PowerHome version 1.03.4.7 now available

[dhoward]

The latest beta of PowerHome version 1.03.4.7 is now available.

You can get it here:http://www.power-home.com/download/ph10347setup.exe

Several Insteon enhancements with what should now be FULL support for Insteon KeyPadLincs. A new KeypadLinc configuration utility, Insteon macro commands and triggers, a new more stable version of the SDM, and hopefully auto recovery if the SDM does crash. Numerous bug fixes as well as reliable X10 communication using the Insteon PowerLinc.

If you're upgrading, be sure and check out the readme.rtf for important upgrade instructions.

One note on the KeypadLinc Config Util...you can create XOR buttons and flag buttons as toggle or non-toggle, but you cannot read or set a non-toggle button to either on or off. The word from SmartHome is that the current KPL's do not support this. It's still a lot easier though than manually doing it. To make a non-toggle on or off, start with a toggle button. If you want the button to be non-toggle on, then press the button until it's light is on. For non-toggle off, press the button until it's light is off. Read the KPL configuration, change the desired buttons from toggle to either on or off (it doesnt matter since current KPL's don't support it) and then save the configuration. If the button's light was on when you saved, it will be a non-toggle on. If off, a non-toggle off.

As always, let me know if you have any problems and I'll be happy to help.

 

[howardbuck]

The phupg utility didn't work. It popped up a ODBC configuration screen asking for the data source name.

Howard

 

[dhoward]

Howard,

Try running PowerHome and see if it says that your database is out of date. If you get the ODBC configuration screen here, we've got problems and the best thing to do is uninstall, reboot, then reinstall. If PowerHome launches, then you don't need to upgrade.

The main reason this screen pops up if Adaptive Server Anywhere is already running and has the database tied up. There can only be 1 active connection at a time. Look in your tray to see if you've got a red/yellow "SQL" icon. If so, then ASA is running (make sure that PowerHome is shutdown when you perform the DB upgrade).

Let me know and we'll get it worked out.

Dave.

 

[Herdfan]

FULL support for Insteon KeyPadLincs.

you can create XOR buttons and flag buttons as toggle or non-toggle, but you cannot read or set a non-toggle button to either on or off.

I know one of the things you aimed for in supporting KPL's is the ability to A) Link buttons to one another, and B) Be able to link to more than one button on a KPL. Even before I got PH, I had manually linked buttons to each other and linked more than one button on a KPL from another controller/switch.

How will 1.03.4.7 handle these buttons that PH previously ignored? Do I need to delete the device, let PH refind it and all will be well? Or is there some other process I can use to get PH in sync with my KPL programming?

What are XOR buttons and flag buttons? (no embarassment smilie)

Thanks.

 

[dhoward]

Herdfan,

In previous versions of PowerHome, in the Create/Edit links window, when you added a device from the device list to the responder list, it was removed from the responder list so you could only add 1 KPL button. Similarly, if the KPL was a master, it would not appear in the responder list. This version does not impose these restrictions on KPL's and you can a KPL multiple times from the device list to the responder list and if the KPL is a master, it will still show in the responder list.

Version 1.03.4.6 supported the extra "Button" field that was necessary for KPL's. If you were using this version and all of your links looked fine in it, then you should'nt have to do anything. The database did not change between 1.03.4.6 and 1.03.4.7. If you want to make sure, you can just go to the Insteon Device (Units) screen and right-click on your KPL and select "Scan Device Database" to force PowerHome to rescan your KPL's database.

For an explanation of XOR buttons and other KPL related items within PowerHome, take a look here: http://power-home.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=608&PN=1

HTH,

Dave.

 

[SmartLabsMike]

Dave,

Great job once again. I have been a fan since the initial beta. B)

 

[howardbuck]

Dave,

I was running the 3.4.6 Beta and loaded down the 3.4.7 Beta following the directions in the readme. I copied over the pwrhome.db and pwrhome.ini files and tried to run the database maintenance program (Powerhome not running at the time). That is the point that I get the pop up. If I run Powerhome it says that the database needs to be upgraded.

I did an uninstall and started all over and got the same results.

(If I just run Powerhome 3.4.7 and and repopulate the database everythng works fine. It is just trying to upgrade using the old database that fails).

Let me know what you think.

Thank you,

Howard

 

[dhoward]

Howard,

Since you've started over and let PowerHome rediscover your database, you don't need to upgrade unless you've got data you'd like to keep or you're interested in helping me pinpoint the problem for others.

If so, there are couple of things to check. First, the version of the upgrade util. It should have 1.03.9.1 in the title. The next thing is to look in the PowerHome database directory and verify that the upgrade database file exists. This file is ph10391.db. We know the SQL driver is loaded properly since PowerHome works.

One thing that would help to pinpoint is at what point in the program does the ODBC config screen appear? Is it right at startup? After you've selected the database file to upgrade? Knowing where will help me to concentrate my search efforts.

Thanks,

Dave.

 

[howardbuck]

Hi Dave,

I found the problem. My system has the Windows/XP system on the F: drive. The database utility is defaulting to the C: drive not checking for the windows default drive. When I changed both the path to the database file and the backup file to the F: drive everything worked OK.

Most people will not have this problem but it is something that should be fixed when time permits.

Thank you,

Howard

So far a great product. Keep up the good work

 

[dhoward]

Howard,

Excellent, Im glad the problem was found.

I'll try to add some checking into the default path locations for the upgrade utility (probably just go off of the pwrhome.ini file). That should take care of it for future versions.

Thanks for working on this and getting back to me.

Dave.

 

[Herdfan]

Dave,

V .7 is great. Thank you for the landscape mode, however, it is still using 2 pages to print each page. This time it is about a half inch of the line instead of the Location field.

Is there anyway in the next version to get a fit to page option. The sizing function gives me print errors and won't print.

 

[dhoward]

Herdfan,

I'll look into this and add it to the to-do list.

BTW, what problem is it giving you on the Scale function? If I write a "print to fit" routine it will most likely use the same function as the scale so I'll need to get it fixed.

Thanks,

Dave.

 

[WayneW]

Dave, does the limit of 254 groups for the 2414 PowerLinc produce an effective limit of 254 Insteon devices controlled by PowerHome? I realize this is probably an Insteon imposed limit, rather than your choice, but this is no more than X-10 supported.

 

[dhoward]

Wayne,

No, the 254 limit is just the maximum value imposed by the Insteon protocol for "groups" from a single device. Every Insteon message contains the "from" or originating device and then either another address (direct command) or a group number from 1 to 255 (group command).

So you can have a virtually unlimited number of total groups and the PLC is capable of controlling (I never actually calculated) a virtually unlimited number of devices using "direct" control.

So...a standard KeypadLinc can have up to 8 buttons so can control up to 8 groups. Another KeypadLinc can control an entirely different set of 8 groups (because the "from" address is different). The PLC can effectively control 254 groups (group 255 is the master group). If you had a second PLC connected to PowerHome, this would give you another 254 groups for a total of 508.

The real limitation is just in the protocol since it uses a single byte for the group number.

So to sum it up, the PLC or PowerHome can "directly" control almost any number of devices but is limited to a total of 254 groups per PLC.

Hope this helps,

Dave.

Edit: Im not sure if you could even hook up a second PLC to the same PC (at least using the Device Manager). You can only have 1 instance of the Device Manager running (that Im aware of) and Im pretty sure that a single instance of the DM can only connect to a single PLC. Either testing or an answer from SmartHome would be needed to confirm if multiple PLCs on a single machine would even be possible.

 

[upstatemike]

Even though direct commands do not require a link and so do not take up one of the 254 locations in the PowereLinc module, wouldn't it be good programming practice to use group commands whenever possible? Group commands have the built-in "cleanup" process and can be configured to keep companion switches and keypad buttons in sync. I would think direct commands would be reserved for device testing or special situations. Unless you truly fill up your 254 group slots, would you really want to use direct commands?