Toggle, retrig, toggle, idle

[Clyde]

I was looking for a method of having a timed outside light, but also to be able to turn the light on permanently, all from the one key input. I found that if you select custom in the key input GUI (key functions tab). Then change the key set up to read
Short Press Toggle
Short Release Retrig
Long Press Toggle
Long Release Idle

--and then apply a time delay of (your required time)
Send command OFFKEY

Then basically you get a timed light with a short press/short release

If you want to turn the light on permanently, then whilst in a timed period, (short press activated) apply a long press (the light momentarily switches off, on the long release the light remains on (untill a short press is re-applied).
If you set the neon indicators to Dual + timer or status + timer,----then in the timed mode (or short press) the indicator flashes on the key input. In the long press mode the indicator remains steady.

All works fine, and we have found this function very useful and impressive, now the drawback.
When we apply this setup for outside lights (which works brilliantly) everything works, but when we add an outside pir the indicator is steady even though the light has been triggered for a timed period by the pir. Is there any way we can show a flashing indicator on the key input that indicates that the lights are in a timed period activated by the pir.

Is there a better way, that will show the true status on all key inputs assigned to the 'Outside Lights ' address, ie flashing indicators, and also a pir.

Regards Clyde

[Ashley W]

Don't think there would be a way. As far as the 'network' is concerned the load is on. The PIR is doing the timing for you. I'm certain if you had two normal keys controlling the same load, the key you press to activate the timer will flash, but the other key that also controls the same load would be solid. It is a handy thing, I do it with the light in my WIR.

[Don]

Another way to do it would be to make the "Long Press" function be ONKEY instead of toggle. The ONKEY function will stop the timer, but you won't have the lights blinking off.

The timer flash is there to show you that the flashing unit is going to issue a command on the network automatically. Only one unit in a group controlling the same address will flash at a time. When one unit is timing (flashing), and another takes over (PIR sensor), the flashing will stop in the first unit, as you observed.

I can't think of an easy way to get the timing of another unit make the led flash on this unit. One of the quirks of a fully distributed system is that units don't always know everything about their neighbours.

Don

[Ray Man]

:) If U want to have a timer on the same button then this is how U do it
Turn the nominated key into a custom key, thrn go to key functions and select Idle Toggle Recall 2 Retrig. Then go to the relevent relay and select the channel and make that channel with a 5 percent turn on. Then go to timers on your keypad switch and on the relevent channel select the time duration for example 2 hrs, then select recall 1, then go to store 1, make it 100 percent then store 2 and make it 1 percent.

You now have a timer that will turn the lights on after your selected 2 hour time duration, by utilising a long press. If U have done this correctly the l.e.d. for that key switch will start to flash, U can also still switch the lights on, and over ride this, by using a short press. U can only use this function on a relay and not a dimmer unit. Regards Ray

[Don]

Sounds good Ray Man,

What you descrbed will work with early C-Bus units as well as C-Bus2 units. If you have C-Bus2 units, you can implement timers so that they run in the ON or OFF states, and you can use timers with dimmers as well. Keep in mind that C-Bus2 timer functions do the following:

'START'

in OFF or ON state: If timer interval is zero, do nothing, otherwise:
a) If the timer is not active, issue a RAMP_TO_LEVEL command over the network with the internal level of the unit (this level will be 0 if the Group is 'OFF').
b) initiate the timer with a predetermined interval.

'ONKEY'

OFF state: issue an ON command over the network.
ON state: Cancel any timer.

'RETRIG'

OFF state: do nothing.
ON state:
a) If timer is not active, issue a RAMP_TO_LEVEL command over the network with the internal level of the unit.
b) initiate the timer with a predetermined interval.


The timer will be cancelled on any of the following events:

a) any change of state to OFF.
b) the receipt of any network commands pertaining to the same Group.
c) 3 status reports indicating that the network state is 'OFF' when the unit's state is ON.
d) ONKEY sub-function when the unit's internal state is ON.

This allows a DIMMER to be made to turn off, by simply using 'START' as the 'just pressed' sub-function on a dimmer.

Don