upstatemike
Senior Member
Does anybody know how linking is going to work for INSTEON fixture modules? I assume you won't have to take the fixture apart and press a set button each time you want to link it to a new switch or keypad button?
Mike, not that we are planning an in-line module that supports INSTEON....I would like to hear the communities' ideas on how to link a module that is not easily accessible. If the module is "buried" in a j-box and the SET button is not accessible, how should one establish a link to a controller?upstatemike said:Does anybody know how linking is going to work for INSTEON fixture modules? I assume you won't have to take the fixture apart and press a set button each time you want to link it to a new switch or keypad button?
This could be difficult if you have more than one module on a breaker.One idea I had (when we were discussing the idea) would be to remove the power to the module (at the breaker box) and within 30 seconds of power up, any "join my group" signals would force the module that was just powered up would join the group.
This might work for light bulbs, where they could be unscrewed, but something like a ceiling fan may not have a way to disconnect the load.What about doing something with the load? If the module's load is disconnected from the module and it was able to detect this, could that serve as a trigger to put the module into the linking mode for 30 to 60 seconds.
I'm afraid this may be the only reliable option. Maybe you could put a big red peal-away-able label with the address on it that says "Remove this tag and save it". You could provide space on it to write down it's location.Other ideas were to only allow linking by software. Works OK if you remember to write down the INSTEON before installing the module.
This is an interesting idea. It brings up the idea of another device (like a controller or software) putting a module into linking mode so a third device could link to the first (like a fixture relay module).upstatemike said:How about a tabletop controller that lets you put modules into link mode by entering their INSTEON address?