You should check out an ISY. 30 day money back if you don't like it. Lots of capabilities. First maybe ask questions on their forum or email them with questions. Heck if you email them today I think you will be surprised on how quickly you get an answer. I got an answer in about an hour on a Sunday night about a month ago. Also within minutes during business hours. But not saying its always that good I don't really know.
Frustrated with home automation software
- Thread starter Deane Johnson
- Start date
In the UDI forum there has been a few reports how to control the Hue with the ISY using it's web interface module.
Check the same forum for "Third Party" stuff. So many other systems are hooked into it for HA. Elk support and openADR support is built right in. I don't use either, just Raspberry Pi 1wire sensors, Tasker presence, Android MobiLinc control, and WebControl weather inputs, and ISYLinc logger on my Win 7 machine for charting from it. It's becoming a busy beaver.
I tried out HomeSeer 2 for a few weeks and a bit of HS 3 but I found the ISY easier and with more workable language logic options. The developers are constantly taking input for their v5. OS early next year. Multi-unit synchronisation is exciting some of the users.
Check the same forum for "Third Party" stuff. So many other systems are hooked into it for HA. Elk support and openADR support is built right in. I don't use either, just Raspberry Pi 1wire sensors, Tasker presence, Android MobiLinc control, and WebControl weather inputs, and ISYLinc logger on my Win 7 machine for charting from it. It's becoming a busy beaver.
I tried out HomeSeer 2 for a few weeks and a bit of HS 3 but I found the ISY easier and with more workable language logic options. The developers are constantly taking input for their v5. OS early next year. Multi-unit synchronisation is exciting some of the users.
pete_c
Guru
Let the games begin.
This is a great discussion and I want to see more.
Historically I have suggested on the Homeseer site that the new Z-Wave controller be more than Z-Wave or maybe just a wireless controller with a serial or network connection (a serial would be ideal for me). This would be just to catch up to what is out there today and what is coming faster today than yesterday.
Here too purchased a Vera controller. It worked OK but not currently using it (it sits in the discarded / not currently used box o automation). I have read that the ISY folks are happy campers today.
Meanwhile playing with the Almond + here with its built in touchscreen that does talk Z-Wave, Zigbee, X10 and Phillips Hue. Using the serial interface it will also talk UPB. That said its tiny little interface does show status of the variety of devices plugged into it. It has a cloud application (with a promise to turn it on or off), Android and iOS client. Not fancy; functional though at this time.
This is a great discussion and I want to see more.
Historically I have suggested on the Homeseer site that the new Z-Wave controller be more than Z-Wave or maybe just a wireless controller with a serial or network connection (a serial would be ideal for me). This would be just to catch up to what is out there today and what is coming faster today than yesterday.
Here too purchased a Vera controller. It worked OK but not currently using it (it sits in the discarded / not currently used box o automation). I have read that the ISY folks are happy campers today.
Meanwhile playing with the Almond + here with its built in touchscreen that does talk Z-Wave, Zigbee, X10 and Phillips Hue. Using the serial interface it will also talk UPB. That said its tiny little interface does show status of the variety of devices plugged into it. It has a cloud application (with a promise to turn it on or off), Android and iOS client. Not fancy; functional though at this time.
Deane Johnson
Active Member
I think we're going to see more of these mini-systems that do a certain number of mainstream interfaces. The on-the-go smart phone crowd love electronics, but they want them ready to play with from the beginning. Each will be proprietary, so no one will become a giant.
I immediately dismiss them because I want to use my central HA for everything. I'm also not an on-the-go person, so I'm hardly representative of the newer generations. What would be interesting is if there was a driver/interface to go from a CQC or HomeSeer to control one of these devices.
Right now what I have seen on a limited basis is that they do several things, but not everything. At least not everything well. The other issue is that the peripheral manufacturers keep "upgrading" their protocols.
One of the things that made X-10 so universal was it's simplicity and it played with any manufacturers product. It's inherent weaknesses, and cheaply made products contributed to it's demise.
I immediately dismiss them because I want to use my central HA for everything. I'm also not an on-the-go person, so I'm hardly representative of the newer generations. What would be interesting is if there was a driver/interface to go from a CQC or HomeSeer to control one of these devices.
Right now what I have seen on a limited basis is that they do several things, but not everything. At least not everything well. The other issue is that the peripheral manufacturers keep "upgrading" their protocols.
One of the things that made X-10 so universal was it's simplicity and it played with any manufacturers product. It's inherent weaknesses, and cheaply made products contributed to it's demise.
One of the biggest arguments that I see /saw was the 1-2 watts of power draw by a dedicated ISY vs the 25-300 watts of power drawn by an HS system on some old computer running an unreliable giant GUI based O/S.
I got a sale on my ISY and picked it up for about $200. Not bad for a complete system with standalone hardware incl. Insteon bridge PLM and software that gets updated almost every week based on user feedback and input. Some updates are minor bugs but lately mostly Z-Wave improvements.
The main complaint we are hearing is the Z-wave status updates on other systems (Vera esp.) can take up to 2 minutes while they are almost instantaneous on the ISY.
I got a sale on my ISY and picked it up for about $200. Not bad for a complete system with standalone hardware incl. Insteon bridge PLM and software that gets updated almost every week based on user feedback and input. Some updates are minor bugs but lately mostly Z-Wave improvements.
The main complaint we are hearing is the Z-wave status updates on other systems (Vera esp.) can take up to 2 minutes while they are almost instantaneous on the ISY.
pete_c
Guru
A bit off on a side discussion here relating to reponse times, software and firmware automation controller stuff.....
Personally every layer put between a controller whether its built in or external slows down that response time. If there is another interdevice layer of communication that also will slow down reponse times.
Here retroing a bit to using X-10 for my holiday lighting and like that its one device housecode that I use; its fast (well from what I see) and its easy and fast to set up. (over the years did try Insteon, UPB and Z-Wave for the outdoor holiday lighting).
That said today though its more related to if the device responds in timely fashion.
A software OS whatever it may be adds to these layers and for some sloppy programming sometimes. (too here I was playing mostly with ML programming stuff using compliers in the early 1980's - it was a PITA to just increment one number on a display - that said it was only a few lines of code using a tiny kernel and it was really fast). As stated earlier in this forum specific thread; younger automation newbies just look whether the automation just works (well lights) akin to earlier X10 stuff rather than the grey areas relating to topology of communications and speed / response times of automation devices. Futurewise I want to be able to just have AI built in to the automation controller (with a nice personality). That said and always be able to communicate to "it" while in the house or away from the house type of stuff. We are almost there today.
If you can do this comparision try it. Use a tablet or some means of a portable wireless console. Set up an event which turns on an X-10, Insteon, Z-Wave, Zigbee, UPB, Hue lamp sitting side by side all by one event. Well don't use a cloud dependant application to test here. (the added topology of communications does slow things down and is not typically under the control of the user).
Watch and see. You will be surprised.
Relating to that whole TTS / VR stuff I am more into the whole self contained at home rather than Internet dependant stuff for automation. Historically have played since the 1980's with it. I am seeing much promise with the Kinect and maybe the use of AI interaction soon (?). Concurrently did sign up for that new Amazon AI (cloud) sort of little device that you can purchase for the home; mostly to play with. (Amazon Echo).
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KkOCeAtKHIc[/media]
Personally every layer put between a controller whether its built in or external slows down that response time. If there is another interdevice layer of communication that also will slow down reponse times.
Here retroing a bit to using X-10 for my holiday lighting and like that its one device housecode that I use; its fast (well from what I see) and its easy and fast to set up. (over the years did try Insteon, UPB and Z-Wave for the outdoor holiday lighting).
That said today though its more related to if the device responds in timely fashion.
A software OS whatever it may be adds to these layers and for some sloppy programming sometimes. (too here I was playing mostly with ML programming stuff using compliers in the early 1980's - it was a PITA to just increment one number on a display - that said it was only a few lines of code using a tiny kernel and it was really fast). As stated earlier in this forum specific thread; younger automation newbies just look whether the automation just works (well lights) akin to earlier X10 stuff rather than the grey areas relating to topology of communications and speed / response times of automation devices. Futurewise I want to be able to just have AI built in to the automation controller (with a nice personality). That said and always be able to communicate to "it" while in the house or away from the house type of stuff. We are almost there today.
If you can do this comparision try it. Use a tablet or some means of a portable wireless console. Set up an event which turns on an X-10, Insteon, Z-Wave, Zigbee, UPB, Hue lamp sitting side by side all by one event. Well don't use a cloud dependant application to test here. (the added topology of communications does slow things down and is not typically under the control of the user).
Watch and see. You will be surprised.
Relating to that whole TTS / VR stuff I am more into the whole self contained at home rather than Internet dependant stuff for automation. Historically have played since the 1980's with it. I am seeing much promise with the Kinect and maybe the use of AI interaction soon (?). Concurrently did sign up for that new Amazon AI (cloud) sort of little device that you can purchase for the home; mostly to play with. (Amazon Echo).
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KkOCeAtKHIc[/media]
Deane Johnson
Active Member
That looks like a fun toy, but for me the fun would wear out within an hour. I suspect it doesn't respond as positively as it does in the demo, which is very well done. It doesn't look like it has any potential for HA.
There is some new HA software that's been linked to on this forum that appears to work pretty well. I forget the name. It uses the Microsoft voice system, Is that Kinect?
OK, enough chat. I'm headed back to CQC to try and put an overlay box inside an overlay box.
There is some new HA software that's been linked to on this forum that appears to work pretty well. I forget the name. It uses the Microsoft voice system, Is that Kinect?
OK, enough chat. I'm headed back to CQC to try and put an overlay box inside an overlay box.
pete_c
Guru
Yes; it is based on Insteon and Kinect today. Maybe more.
CastleOS
Personally I use Microsoft SAPI TTS with Homeseer. In the early days used it too much and WAF. These days still utilize it but not as much as just 5 years ago. I do play with multiple different voice fonts / non english speaking voice fonts mostly to bug my wife.
A personal challenge here now is to get MS SAPI working in Ubuntu (it is working fine in Wine) and now looking at SAPI Linux stuff.
I am just starting to play with Cortana (well and comparing now to the other two out there right now).
I have OEM TTS and VR in two automobiles and quit using it a week after purchase (very annoying to me).
I am mostly curious about the Echo and I am not tethered to my phone; never have been though.
Here is an alternative video put up on You tube. I will delete it if it offends anybody.
It is more entertaining than the GE automation you tube video posted a little bit ago on the forum.
Its getting so many hits it sputters a bit.
Its getting more hits than the original one. (2,336,416 hits so far versus original at some 1,639,850 hits right now).
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GijLoiVkmYI[/media]
pete_c
Guru
Yeah; here played with VR / TTS applications in the 1990's for telebanking. It worked ok at the time.
In the late 1990's recall checking out a brokerage firm in Chicago that let the IT person "go wild" with TTS (auditory cues) and lighting (visual cues) for playing with the stock market (well he integrated those pieces of automation at the time). Thinking he was doing a sort of sight and sound pavolv's dog type of managment of the bullpen (sort of ahead of its time).
In the late 1990's recall checking out a brokerage firm in Chicago that let the IT person "go wild" with TTS (auditory cues) and lighting (visual cues) for playing with the stock market (well he integrated those pieces of automation at the time). Thinking he was doing a sort of sight and sound pavolv's dog type of managment of the bullpen (sort of ahead of its time).
Not based on a real story!
In real life the mother would NOT be smiling and would be rolling her eyes behind the couch. She would definitely not be smiling as she thought about what the "get even" equivalent cost (x3) in clothes or new shoes would be.
The microphone technology is definitely the next step as computers attempt to simulate how the human hearing system works and can pick out lesser volume sounds from background noise. Listening GPSes do quite well now but are still fairly deaf when the vehicle heating fan is running on high.
It appears they are using the Garbage Patch Doll marketing ploy , so far.
In real life the mother would NOT be smiling and would be rolling her eyes behind the couch. She would definitely not be smiling as she thought about what the "get even" equivalent cost (x3) in clothes or new shoes would be.
The microphone technology is definitely the next step as computers attempt to simulate how the human hearing system works and can pick out lesser volume sounds from background noise. Listening GPSes do quite well now but are still fairly deaf when the vehicle heating fan is running on high.
It appears they are using the Garbage Patch Doll marketing ploy , so far.
Deane Johnson
Active Member
I suspect we'll see a lot of development in voice control of computers. It hasn't caught on in the past because it didn't work very well, but the MS Kinect has started to change that. I have Microsoft Sync in my new Ford Connect and it works very well. I didn't even know what it was until the salesman set it up with my iPhone while delivering the vehicle.
In watching the demo of the Amazon Echo, I couldn't help but feel that it would lose it's appeal as a gimmick after about 30 minutes. But, it's the beginning and it could end up doing amazing things, well beyond "play some rock music". It sort of makes me feel like I'm in the dark ages designing my touch screen for the iPad.
In watching the demo of the Amazon Echo, I couldn't help but feel that it would lose it's appeal as a gimmick after about 30 minutes. But, it's the beginning and it could end up doing amazing things, well beyond "play some rock music". It sort of makes me feel like I'm in the dark ages designing my touch screen for the iPad.
pvrfan
Active Member
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