ELK M1G and CBus Interface for CQC?

Howdy,

I want to control my CBus lighting via CQC, but also allow the ELK M1G to control the lights to based on motion sensor input. I have both the CBus E5500CN (LAN) and the 5500PC (RS232) modules.

I was planning on hooking up the 5500CN to the CQC driver but folks say that it is very unreliable, and recommend hooking up using the 5500PC, however that means that only one system can speak with the CBus at a time. Is that still true? What's best practice?

For the Elk to speak with the CBus I guess I need this interface card: Ness M1 - CBus interface cards? If so, where can I buy it? Does Automated Outlet have it or is this an Oz only thing?

Thanks in advance,
ewiz

I was planning on hooking up the 5500CN to the CQC driver but folks say that it is very unreliable, and recommend hooking up using the 5500PC, however that means that only one system can speak with the CBus at a time. Is that still true? What's best practice?

Click to expand...

Well, I dont have CBUS or CQC... but I use UBP and ELVE, I have ELVE monitor my motion sensors and door sensors, and make the decisions as to turning on and off the lights. I felt I could get better logic using software then the rules in my M1

ex...

Motion in kitchen, turn on light for 5 minutes, but if the alarm is in the arming mode, and the door also opens and closes then turn off the kitchen light.... and if it is after 5pm then turn on my porch light when the door opens. once the alarm is set, toggle all my lights 2 times so I am sure it is set as I am backing out of my driveway.....

or

If the alarm is armed and the door is opened, light the path to the keypad, but only if it's after dark, and once the alarm is off, light dimly the way to my daughters crib but only if it is after her bedtime.

Hey Todd, For full disclosure, I don't have the ELK or CQC installed yet, so I honestly don't know if this logic should sit in the Elk or CQC. Knowing how little time I have and my bad luck with computers, I'd sleep better knowing the Elk was still handling the basics while it takes me 6 weekends to rebuild a server. I've chosen the wrong hobby, I know, but I don't want to be a slave to home automation.

Couldn't you just use the CQC ElkM1 driver to control the lighting. So you would do CQC ---> ElkM1 ---> CBus.

Alternatively you could do ElkM1 ---> CQC ---> CBus by using the CQC CBus driver and setting triggered events in CQC based on changes in the ElkM1 for the motion sensor stuff.

Yea, you pretty much just need to choose 1 control point for CBUS and then either the M! or CQC can control it. If you are afraid of pc's and want the 'most' reliability, then connect the lights to the M1. Then you can use either rules to control them within the M1 or the CQC Elk driver to control them based on actions within CQC.

wuench said:

Couldn't you just use the CQC ElkM1 driver to control the lighting. So you would do CQC ---> ElkM1 ---> CBus.

Click to expand...

As I understand it there is no software driver between the ElkM1 and CBus, so i'd need to buy that interface card (no big deal).

CBUS-------------ELK (prime use = PASSIVE prime use motion triggered lighting)
|
|
--------CQC (prime use = ACTIVE interaction/control/scenes)

ewiz said:

Howdy,

I want to control my CBus lighting via CQC, but also allow the ELK M1G to control the lights to based on motion sensor input. I have both the CBus E5500CN (LAN) and the 5500PC (RS232) modules.

I was planning on hooking up the 5500CN to the CQC driver but folks say that it is very unreliable, and recommend hooking up using the 5500PC, however that means that only one system can speak with the CBus at a time. Is that still true? What's best practice?

For the Elk to speak with the CBus I guess I need this interface card: Ness M1 - CBus interface cards? If so, where can I buy it? Does Automated Outlet have it or is this an Oz only thing?

Thanks in advance,
ewiz

Click to expand...

Hi Ewiz

You can have several devices talk to CBUS but you need a pc interface for each..For example i have a pc interface connected to my pc and was able to control my CBUS lighting using xPL ...I also have a pc interface connected to my Homevision controller and also control CBUS via Homevision....

Would have thought that Automation outlet would the Ness CBUS interface but maybe its an Oz only product ..Spanky should know...
HTH
Frank

G'day Ewiz

I have a similar setup, running CQC, M1 with the Cbus interface. On the Cbus side of things I have both the RS232 module as well as the network module. I use the RS232 module to connect to CQC leaving the network module free for me to jump in using Cbus Toolkit. I used to use the network module for CQC and that was quite reliable.

I actually dont use the M1 Cbus interface at all these days, but that might change soon as I plan on purchasing Ness (ELK) RMS for my Windows Mobile phone. I use CQC to control all my setup including the Advantage Air HVAC, i use the Cbus PIR senors in every room, depending on time of day and other conditions, CQC decides if the windows, blinds or lights (all Cbus modules) need to open/turn on or not.

Paul

I do have an M1, C-Bus and CQC so I can definately answer this one.

C-Bus can have multiple interfaces on the network at the same time.

I have the following

5500PC (Serial interface) for CQC
5500CNI (Lan Interface) for toolkit for general mods to the network
a M1 C-Bus interface V3 module for the M1.

The last is a Ness product built specifically for the M1 to communicate to C-Bus.

Dont rely on the M1 C-bus module too heavily as it still has problems where it just does not work all the time. I have not investigated the issue, but I dont get all the lights comming on that should when a rule is triggered. 99% of the time it is fine.

The CNI was what I originally used when the CQC driver was being tested and while changes were made to the code to get it to work, it was never really a great solution. I subsequently changed over to a serial interface and it has been rock solid ever since.

So, use the serial interface for CQC, the Lan interface for toolkit and the M1 C-bus module for the M1.

Mick

Mike, That's the perfect answer and exactly what I wanted to hear and what I'll go with. Thanks to Paul and Frank too!

ewiz

ewiz said:

Mike, That's the perfect answer and exactly what I wanted to hear and what I'll go with. Thanks to Paul and Frank too!

ewiz

Click to expand...

Mick was good enought to help me get the module for my ELK a few years back. The logic is coded in the ELK, but he is bang on in terms of relaibilty, 99% of the time it wokrs, but there are the odd times when the converstatino appears to fail.

-Damian