123
Senior Member
Many rooms in my home contain a PalmPad (X10 HR12A). I like PalmPads because they are cheap, fairly durable, communicate via RF, and last many months on a set of batteries. I'm more likely to grab a PalmPad to control a light than navigate a touchscreen.
One thing I never liked about a PalmPad is ... the way it's designed to work! Each button is mapped directly to a physical device; button 1 represents device "A1". You can change the House code but you can't change the Unit Code; button one will always represent Unit code 1. In addition, its UP/DOWN buttons use funky old BRIGHT/DIM commands to control a lamp's brightness. Feh!
I wrote a utility, for Misterhouse, that transformed the humble PalmPad into something more flexible and useful. I've duplicated it for Premise and added a few more features that leverage Premise's strengths. I call it the SmartPalmPad and here's what it does:
Control any Lighting-Technology
You can use a PalmPad, based on X10 technology, to control a dimmer using another technology like UPB or Insteon.
Location Awareness
By assigning each PalmPad a unique House code, Premise knows where you are when a command is received (assuming you don't move the Kitchen Palmpad to the Family Room). This information can be used to send audio messages (via your home's PA or distributed audio system) to the correct room as acknowledgements to received commands ("The pool pump is now on").
Buttons and Devices are loosely-coupled
The button's address does not have to match the device's address. For example, if button 1 is "J1", it can be mapped to a device whose address is "B5". You are now free to assign a room's primary device to the first button. For example, the first button on the Kitchen PalmPad (House Code "K") turns on the overhead light ("C6") and the second button turns on the coffee machine ("C9"). The first button on the Master Bedroom PalmPad (House code "M") turns on the table lamps ("C15"). The first button on the Family Room PalmPad ("F") turns on the floor lamp ("C4") ... you get the idea.
Preset Dim Level
You can optionally set an initial brightness level (Preset Dim level) for each light.
Rapid-ON
If you press button 1 On, the corresponding light will brighten to its Preset Dim level. Press the On button a second time and it will go to maximum brightness. If you press the On button a third time, the light will return to its Preset Dim level. This is very handy and avoids having to fiddle with the UP/DOWN keys when you want maximum brightness.
Smart Focus
Pressing the On button of an illuminated light will move the "focus" to the associated light. At that point, you can use the UP/DOWN keys to adjust the light's brightness or press the ON button again to force it to maximum illumination. The focus never moves to a button associated with an appliance because it cannot be dimmed.
Discrete Brightness Levels
Each time the UP or DOWN button is pressed, the light's brightness will change by one "level". Each light is pre-assigned a maximum number of brightness levels. For example, if you choose five levels the light's brightness can be set to 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% or 100%. A hallway light may need only three levels whereas a bedroom light may require the finer control offered by ten levels.
Tightly integrated with Premise browser
Let's assume we have a light with five brightness levels and it is currently set to level 2 (40%). Nothing prevents you from using Premise Browser to tweak the light's brightness to a value that does not correspond to a level, like 67%. If you now press the UP button, SmartPalmPad determines that 67% is very close to level 3 (60%) and will increment it to the next level, namely 80%.
I'm putting the finishing touches on SmartPalmPad and plan to release it next week.
One thing I never liked about a PalmPad is ... the way it's designed to work! Each button is mapped directly to a physical device; button 1 represents device "A1". You can change the House code but you can't change the Unit Code; button one will always represent Unit code 1. In addition, its UP/DOWN buttons use funky old BRIGHT/DIM commands to control a lamp's brightness. Feh!
I wrote a utility, for Misterhouse, that transformed the humble PalmPad into something more flexible and useful. I've duplicated it for Premise and added a few more features that leverage Premise's strengths. I call it the SmartPalmPad and here's what it does:
Control any Lighting-Technology
You can use a PalmPad, based on X10 technology, to control a dimmer using another technology like UPB or Insteon.
Location Awareness
By assigning each PalmPad a unique House code, Premise knows where you are when a command is received (assuming you don't move the Kitchen Palmpad to the Family Room). This information can be used to send audio messages (via your home's PA or distributed audio system) to the correct room as acknowledgements to received commands ("The pool pump is now on").
Buttons and Devices are loosely-coupled
The button's address does not have to match the device's address. For example, if button 1 is "J1", it can be mapped to a device whose address is "B5". You are now free to assign a room's primary device to the first button. For example, the first button on the Kitchen PalmPad (House Code "K") turns on the overhead light ("C6") and the second button turns on the coffee machine ("C9"). The first button on the Master Bedroom PalmPad (House code "M") turns on the table lamps ("C15"). The first button on the Family Room PalmPad ("F") turns on the floor lamp ("C4") ... you get the idea.
Preset Dim Level
You can optionally set an initial brightness level (Preset Dim level) for each light.
Rapid-ON
If you press button 1 On, the corresponding light will brighten to its Preset Dim level. Press the On button a second time and it will go to maximum brightness. If you press the On button a third time, the light will return to its Preset Dim level. This is very handy and avoids having to fiddle with the UP/DOWN keys when you want maximum brightness.
Smart Focus
Pressing the On button of an illuminated light will move the "focus" to the associated light. At that point, you can use the UP/DOWN keys to adjust the light's brightness or press the ON button again to force it to maximum illumination. The focus never moves to a button associated with an appliance because it cannot be dimmed.
Discrete Brightness Levels
Each time the UP or DOWN button is pressed, the light's brightness will change by one "level". Each light is pre-assigned a maximum number of brightness levels. For example, if you choose five levels the light's brightness can be set to 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% or 100%. A hallway light may need only three levels whereas a bedroom light may require the finer control offered by ten levels.
Tightly integrated with Premise browser
Let's assume we have a light with five brightness levels and it is currently set to level 2 (40%). Nothing prevents you from using Premise Browser to tweak the light's brightness to a value that does not correspond to a level, like 67%. If you now press the UP button, SmartPalmPad determines that 67% is very close to level 3 (60%) and will increment it to the next level, namely 80%.
I'm putting the finishing touches on SmartPalmPad and plan to release it next week.