erod™ Motorized Drapery Rod

How to automate your erod™ using Indigo Pro and iTach
This tutorial will instruct you on how to control your erod™ motorized drapery rod via Indigo Pro software, using a Global Caché iTach IP2IR controller.
Lets start off with what is needed and what they do.

- erod™ http://myerod.com/
erod™ is motorized drapery hardware that is IR (infrared) controlled. It is available in several sizes and colors, and will operate on battery or wall plug power.

erod.png (83.7 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

- Indigo Pro http://www.perceptiveautomation.com
Indigo Pro (software) is a home automation server for Mac OS X (The brains of your house) Indigo will allow your drapery to open/stop/close via schedules, triggers, and conditions. You can also control your drapery using their iOS app, Indigo Touch.
Download http://www.perceptiveautomation.com/indigo/download.html
Support http://www.perceptiveautomation.com/support/index.html

- Global Caché iTach IP2IR http://www.globalcache.com/products/itach/ip2irspecs/
iTach IP2IR (TCP/IP to Infrared) allows you to control infrared devices such as TV, Audio/Video components over a network via IR emitters or IR blaster.
Quick Start Guide http://www.globalcache.com/files/docs/Quickstart_iTachIP_x1_distrib.pdf

itach-diagram.png (102.92 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

- Cynical Caché Plugin
Great FREE plugin that allows Indigo Pro to communicate with the iTach controller
Download http://www.cynic.org/indigo/plugins/online/gcnet.html
Support http://www.perceptiveautomation.com/userforum/viewforum.php?f=25

Assumptions
It will be assumed that you have the following installed and operational per the manufacturer:
- erod™, wall mounted, power source connected, and operational using included IR hand remote.
- Indigo Pro 6, (current version as of this writing) installed on a Macintosh, and communicating.
- Cynical Caché Plugin, download and install the plugin into Indigo Pro
- iTach and Network Router, IP2IR is wired into your router via cat 5 cable (*note, a WiFi version of the iTach is available. The WF2IP will most likely work, but untested)
Your router will assign an IP address to your iTach, enter the IP address into a web browser’s address field to access the Global Caché configuration pages.
Most likely you will want to beam the iTach’s IR signal across the room to your erod™, if this is the case configure connector #3 on the iTach as an IR Blaster, and plug the included blaster into port #3.

CG_IRconfig.png (49.09 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

Installation and Configuration
1. New Device
In Indigo select DEVICES and click NEW

2. Device Type
Select CYNICAL CACHE as the TYPE

01-02_ DeviceType.png (65.62 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

3. Device MODEL, IP, NAME
Select NETWORK DEVICE as the MODEL, enter the iTach IP ADDRESS, and give the device a name.

03_ModelAddress.png (75.95 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

4. New Emitter Device
Repeat step #1 to create another new DEVICE. The MODEL will be IR EMITTER, and the ADDRESS will be 1:3. (which is port #3 where your blaster is plugged into).

04_ModelEmitter.png (80.7 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

5. New Action Group
In Indigo select ACTION GROUPS and click NEW

6. Action Group TYPE
Our first Action Group will be used to OPEN the erod drapery, so name it something like erod OPEN, or living room drapes OPEN.
The TYPE will be DEVICE ACTIONS > CYNICAL CACHE CONTROLS > SEND IR SIGNAL
The DEVICE will be the Blaster device created in step #4

05-06_AGtype.png (95.34 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

7. Action Group OPEN code
Copy/paste the following code into the IR CODE field. (make sure the code does NOT include any hidden characters)

Code: Select all

0000 006D 0000 0060 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0531 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0D31 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0530 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0D31 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0530 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0D31 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0530 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0ED7

07_PasteCode.png (63.82 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

Repeat steps 6 & 7 two more times to create CLOSE and STOP Action Groups

CLOSE CODE

Code: Select all

0000 006D 0000 0048 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0531 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0D31 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0531 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0D31 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0531 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0ED7

STOP CODE

Code: Select all

0000 006D 0000 0048 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0530 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0D31 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0531 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0D31 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0531 0030 0010 0030 0010 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0030 0030 0010 0010 0030 0010 0030 0010 0ED7

8. New Schedule
Now lets create an automated schedule example
Select SCHEDULES and click NEW

9. This schedule will OPEN the drapery every weekend, 1 hour after sunrise

08-09_SkedOPEN.png (119.55 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

10. The ACTION TYPE will be SERVER ACTIONS > EXECUTE ACTION GROUP

11. The ACTION GROUP will be the ACTION GROUP you created for OPEN

10-11_SelectAG.png (90.46 KiB) Viewed 3142 times

The next step is to figure out how you want your drapery to act within your lifestyle. You will probably want several OPEN and CLOSE automated schedules for:
- AM morning light/wake-up
- PM sun control
- Away from home security (lived-in look, along with lighting)

And you will also want several non-scheduled methods of control:
- Link buttons on a KeypadLinc or other module to perform OPEN, CLOSE, STOP
- Create a control page in Indigo Touch iOS app, with buttons for OPEN, CLOSE, STOP

Sit back and enjoy!

[jay (support)]

Nice writeup and solution - thanks for sharing!

[matt (support)]

Ditto what Jay said -- great tutorial and steps. Thanks for posting it.

I'm using Global Caché's iTach WiFI with the Cynical Caché Plugin. I've created a device for the iTach, and a device for the output. In the Configure Send IR Signal, when creating a trigger or action group, I enter the IR Code from iLearn I get "Error validating fields. Hover over the red field labels above to see the error reason."

IR Code: is in red. Nothing shows up when Hovering over the title or filled text. The IR Code was copied from iLearn. Offset and everything in front was deleted. I even replaced all the "," with " " - like in the code above.

When the code is put in iTest it triggers the device as expected.

339,171,22,63,22,63,22,21,22,21,22,21,22,21,22,21,22,63,22,63,22,21,22,63,22,21,22,63,22,21,22,63,22,21,22,21,22,21,22,21,22,21,22,63,22,21,22,21,22,63,22,63,22,63,22,63,22,63,22,21,22,63,22,63,22,21,22,3822


Using Mac Mini, OS 10.6, Indigo 6.0.11 Pro.

I'm using Global Caché's iTach WiFI with the Cynical Caché Plugin. I've created a device for the iTach, and a device for the output. In the Configure Send IR Signal, when creating a trigger or action group, I enter the IR Code from iLearn I get "Error validating fields. Hover over the red field labels above to see the error reason."

Cynical Caché does not understand iLearn's native code strings. Tell iLearn to convert to HEX format and paste that in. Or just use the Learn button in the plugin dialog to directly send the code from your remote.

Cheers
-- perry