Insteon touchscreen, beta report

MikeB

Active Member
NOTE: this is pretty much a regurgitation of a report I posted on Techmall.com. I thought I'd clean it up, and post it here as well.

I'm lucky enough to have a beta Insteon touchscreen in my possession for beta testing. This isn't a full review - I don't think one would be fair since it's still in beta, but I will provide whatever info I can.

The touchscreen is being developed by IES. IES is a company who has been in the touchscreen business for a while with some big-name customers, but apparently this will be their first product marketed under their own name. As far as I know this is their first product in the Insteon market, and they seem excited about it.

Basically, it's a 3.75" touchscreen available in a 2-gang wallmount form factor. I'm told they also plan to offer a tabletop enclosure for it. The unit communicates to the Insteon network through a PLM. The only cabling required to the unit is a single Cat5 cable, which plugs directly into a PLM somewhere on your powerline. Power is supplied through the PLM.

Software is supplied with the unit that installs on a Windows-based PC. You attach the touchscreen to your PC via a USB cable. The software is fairly straightforward. It is divided into 3 main sections:

1 - MODULES - this is where you create ROOMS, and MODULES within that room. For example, you'd create a KTICHEN room, and a TABLE module within that room, plus SINK, BREAKFAST BAR, RECESSED, etc. modules. Then you'd create a BATHROOM room, then a VENT module, MIRROR LIGHT module, etc. I added some test lights in by specifying the Insteon address.

2 - SCENES - this is where you create 'scenes' that you want to define for the touchscreen to use. For example, you could create a DINNER TIME scene for the kitchen that sets the SINK, BREAKFAST BAR, and RECESSED lights to 0 or OFF, and also sets the TABLE light to 70%. You simply drag and drop your pre-definied modules into your newly created scene, and define the levels.

3 - SCHEDULES - this is where you define a schedule you'd like to run. Daily, specific days of the week, a specific date, weekends, weekdays, etc. You add a module you'd like to include in that schedule, you define a time, and you definie what you'd like that module to do (on/off/level).

Once you create your configuration, you can save it out to a file, and/or download it to your touchscreen. Downloading is very quick and easy.

On the touchsreen itself, the home screen shows you the current date and time, and also tells you whether or not you have any schedules set to run. You're also presented with 3 main functions:

1 - SCENES - here you simply select a scene that you would like to set.

2 - MANUAL - here you can choose a room that you want to control, and within that room you see a series of buttons that represent the modules you have defined (TABLE, SINK, BREAKFAST BAR, etc). You can also see the current status of each module (on, off, or current level). If you press a module, it will bring up controls to turn that module ON, OFF, 25%, 50%, or arrows to dim it up or down. If it's a relay, it will not show you any dim-related controls.

3 - SCHEDULES - here you can see any schedules you have defined, and simply press them to toggle them on or off. You can also see a list of upcoming schedules set to run.

The touchscreen is nice and bright, and seems very responsive to the touch. The form factor is nice, and options for in-wall and tabletop makes it flexible. A single Cat5 needed makes it easy to install.

If you hook the PLM direct to your PC via the serial port, the software allows you to test your devices, scenes, and schedules. You can also discover switches without typing in the address - simply create the module in the software, set it to discover, then go and tap the device.

The software also includes a nice "Report" option that will print a list of your devices, the scenes you have programmed and what they contain, etc...

This product definitely fills a hole in the Insteon product line - it provides a touchscreen interface that's easy to setup, and provides scheduling features.

All in all, the touchscreen has been working very well.

Here are a couple photos I took, and also a picture that was sent to me of the tabletop enclosure:

http://www.techav.com/pics/touchscreen7.jpg
http://www.techav.com/pics/touchscreen8.jpg
http://www.techav.com/pics/touchscreentt.jpg

From what I understand the touchscreen will be on display at EHX in the SmartHome booth, and that release is not that far away.

I've been told that the price is expected to be $450 - $500, not including the PLM.
 
Well, I'll be. Insteon may be alive an kicking still. Very interesting stuff. Wonder if other software can be loaded on the device.
 
NOTE: this is pretty much a regurgitation of a report I posted on Techmall.com. I thought I'd clean it up, and post it here as well.

I'm lucky enough to have a beta Insteon touchscreen in my possession for beta testing. This isn't a full review - I don't think one would be fair since it's still in beta, but I will provide whatever info I can.

The touchscreen is being developed by IES. IES is a company who has been in the touchscreen business for a while with some big-name customers, but apparently this will be their first product marketed under their own name. As far as I know this is their first product in the Insteon market, and they seem excited about it.

Basically, it's a 3.75" touchscreen available in a 2-gang wallmount form factor. I'm told they also plan to offer a tabletop enclosure for it. The unit communicates to the Insteon network through a PLM. The only cabling required to the unit is a single Cat5 cable, which plugs directly into a PLM somewhere on your powerline. Power is supplied through the PLM.

Software is supplied with the unit that installs on a Windows-based PC. You attach the touchscreen to your PC via a USB cable. The software is fairly straightforward. It is divided into 3 main sections:

1 - MODULES - this is where you create ROOMS, and MODULES within that room. For example, you'd create a KTICHEN room, and a TABLE module within that room, plus SINK, BREAKFAST BAR, RECESSED, etc. modules. Then you'd create a BATHROOM room, then a VENT module, MIRROR LIGHT module, etc. I added some test lights in by specifying the Insteon address.

2 - SCENES - this is where you create 'scenes' that you want to define for the touchscreen to use. For example, you could create a DINNER TIME scene for the kitchen that sets the SINK, BREAKFAST BAR, and RECESSED lights to 0 or OFF, and also sets the TABLE light to 70%. You simply drag and drop your pre-definied modules into your newly created scene, and define the levels.

3 - SCHEDULES - this is where you define a schedule you'd like to run. Daily, specific days of the week, a specific date, weekends, weekdays, etc. You add a module you'd like to include in that schedule, you define a time, and you definie what you'd like that module to do (on/off/level).

Once you create your configuration, you can save it out to a file, and/or download it to your touchscreen. Downloading is very quick and easy.

On the touchsreen itself, the home screen shows you the current date and time, and also tells you whether or not you have any schedules set to run. You're also presented with 3 main functions:

1 - SCENES - here you simply select a scene that you would like to set.

2 - MANUAL - here you can choose a room that you want to control, and within that room you see a series of buttons that represent the modules you have defined (TABLE, SINK, BREAKFAST BAR, etc). You can also see the current status of each module (on, off, or current level). If you press a module, it will bring up controls to turn that module ON, OFF, 25%, 50%, or arrows to dim it up or down. If it's a relay, it will not show you any dim-related controls.

3 - SCHEDULES - here you can see any schedules you have defined, and simply press them to toggle them on or off. You can also see a list of upcoming schedules set to run.

The touchscreen is nice and bright, and seems very responsive to the touch. The form factor is nice, and options for in-wall and tabletop makes it flexible. A single Cat5 needed makes it easy to install.

If you hook the PLM direct to your PC via the serial port, the software allows you to test your devices, scenes, and schedules. You can also discover switches without typing in the address - simply create the module in the software, set it to discover, then go and tap the device.

The software also includes a nice "Report" option that will print a list of your devices, the scenes you have programmed and what they contain, etc...

This product definitely fills a hole in the Insteon product line - it provides a touchscreen interface that's easy to setup, and provides scheduling features.

All in all, the touchscreen has been working very well.

Here are a couple photos I took, and also a picture that was sent to me of the tabletop enclosure:

http://www.techav.com/pics/touchscreen7.jpg
http://www.techav.com/pics/touchscreen8.jpg
http://www.techav.com/pics/touchscreentt.jpg

From what I understand the touchscreen will be on display at EHX in the SmartHome booth, and that release is not that far away.

I've been told that the price is expected to be $450 - $500, not including the PLM.

This ranks right up there with Palm's would be Foleo...$450 or MORE!?!?!?!?

I think the Nokia internet tablets make far more sense...after all they are wifi and half the price....
 
Well, I'll be. Insteon may be alive an kicking still. Very interesting stuff. Wonder if other software can be loaded on the device.

IES seems to really know touchscreens, so I'm sure they can adapt this product to whatever they need to. Not sure about opening it up to 3rd party software though.


This ranks right up there with Palm's would be Foleo...$450 or MORE!?!?!?!?

I think the Nokia internet tablets make far more sense...after all they are wifi and half the price....

The Nokia tablets are cool and all (I have one), but they're not a solid solution. $450 is not bad at all for a dedicated in-wall touchscreen.
 
I think the Nokia internet tablets make far more sense...after all they are wifi and half the price
You have a good point there if someone comes up with a wall mount kit for the N770/800. :rolleyes:
 
I cleaned up this review a bit more, and added some additional blurbs about IR support, etc. I also added some photos. I posted the updated review on my site:

http://www.techav.com/ies/insteontouchscreen.htm

Does the touchscreen and associated PLM coexist without conflicts or confusion or hangup in an INSTEON installation with significant traffic and number of insteon devices (40+) *AND* that has another PLC or PLM under control of (eg) CQS, HomeSeer and(or) Elk M1G ?

... Marc
 
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