Im new here, have a small bit of experience with automation, but more in the Distributed entertainment department. I am looking for what is the best way to get control of Pool Equipment. I am really looking for something hopefully universal, so it will not matter the equipment on the pool.
Pool Controls? Anyone...?
- Thread starter j2sgam
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Accidentally hit the button and the above posted before I was finished, and I do not see an Edit button.
I suppose yous will need to know what Control system is in use. Right now we have a Pronto TSU-9600 remote along with NetStreams and a couple of Aurora WACI's. Like I said, I come the A/V side of things. Looking for any input, all is welcomed...
I suppose yous will need to know what Control system is in use. Right now we have a Pronto TSU-9600 remote along with NetStreams and a couple of Aurora WACI's. Like I said, I come the A/V side of things. Looking for any input, all is welcomed...
Most of the big pool equipment manufacturers offer a pool automation system. Pentair, Jandy, Hayward, etc.
They tend to all have a RS-232 serial protocal that you can use to communicate with a larger home automation system. Some systems (like CQC) already have software written to communicate with some of the choices. But with the right abilities, there is nothing preventing someone from writing software for any of the automation systems. So even if you choose a pool controller that doesn't work for your automation system, hopefully you can find someone to write the required software for you. Of course that would probably be an extra expense you would need to plan for, but it should be possible.
Unfortunately most of the serial protocols are different from manufacturer to manufacturer. So the chances of getting a universal controller is pretty slim. There are a couple companies that share the same protocol out there, but certainly not all of them.
They tend to all have a RS-232 serial protocal that you can use to communicate with a larger home automation system. Some systems (like CQC) already have software written to communicate with some of the choices. But with the right abilities, there is nothing preventing someone from writing software for any of the automation systems. So even if you choose a pool controller that doesn't work for your automation system, hopefully you can find someone to write the required software for you. Of course that would probably be an extra expense you would need to plan for, but it should be possible.
Unfortunately most of the serial protocols are different from manufacturer to manufacturer. So the chances of getting a universal controller is pretty slim. There are a couple companies that share the same protocol out there, but certainly not all of them.
BlastTyrant,
Welcome to the world of HA--you're welcome as long as you bring your own Excederin
As an "out of the box answer" to your question, I'll tell you what I did in order to provide Homeseer control of a Balboa Poolux controlled spa/waterfall system. The Poolux was initially sold with an option for a $250 web managment gateway. During the process of setting this up, it often seemed as though I must have been the first person to do so. The way it works is it sets up a two way exchange of info from/to the Poolux controller and a web server hosted in a rack at some ISP. It's interface is designed to replicate the functionality of their wireless LCD remote--which we also had. There were plenty of bugs in their client/server model and after a year of helping them identify them, and waiting weeks for them sometimes to reboot their server, they turned off the "free access period" and now want $10/mo to control it remotely from a PC
--even though they provide no API or any means to tie this into any HA control system.
In their literature, they also made reference to Insteon control functionality but when I inquired into it--was told that development on that had been dropped when they discovered their controller didn't have enough memory to implement it. I inquired about RS232 control but nothing their either. We really wanted to control certain functions triggered by motion in/around the spa area so I purchased their Dolphin floating remote and the matching transceiver (approx $230). This is actually made for them by URC and is customized to work using RF to control a couple basic functions plus 4 programmable buttons. I took the remote apart and soldered some fine leads to the appropriate solder pads of the remote and wired those to a multi-channel X10 relay board set for momentary contact mode. I call this my FrakenRemote. Now when someone trips one of the DSC wireless PIR motion detectors around the spa area, that triggers an event that sends an X10 signal to the FrakenRemote which turns on the waterfall pump and starts a timer for 10 minutes, after which it sends another signal to press the same button again, which turns off the waterfall pump. Warning!--This scenario requires reliable X10 signaling as there is no positive feedback that the intended button press has happened. I also used a 4 channel X10 relay board wired to the spa-side remote connector of a Pentair controller to perform similar functionality.
Welcome to the world of HA--you're welcome as long as you bring your own Excederin
As an "out of the box answer" to your question, I'll tell you what I did in order to provide Homeseer control of a Balboa Poolux controlled spa/waterfall system. The Poolux was initially sold with an option for a $250 web managment gateway. During the process of setting this up, it often seemed as though I must have been the first person to do so. The way it works is it sets up a two way exchange of info from/to the Poolux controller and a web server hosted in a rack at some ISP. It's interface is designed to replicate the functionality of their wireless LCD remote--which we also had. There were plenty of bugs in their client/server model and after a year of helping them identify them, and waiting weeks for them sometimes to reboot their server, they turned off the "free access period" and now want $10/mo to control it remotely from a PC
--even though they provide no API or any means to tie this into any HA control system. In their literature, they also made reference to Insteon control functionality but when I inquired into it--was told that development on that had been dropped when they discovered their controller didn't have enough memory to implement it. I inquired about RS232 control but nothing their either. We really wanted to control certain functions triggered by motion in/around the spa area so I purchased their Dolphin floating remote and the matching transceiver (approx $230). This is actually made for them by URC and is customized to work using RF to control a couple basic functions plus 4 programmable buttons. I took the remote apart and soldered some fine leads to the appropriate solder pads of the remote and wired those to a multi-channel X10 relay board set for momentary contact mode. I call this my FrakenRemote. Now when someone trips one of the DSC wireless PIR motion detectors around the spa area, that triggers an event that sends an X10 signal to the FrakenRemote which turns on the waterfall pump and starts a timer for 10 minutes, after which it sends another signal to press the same button again, which turns off the waterfall pump. Warning!--This scenario requires reliable X10 signaling as there is no positive feedback that the intended button press has happened. I also used a 4 channel X10 relay board wired to the spa-side remote connector of a Pentair controller to perform similar functionality.
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