UPB SA US2-40 VS. SA US11-40

ano

Senior Member
I have been using UPB for many years, so I should know this, but i don't.  I'm deciding on either SA US2-40 or SA US11-40 for a new home.  I know the US2-40 requires a link to control itself, and the US11-40 doesn't.  I guess I'm not really sure under what circumstance the US2-40 would provide more functionality than the US11-40, but I am worried about loosing a feature with the US2-40 that I currently have with the US11-40.
 
On many of my lights, I have the switch programmed so that a single click brings the light to one dim level, and a doubleclick brings it to a different level. This is nice in a bathroom at night, where a doubleclick might bring the light to 30%, and a single click to 100%.
 
So, they say the US2-40 offers "more capabilities" but my question is, will I lose the ability to single click to one brightness level and doubleclick to another like a US11-40 can do?  I didn't think the US2-40 could generate one link on a singleclick and another on a doubleclick. 
 
If I can singleclick -> one level, doubleclick -> second level, then I will get the US2-40's, but if I can't, I might stick to the US11-40.
 
 
 
There is a way to get a 240 to do what you want, but you are limited to one of the options being 100%.
You can only assign a single link to a switch/button.
So the top Rocker can only have a single link.
 
Lets say you assign the receive value for this link at 50%.
Use the custom button feature of UPStart.
Assign the link to transmit from the top rocker.
Make the top rocker single click "Activate" and the double click "Snap On", "Quick On", "Goto On" or "Slow On".
 
Then a single click of the top rocker will set the light to 50%, a double click will set it to 100% (at variable ramp rate according to which command you chose to use).
 
If you use that link to trigger other lights, they will all operate in this same manner. 
The Link specified level and 100%.
 
You could swap those and make single link "Quick On" to 100% and the double link "Activate" to the preset link level.
 
The current firmware in the 240 should report status when a switch is pressed.
 
Neither one can transmit a different link for single or double clicks (but we have asked for that capability).
 
 
In general I use 1140s as the "Master" switches and attach loads to them and use 240s as "Link Transmitters" with no load attached or when I need the special mutli-rocker/button face plates.
The up/down dim performance seems to operate more reliably with an 1140 directly controlling the load than a 240 doing it via links.
 
With an 1140, you do not need to use up links to directly control the load.
 
Some people set them up so a single click activates the local load, a double click transmits a link to control a scene or other action.
 
Tip/example:
In my shop I have 3 banks of lights.  Each is tied to an 1140.
If I single click any of the switches, that individual bank turns on (use the "Status" command for a single click).
If I double click any of them all three turn on (use the "Activate" command for a double click.
You can't do that with a 240.
 
I've never understood why PCS didn't spec the switches to allow separate links for single click and double click.  It would have made the power of UPB so much more flexible.
 
Thanks so much. This is all coming back now.  ^_^  I't been many years since I've gotten deeply into the programming of switches.
 
Now I remember the limits and benefits of the 2-40. 
 
I probably should stick to the 11-40's for actually controlling loads, like you say. 
 
If I go with some 2-40's, do they work with HAI/Leviton HLC mode? 
 
ano said:
If I go with some 2-40's, do they work with HAI/Leviton HLC mode? 
 
I use SA nearly exclusively with my HLC setup.
I think I have one PCS and one HAI device and about 70 SA devices.
Just have to follow the HLC link/unit allocations and program them in UPStart.
 
JonW said:
I've never understood why PCS didn't spec the switches to allow separate links for single click and double click.  It would have made the power of UPB so much more flexible.
 
SA came back to me once and said it was a matter of limited memory.
But there are 16 registers in each device to receive links.
I use maybe 8 of those.
I'd give up a few registers in the receive area to move them over in the memory allocation table to be transmit links.
The link serial "word" is the same size for send and receive, I can't imagine it would be that difficult to move the registers around in the firmware.
 
A 240 can have 16 receive links and 8 transmit links.
It would be nice if configured with a rocker or double rocker to use those 4 "lost" transmit link slots.
 
Not trying to rain on the thread but I have questions of a similar nature.
 
Our basement stairs have lights at the bottom of them....we dont need one directly over the stairs because they are open to the living area so there is enough light to get down them.  The switch at the top of the stairs controls one side of the lights on the basement along with a light right at the bottom of the stairs.
 
Another switch located in the basement controls the other half of our basement lighting.
 
The goal is this: control the first half of the basement lights while already downstairs.  Since the switch to do that is at the top of the steps, I was looking at some form of remote setup.  Thats when I stumbled on the SA products.
 
So my plan was this: a US11-40 at the top of the stairs and a US2-40 at the location IN the basement.  The faceplate I would use would be the 2 rocker, or 2 mini rocker with 4 scene buttons.  The first rocker would control the local load (the second half of the basement lights).  The second rocker would control the first half of the lights (the US11-40 at the top of the stairs).
 
Am I understanding the hardware correctly in that all of that is possible?  Another choice I was wondering about was a standard UPB on/off at the top of the stairs....if I used one of those, could the US2-40 actually dim those lights?  Or does the feed for the first half of the lights HAVE to be a dimmer for it to respond to dim settings?
 
Again apologies if I stole the thread but it seems pretty related.
 
Thanks.
 
-Chris
 
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