Ok, I've been trying to figure out a way to determine if my verticle blinds are open or closed. Typically they are no maintainance - open a little after sunrise, close a little before sunset. But I also have a switch to open or close manually (well as manually as it gets in this house anyways).

So here are a few ideas I have but non seem real logical:

1. Use a motion sensor (with light/dark sensor) to tell if the sunlight is coming in through the window. But it's not always sunny where I live and you can't adjust the sensitivity and lamps would blow that theory.
2. Use a plunger switch (uses to detect if dead bolts are locked) somehow on the little paddle on the add-a-motor that flips back and forth depending on wether the curtains are open or closed.
3. Use a magnetic security switch (DS10A) somehow, maybe with the magnet on the chain.
4. Pop open the dang add-a-motor to see what makes it tick!!!

I'm open to suggestions if anyone else has been perplexed by this problem.

Thanks,
~Mark

Add-a-motor should connect to an Insteon ApplianceLinc, this state would be stored within Indigo.

I use two add-a-motors to control a vertical blind. I use another method not mentioned. Create a variable and track state. If I tell it to open, set the variable to open, set it to close when it's closed. It works reasonably well. Not perfect, but correct probably 90% of the time.

As to opening it up, that's also a viable solution. I've had mine open and the circuits are straightforward and discrete. They would be fairly easy to tap into.

-Chris

Hi Brandt,

Unfortunately, add-a-motor does not work that way. It has a relay built into it that once power is applied to it, it turns on momentarily to either open or close the blinds. Once it has completed it's task, it switches of. I am accomplishing this with an X10 split receptacle, which switches on, applies power to the motor, reverses the state of the blinds (open if closed, closed if opened), then switches the recepticle off.

The problem with this, is that Indigo has no way of telling if the blinds are opened or closed. I have set up a variable that changes, if the recepticle has received power, it changes the variable to the opposite of what it was (open if closed, closed if opened). But if it ever gets confused (the variable is updated with closed if it's open) then the variable will always be incorrect, until it gets confused again.

I'm looking for a reliable way to detect the correct state.

~Mark

Yeah x10 is not reliable. Been there done that. Go with Insteon and it will track if it's on or off more reliably. If that's not enough then add-a-motor is not the right product for you.

Brandt wrote:Yeah x10 is not reliable. Been there done that. Go with Insteon and it will track if it's on or off more reliably. If that's not enough then add-a-motor is not the right product for you.

Brandt, I understand about x10 and Insteon, as I have a "mixed" setup in my home utilizing both x10 and Insteon. When I first started out (about 12 years ago) I don't believe there was much Insteon, if any at the time. As much as I would love to dump all of the x10 stuff and run strictly Insteon, it would require thousands or tens of thousands to replace all the high end Smarthome 2-way switches as well as some of the cheap stuff still in place. My setup is highly reliable based on the hardware and time already invested in the system. Only on a rare occasion do I get a rouge signal that may turn a light on when it wasn't intended.

With that out of the way, my add-a-motor has been in place for about 6-8 years and rarely, if ever gives me results that are not intended. But, I would just like a reliable method to determine the status of the blinds. I believe because of the way the add-a-motor operates, an Insteon (appliance module, receptacle, etc. ) would still not be able to determine the status of the position of the blinds (opened or closed). This works much like my Morning Industries deadbolts. You can not reliably determine if they are locked or unlocked. The way I got around this obstacle was to add plunger switches inside the door strike hole. If the door is locked, the plunger is depressed - the plunger is connected to a DS10a and sends a signal to Indigo, which in turn sets a variable - locked or unlocked.

I am going to try some of the methods addressed in my original post and will report back to anyone who may find of use. Specifically, I would like to open the add-a-motor to see if there is a curcuit that I can soilder to, a DS10a or use the DS10a in some other fashion to send a RF signal on the status to Indigo.

If someone has already attempted this or has an alternative method of reliably determining curtain status, please pipe in before I hack up my motor.

The other approach is to figure out how to wire some kind of contact sensor to a TriggerLinc that would show CLOSED/OPEN based on the blinds themselves. I just looked at my vertical blinds and I don't think using the built-in magnetic sensor would work because I couldn't get the TriggerLinc itself close enough to where I'd need to mount the magnet. However, I suspect I could probably rig up one of those round press fit sensors to work though - I think it would work connected to the TriggerLinc's sensor connectors.

I've been trying to figure out the same thing. My add a motor sits unused for this reason.

I think the add a motor needs to have some sort of sensors that connect to the drapes themselves to toggle the motor off rather than limit switches that are in place now. I considered use a DS10A at both ends of the drapes, one for fully open and one for fully closed. There are such things as linear position sensors, but I haven't had a chance to look into the very carefully.

it should use a shaft encoder like robots use on their wheels for positioning.