Intellitouch/Easytouch Pool Control Plugin

Plugins & Plugin Development General Plugin Discussion
#1

[size=14pt]Version 3.2 Released[/size]
I have created a plugin for Pentair Intellitouch/Easytouch that interfaces with the PC100 Autelis device for Pentair.

The plugin can currently control and report the following features of your pool. Please verify the version that you require v2.0 is for Vera firmwares > 7.05 and v1.0 is for prior firmwares.

[ul][li]Circuits[/li]
[li]Features[/li]
[li]Pool/Spa/Air Temperature[/li]
[li]Solar Sensor[/li]
[li]Pool Heat[/li]
[li]Spa Heat[/li]
[li]Heat Setpoints and Preferences[/li]
[li]Intellibrite Colors and Themes[/li]
[li]Intellichlor[/li]
[li]Intelliflo VS/VF Pumps[/li][/ul]

Release Version 3.2 - 07/23/2018
Users who are using the most recent version of UI7 should download and install this version. You do not need to uninstall the prior version simply copy the files onto your Vera as described in the installation guide. Then reload the Luup engine. After the Luup engine has had some time to reload, refresh your browser.

[ul][li]Fixed issues introduced with fw 7.0.27+.[/li][/ul]

Release Version 3.1 (fw Versions for 7.05+ only) - 09/20/2017
Users who are using the most recent version of UI7 should download and install this version. You do not need to uninstall the prior version simply copy the files onto your Vera as described in the installation guide. Then reload the Luup engine. After the Luup engine has had some time to reload, refresh your browser.

[ul][li]Added function to re-connect if Autelis is busy and the connection is rejected. Previously, the plugin would stop polling if it received a busy message.[/li]
[li]Updated chlorinator panel to use spinner control.[/li][/ul]

Release Version 3.0 (fw Versions for 7.05+ only) - 05/19/2017
Users who are using the most recent version of UI7 should download and install this version. You do not need to uninstall the prior version simply copy the files onto your Vera as described in the installation guide. Then reload the Luup engine. After the Luup engine has had some time to reload, refresh your browser.

[ul][li]Fixed issues related to connection errors if the personality board is busy when an update to the status is requested.[/li]
[li]Combined the Features and Circuits tabs into one.[/li]
[li]Added alternate egg timer for superchlorinate or shock cycles for Intellichlor. Use either Native Pentair or Plugin Enhanced.[/li]
[li]Added the ability to reboot Autelis from the plugin panel.[/li]
[li]Added Color Swim and Color Set options to Intellibrite panel[/li]
[li]Fixed icon indicator on heaters so that when heating with solar they are green and when heating with a gas/elec heater they are red.[/li]
[li]Added the Mode indicator to the main plugin panel so you can see which mode the Personality board is in (Service, Auto, Timeout… etc)[/li]
[li]Optimized pump status so it performs more intelligent polling during equipment transitions.[/li][/ul]

Release Version 2.0 (fw Versions for 7.05+ only) - 04/05/2015
Users who are using the most recent version of UI7 should download and install this version. You do not need to uninstall the prior version simply copy the files onto your Vera as described in the installation guide. Then reload the Luup engine. After the Luup engine has had some time to reload, refresh your browser.

[ul][li]Fixed issues related to dashboard controls created by changes to the way 7.05 positions controls[/li]
[li]Added color representation to temperature changes[/li]
[li]Rearranged Intellibrite panel to group themes and lighting controls[/li]
[li]Fixed salt level reporting for Intellichlor. Previously, this was reporting in resistance units. It now reports in ppm as described by your Pentair equipment.[/li][/ul]

Release Version 1.0 (fw Versions prior to 7.05) - 03/06/2015

[ul][li]Added icon state changes when device is on/of[/li]
[li]Fixed panel text location[/li][/ul]

Beta Version .92 - 02/02/2015

[ul][li]Support Variable Flow Pumps[/li]
[li]Superchlorinate options for SWG[/li]
[li]Pool/Spa chlorinator power setpoints[/li]
[li]Enhanced Simulation Mode[/li]
[li]Trigger, event, and notification support for all settings/states on child devices[/li]
[li]Tooltips to guide you through configuration[/li][/ul]

Beta Version .91 - 01-23-2015

[ul][li]Support Variable Speed Pumps[/li]
[li]Intellichlor IC 20/40/60 Support[/li]
[li]Polling Functions[/li][/ul]

Is anyone interested in controlling/managing their pool with Vera? New versions will be posted here.

From now on I will place the latest release here. The documentation can be found below

[ul][li]Installation Guide – [url=http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,30275.msg217728.html#msg217728]http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,30275.msg217728.html#msg217728[/url][/li]
[li]Configuration Guides - [url=http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,30275.msg217729.html#msg217729]http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,30275.msg217729.html#msg217729[/url][/li][/ul]

#2

Here is the documentation for the plugin and the plugin files. Unfortunately, I had to delete a bunch of the illustrations from the PDF in order to upload it here.

EDIT: Removed the 0.9 Beta.zip

#3

Great work rstrouse! Plugin and documentation is great. This is a must have for any Pentair/Autelis users. It is a huge time saver and finally gives me the Vera access that I was looking for!

#4

So, this is going to push me over the edge to a) Get the autelis unit and b) upgrade to UI7

I have a suntouch, I emailed Autelis and they said it will work fine, there’s just some things you can’t do with it compared to Easytouch. Also, I need to send them the unit so they can flash the firmware. My pool dealer wanted a service call to do it ~$100.

#5

I am adding functions for Intelliflo pumps and Intellichlor this week! If someone has an Intellichem then I would appreciate a copy of your chem.xml.

@Dpc131 – the plugin queries the Autelis to figure out what features you have available then gives you the option to configure them. If there are any issues post your status.xml.

#6

Ok here is beta .91. It adds support for the following equipment/features

[ul][li]Intelliflo VS Pumps[/li]
[li]Intellichlor IC-20/40/60[/li]
[li]Polling functions for synchronizing the panel[/li][/ul]

And fixes the following issues. Thanks @trush for helping me out in the wild.

[ul][li]When initially connecting to the panel variables were not being initialized for connection status[/li]
[li]Heat setpoints were reversed. Spa heat was being set to pool and vice versa[/li]
[li]Heat mode preferences were not sending the correct parameters to the Autelis so they weren’t sticking[/li]
[li]Temperature sensors were not being set to the correct variable service id when the panel responded with a change[/li]
[li]Configuration screens were not storing/retrieving information correctly. This could lead to connection issues if the user was too fast going from one screen to the next.[/li][/ul]

Features coming in the next version

[ul][li]Superchlorinate options for timescale 1-24 hours[/li]
[li]Pool/Spa chlorinator setpoints[/li]
[li]Intelliflo VF pump support[/li]
[li]More trigger, event, and notification support[/li]
[li]Updated documentation. Looks like I will need to create a document per chapter since we only get 512k per attachment.[/li][/ul]

EDIT: Removed the 0.91 Beta

#7

My handheld will no longer communicate to the i10+3D unit, that is why I was considering buying a completely new system. How many valves can be controlled this way?

#8

I have an i9+3 with a valve expansion. So right now I have 6 specific automated valves hooked up on 10 circuits. I believe the limit is 20 valve circuits and 38 aux though with expansion panels on the i10+3D. The plugin reads all the data from the personality board for the available circuits so it keeps reading until the panel stops sending them.

My pool has the following to give you an idea
i9+3D pool/spa combo

Circuits
3 relay/valve circuits
3 valve only circuits
3 relay only circuits
1 solar valve circuit

Equipment:
2 VS Pumps
1 Jet Pump
400k btu Heater
Solar
Blower
Fire Bowls

Lighting
Intellibrite
Magicstream

What the Autelis does is act like a wired indoor control panel without an lcd screen. It then provides web/mobile access and in this case Vera access to the equipment attached to your personality board (i10+3D).

If your mobi is dead then I get it. The replacement cost is ridiculous and if you need a txver it is even higher. I think if you contact Autelis they will tell you if there is anything else you need. But I’ll venture to believe that at most a firmware flash on the personality board is probably it.

If you are looking for alternatives, it is going to be tough to replace the functionality you have with your i10+3D with anything other than Pentair or Jandy. Certainly that Intermatic unit won’t do it… I think it is limited to 5 circuits total including relays and valves. I think they are trying to 1up the Easytouch 4. Perhaps a TC-15 could do the trick for you, but it won’t give you Vera access.

How many physical automated valves do you have? Not circuits… actual valves on the pipe with an actuator. I think without i10x expansion on that i10+3D you have only A-E + solar which would make 5+1. A is attached to pool/spa switchover and B-E for water features. AUX3 can then be reserved for solar activation for a total of 6.

In fact I believe the only difference between your panel and mine is that the i10+3D is dual equipment meaning the spa is not attached to the pool and instead of the 1 circuit combined to switch between pool/spa for the filter pump these are split out on two distinct systems.

Sorry for the rambling but I hope that helps.

#9

Currently the only connection of spa and pool is the spillover or spa makeup. Heating for spa is the gas unit and for the pool, solar. I am moving my equipment and planned to modify it so it will allow gas or solar for either or both the spa and pool as well as using the spa pump to power the cleaner. The new configuration will have at least 7 valves with a possible 8th for a water fountain and 9th as a drain.

It sounds like you are right in that nothing else offers the options of what I have now. But my remote stopped working and I tried repeatedly to get it talking again even going so far as to completely reset the system. All I ended up doing was losing the timing function so I now only have manual control at the pumps.

If I can get it working again then the Autelis might be the way to go except with ui7. Having about a hundred devices already I am hesitant to step up to an untested ui.

#10

I know there is a lot of vile spit out against ui7. However, I am pretty much just starting out at around 40 devices and sure there have been some setup challenges. Still, not discounting the problems that others are having, I think my experience has been pretty positive and many of the issues are actually tied to third party plugins. Device control is solid for me. There is a resistance faction out there that has the fervor pitch of the minutemen. It’s graduated from a movement and become a cause.

Some of this rhetoric is simply because of the mob mentality, resistance to change, and some of it is deserved. I think MCV didn’t provide good guidance on how to transition. Having poked my way through static json files I can imagine how frustrated ui5 developers are. I clacked out a few thousand lines of lua in a few days and wrestled with json files for a couple of weeks. You could have errors in these files in ui5 but the parser in ui7 expects these to be correct in both content and syntax. Most of the these options are undocumented and trying out each change takes a few minutes each change to upload, reload, and refresh.

What plugins do you use?

#11

I didn’t want to drift your topic off too far but currently I use the weather underground, the DSC alarm and the Smart Switch. Those three are essential. The iPhone detector is more interesting than anything but not necessary.

#12

I haven’t used any of these but I believe both the DSC and the weather underground have developers working on/with them.

Now back to your pool… Sounds like you have a pretty sophisticated setup. Just a bit of advice take a good hard look at your plumbing. For instance, I have a 180 that flops back and forth with a separate VS pump to control flow and feature of both waterfall and laminar. Be careful if the actuator or programming fails you don’t want to deadhead a pump. Are some of these valves supposed to operate in unison? If they are then you should wire them that way on a single valve circuit and try to make sure transitions in the valve don’t create a condition where a raging 3hp pump has its flow suddenly stopped. It’s not good for the equipment and not all that safe either.

#13

Yes, thanks for the advice but I have been designing fluid control systems for years. Since I am moving my system I have already designed out in CAD the entire system. It was the ability of the control system to handle all my equipment and send verification of a circuit having been triggered. I even used a few hard wired points attached to the DSC using magnetic switches to verify key valves. But the system was designed so there can never be a blocked pump situation.

#14

Sometimes you have to state the obvious and if you were heading down a dead end, the least I could do is point out the sign. Anyhow, I was mistaken, there are actually 7 total full valve controls on an Intellitouch with the valve expansion. Intake, Return, and Valve A-E. Everything else in an Aux circuit.

#15

@rstrouse Do you think this would work with an Autelis connected to a Jandy system (on UI5)? I have it working with a bunch of startup lua and separate virtual devices, but it is certainly not elegant. Thanks.

#16

Still I appreciate the reminder. I guess I need to research more on my 3d system to see what it has and how much I can add.

#17

Maybe with a little bit of modification. Can you send me your status.xml and names.xml?

#18

Version 0.92 Beta is now Available
The files are in the attachment below.

Beta 0.92 Adds support for the following features

[ul][li]Variable Flow Pumps[/li]
[li]Superchlorinate options for SWG[/li]
[li]Pool/Spa chlorinator power setpoints[/li]
[li]Enhanced Simulation Mode[/li]
[li]Trigger, event, and notification support for all settings/states on child devices[/li]
[li]Updated documentation[/li]
[li]Tooltips to guide you through configuration[/li][/ul]

And fixes the following issues

[ul][li]More efficient polling[/li]
[li]Instant response for heater mode/setpoints[/li][/ul]

Even if you do not have an Autelis/Pentair configuration you should be able to install this plugin and operate it in simulation mode. This will allow you to see if you want to go this direction to automate your pool. Simply follow the installation guide then select the Simulation Mode checkbox. This option will provide you with a simulated pool setup that you can play around with but obviously it will not be controlling your pool.

A couple of other notes. I do not have a UI5 system to test the plugin. If you are running UI5 and would like to see if it works for you or you are using anything other than a Pentair system with Autelis give it a shot. Control over circuits and features should work with the Jandy/Autelis configuration and it will coexist with other efforts to automate your Autelis if you are using the VariableContainer. In fact you can change the DeviceId between the plugin device Id and your VC in Autelis to try out different things while preserving your current efforts. I will do what I can to fix any issues with configurations in UI5 and other Autelis firmware.

If you choose not to use the plugin, removal is simply a matter of deleting the parent device. This will delete all child devices that have been created by the plugin. Then you can delete the plugin files from your cmh_ludl directory which will remove the plugin completely from your Vera.

***** UPDATE *****
There are some differences with the Jandy Aqualink Autelis device. I am investigating modifying the plugin to support all the features on the Jandy device. I will be posting a release later this week for Pentair which adds icon states for all created devices and fixes the labels that were moved in the latest firmware.

#19

Here are the docs for configuring equipment attached to your pool

#20

Version 1.0 of the plugin has been released. I have fixed a few things in this release but since .92 beta it has been pretty solid. You can find the plugin files here.

http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,30275.msg215828.html#msg215828