(Newbie) Controlling a power door opener via X10 & iPhone

I am quadriplegic (with enough hand strength to type, etc). A huge disclaimer is also necessary: whilst I have spent the past few hours reading about automation, I'm a total newbie (& know even less about how electricity in a home generally works). I'm a fast learner, though.

I am having a window in my office removed & replaced with a door (that will lead to a nice patio, etc). The door will have a Power Access 4300 door opener on it, which is set up to use a radio signal. (We bought it refurbished, so it has the radio receiver inside, but I haven't yet bought a transmitter -- essentially a garage door opener.) I don't have the strength to push most buttons, and don't really want another gadget attached to my wheelchair, so I was hoping to be able to set it up to be operated via my iPhone, which is mounted to my wheelchair. (I also have an iPad & 3 Macs on the network, if that's helpful info.)

I'm kind of overwhelmed by all the various hardware options (even different automation specs). So I guess my questions would be:

* Is this even feasible?
* Is it something that can be done with the door opener I have?
* What are the foundational/getting-started products I'd need to get my home primed for automation?
* What specific pieces would I need to trigger the RF?

(Perhaps tangentially relevant: If I get this working, I'd also love to do the same with my actual garage door. So if necessary, I'd want to plan ahead to avoid conflicts.)

I'm sure I've probably left out something important, so feel free to ask for clarification. Looking forward to any insights/tips!

...so I was hoping to be able to set it up to be operated via my iPhone, which is mounted to my wheelchair. (I also have an iPad & 3 Macs on the network, if that's helpful info.)... ...
* Is this even feasible?
* Is it something that can be done with the door opener I have?
* What are the foundational/getting-started products I'd need to get my home primed for automation?
* What specific pieces would I need to trigger the RF?

First, welcome to the slippery slope of home automation. Now to your questions.
#1, and most important, YES, your idea is quite feasible, though it might take a little bit of "playing with wires" (as my mother called my early forays into the electronic world).

Basically, you would use Indigo to control an X10 or Insteon output relay (over the power lines). The key is to be able to set the output relay to only close its contacts momentarily. This is standard on the products I am familiar with. In choosing a technology, Insteon is probably more reliable, and X10 is cheaper. For your application, the added reliability of Insteon is probably not going to mean much. Also, you may be able to pick-up an X10 relay for free from a user on this board (I might even have one in my parts box).

Then, wire the Normally Open contacts on the relay to the switch contacts on your remote control. (You'll probably need help here as this step will probably require a bit of soldering, or at least fine screwdriver work).

Finally, setup an Indigo control page with a nice touch button. You touch the button, Indigo tells the relay to close, the relay closes for a moment, the remote sends a signal, the door opens, and you are out on your patio!

BTW, you may find that it is easier to wire the relay directly to your door, and by-pass the remote altogether. Check with the automatic door equipment manufacturer to see if that is possible. If it is, and if you can place the relay close enough to the door to make the wireing job easy, that is probably the best way to go.

The same strategy can be applied to your garage door as well.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask for whatever help you might need. This is a very friendly and helpful community.

EDIT: Note, in addition to a Mac, Indigo and the previously mentioned relay, you will need a powerline interface from your Mac to the house wiring. Again, you may be able to fine an older model, like the - 2414 -, free from someone (me?) on this board.

Click-Here for an Insteon controlled relay.

and

Click here for an X10 relay.

[matt (support)]

Good news I think -- the Model 4300 Technical info page says that there is activation by "any momentary dry contact signal", so I think it will probably have a couple of wire screw terminals that one can easily connect to the INSTEON I/O-Linc (or X10 relay) that berkinet mentioned above.

Well, 4 months later, the door is FINALLY going in this weekend. (You're familiar with the saying about the cobbler's children having no shoes? My dad's a construction exec, and doing my deck himself. So... it's now May. But I'm tremendously grateful, so no complaints!)

Also very grateful for the responses here! I've not worked on my end of this since posting my initial questions, so I'm super relieved that this is all doable. My dad's already said that we'll get a different door opener if needed... so I'm going to follow the links you guys posted and get up to speed, then this evening unbox the opener and see what we've got.

Thanks again... I'm sure I'll be back.

EDIT: Since I'll probably wind up wanting to automate much more than this one door once I get my feet wet, I'm thinking to go with Insteon rather than X10.

Go, Becky

Thanks guys! I'm hoping to take Matt's advice and bypass the wireless bit, but I don't know (looking at both the guts of the opener and the technical drawings, which are upside down from my unit, at least as it's dissected on my kitchen table at the moment) if the necessary "wire screw terminals" are there (I googled that phrase, but I'm still not sure what I'm looking for).

So this is my opener…


From the looks of the technical drawings, if I were using a standard wall mounted button it would wire into the three little things above the screws where the wireless receiver is. So... What do y'all think? Shall I go ahead and order the Insteon gear? And the wire recommended by the site you linked to? And then... Well, one step at a time, right?

[matt (support)]

The technical drawing (4265D.pdf) isn't super specific, but I believe the key label is:

If contact type switch is used, connect switch across WHT and BLK terminals

I believe those are going to be the 2nd and 3rd terminals from the top -- skip the topmost terminal (and do not wire anything to the screw terminals a bit lower down).

You can then wire those 2nd and 3rd terminals directly to an I/O-Linc that Indigo can control.

Let us know how it goes.

Matt, thanks so much... I definitely wouldn't have known to avoid the one labelled "Red"!

I ordered my gear this weekend, and it'll be arriving tomorrow (Thursday) - very excited! I bought the Pro Starter Kit and the Insteon I/O Linc.

I read the manual for the I/Or Linc tonight... since I'm not using a sensor & the door opener is on a timer, "Momentary B" mode makes the most sense. (I think...?) What I still don't understand is which things on the I/O we should plug into. The manual example for Momentary B shows one wire going from 12V power to the I/O... is that what one of the white/Black plugs on the door opener is? (They're literally labelled by color, nothing else.) Ie, where should those two wires from the door opener go? (I'm terrified of doing something wrong and blowing out one or more of the devices involved!)

I know this forum is really about Indigo.. is there somewhere else I ought to be seeking help with the hardware stuff?

Thanks again.

[matt (support)]

I think inside Indigo you want the exact UI settings shown in this screen capture.

So choose those settings (this is after you have defined the I/O-Linc in Indigo as a new Device), then press the Upload Settings button.

For wiring, try connecting wires from the I/O-Linc's N/C and COM terminals to the 2nd and 3rd Terminals on the door opener mentioned above. Inside Indigo turn OFF the Device for the I/O-Linc if it isn't already, then press the Turn On button (in the main window). It should toggle the I/O-Linc's relay for a few seconds, then flip it back and Indigo should then update its device state to show it is OFF (it will always be OFF except when it is momentarily ON to send the door opener the message).

I know this forum is really about Indigo.. is there somewhere else I ought to be seeking help with the hardware stuff

Indigo support is obviously our top priority, but we definitely don't mind hardware setup questions here. We don't always know the answer, of course, but this one we should be able to collectively figure out.

It works!

Took a little longer than I planned... my shipment was delayed on account of the flooding, then I had to hunt down some wire (I didn't order it, as my dad said we could just get it at Home Depot... which, in fact, we couldn't)... etc. But yesterday we finally set everything up... and oh my goodness, it was so *easy*!

So I'm going to write a detailed blog post with pictures and stuff (the door opener isn't mounted yet, we just tried it out with it sitting on the floor)... but basically it was just like you guys said... except the wires from the opener went into the COM & N/O holes on the I/O Linc, not N/C. But once I sorted that out, it all worked brilliantly!

Going right now to order more Insteon stuff... this is going to make my life *so* much easier, being able to control my environment right from my wheelchair! Thanks for al the help so far... I'm sure I'll have more questions down the road. Oh, and I'll post pictures & stuff once I take them.

[matt (support)]

Terrific! Once everything is finished I'd love to see a photo of the completed install.