Insteon thermostat support?

[jndreu]

I understand from reading some threads in this forum that the OmniStat serial-controlled thermostats seem to be the best choice for Girder-controlled HVAC. However, I have noticed that there is an Insteon-compatible thermostat - the Venstar T1900 which communicates with the Insteon network via RF.

The obvious advantage to using this thermostat over the OmniStats is that because it is RF-controlled, I would not have to run any new cabling between the thermostat and my Girder PC.

Does anyone know if Girder and/or the Girder Insteon plugin will work with this device? If so, will I be able to control the T1900 the same way as I would an OmniStat without having to write any custom lua code?

Lastly, if the T1900 will work, will it be supported by the Device Manager web interface? I want to be sure that it will show up there under the thermo tab and allow me to control it from the web.

Thanks

[Mike C]

its something i would consider doing

but... its painful doing this without actually having the device.

i have looked at protocol info and its doable but portions of the documentation are incomplete - meaning a lot of trial and error.

[jndreu]

Ok thanks for the info... based on your comment then, do you have a list of all of the supported Insteon devices that can be controlled via both a GML file and the device manager web interface? I don't want to end up buying something that is not supported.

Thanks

[Mike C]

more or less all of the control point, lighting and appliance products. the ezio rain and relay devices have basic support that seems to work.

[jndreu]

Perfect, thanks!

One last question (I think) - I noticed the thread you have going on the "Insteon PLM Component"... is this something over and above what is included with the Girder 5 install package? Would I need to install this as well to get all of the latest Insteon product support?

[Rob H]

Yes, Mike's Insteon is a completely new implementation for use with the Insteon PLM - it doesn't work with the PLC which requires the use of SmartHome's SDM which is where most of the problems lie.

[jndreu]

Ok so I would install the new PLM component per the instructions in the other thread and then would I have to do anything else like disable the Smarthome SDM or anything else before I start to set up my Insteon devices? And when you say that the PLM is a "completely new implementation", do you mean that just the back-end is new, or is the front-end where I would add all of my devices, etc. different too? i.e. will the Insteon plugin manual that comes with G5 still apply?

Also sorry if this is a really dumb question but could you please define the acronyms PLC and PLM? I believe I know what you are referring to but I just want to be 100% clear.

Thanks!

[Mike C]

PLM vs PLC - a long story but the PLM works and the PLC mostly doesn't. The PLM is the only way to have a reliable automation setup.

The manual is not valid.

NOTE: I am not affiliated with Promixis. This component is something I did for myself and decided to share. I do not mind helping others out.

All the devices in the component are exported to the Device Manager in Girder - this is the best way to control them. You can also do Lua if you want.

[jndreu]

Thank you Mike, I appreciate your quick replies. I did not mean to start what looks like another thread on this topic - now that I've read a bit deeper into your other thread, I see that some of the questions I asked were answered there. Thank you again.


On a side note for the Promixis team:

I have to admit, now that I see you have provided the PLM component (for free) and this seems to be the only reliable way to use Insteon with Girder, I am ticked that just yesterday I purchased the $40 license for the PLC plugin - I haven't even ordered my Insteon components yet! I didn't do my homework and just assumed I would need to buy this to use Insteon....

Would Promixis be willing to refund my money for the PLC plugin since I should have never bought this in the first place??? Rob H is endorsing your component so it does not make sense to me why Promixis would be charging for the PLC plugin if it is now obsolete...