds). At 360, you will get a new light/temperature reading every 6 minutes. However, at this rate, the batteries may only last a couple months. You can instead put in a wakeup interval of, for example, 3600 (i.e. 1 hour) and the batteries will last a lot longer, but the reading Vera has for the current temperature and light may be up to 1 hour old.

When you have specified those settings, save your changes. Wait a minute for Vera to configure the Z-Wave devices and check the color of the cog wheel next to the sensor as explained here. If it's green, everything is okay and the sensor will work. If it's red, Vera was not able to configure the sensor because it probably went to sleep already by the time you saved your changes. Go to the sensor and press the blue button. Within a minute or so it should turn green.

If you have difficulty getting the green cog icon, try pressing the blue button on the sensor, then in Vera's device page, click the '+' button for the device and click 'configure right now'.

There are also a few custom configuration settings for the sensor for things like Sensitivity, Timeout Delay, LED Enabled, Light Threshold, and so on. To set them, click the + button next to the device, choose 'Custom Z-Wave Settings', then 'Add configuration setting', put in the variable number that corresponds to the setting you want to change, choose a data size of '1 byte dec' and enter the desired value, as shown below. Then click 'Save'. Vera will attempt to re-configure the sensor. If it fails, probably because the sensor is asleep, you will see the red cog. Press the blue button on the sensor and you should get a green cog meaning the sensor has been configured with your new settings. (See also: ZWave Options)

Basic Configuration

Wake Up interval

The unit sleeps for the duration of the Wake Up interval, which defaults to 1800 seconds or 30 minutes. When the interval expires, it wakes up and reports Temperature and Luminosity to the Vera. Note that while all 4 devices in the Vera MIOS screen can be configured for Wake Up intervals, only the setting for the '3-in-1 Sensor' has any effect and controls both Temperature and Luminosity intervals. The Motion Sensor is unaffected by the Wakeup Interval (see On Time below)

To set the Wake Up Interval, click on the spanner for the "3-in-1 sensor" device, click on Setting and set Wakeup Interval to the desired interval.

On Time

When the Motion Sensor is tripped, it transmits a tripped command and changes its state to Tripped=1 for the duration of the ON TIME variable. After this time has expired, it sends an Untripped command to the Vera and resets it state to Tripped=0. While the device is in a tripped state, any motion detected resets the interval timer but doesn't report a new trip event to the Vera. During the wait time the Motion Sensor device in the Vera will show Tripped=1 in the Advanced tab.

To set the ON TIME, click on the spanner for the "3-in-1 sensor" device, click on Device Options and set variable 2 (On Time) to 5 (or the desired interval in minutes)

Direct Association: The unit can be associated directly with another device such as a light. If you've done this, the unit will turn the light on when motion is sensed, then turn it off after the ON TIME. According to the sensor's manual up to four associated devices are supported, but associating more than one device does not work (as of Vera's firmware 1.0.900, see http://bugs.micasaverde.com/view.php?id=705).

Leave Parameter #6, "OnValue", at the default if you want the sensor tripped events in Vera.

Example

Consider the following example of how to configure the sensor and the Vera for a common application. Suppose you want to install a motion sensor in your garage to turn the lights on when you enter, keep them on for as long as you move around in the garage, then turn them off 5 minutes after you've left.

1. Put the unit in Test mode by pressing the button on the side
2. Configure the On Time to 5 minutes
3. Create two scenes in Vera:
   1. Turn on the light when the unit has tripped (New Scene, Events tab, Add Event, Device=Motion sensor, Type of Event=Armed sensor has tripped, Name=whatever, Tripped=Yes)
   2. Turn off the light when the unit sends an untrip command which happens after the On Time interval. (New Scene, Events tab, Add Event, Device=Motion sensor, Type of Event=Armed sensor has tripped, Name=whatever, Tripped=No)

Advanced Configuration

Running from AC Power

Overview

It is possible to run the unit from AC power instead of batteries, which will have the following benefits:

• Allow you to keep the unit awake permanently, allowing you to poll it and customise it without being in Test mode
• Report continuously every time motion is sensed, as opposed to waiting for the ON TIME duration in between trips
• Set the unit to report temperature and light levels at higher frequencies up to 1 minute
• Let the unit act as a Z-Wave repeater, increasing the span of your network
• Never worry about running down batteries. All of the above options are possible on battery power, but will run your batteries down within a few days

Configure

To do this, you will need to connect a AC to DC transformer that supplies 4.5v to 5v at up to 1amp to the battery terminals directly. Ensure that you measure that actual output voltage of the transformer using a multi/voltage meter (don't rely on its advertised rating). Any over-voltage may fry the unit. Also make sure that the polarity is correct.

Setting Stay Awake to On By default, the unit is constantly asleep and only wakes up at regular intervals to report the luminosity and temperature, before sleeping again. This is to save batteries. While asleep, the unit cannot be programmed from the Vera and cannot be polled for information. To get around this, one normally activates the Test mode by pressing the button on the side of the unit, which keeps it awake for 10 minutes so that it can be programmed. By setting the unit to stay awake constantly, you can program, poll or configure it at any time. It also has the side effect of enabling the unit to become a repeater of Z Wave signals throughout the network.

To set it, click on the spanner for the "3-in-1 sensor" device, click on Device Options and set variable 5 (Stay Awake) to 1 or any number greater than 0.

Setting On Time to Always Fire When the unit detects motion, it reports it by sending a Tripped command to the Vera. It then ignores any motion for the duration of the 'On Time' variable, after which it sends un Untripped command to the Vera and waits for the next motion. Since battery life is not a consideration while on AC power, you can set it to 'Always Fire', which sends a Tripped command whenever motion is detected with no waiting period. Note, this will also prevent an Untripped command from being sent.

To set it, click on the spanner for the "3-in-1 sensor" device, click on Device Options and set variable 2 (On Time) to 0.

Excluding and Reincluding the unit To activate these new settings, you will need to exclude and reinclude the unit using the standard Vera process. Remember to save your settings first.

Setting Poll frequency The unit usually only reports temperate and luminosity every time it wakes up, but since the unit is now constantly awake, you will have to configure a poll frequency to gather that information.

To set it, click on the spanner for the "Motion Sensor" device, click on Settings and set "Poll this node at most every" to the required update frequency. The Wakeup interval setting on this same screen has no effect since it's been overridden by Always Awake setting.

Known issues