Appendix 5 SmartHome HouseLinc, IRLinc, PowerLinc and the PowerLinc Controller

This appendix describes how to use HCA with these Interfaces available from SmartHome: HouseLinc USB PowerLinc Serial PowerLinc USB PowerLinc Controller Serial PowerLinc Controller IRLinc The PowerLinc family Using the HouseLinc for X10 and IR Using the IRLinc for IR transmissions Setup for IR devices The IR keypad builder Support for other SmartHome products the SwitchLinc switch and the TouchLinc LCD keypad

In this appendix, these topics are covered:

Currently the SmartHome HouseLinc and IRLinc are the only interfaces that support sending IR sequences that can be used with HCA Programs and Schedule can be downloaded to the HouseLinc and the PowerLinc Controller and this is described in the downloading appendix. Note: The Insteon enabled PowerLinc (model 2414U) and PowerLinc Modem is described in Appendix 15 on Insteon devices.

The HouseLinc and the IRLinc has been designated legacy devices and support is normally unavailable. Open the HCA Properties dialog and choose the legacy tab to enable support.

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The PowerLinc Family

There are four members of the PowerLinc family and they all have slightly different capabilities. Interface Serial PowerLinc USB PowerLinc Serial PowerLinc Controller USB PowerLinc Controller Computer connection Serial Serial USB USB Download memory No No Yes Yes Setup features No Yes No Yes

For the USB interfaces you must be using a later version of Windows that support USB and all appropriate USB DLLs must be available. Getting USB to work on an older computer can be a challenge. Consult your computer's documentation and use SmartHome technical support if you are having problems.

Download memory
The two PowerLinc Controller models contain a memory and support downloading of schedules and programs. Once HCA has compiled and downloaded your design, the PowerLinc controller can be disconnected from your computer and it can then run stand-alone. Complete information on downloading to the PowerLinc Controller is found in the Appendix on Downloading.

Setup features
To access the setup features of the PowerLinc family members that support it, select from the HCA menu:
HCA Hardware PowerLinc USB PowerLinc Setup

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This dialog opens.

As described in the text in the dialog there are several values that can be adjusted to optimize the PowerLinc in your home. In addition to the transmission settings on this tab of the dialog, the PowerLinc also monitors the powerline to see how well X10 transmissions are being received. HCA keeps track of these statistics and displays them on the Powerline Quality tab.

The Quality numbers reported in this dialog are an indication of how "clean" the powerline is. That is, how free from noise it is. Higher Quality numbers are an indication of a less noisy line. Using the other tab of the setup dialog you can tell the PowerLinc to hold off transmissions unless the Power Line is at a given quality level.
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Other USB PowerLinc Controller Features

In addition to the setup features described above, the PowerLinc Controller has an on-board clock that can be set and read. To set the on-board clock from the date and time set on the computer, select:
HCA Hardware PowerLinc USB PowerLinc Controller Set Clock

To display what the on-board clock is set to, select:

HCA Hardware PowerLinc USB PowerLinc Controller Read Clock

Also since the PowerLinc Controller contains a memory, there is a method to clear its memory. Select
HCA Hardware PowerLinc USB PowerLinc Controller Clear Memory

The HouseLinc X10 and IR Capabilities

HCA can use the HouseLinc for X10 and IR transmissions. After the HouseLinc has been connected to a serial port and identified in the HardwareSetup in can be used to send and receive X10 commands. Here are a few limitations when using the HouseLinc for X10. The HouseLinc accesses the power line using a TW523. This limits its ability to fully communicate with devices that require X10 extended commands. These include the Leviton 6381 and similar switches. Also the X10 LM14 and AM14 modules. With these types of devices you will not be able to query the LM14 for its current dim level - only for on and off. You will not be able to use the advanced dimming features of the LM14 and Leviton switches. Since HCA supports using more than one interface simultaneously, if you have an available serial port you can configure HCA to use another X10 interface for all X10 traffic and use the HouseLinc only for IR commands. In this way you will receive the full function of your switches and modules if they are those types that require extended commands, while still using the HouseLinc for IR. Unlike X10, before the IR capabilities of the HouseLinc can be used the IR chip inside must be programmed. This makes the IR chip send the correct sequences for the kind of device (make and model) you have. How this is done is described in the next section.

The IRLinc
The IRLinc is a lot like the HouseLinc except that does not have any X10 nor download capabilities. It is configured a bit differently that the HouseLinc and those changes are detailed below. Hint: In the HCA Samples folder is a file, HouseLinc.HCA, that you may find useful as it contains some of IR devices and keypads created using the tools described below.

IR device setup
Inside the HouseLinc and the IRLinc is something very much like a universal IR remote control. To use it you have to identify the kind of device (TV, Amplifier, VCR) and the manufacturer. Of course that isnt quite enough information as manufacturers often make many different models. Each model may use different sequences of IR commands to do the same thing. HCA helps you find the correct one.

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To begin the setup process using either the HouseLinc or IRLinc select "HCA - Hardware SmartHome - IR Setup". This dialog appears as:

When the New button is pressed this dialog appears:

Just follow the directions in the dialog. Select the type and manufacturer. Generally it is a good idea to use the first option in step 2. This limits the possibilities of the various IR setups tried by HCA. One problem with setting up an IR device is you have to be able to see if the Television, VCR, etc., responds when HCA programs the interface for it and tests to see if it works. If it is next to your computer this is easy. But if it is in a different room you can use an X10 command to start and stop the test process..

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When you are ready to go press the Start Test button.

For each setup choice that is tried, HCA sends the selected command though the IR emitters. Usually the Power command is a good choice but there are other possibilities in the command list. When using the HouseLinc, it takes a while to program the IR chip for each setup code so HCA "beeps" when it is about to send the command code so you can get ready to see if it worked. If it works press the Stop button. The IRLInc is faster so you will have to be quick to catch the correct code. If you are too slow, HCA lists the last few setup codes so you can retry one of the previous ones to make sure you get the correct one If none of the setup commands work you can return to the previous dialog and select the try all the possible setups option and wait until you get the right one. Once you have programmed the IR chip to control your device there is one more step that needs to be done before you can have HCA work with it. Start the New Device Wizard, and at step 3, select the name of the IR device you just setup. The name appears in the list of devices under the IR Devices manufacturer.

IR keypad builder
HCA provides a keypad builder so that you can create custom keypads for each of your IR devices with just those keys you need, and labeled as appropriate. If you don't create a custom keypad, HCA creates a generic one for you. The problem with universal remote controls is that each key is probably labeled something that is not exactly what you want. For example, the channel up and down key may rewind and fast forward a tape when used with a VCR. HCA is better in that you can create a new keypad for each IR device you have. That keypad can have just the keys you need and labeled as you want them. To access the keypad builder select "HCA - Hardware - SmartHome - IR Keypad builder". The dialog that opens allows you to create, delete, and select for modify keypads. When you press the New button the keypad builder opens.

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This dialog looks a bit like the Visual Programmer. On the canvas are placed the keypad buttons. In the upper right of the dialog is a list of all the IR codes that can be sent for a specific kind of device. When using the HouseLinc all possible keypad buttons are presented regardless of the kind of device. For the IRLInc you are limited to those keys that are compatible with the kind of device selected. First, select a code that performs some action that you want - remember the name may not match what it does when sent to your IR device. Then select the button size and press Add. Or, like the Visual Programmer, select the code in the list and drag it on to the canvas. Once on the canvas you can then drag the buttons to whatever location you want. To change the name on the button or its size, double click the button to open its properties. In the above example several buttons have different names than listed in the keypad button list. This is because the name has been modified by opening the button properties and entering a new name.

Other SmartHome products

There are several other SmartHome products that you can use with HCA. One is the SwitchLinc wall switch. It is covered in the appendix on Programmable Switches. Another SmartHome product is the TouchLinc LCD keypad. The TouchLinc 4.0 controller contains audio and video menus. In order to utilize these it is necessary to have an HCA program react to the various X10 commands sent by these TouchLinc menus.

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The necessary HCA program is contained in the file TouchLinc.HCA and is available in the HCA Samples folder. You can copy it and paste it into your design file. This file can be downloaded to the HouseLinc for stand-alone operation.

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