Holiday/Away Mode

Hi all. Just wondering if there was a Holiday/Away function becoming available via PICED that can re-enact last days activities to make the premises looked accupied. ie recall last 24 hrs log data and store as scene/schedule and have the ability to exclude GA from this function. ie roller doors ect. Every house we do we are asked the same question.
This function would greatly enhance and in some cases justify the expense of a colour touch screen or PAC in a residential situation.

 

Do burglars really sit outside houses and monitor lights going off and on and making some kind of subjective decision on whether its a "realistic" sequence of lights that accurately reflects occupation by actual Human Beans or whether the lights are on some kind of crafty schedule to trick them?

 

I believe Phil.H set up something that made a home look occupied in a PAC using a bit of logic and scheduling. Have a search of the forums and see what you can find.

 

script plus random

In a previous installation I "scripted" a sequence that simulated a "normal" evening. Downstairs lights on in the evening, off later at night with bedrom/bathroom lights coming on when the downstairs went off. I added a random shift to the times of these events and factored in sunset time so that it wasn't precisely scripted.

I am sure that something like this is more than enough to "fool" a burglar, as Duncan pointed out (Assuming that the burglar doesn't just try calling the house/ringing the doorbell/looking through the windows)

Paul

 

Duncan,

As thieves are more technically advanced in Sydney than they are in Adelaide I like to set up a rolling 3 day random lighting schedule. This way it would take 3 weeks for a random lighting scene to activate on the same day.

 

Pete,

I like your cunning plan. Its cunning.

 

As Newman mentioned the PICED logic program I put together several months ago has a semi random lighting program to make a home look occupied. I say it is semi random because I wrote code to bring living area lights on during early evening hours + random variations and for semi random periods then brought on lights in bedroom areas later + random variations again for semi random periods. The code is really simple which makes it good. I recalculate the random variables each day so the chances of the behaviour ever looking the same is really slim - unlike PSC's silly code which he admits repeats itself every couple of weeks.

I have this running in my house and have even tricked the neighbours for several days at a time. It's handy if even the neighbours think you are around. Loose lips sink ships.

Will dig up the training program I wrote and post it again. Wish I had a dollar for every copy of this and the serial RS232 program I have sent out...

 

OK, Dr Phil.

You show me how it can be done using a B&W touch screen...

Sometimes you have to make do with the products installed!

So I think my solution is a good one considering the limited product that I had to work with.

Anyway, your neighbours told me they know when you're home because your propeller cap is hanging outside your front door...

 

Yeah, and then you could live in a more prestigious suburb by the beach

 

OK you threw me when you wrote

Where do you get random from the (!!!current B&W touch screen ? what you should have said is "random like" or "sorta random". You need to post more accurately. I am sure the context of the thread was PAC and logic. Now I know you are scared of PAC,s I grant you that your code was not "silly" as you didn't have any code. Because you are such a good friend if you ever have a need for PAC logic on one of your projects, don't be scared, give me a call I will program it for you for free. We can even tell everyone you did it

As for my neighbours and my propeller cap, I will pay that one - funny bugger.

How about best forum joke of the week = 1 hour free logic tuition.

 

Shall we start an other post?

 

2SC,

If you start a new thread, try not to win the first prize. I think PSC could really use the logic tuition

 

Phil,
would should write:

"If you start a new thread, try not to win the first prize. I think PSC really need the logic tuition."

 

4750+

Hey!

What's wrong with my 4750+ lines of code Phil???

 

The code below will run happily in a module that is enabled all the time. A more efficient way would be to enable and disable a module based on the security system being armed or selecting away mode on a switch ctouch etc.
There are many ways to do this but below should give you an idea about random timing. There are more precise ways of writing this code but this is pretty efficient and understandable for training purposes

Code:

{Declare your variables}

RandomTime1, RandomTime1a, RandomTime2, RandomTime2a : integer;

FlagSecurityArmed : boolean;



{Always a good idea to initialise your variables}

RandomTime1 := random ("0:30:00") + "0:10:00";
RandomTime2 := random ("0:30:00") + "0:10:00";
RandomTime1a := random ("0:30:00") + "0:10:00";
RandomTime2a := random ("0:30:00") + "0:10:00";

FlagSecurityArmed := false;



{Module}

if not ispac then
begin
  WriteLn ('RandomTime1 = ',RandomTime1);
  WriteLn ('RandomTime1a = ',RandomTime1a);
End;

{The code below simply recalculates the random values of RandomTime1, 
1a, 2 & 2a at 11pm each day}

if (Time = "23:00:00")then
begin
  RandomTime1 := random ("0:30:00") + "0:10:00";
  RandomTime1a := random ("0:30:00") + "0:10:00";
  RandomTime2 := random ("0:30:00") + "0:10:00";
  RandomTime2a := random ("0:30:00") + "0:10:00";
end;

{Note in the code below we are using RandomTime1 in conjunction with nominated
 time of 1900 hours also note our PulseCBusLevel code uses RandomTime1a in 
lieu of the standard timer time. Remember if the Result1 group is controlled 
by any other device inside the pulse duration, the pulse timer
will be cancelled.}

once (Time = "19:00:00" + RandomTime1) then
begin
  if FlagSecurityArmed = true then
  begin
    PulseCBusLevel("Backbone", "Lighting", "Result1", 100%, "0s", RandomTime1a, 0%);
  end;
end;

once (Time = "19:30:00" + RandomTime2) then
begin
  if FlagSecurityArmed = true then
  begin
    PulseCBusLevel("Backbone", "Lighting", "Result2", 100%, "0s", RandomTime2a, 0%);
  end;
end;

{The code below shows how you can interact with the random values. In this case we 
have a C-Bus group address causing the random values to be recalculated. Probably 
would not do this in the real world but good for training purposes.}

if GetLightingState("PAC1")= ON then
begin
  RandomTime1 := random ("0:30:00") + "0:05:00";
  RandomTime1a := random ("0:30:00") + "0:05:00";
  SetLightingState("PAC1", OFF);