HAI OPII and Somfy RTS with URTSII - flaky and inconsistent control

jcd

Active Member
Is anyone using Somfy CL32 RTS wireless shades with an OPII (controlled via an URTSII on the serial port)?
 
I have installed four different systems with this setup, and each has the same basic issue, which is that the shade buttons on the Omnitouch 7 touchscreen control the shades just fine, as does the wireless remote which comes with the shades, HOWEVER, any control from within the PCAccess code (i.e., macros, or such where the code instructs to open all the shades at sunrise, etc.) DO NOT work consistently.
 
As an example, I wrote a macro for "All Shades Up" which looks like this:
 
WHEN ALL ShadesUP
THEN S:SitRmRR UP
THEN S:SitRmSD UP
THEN S:MBR Side UP
THEN S:MasterBath UP
THEN S:Bedroom 2 UP
THEN S:Bedrm3 +BA UP
THEN S:Laundry UP
THEN S:DiningRoom UP
THEN S:OfficeFrnt UP
THEN S:OfficeSide UP
THEN S:Landing UP
THEN S:Foyer UP
THEN S:BreakfstRR UP
THEN S:BreakfstSD UP
THEN S:LivingRmSD UP
THEN S:LivingRmRR UP
 
When the macro is run by pressing the macro button on the OT7, or when invoked within another bit of code (for example, IF Sunrise, RUN All ShadesUP) then the results are sketchy. Sometimes some shades will open, but usually only one or two will work - and it's never the same one or two!
 
Yet, when individual shades are controlled from the SHADES icon on the OT7, they work without a hitch. So I know radio signal or range is not the issue, and I know that the Omnipro and URTSII are correctly configured to work together.
 
I have suspected that running it in code causes too many commands to be sent in too tight a sequence, so only some of them actually get transmitted to/through the URTSII on the serial port. I've tried to compensate by running the commands in duplicate or triplicate (with mixed results). I think what I really need is a way to somehow pause between commands. Something like this:
 

WHEN ALL ShadesUP
THEN S:SitRmRR UP
<pause 1 second>
THEN S:SitRmSD UP
<pause 1 second>
THEN S:MBR Side UP
<pause 1 second>
THEN S:MasterBath UP
etc...
 
But I'm not sure how to do this in PCAccess. Many years ago I used to install systems with JDS Stargate as the main board, and Stargate had a lot more control for inserting pauses between commands, and building more complex If/then nesting and so forth. I can't figure out a way to do similar with HAI. Assuming that too many commands tripping over another is the issue, which it may not be.
 
My hypothesis is that it is either a constriction through the serial port trying to get so many sequential commands to the URTSII (sort of like packet loss), or that it is saturation of the radio transmission such that all the commands get through to the URTSII but they over-saturate as they are transmitted over RF.
 
In short, can anyone share experience with sending multiple Somfy commands over the serial port into the Somfy URTSII radio transmitter so that they work reliably?
 
Thanks!
 
Hi jcdavis:
 
You do have to watch timing issues, but I will tell you that the biggest problem is the URTSII.  I do not know why this is, but the antenna it has is not great.  So first thing, I would replace that. I bought this one: http://www.amazon.com/Hawkeye-UHF-Monopole-RX-Right/dp/B00SUM7MWY
and have been very happy.  (I know Somfy says to not do this. Just ignore that.)  I know you said range was O.K. but believe me, the antenna is marginal at best.
 
Second, I don't know your layout, but even with a better antenna, range can be short. Somfy makes a repeater which i installed in the center of my house and it has fixed all the problems for me.
 
As for the command strings, make sure you end each with a Control M, Control J.  The Control is the "^" character. I have not had a problem sending many in a row.
 
I think much of what you are seeing is a range issue not a timing issue.  Before i got a better antenna, i would each command 3 times, 1 minute apart. 1 usually made it if the other two didn't. With the better antenna, that isn't required anymore but I left the code in anyway.

Also, you may want to group some drapes together. At least for automation. That way one command can control a group of blinds rather than having you send the command to each. For example, I have a control to open or close all the blinds in the house together, so I don't have to close each. You can still keep the individual commands when you only want to control a single blind.
 
P.S. I used to use a JDS Stargate as well.  Back then I had to send every command multiple times because X-10 wasn't reliable.
 
Hi ano,
 
Thanks so much for sharing your experience- I really appreciate it. I ordered the antenna just now - thanks for the lead on this!!
 
I rewrote the code to trigger based on a time, and set the commands to run one minute apart and then sent the command twice, for example like this:
 
TIMED 30 MINUTES BEFORE SUNRISE MTWTFSS
THEN S:BreakfstRR UP
THEN S:BreakfstRR UP
TIMED 31 MINUTES BEFORE SUNRISE MTWTFSS
THEN S:BreakfstSD UP
THEN S:BreakfstSD UP
TIMED 32 MINUTES BEFORE SUNRISE MTWTFSS
THEN S:LivingRmSD UP
THEN S:LivingRmSD UP
TIMED 33 MINUTES BEFORE SUNRISE MTWTFSS
THEN S:LivingRmRR UP
THEN S:LivingRmRR UP
 
Staggering the commands out in this way seems to work well so far!
 
I do use the Somfy repeater as well, by the way, and I know range is poor as a rule, though I didn't think it was range-related in this instance for the simple reason that the commands worked reliably and without fail from the touchscreens (indicating that radio range was not the issue) but only failed when sending batches of them at once (which lead to my hypothesis about bottlenecks at either the serial port or the transmitter). Even so, a better antenna can only help so I really appreciate your antenna link!
 
Lastly, as to the serial commands, I am using the latest version of PCA and the OT7 firmware, which has shade control natively built in (as opposed to sending serial strings as you note - though I suppose it still sends them but they have just been "gui-ized" into the user interface). And here again, the fact that they are bulletproof from the OT7 and just not sending from the code via the URTSII leads me to conclude a serial or radio bottleneck rather than range.
 
Anyway, again I thank you for sharing your experience and I'm excited to try the new antenna!
 
Cheers,
Jcd 
 
My previous house had a OT7 but no shades, and currently i have shades but no OT7, so never have used them together. 
 
I was very amazed how much difference that antenna made. You probably can't tell from the picture, but that antenna is only 2" longer that the stock antenna. 
 
If you are sending more then one command in a row, make sure you have the control M and control J to terminate the control string. So up for blind 1 should be 0101U^M^J
 
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