Inherited CBUS System and CTouch Panel - Can I replace myself?

Hi Folks.

I have inherited a CBUS system in a house that we have purchased. It was built in 2009 and assume system was installed then. It has a CTouch Panel running some sort of Windows NT. When I reset the touch panel there is something called HomeGate v4.4.0 on there.

The main CBUS arrays / hardware as an RS232 connection which I can physically connect to with cable but haven't actually done it yet...pending any responses to this query.

The lights and dimmers all work perfectly but the touch panel doesn't. It is responsive to inputs from fingers/pen but we can not turn lights on or off from there or change scenes etc. In fact after 12m living here it still has the photos of the old owners cycling through - in the middle of my kitchen. I do not have the toolkit file which apparently is a problem but a new can be created.

I have had a range of quotes to install various new versions of stuff ranging from $7500 to $15,000 which, considering the lights are all working fine from the actual switches - seems extortionate. One of these quotes includes a CA-1 Automation Controller and 8" touchscreen which I can buy online for <$1000.

So my question is (as a relatively savvy bloke but no electrical engineer or IT nerd) can I install a CA-1 Automation Controller myself, after creating a toolkit file by trial and error using the Clipsal CBUS Toolkit software that I have downloaded from somewhere - Clipsal I assume.

Or am I going to blow the whole thing up and end up costing way more than $15,000.

I'm in Australia by the way.

Cheers

 

If the touch screen is running windows NT it is a Colour Ctouch. This screen keeps a copy of the cbus configuration and touch screen configuration internally, and these can be retrieved using the free PICED software. Once you have these and stuck them in the correct place, you can use Cbus Toolkit (another free download) to connect to the network and change things to your hearts content.

You say you have an RS232 connection. Is this on the touch screen or a separate device? If it's the touch screen port you are referring to you can't use this to connect to the network. If it is a separate device, it should have 5500PC written on it and this can be used to connect to and set up the system using toolkit. While all this is non-trivial, it's not that hard if you are willing to put a bit of time into it. There is plenty of help here to get you going.

The CA-1 is a Control 4 device and nothing to do with Cbus. While it works in conjunction with Cbus and provides a number of other options, it is certainly not required and I would suggest people are just offering things they understand. Note I have nothing against Control 4 here. It is a very good system. You just need to understand what extra functionality it will bring for a such a significant investment.

As for the touch panel, what doesn't work? Does it display a C with a red line though it? A common fault with these screens is the interface to the Cbus network fails. These devices can be still be repaired economically. Contact Trevor at [email protected]

 

Amazing thanks Ashley - really appreciate you taking the time to respond!!! I definitely contact Trevor. Cheers

 

Hi James,
Happy to help you out, sounds like the common transmit error they get, easy repair and will cost only $293.64
and can usually do them in a day or two.

regards
Trevor
0404 887 463