ELK Configuration....

Hi,

I see how everyone has different configurations using the ELK.

I was hoping if some of the experienced users could post their configuration for us ignorant ones.

For eg.

M1 is connected to what devices (hardwired).

I want to use insteon and the W800 for the massive investment in DS10 and MS10A. I also want to be able to use homeseer.

So any info. would be helpful.

Regards,

My M1G is connected to the usual assortment of mag switches, motion detectors, glass break sensors, heat detectors, my HAI thermostat and keypads. It will soon be connected to smoke detectors and my doorbell. It is connected to the outputs of relays to monitor my electric water heater and (soon) to monitor my HVAC heat pump. Next on the list is to monitor and control some pool/spa functions. I use X-10 and Insteon for lighting. I integrate with HomeSeer using Electron's excellent my.elk script. My W800 is still connected to HomeSeer, but I am not using it as much as I get more & more hardwired since I moved.

Mine currently is hooked up to security (mag switches, etc). Have the speaker, a siren and a strobe. Also hooked to sprinkler valves and garage door opener. UPB by SA for lighting and outlet control. Evaluating CQC for touch screen interface. Lots more in various stages of planning.

Steve,

How do you have the garage door plugged into the elk. I am currently using 2 DS10A to monitor the movement of the garage door in HS but want to move to a non pc setup as if my PC goes down then there is no way to know what happened as what time. Can you open and close it using elk??

looking for wireless solutions as my whole house including basement is finsihed and running a wire is very tough.

Regards,

Monitoring a garage door is usually just a matter of hooking up a mag switch to an input zone. Although some prefer to use the heavy duty long range switches, mine works fine with regular magnet switches.

I don't control my door yet, but to do it you could just take an output relay and hook it up across the typical doorbell style switch mounted near the interior door. Personally, being paranoid, I would probably want two distinct actions before the Elk could open my door... something along the likes of toggle an output relay AND had have lighting X on. Or have one output relay be on and one be off so that if they both bounced (which could happen during a firmware load, a power cycle or some other glitch) the door wouldn't open. and I would probably have a rule that if the door opened "at the wrong time" (whatever that means), that the elk would attempt to reclose it.

I hear ya. Lets see if a good viable solution comes up. Lets see if Spanky has any ideas.


Regards,

noshali said:

looking for wireless solutions as my whole house including basement is finsihed and running a wire is very tough.

Click to expand...

Someone needs to use the search engine

http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=2215

Right now it is a simple version of what Wayne described. I have a wire that goes from the M1 directly to the opener (same as to wall switch, but opener on ceiling was easier). Toggle output for 3 seconds to open or close door. I don't have any other failsafes in place now. The M1 will also default to Outputs off after reboot, etc, never on, so I am fairly confident in a random output going on happened on purpose.

My garage door opener is hooked up like this:

The M1 controls the garage door with:
- Wireless GE Caddx keyfob to open/close the garage door and arm/disarm the security system. I can also turn on the garage lights with the keyfob.
- Magnetic contact on the door that goes to the M1 to give a light indication on the M1 Keypad F Key buttons when the garage door is open. It blinks to indicate the door is open. Another M1 Rule closes the garage door at 11:30 PM if the garage door is open and make a voice announcement " Right or Left Garage Door Closing".
- Two of the Function Keys on the keypad allows anyone to open or close either door with the blinking LED feedback to indicate if the door is open or closed.
- The garage door output relay control can be activated with a Task that is accessable from the Telephone from inside or outside the house. Also the M1XEP webpage can access the operation of the garage doors. Of course with an authorization code.

This is just the garage door....

So David, do you allow a simple M1 output to control the doors? Am I being to paranoid with the M1? I know with an old HA system I used, all relays could pulse duirng some initialization and/or reset routines.

Do you have any rules that attempt to close the door without human intervention (i.e. forgotten or opened for some unknown reason)?

If the M1 should have a watchdog reset or powerup, all outputs and variables are reset to 0 or OFF. You should never see a glitched output turn on unless it happens before the watchdog reset or faulty Rule.

In my application, the M1 senses the garage door is open at 11:30 PM and automatically closes it without intervention. Like most garage doors today, it has the light beam that keeps the door from closing if something has the light beam broken.

In my 3 years with the M1 controlling my garage door, I have never seen it open by itself or arm or disarm the security system by itself. The M1 is a stable system and we continue to make it better.

In my opinion, a glitching, randomly operating output is totally unacceptable. Any problem like that is immediately fixed at ELK.


If you are really paranoid, wire two or more relays up so that the relays have to be turned ON and OFF in a pattern to control the garage door. ie. Series wire through the relay contacts normally open and normally closed contacts so that the relay On and OFF pattern must be correct before the circuit is closed.

BraveSirRobbin said:

noshali said:

looking for wireless solutions as my whole house including basement is finsihed and running a wire is very tough.

Click to expand...

Someone needs to use the search engine

http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=2215

Click to expand...

BraveSirRobbin,
Your how to is one of the reasons that attracted me to this forum. I have read all of the how tos but do remeber that until a month agao I thought controlling lights using x10 was something amazing.

I wish I had your knowledge to do what you do. However, your next how to should be on relays. I am so lost. Any expalantion with real workd examples on using relays would be greatly appreciated.Please please.

Spanky,
Please let me know how you connected the wrires etc to the elk from the garage door. I mean what wire from the garage go to what connector etc. I know this might be bery basic but I am so lost.

Thank you all for anwering to this thread.

Regards,

I wish I had your knowledge to do what you do. However, your next how to should be on relays. I am so lost. Any expalantion with real workd examples on using relays would be greatly appreciated.Please please

Click to expand...

What do you think you would like to do with relays? I could come up with something for you!

Give me some specific needs so I have something to go on and let me see what I can do!

noshali said:

Please let me know how you connected the wrires etc to the elk from the garage door. I mean what wire from the garage go to what connector etc. I know this might be bery basic but I am so lost.

Click to expand...

Just a 2 conductor wire. On the M1 side, I use the relay board M1RB. 1 wire to common, other to Normally Open (N/O) contact. On the other end, the 2 wires go to the 2 screw terminals that the door button is attached to. When the output is turned on (mine is 'Turn Output XYZ on for 3 seconds') it applies power to the wire and triggers the door opener. Each time you turn the output on is like pressing the button to operate the door. Just make sure to only turn output on for a few seconds.

Relays can be complex but think of them very simply. They are essentially a switch that is controlled by a coil. The Normally Open (N/O) contact is just that - open when there is no power to the coil. The Normally Closed (N/C) contact is closed when there is no power to the coil. When power is applied to the coil, as in turning an output on, the relay switches so that the Normally Open Contact now becomes closed. Does that make sense? If not, have a look at this or google other sites. Don't worry, there is a lot to learn, just keep reading and asking questions.

Edit: BTW, I also have a mag contact on the door and do similar to David. When door is open an F key blinks. When F key is pressed, door(output turns on) toggles. I also have a picture of my door that displays on my touch screen when the door is open. The auto close is a good idea but I usually see if the door is open when I set the alarm at night. I need to add new features!

Well said Steve.

Since the Outputs on the M1 are programmable, there is not a fixed set of terminals assigned that controls a garage door.

You could assign Output 3 relay as the garage door control relay. Connect wires to the normally open and common contact terminals on Output 3 Relay. Then connect the other ends of the wires to the contact terminals on the garage door. This is where the garage door operates if the terminals are shorted together.

Write one or more RULES to control OUTPUT 3:

WHENEVER F1 KEY ON ANY KEYPAD ACTIVATES
THEN TURN Output 3 (Out 3) ON FOR 2 SECONDS

An alternate way which is better and uses less rules is to use Tasks:

WHENEVER F1 KEY ON ANY KEYPAD ACTIVATES
THEN ACTIVATE Task 01 (Task 1)

WHENEVER RF KEYFOB BUTTON 3 IS ACTIVATED
THEN ACTIVATE Task 01 (Task 1)

WHENEVER Zone 008 (Zone 8) BECOMES NOT SECURE //this could be a push button input to manually open/close the garage door
THEN ACTIVATE Task 01 (Task 1)

WHENEVER Task 01 (Task 1) IS ACTIVATED
THEN TURN Output 3 (Out 3) ON FOR 2 SECONDS
//this closes the relay contacts for two seconds and activates the garage door to open or close. Adjust the time to suit your garage door.



The Tasks and outputs may be accessed from any keypad, Telephone Remote Control, Webpage, and ELKRM remote control software, as well as controlled from other 3rd party software like Homeseer, CQC, Cinemar.

For better understanding in ELKRP, go to the OUTPUTs section and name the output. Name OUTPUT 3 the GARAGE DOOR. It makes it easier to follow what is happening in the RULES.