Indigo + Insteon + a/v equipments

I'm architect, new on this forum and enthusiast of home automation. I'm researching to setup a new setup at my apartment, and need some tips.

I want to: control lights with dimmers and a/v equipment. Create scenes that, for example, with a touch one button (some iphone app) turn my TV on, select the hdmi output; turn my bluray player on; turn my receiver on, select dvd input; set the lamp "A" to 40% and all other lamps off.

Equipments that I already have: mac mini core 2 duo; iphone 3gs; ipad; receiver; bluray player; logitech harmony 510; and TV.

Consider to buy: smarlinc or powerlinc with indigo touch? Insteon IR transmitter and Insteon Dimmer? Isy 99i?

mean question: what I have to buy and how to configure it.

best reagrds.

All do-able.

I'd add in if pause is hit while playing a disc, to raise the lights a bit

Some thoughts:
My TV has direct input selection (ie: I don't need to cycle through. This is kinda critical IMOHO)

I never liked the Harmony remotes. Never liked the only program while on line to the mother ship. Plus the lack of creating your own macros (though hopefully that changed.) I'm using a Universal RF-10. The RF part is killer (no line of sight), since it works all over the house and out on the deck. Can mimic/learn the Mac remote, so iTunes control is seamless.

Added in a Insteon EZUIRT (forgot what the enabled) I think I'm just going to have the RF-10 shoot its signal into the EZUIRT, since it repeats the IR codes, and as-is, can get double sends, one from the RF and one from the EZUIRT'r relaying.

but with a button press I can start up the xbox, switch everything to the right inputs/outputs (even added a delay for TV switching so the game is loaded up before the change)
The possibilities are endless.

If you are starting from scratch, do yourself a HUGE favor and get all components that can be serial (RS-232) controlled. Much, much better than IR.

If you don't have RS-232, make sure you have discreet IR codes for everything you want (On, Off, Input select)

If you are in IR land like the rest of us, you just get a ir transmitter (like an IRLinc, or IRTrans (I use the IRTrans)) and hook it to your Mac. Indigo does the heavy lifting, you just write some Applescript.

If you in the bottom of the barrel like me with non-discreet IR codes and no RS-232, then you have to get clever. For instance, how does Indigo know your TV is on or not? How does it know which input is currently selected? How does it know if the DVD player is on or off? All stuff you will have to figure out to make these "one button" scenes work properly.

But yes, it can all be done. I have the cheapest of cheap gear, and everything works great. Yay for the DS10a!

Brian

[matt (support)]

The IR-Linc Transmitter works, but you have to teach it each IR command and the linking / learning process can be tedious. I also don't believe it supports all IR devices, so I'm not sure if it will be able to control all of your A/V equipment or not.

A more flexible solution is to use the IRTrans Ethernet and iRed software. Indigo can command the iRed application via AppleScript, and there is some work by one of our users (ricks) to bypass the iRed software and directly communicate with the IRTrans. The IRTrans is also much faster than use the IR-Linc, because it doesn't have to send commands over the power line.

Thanks for all answers. I'll try IRtrans instead Inteon IR transmitter. But I still have one question about that. Is it has any kind of self-learning codes? do know some link that show some examples and pics of how I creat the control panels of buttons on indigo and how to wirte the applescripts or where I can get some done?

[matt (support)]

Thanks for all answers. I'll try IRtrans instead Inteon IR transmitter. But I still have one question about that. Is it has any kind of self-learning codes? do know some link that show some examples and pics of how I creat the control panels of buttons on indigo and how to wirte the applescripts or where I can get some done?

Here is information on the IRTrans, and here and here are forums posts with some example AppleScripts.

You'll create static image/text buttons in on your Control Page, assign whatever graphic you want for them, then choose the Execute AppleScript option from the server click popup menu and paste in the line or two of AppleScript (from forum posts links above) to tell the iRed application to send the IR command.

Hi Guys,
I am confused. (stop laughing...) You say that you can use the IRTrans thing with Indigo to send IR commands. Can you 'splain, (as Ricky used to say to Lucy), how to do that? I went to the IRTrans website, and there are several types.
Here is what I am trying to do: I have a flat screen TV on a wall, that is 16 feet across the room from an available outlet. (the TV was installed with direct power from inside the wall) I need to have Indigo send the command to an Insteon device at that outlet, and then have an IR signal sent across the 16 foot room to the TV, to turn it ON/OFF (not to turn off the actual power of the TV, just the IR signal to shut the TV off, like from it's own remote control). I can plug in an Insteon device in that outlet. Which Insteon device should I use, and which model IRTrans should I use. How do I connect the Insteon and the IRTrans? I bought the IRLinc 2411T transmitter, but will that connect to the IRTrans?
And, no, I can't plug in anything next to the TV, and I can't use the little stick on emitters on the TV. I have to send the IR signal ACROSS the room (16feet) to the TV. And I need to be able to have Indigo command when the signal is sent from whatever device you recommend. My only option is to have Indigo send the command to the device through the powerline.
I already have Indigo pro controlling several light switches and appliance Lincs in the house.
Thanks

[jay (support)]

Look at the links in the post just above yours - there are example scripts for integrating iRed with Indigo via AppleScript.

The IRTrans is a network device - so the iRed software talks to it over the network. Indigo talks to the iRed software via AppleScript. So the communication goes something like this:

Indigo->iRed->IRTrans

No INSTEON devices required.

Hi Jay,
I think I understand, but, I am limited to communicating from Indigo to the IRTrans through the powerline, outlet.
So, I have to use an Insteon device? There is no way I can think of to communicate from Indigo to the IRTrans
through a network. Unless there is a way to have an Insteon plug in device that receives the Indigo command from the powerline and then can send it through an ethernet port to the IRTrans? Can this be done?

Indigo➞powerline➞Insteon device? w/ethernet out port➞IRTrans

Thanks
-Tom

[jay (support)]

You don't have a wireless network? They make an IRTrans with wireless ethernet. If you don't have a wireless network then you're probably out of options unless you can figure out how to get the IR-Linc Transmitter to use some kind of blaster (contact Smarthome about that).

Hi again Jay,
Yes, of course I have wifi in the house. I didn't know IRTrans worked with wifi?
So, if I understand this correctly, Indigo can send a command through the wifi to the IRTrans, and then the IRTrans will "blast" the IR signal to the TV.
OK, now how does Indigo send a command over wifi? The IRTrans website is about as clear as mud.
Thanks
-Tom

You can always hook up the irTrans to your home network with 'ethernet over powerline'. check out this article http://www.anandtech.com/show/4147/ghn-silicon-emerges-from-vaporware-territory.

The larger question is why not have AV equipment that can be directly controlled via IP based protocol rather than IR. Controlling IP based devices via Indigo is much easier

[matt (support)]

Yes, of course I have wifi in the house. I didn't know IRTrans worked with wifi?

Yes, look at the IRTrans product page. Any of the models that show WLAN support Wi-Fi.

OK, now how does Indigo send a command over wifi?

As Jay mentioned, see my post (about 6 or 7 posts higher). It has links to 3 different forum pages discussing how to use the IRTrans. You actually use the Mac OS X software called iRed to control the IRTrans (it sends the commands to it), and you use AppleScript in Indigo to command the iRed. It sounds a bit complicated, but the AppleScript is really just a single line and it works quite well.