New Insteon I/O device released from SimpleHomeNet

roussell

Active Member
I check their site every week or so to see what's new and just ran across this:

EZIO8SA Input/Output Interface Module

It's different from their previous one (EZIO8T) as it allows more I/O and has a Dallas/Maxxim 1-wire interface. The downside is that unlike the smaller version, it requires an Insteon PLC for communication. Still seems like it may make a decent purchase though...

Here are the quick stats:

Price:
Controller only: $139.99
Controller/PLC combo: $189.99

Outputs:
8 total, driven by relays, normally open and normally closed contacts available. Rated 3A, 120VAC or 24 VDC.

Inputs:
7 total. I1-I4 are digital opto-isolated inputs requiring a voltage between 3 and 30 volts to activate on. AN1 (I5) and AN2 (I6) may be analog or digital, 0-5VDC max. ; I7 is digital input or 1-Wire bus, 0-5VDC max. on its own dedicated connector.

Terry
 
Very promising product. SimpleHomeNet has done a good job and from what I am told more products are on the horizon from them.
 
The other difference I saw was this:

Eight general purpose, Form-C relays (rated at 3A, 120VAC/24VDC).

I also like this part:

Device can act as an Insteon sender with each of the inputs able to trigger a unique group on/off command

Here's where I could interface the inputs with the outputs from my existing Caddx NX-8 V2 security panel installation. By setting up events that trigger the outputs, I can coordinate them to trigger insteon commands with the sender capability of this module.

This will allow me to do Insteon controll without having to configure them with X10 addresses (the Caddx with the modules I have can trigger X10 devices but I want the greater reliability of Insteon). Sure some might say to save up and move to an Elk, but the FAF (family acceptance factor) has already been met with the Caddx solution and it took forever to get the granfolks trained, visual differences of the keypads, etc could turn them off (getting them retrained could be expensive in terms of false alarms and also result in alienation from the Police resulting in no response) All factors to be considered beyond the replacement costs. This is the price that is difficult to determine. Likely to resolve it completly would be prox locks with a keyfob for each family member, but that would also ramp it up.

I have insteon controll now, but the ability to separate some functions from the PC that does the current "interfacing" would allow for reliability greater than that of the PC solution, yet still be capable of communicating with the PC via the Insteon PLC and/or Caddx plugin.
 
I was thinking of using it for environmental control of a greenhouse that is about 100 ft away from the main house. With the inputs I could monitor temp and humidity through the 1-wire input and also monitor & control heating, fans, motorized vents, etc... We're totally re-doing the greenhouse this spring so it will be a little while, but I'll definitely have to talk the wife into one of these.

Terry
 
Actually it comes with a PLM. Powerline Modem from the description.
I have one and it is a 2414S with custom programming in it. Also have the EZIO8SA to go with it. Just got my Dallas DS18B20+ so this weekend. I get to play with it.
The EZIOxx utility looks like it makes things easier to program into it.
 
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