Premise thermostat setback

[dBeau]

I've been playing with logic diagrams lately trying to do a thermostat setback. Now that it's done Im pretty happy with the way it came out and how easy it was to make it happen.

Two thing's I've noticed that were a bit odd. It seems there is no way to directly specify a time interval. I wanted to say that between the hours of 9pm and 5am the "setback" scene should be active (as long as a car is in the right garage stall (dont ask) and the house is occupied). The timer object seems like it could do the job but it isnt easily configurable by the user. To get the start time right I ended up using a TimeBlock and an EQ Block with the EQ block specifying the start time and an OffDelay block specifying the duration of the setback. But this led to the second problem. There seems to be no easy (end user) way to set the time in the EQ block. I tried using a variable thinking it might show up in the web browser. Unless I am missing something it doesnt.

So now I am asking how to get a time from the "end user" into a variable or logic diagram via the web interface. Searching the help for the term variable didnt seem to help. Searching here didnt help either.

I'm guessing I could use the scheduler as an easy way to specify the time interval for the setback but then I'd have to ask the same question about the setback temperature.

Perhaps I am going about this all wrong? Anyone care to enlighten me?

 

[123]

... how to get a time from the "end user" into a variable or logic diagram via the web interface. ...

Builder does not offer an easy way to add a variable that can be modified by an end-user in Premise Browser (i.e. via the AutomationBrowser module). It can be done but it requires a lot of effort.

AutomationBrowser is a complex (undocumented) module that generates a web-interface (i.e. the "Premise Browser") based on the objects it finds in Premise Home. It employs several user-interface widgets (push-button, press-and-hold-button, combo-box, textbox) but it isn't easy to add them to the user-interface. In addition, the widgets typically control properties of a Home object and not of a global Variable.

Quite honestly, it'd take me about an hour to document how to modify the Thermostat Plugin so that it allows for Setback adjustments.

My recommendation is to avoid wrestling with AutomationBrowser and automate the Setback adjustment. If you have a security system, you can set the Setback value based on who armed/disarmed the system.

 

[dBeau]

My recommendation is to avoid wrestling with AutomationBrowser and automate the Setback adjustment. If you have a security system, you can set the Setback value based on who armed/disarmed the system.

Thanks 123,

This is the first thing I've thought of that Premise didnt have a good answer for. With all the thought they had put into the system I would have expected a way to just toss a couple of UI elements together into a virtual device to parametrize logic diagrams. Oh well, still a great piece of software.

 

[123]

... I would have expected a way to just toss a couple of UI elements together into a virtual device to parametrize logic diagrams ...

You didn't think I'd just leave you by the side of the road, did you?

Have at look at the UI Controls module. UIControls.xdo adds two new UI widgets to the AutomationBrowser module: MultiValueComboBox and CheckBox. What will be of interest to you is the accompanying UIControlsTester.xdo module. It demonstrates how to create a Home object (called "UIControlsTester") whose properties (Compass, Volume, Power, and Bass Boost) are displayed using the new UI widgets. However, you can use it to create a general-purpose "Configuration Page" in Premise Browser.

In the attached image, imagine that "Compass" is actually "Setback" and contains values from -1 to -5. The OnChange Property Script for "Setback" would alter the global Variable used in the Logic Diagram.

Let me know if you choose to go this route because there's more you need to know. The appearance of UICTester (in Premise Browser) is determined by: Modules > Plugins > Selectors > UICTester and Modules > Plugins > ControlsLibrary> UICTester .

 

[dBeau]

In the attached image, imagine that "Compass" is actually "Setback" and contains values from -1 to -5. The OnChange Property Script for "Setback" would alter the global Variable used in the Logic Diagram.

It's going to take me a bit to dig into it, but it sure seems like a step in the right direction.

Thanks!

 

[chucklyons]

Interesting...I'd be curious if you could set some things, like a schedule, using something like this (instead of having to use builder to set something to do something, it would be great if the end user could simply 'have the coffee start at this time today)