Trigger events with IR input?

Other Devices & Integrations Lighting & Load Control
#1

Hi,
I am a new Vera user and am wondering if this is possible. What I’d like to do is use an IR receiver to trigger events from my universal remote control. I have seen some information about using IR blasters to send commands to devices, is the reverse possible?

Thanks,
-Merit

#2

You need to get the Leviton 4 scene controller (VRCS4-1LX). I have this working at the moment. I haven’t figured out how to use all the features, but is does turn off and on my basement lighting in my theater from my IR Harmony remote. You could make any scene you want to occur with each 4 button presses. I’ve read that there is a on and off for each, but I haven’t messed around that much with it to get 8 buttons working. I was worried I’d have to buy the Harmony remote with Zwave but, now I can use my Harmony ONE to control Vera.

#3

You could use a Remotec Z-URC 550 Z-Wave/IR remote to activate Vera’s scenes via Z-Wave.

#4

Remotec makes their own universal remotes, but not an IR-to-Z-wave bridge, at least none that I could find on their site.

I’m looking for the same thing as @merit. I have a Harmony 1100 plus IR extender, which I learned only after spending $500 doesn’t actually work with Z-Wave, despite the promise on the extender’s package. (No, I’m not happy about that.) But I really like the Harmony remote’s human interface for controlling the AV equipment, and I want to use it to trigger lighting scenes instead of having another remote knocking about. The best option that doesn’t include spending another $600 on Yet Another Universal Remote appears to be an IR-to-Z-Wave bridging device.

The Leviton controller will do it for $150, but wants to be mounted in-wall and fed 120VAC. I’d really like it in a hockey-puck-form-factor set amidst the AV gear that would pick up the IR controls (perhaps pretending to be a ‘lighting controller’ to the Harmony), then retransmit them as a Z-Wave sensor firing “on / off” kinds of events.

#5

@merit has Vera in the same closet as the A/V gear. If that’s not your situation, you could perhaps add an extender.

Anyway, this got continued over here: [url=http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=5856.0]http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=5856.0[/url]

#6

@rxer

Would the same principle work for the Leviton VRCS4-MRX and an 890Pro remote?

I have the 890Pro remote and every day now I have been leaning more and more towards picking up a VRCS4-MRX. I need to find some way to bridge the lighting and A/V side of things. The 890Pro is great, however I would like to be able to pop off scenes from Vera instead of the Harmony 890, for example I have a “Movie Time” scene with some wonderful Lua code that I snatched up from this forum (THANK YOU!!!) and over time the recessed lighting dims down lower and lower. The Harmony 890Pro remote is not capable of duplicating this more advanced scene (no scripting and no macros), so somehow I would like to be able to trigger the more advanced “Movie Time” scene from Vera. If this makes any sense? lol.

On another note, I love Home Buddy so much and besides my phone I need another Controller for the devices and scenes… so for now I’m picking up one of these… Robot or human?
to be rooted and installing Home Buddy soon. Less expensive then an iPad or a Nook Color.

On another tangent here: Would anyone know how to make an “Intermission Scene” using the Harmony 890Pro - for example, if a Movie is Paused to Brighten the lights or to turn on another light? I know, I know - i should probably hit up the Logitech Forum but they’re not as responsive or as badass as everyone else on THIS forum!!! ahahahaha! :slight_smile:

#7

You can only connect scenes to activities, not a button. So you can maybe create some sort of dummy activity. But if you’re looking at pushing extra buttons anyway (to start the dummy activity), you might as well just kick off the scene yourself instead.

I have “Lights 100%”, “Lights 50%” and “Lights 25%” scenes for this purpose, defined only on the remote and I run them manually. (No Vera involved, but the same lights can also be controlled through Vera.) Good enough.

#8

I know this is old but you seem to be the only one with an IR remote working with a VRCS4. I tried to add the device to my Harmony both using the controller (VRCS4) and the remote (VRCPG) but no command seems to interact with the controller. The buttons work correctly if i manually hit them and they work in Vera but nothing from the harmony. How did you get this working?

#9

So, IIUC, does the Harmony remote know about the VRCS4 IR codes?

#10

The harmony loads codes for the VRCS4-1LXand displays them on the soft buttons but when i hit “Scene A” nothing happens.

#11

I would like to know if you were able to get this working as I want to go this route also.
Did you try this with the Leviton IR Remote? (VRMR1-SG)

Regards,