Future of Elk M1

[icellama21]

What plan :hesaid:

At the risk of opening another can of worms(Why isn't ELK matching HAI feature for feature? But I love ELK, ELK will always be the best! Wait, just you wait and see! But I want a 5.7e ....)

If you read the release notes for the latest ELK firmware, and some of Spanky's posts, you'll see that work has begun on whole-house audio control, the ASCII interface has already been updated. The last I heard the rest was waiting for a new version of the XEP firmware and RP.

The next release of the M1 and M1XEP supports control of whole house audio from the M1 Rules through the M1XEP.

Related Threads:

http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12919
http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11624

 

[TonyStewart]

Elk/Spanky,

I don't really want to resurrect this thread. But I also want to remind you that there are still some outstanding M1 features that were described over a year ago and do not seem to be part of the plan. I sold someone on a M1 based on the idea of audio automation from M1 rules ... still waiting for a final YES/NO on this feature. Thanks!

What plan :hesaid:

Friends
Consider this..... The horsepower under the hood of the M1 has allowed me to make the following claim and as yet, no one can dispute it..

"If you can think it up, the M1 can do it".

Automation, lighting, automated speech, Audio integration you name it.

A while back Elk really stepped up to the plate and assited me on a project that went where no man had ever went before. It was related to designing and installaing a system that allowed a Lou Gehrig's patient to use the M1 to control his entire home. Lou Gehrig's victims suffer a slow (sometimes rapid) paralysis of their entire body leaving only their eyes that will move.

The power of the M1 and the hearts of the ELk staff allowed me to interface their product with numerous other 3rd party products (including the Grand Concerto audio system from Nuvo).

The big picture is this. The M1 has enough power to allow any integrator to brave new worlds. The limit has always been your creativity. With such power the door is always open to "work arounds" that allow integrators to accomplish anything they can imagine.

Since the story I linked to was published, I have visited Steve Smith several times. Today all he can move is his feet. But the last time I visited Steve he used his M1 to play tricks on his Nurse by turning out the lights in the rooms she would enter (X-10 lighting was provided by OnQ Legrand and works flawlessly). He can see the rooms via cameras that he switches using the M1. He carried on a meaningful (but automated) converstation with my wife and I, changed the channels on his satellite dish and played his favorite music in any room in the home.

He can also answer the door and telephone using automated voices Coordinated through the M1. And he has a series of screens on his PC that allows his Toe Mouse (and when he can no longer move his toes, his eyes will work the icons on the screens) to activate any event installed through the M1.

Steve's install has much more installed that you will learn about when you read the rather lengthy story. Note that the videos of our interviews with Steve was while he still had some movement and could talk somewhat.

Out of the box, the already written drivers and currently available hardware interfaces are a strong combination. But YOU can interface the M1 to any other product that has open architecture. The limit is in the integrator, not the M1 controller........

In summary, let's put the power of the M1 behind us and say that the limit to it's power is in the integrator not the product. And.... let's all agree that Elk is a partner any of us would be privaleged to have...

Lastly, Steve himself was in our business before ALS struck him silent and motionless. He was a Master Crestron programmer but now controls his LIFE by a much less expensive product - The M!.

God Bless
Tony Stewart

 

[gatchel]

Number20 ,


Awesome write up.

Let's say that those who buy a product for reasons other than are already included "in the box" are always going to be disappointed regardless of what product they're buying.

 

[elcano]

"If you can think it up, the M1 can do it".

Automation, lighting, automated speech, Audio integration you name it.

Almost nothing is impossible in the technical world, but the M1's functionality have been impacted by the memory limits on the board. There are many threads in this board asking for new M1 functionality that have ended with the memory limitation argument. Elk have been even forced go manage two different firmware versions because the flash memory can not hold the firmware for both wireless tranceivers. Features as simple as changing the voice volume by a rule, or sending violated or trouble zones via email, or implementing variables in the rules, or recording extended voice messages - all of them impossible because of the memory limits.

Are there work-arounds? Yes. But that is not the point. My point is that the single, most important change that I would include in an M2 would be a use expandable memory (instead, or in addition to internal memory - depending o UL certification requirements, etc.). All other features depend primarily on that. Having faster processor and all the other hardware to support multimedia (audio/video) is cool, but not as essential as solving the memory issue.

 

[icellama21]

My 2 cents ...

Remember back in 2005/2006 when the M1 was the latest and greatest, when it sent HAI running to update their panels(took them a while ...). Check out any security forum and you will see a huge bump in M1 message volume in those years.

So, for the future, we can always find ways to innovate with the current hardware, but the best part is seeing what is coming next, whomever makes it. That is the thrill of expensive "adult" toys, they can surprise you as well as the tooth fairy.

 

[fleetz]

Little dickie bird told me that RTI Controls are working on and planning to release soon a 2 way driver for the M1 system. This will which gives you full control and feedback from the alarm panel to enable you to program events in the RTI system

The other thing RTI are releasing in March next year is a RTI Vitual Contol panel allowing control via a PC. Be nice to have the AV and HA nicely tied together.

So there are somethings happening around the product.

Cheers,

Fleetz

 

[icellama21]

So there are somethings happening around the product.

Hey, the fact that so many home automation companies still exist is a happening enough for me. Still fun to ask for new features, but it is tough to make investments now for many industries. 3 cheers to companies like Elk that are finding a way to move forward despite the onslaught.

 

[Spanky]

There is a lot happening behind the scenes. Several third party developers from the CEDIA Show are climbing on board to the M1 system. Several new products are in the final beta test stage and others that are too early to talk about.

The future is bright!

 

[fleetz]

Spanky...You teaser you! Just like a stripper all tease and no vinegar stroke!!

 

[apostolakisl]

I'm about 9 months into my elk m1g having installed it from scratch in my new construction home.

I will agree with those who complain about the memory situation. I have used up about 60% of my memory already.

I love the rock solid perfomance of the unit, it never fails to execute.

I also have an ISY and see huge potential if the ISY integration were made complete. In other words, if the isy could see and control all that elk rp sees and controls, the limits would be gone. ISY has huge amounts of memory and a more sophisiticated rules section. I do believe that ISY is working on that. If Elk isn't doing everything they can to help ISY integrate then I think they are missing the boat.

 

[BryanE]

If Elk isn't doing everything they can to help ISY integrate then I think they are missing the boat.

I agree the ISY and Elk make a nice combo. I have high hopes that Elk is marching in the right direction with the M1.

 

[fleetz]

I'm about 9 months into my elk m1g having installed it from scratch in my new construction home.

I will agree with those who complain about the memory situation. I have used up about 60% of my memory already.

I love the rock solid perfomance of the unit, it never fails to execute.

I also have an ISY and see huge potential if the ISY integration were made complete. In other words, if the isy could see and control all that elk rp sees and controls, the limits would be gone. ISY has huge amounts of memory and a more sophisiticated rules section. I do believe that ISY is working on that. If Elk isn't doing everything they can to help ISY integrate then I think they are missing the boat.

Hi Lou Apo,

60% in 9 months I suspect you will struggle to use all the memory. My experience is initially you write not very efficient rules and then edit and then refine them, also I found that at about the same usage I began to run out of thing to add. I also review my rules every now and again and find duplicate rules or ones that are for whatever reason are redundant and I delete them.

I too initially was concerned but unless you have a huge house with a lot going on then getting to 100% is going to be a challenge.

Cheers,

Fleetz

 

[apostolakisl]

I'm about 9 months into my elk m1g having installed it from scratch in my new construction home.

I will agree with those who complain about the memory situation. I have used up about 60% of my memory already.

I love the rock solid perfomance of the unit, it never fails to execute.

I also have an ISY and see huge potential if the ISY integration were made complete. In other words, if the isy could see and control all that elk rp sees and controls, the limits would be gone. ISY has huge amounts of memory and a more sophisiticated rules section. I do believe that ISY is working on that. If Elk isn't doing everything they can to help ISY integrate then I think they are missing the boat.

Hi Lou Apo,

60% in 9 months I suspect you will struggle to use all the memory. My experience is initially you write not very efficient rules and then edit and then refine them, also I found that at about the same usage I began to run out of thing to add. I also review my rules every now and again and find duplicate rules or ones that are for whatever reason are redundant and I delete them.

I too initially was concerned but unless you have a huge house with a lot going on then getting to 100% is going to be a challenge.

Cheers,

Fleetz

I definitely can see your point. But I have started writing as many rules as possible now in the ISY or I would probably be up around 80 or 90%. I have reserved the ELK for writing rules that utilitze zone status info or that trigger tasks/outputs on the elk. The Elk is cumbersome as far as writing rules that involve ellapsed time and has no "or" command. I do like the elk rules writing better when it comes to rules relating to whenever "it is dark" as compared to ISY where you have to writie multiple lines that relate to sunrise/sunset.