Hi, I have a Vera 2 and want to install the PLM, but it didn’t come with instructions that made sense for use with Vera. Do I just plug this into the wall and into Vera? Does anyone know if there is a wiki on how to do this? I’ve searched high and low and not found anything. (Side note: I’m doing this because I purchased the smoke bridge and two insteon smoke detectors). Any help would be much appreciated!
http://wiki.micasaverde.com/index.php/Insteon_Intro
Not sure if the smoke detectors will show up. Vera’s built in insteon support is very limited.
- Garrett
I tried to install the PLM without success. I follow the instructions, and there is no error message, but the device doesn’t appear anywhere. Anyone have any tips on this? I’m beginning to think I may have opened up the wrong can of worms with this Insteon smoke bridge project :
I also bought the smoke bridge and PLM. Even if you get the PLM to install successfully, it still won’t work due to the limited insteon support. If you want to keep the PLM and smoke bridge, you can use them with Houselinc which requires a computer.
Glad to hear that it’s not just me being thick-headed or something This is a bummer, though, because these were directly marketed as working with Vera. I spent countless hours trying to get them to work to no avail 
A couple of strange objects with arcane, meaningless names do show up when I go to the Automator app on my iPhone, but nothing shows up in my Vera web console. The two smoke alarms themselves are connected, so both go off when one goes off, so I suppose that’s something. Still, pretty annoying that I bought the PLM, smoke bridge, and that specialized $20 cable to connect the PLM.
[font=comic sans ms][size=10pt][/size][/font]Good question!! JungleGirl has LOTS of company needing help on this issue. The ability to interface with X-10/Insteon is a huge advertised promise of MiCasaVerde, yet there is no instruction on how to accomplish it. We’re not all programmers. We’re just end-users trying to get a product to work with not enough time in the day to experiment and research information that should already be provided. It’s very frustrating when a lot of money is spent to accomplish all the wonderful things that we were promised by MCV, but then find that the documentation is non-existent. We could use some help here…like some step-by-step instructions from start to finish with no assumptions of lingo knowledge or programming knowledge…so that someone with absolutely no knowledge that either X-10 or Z-Wave ever existed can be handed the instructions and successfully set up a fully functioning combination X-10 / Z-Wave system using their MCV unit.
I don’t have this yet, about to pull the trigger and get it for the FanLinc, but based on what I have read and looking at that forum post I think those are the wrong directions.
Correct me if I’m wrong but from what I have read the first thing you have to do is install the Alsteon plugin and disable the Insteon support on vera.
I hope you get this up and running, I plan on doing this in the next month or so. I have automated all the lights in my house now except the bedroom ceiling fans which I was planning on using the FanLinc. Just wasn’t very happy to see after you spend $70 for the FanLinc you have to spend another $70 for the switch on the wall. Plus it looks like I will have to replace the fan in my master bedroom since it has a remote to control the fan and light which I guess doesn’t work with the FanLinc.
Couple things, you only need the keypad linc if you want local control. You can use a remote linc as well. Also for the fan, the module in the fan is separate and can be replaced by the fanlinc module.
- Garrett
@JungleGirl – The smoke detector modules for Insteon are really new. In the last two years that I have had my Vera, I have not seen any release notes that indicated the Insteon support is being updated by MCV. So, I would be surprised if the smoke detectors ever show up.
@Gadget Junkie – I wish MCV would either stop advertising Insteon support, or actually get some real support. I purchased my Vera to use exclusively with my Insteon gear. I was painfully disappointed in the support that was available, which is why I ported a home automation program I was already working on over to the Vera. That is where Altsteon came from.
@Chris H. – Like garrettwp said, you probably don’t need to replace your fan. If you pull down the collar where the fan meets the ceiling you should find a small box that is wired to the fan. It is usually just sitting up there and is only attached to the fan via some wires. Worst case, if your fan has a button or switch that will let you reverse the direction you may end up a spare wire that needs to be capped when you install the fanlinc. If you aren’t comfortable playing with electrical wiring you should probably find an electrician to do it. (Doing it wrong may cause a short that could potentially burn your house down. 
For the smoke detectors, right now there is no way to support it with the Vera. Even Altsteon doesn’t have the necessary support. If anyone has the smoke detectors and a little bit of a programming background, I would be happy to give you instructions on how to add it to the daemon. You would be on your own to get the LUA pieces put in place.
PLM wont show up in devices. Under Insteon settings if it shows “remove Insteon support” [or something to that effect; don’t have it in front of me], it means PLM has been installed. There is no other indication
It sounds like you are using the native Insteon support. IIRC, the PLM doesn’t show up in devices when using the native support because it is flagged as hidden. If you add other devices you will probably be able to control them.
It does not show up. If you go to Insteon Settings > More Options, I believe the Port field reports where it is installed.
I too have had the disappointment of purchasing the smoke bridge and usb insteon setup specifically for my fire alarm and finding it doesn’t work. My smoke bridge shows up as a on off light switch and will not trigger an event with the Vera… I did however find [url=http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=15334.0]http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=15334.0[/url] on using a small adapter for the fire alarm and hooking it to a door trigger that will work, and plan to use this workaround. Of course it is too late to return the expensive smoke bridge and insteon modem…
[quote=“fba, post:9, topic:175319”]@JungleGirl – The smoke detector modules for Insteon are really new. In the last two years that I have had my Vera, I have not seen any release notes that indicated the Insteon support is being updated by MCV. So, I would be surprised if the smoke detectors ever show up.
@Gadget Junkie – I wish MCV would either stop advertising Insteon support, or actually get some real support. I purchased my Vera to use exclusively with my Insteon gear. I was painfully disappointed in the support that was available, which is why I ported a home automation program I was already working on over to the Vera. That is where Altsteon came from.
@Chris H. – Like garrettwp said, you probably don’t need to replace your fan. If you pull down the collar where the fan meets the ceiling you should find a small box that is wired to the fan. It is usually just sitting up there and is only attached to the fan via some wires. Worst case, if your fan has a button or switch that will let you reverse the direction you may end up a spare wire that needs to be capped when you install the fanlinc. If you aren’t comfortable playing with electrical wiring you should probably find an electrician to do it. (Doing it wrong may cause a short that could potentially burn your house down.
For the smoke detectors, right now there is no way to support it with the Vera. Even Altsteon doesn’t have the necessary support. If anyone has the smoke detectors and a little bit of a programming background, I would be happy to give you instructions on how to add it to the daemon. You would be on your own to get the LUA pieces put in place.[/quote]
I’d be willing to give this a crack. I recently purchased a number of these fire alarms and then discovered the smoke bridge, so I got one. I might also be willing to send you an alarm and a smoke bridge, if you’d be interested in that.
Cmd : 23.50.44 info
23.50.44:0007,02,10,0A,43 - DevCat : 10 SubCat : 0A Ver : 43
Cmd : list
23.50.44:0046,02,10,0A,00,23,50,44 - 23.50.44 (DevCat : 16 SubCat : 10 Hidden : 0 Addr : 23.50.44)
Cmd : 23.50.44 get_led
23.50.44:009F,02,00 - 23.50.44 LED is 0.
Cmd : 23.50.44 get_house_code
23.50.44:FFFD,02 - Command not valid for this subcat.
Cmd : 23.50.44 get_unit_code
23.50.44:FFFD,02 - Command not valid for this subcat.
Cmd : 23.50.44 get_timeout
23.50.44:FFFD,02 - Command not valid for this subcat.
Cmd : 23.50.44 get_intensity
23.50.44:FFFD,02 - Command not valid for this subcat.
Cmd : 23.50.44 state
23.50.44:0037,02,00 - 23.50.44 cached state is 0.Something I don’t quite understand, info shows it as DevCat 10 but list shows it as DevCat 16.
[quote=“fryfrog, post:14, topic:175319”]Something I don’t quite understand, info shows it as DevCat 10 but list shows it as DevCat 16.[/quote]I can’t help with the smoke bridge/detectors, but the 10 vs 16 is a hex (base 16) vs decimal (base 10).
0x10 = 16
You can see in your line:23.50.44:0046,02,10,0A,00,23,50,44 - 23.50.44 (DevCat : 16 SubCat : 10 Hidden : 0 Addr : 23.50.44)The device is: Category 16/0x10, Subcategory 10/0x0A. The first part, with the commas, is in hex. The later readable part is in decimal.
Don’t you love base conversions?! ;D
Thanks, that totally makes sense!