Reflex

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  • hargraverch
    Automated Home Jr Member
    • Jan 2008
    • 30

    Reflex

    Hi! its being nearly10 months since i started installing my Idratek automation system, and really pleased to be directed to this new forum, which can be used to share info, my system was more for the security of my property, using modules to switch lights on providing a presense of someone at home. But has developed into automating the upstair heating and hopefully within the next few weeks the whole heating system will be automated. I have found the support fantastic, what im wanting to do now, that over half my house is automated, is a simpler way in understanding reflexing and wondererd if anyone has developed a layperson approach to reflexing i have to admit that i have looked at it but not put time aside to read it all through,
    happy automating
  • chris_j_hunter
    Automated Home Legend
    • Dec 2007
    • 1713

    #2
    Reflex

    Hi, welcome along !

    David's blog will probably help - for Reflex, I think it starts here:

    Our self-build - going further with HA...

    Comment

    • Paul_B
      Automated Home Legend
      • Jul 2006
      • 608

      #3
      Welcome to the forum!

      Reflex is quite fiddly to setup, but becomes easier the more you use it. Definately agree with Chris and check-out David's blog (puts the rest of us to shame!) as it gives you some real world solutions and well explained.

      Don't be afraid to have a play and the PCIF command-entry does give you options for each per of hex numbers that make up the packet, see screenshot for example.

      Let us know how you get on.

      Paul
      Attached Files

      Comment

      • JonS
        Automated Home Guru
        • Dec 2007
        • 202

        #4
        I agree reflex can be daunting but I read and reread teh help sevral times and went through the example and it all began to fall into place.
        They key points I think are:
        For an output module you can define the starting state plus other states you may want to change to (User Defined Vectors). Then you programe the input you want to trigger a particular action.
        I've just be setting up fall-back rather than doing anything complicated but so far, every time I have tested it it seems to work and no disasters :-) (pride comes before a fall ...)
        Save a Cortex backup first, just to be safe.
        The only gotcha for me was restarting the network after a pause and manual reset of the module I was testing. It stays in Reflex mode unless you reset it again while Cortex is running.

        Heating project sounds really good, welcome to the forum.

        Jon
        JonS

        Comment

        • hargraverch
          Automated Home Jr Member
          • Jan 2008
          • 30

          #5
          reflex

          Hi thanks Chris for that link, ive printed it off but still don't seem to be able to do a basic reflex, Paul is rght it is fiddly, and im not sure i know what im doing. I think i may have to do what JonS has done and keep reading and reading and reading till penny drops thanks for your replies and all help is gratefully recieved.

          Comment

          • Paul_B
            Automated Home Legend
            • Jul 2006
            • 608

            #6
            Can you describe what you are trying to do with Reflex and the Idratek modules that you have? I am sure we can help or at least point you in the right direction

            Paul

            Comment

            • hargraverch
              Automated Home Jr Member
              • Jan 2008
              • 30

              #7
              reflex

              Hi Paul

              All the upstair bedrooms, landing, hall and Kitchen have Drbs fitted, with Temperature modules alongside, each radiator has a sauter valve. All iam trying to do now before i progress to the rest of the house, is to safe guard against a pc failure and leave me in the dark. I have printed and followed the link that Chris posted but to no avail, thanks for help.

              ron

              Comment

              • Paul_B
                Automated Home Legend
                • Jul 2006
                • 608

                #8
                So in the first instance are you trying to set Reflex for DRB so when a button is pressed an associated relay on the DRB will toggle the light state?

                Paul

                Comment

                • hargraverch
                  Automated Home Jr Member
                  • Jan 2008
                  • 30

                  #9
                  reflexing

                  Hi paul
                  Yeah! am just after the basic toggle on/off of the lights for now, so if my pc goes down i wont be bumping into things at night.

                  ron

                  Comment

                  • Paul_B
                    Automated Home Legend
                    • Jul 2006
                    • 608

                    #10
                    Okay let me try and explain the specifics of your requirement.

                    Firstly you need to create the default operations (these are called packets and belong to the Relay part of the DRB module):

                    So on the DRB, Relay Module right click Reflex

                    Cortex will display a new dialogue box which has a "Define Packets" button which you should press.

                    Again another dialogue box appears which has a "Create Defaults" button, again select this button.




                    When you hit the "Create Defaults" the dialogue Window updates and you need to close this window, then close the previous small dialogue box.



                    (continued below)
                    Attached Files

                    Comment

                    • Paul_B
                      Automated Home Legend
                      • Jul 2006
                      • 608

                      #11
                      Now we have the actions defined as packets we need to set one of the DRB buttons to call one of these actions:

                      With the DRB the buttons they are linked to the external switches so you'll get a warning if you try to Reflex control the buttons.



                      Select the Reflex for the Switches which will open a new dialogue box.

                      In the new dialogue box you need to select the action that triggers the response, normally this is "-ve edge trigger" (which is the button being pressed) and this then triggers a "User Defined Response Packet" so check these two boxes. Then hit the "Vector Setup" button.



                      Again a new dialogue box appears and you can now select a Button as the Trigger and the action can be added with the Add button.

                      When you select the Add button you should see a list of the default packets that were created in the previous post. You will want to add one of the toggle relay options depending on your wiring. You'll end up with the dialogue box as below:



                      Now we have the module setup as we want in Cortex but we need to actually send the programme to the DRB module.



                      You can only programme a module at the top-level of the module (better explained in the picture). Select Reflex for the DRB module which, guess what, displays a dialogue box.

                      You'll see a button "Program this Node" which you need to select.

                      That's it!

                      However, some gotchas you should be aware of when trying to test:
                      - It is easy to get the physical wiring confused with the logical in Cortex so button 1 maybe button 2 and relay 1 maybe relay 2 so swap things over in Reflex and re-program the node.

                      - Reflex operation won't work if Cortex is operating as it will be sending packets. So once you program the node to test; stop and exit Cortex and then remove the power to your Idratek network. Give it 15 seconds and power u the Idratek network
                      Attached Files

                      Comment

                      • Paul_B
                        Automated Home Legend
                        • Jul 2006
                        • 608

                        #12
                        BTW if my explanation is wrong at any point I'm sure Chris, David or Karam will correct me

                        Comment

                        • hargraverch
                          Automated Home Jr Member
                          • Jan 2008
                          • 30

                          #13
                          reflex

                          Thanks Paul am gonna try it now

                          ron

                          Comment

                          • hargraverch
                            Automated Home Jr Member
                            • Jan 2008
                            • 30

                            #14
                            reflex sorted

                            Hiya! Paul

                            Fantastic have now programmed drb, and it works great, :-} thanks very much, i will now proceed with the others, but at the weekend during daylight hours i have printed your instructions off for reference.
                            This now means i can turn pc off, power down cortex for a pc upgrade, and not panic about it getting dark and end up rushing the job.

                            Ron

                            Comment

                            • Paul_B
                              Automated Home Legend
                              • Jul 2006
                              • 608

                              #15
                              Cool, glad it helped.

                              Comment

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