Evohome firmware 02.00.19.31 Beta Trial - Exclusive for Automated Home Members

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  • kevinsmart
    Automated Home Ninja
    • Sep 2018
    • 257

    Originally posted by guyank View Post
    I was also under the impression that it would allow Evohome to reduce the requested flow temperature at higher outside temperatures, greatly reducing the chance of overshoots. We have a couple of zones that seem to drop below setpoint by a couple of degrees, even when it’s pretty warm. Up until a couple of days ago when I gave up and turned the heating off, this would result in huge overshoots as 80C flow was being demanded just before we got up.
    That’s why I implemented my own weather compensation for my Intergas boiler using customised firmware running on an OpenTherm Gateway. There is an article about this, back in January, on the Automated Home website.

    Comment

    • ally153
      Automated Home Jr Member
      • Nov 2014
      • 30

      Hi all,
      I’m one of the firmware engineers at Resideo (or software elves as AtM would call us) working on the latest updates for the Evotouch platform.

      Sorry for the long delay getting back to all that have been involved in the current beta tests! AtM has been “hellishly busy” and has stopped receiving mail notifications from the forum for some reason. He has asked me to step forward and provide support for the remainder of the beta test.

      We have continued with the development of new features, adding heatpump control and the cooling functionality. There is now a new relay box firmware, it is still a BDR91 and it is backwards compatible, but it can now handle heatpump control and a heat/cool change over function as a new device type within Evo (there are now six possible BDR91 functions in Evo). We have also been listening closely to all the feedback you have given us so far and have implemented some functions to address your comments.

      We would like you views on those improvements if you are willing and would like to push a bug fixed version with the new functionality to all that have previously signed up to the beta test. If you don’t want to be included, please let me know by the beginning of next week.

      From your feedback, the key (non heatpump) things we have changed are:
      • Bug fix. Optimisation setpoint issue resolved.
      • Summer shutdown is now fully integrated into UI, the icon now shows in the zone and the setpoint bar indicates an off state. There are no changes in the control algorithm, this seems to be working well even if people didn’t appreciate or understand it. There will be a small video to explain the operation put on the support pages, but it will probably remain a Marmite function.
      • New feature. The Winter boost now has an offset adjustment, instead of a fixed -10°C offset from current setpoint, the user can now adjust the offset between -30°C to -5°C of setpoint.
      • New feature. The ECO function is now adjustable and is call Eco/boost. The range is +3 > -3C default is as the old Eco function at -3C
      • Bug fix. The DHW priority bug where a manual override killed the DHW demand is we believe fixed.
      • New feature. The DHW priority function is now optional. Upgrading systems already configured with DHW will have DHW priority disabled. This will retain the behaviour existing users will be used to. DHW priority can be setup in the UI as part of Sundial setup or retrospectively in the system parameters. We have evidence that DHW priority is a significant benefit to slow DHW systems.
      • Spec change. The advanced load scaling slow response to a ‘manual override in low demand condition in fully optimised systems’ has been addressed. It is now initially off allowing for a ‘normal’ injection of heat and comes back progressively as we near setpoint. This will overshoot as in a standard heating system, but I fully accept it was too aggressive in certain manual override conditions. I also have some nice evidence to support the benefit of load scaling and the effect of the partial disabling of it. Another Marmite feature I expect.
      • Spec change. Load scaling disabled in frost protection
      • Bug fix. Removed the password protection override via the smart features button

      As before, feel free to DM me directly or provide feedback in this post.

      Comment

      • kevinsmart
        Automated Home Ninja
        • Sep 2018
        • 257

        So no fix to read the outside temperature from an OpenTherm boiler?

        Comment

        • DBMandrake
          Automated Home Legend
          • Sep 2014
          • 2361

          Sounds good, looking forward to testing it.

          Comment

          • mtmcgavock
            Automated Home Legend
            • Mar 2017
            • 507

            Good to see that the feedback is being listened to and looking forward to testing the new Beta update

            Comment

            • SteveP
              Automated Home Guru
              • Dec 2012
              • 190

              Welcome ally153 and thanks for a comprehensive update The changes to the beta release and new additions (adjustable Eco yippee !! ) sound great. Looking forward to the new version.

              Comment

              • CT1
                Automated Home Guru
                • Apr 2016
                • 189

                Having bitched about the HW priority, it is only fair to thank you for the excellent news that this will now be optional. I am also pleased to hear that Eco mode has now be enhanced to allow +/- offsets. Thanks for listening.

                I purchased EvoHome solely for it’s ability to provide fully independent control of. each room, and find most of the more techie features to be a disadvantage, so I am not in a position to comment on the other “enhancements”. I know that many of the members of this forum love to pile on more features, but I am not sure that the general public wants more complications. The plumbers that have serviced my boiler have any all said that they don’t know much about EvoHome and how to operate it.

                Adding heat pumps into he mix will probably help to keep the EvoHome relevant into the future. I have a couple of aircon units but could not anticipate ever wanting to automate the control of these.

                Too late for me to benefit, as I have all the hardware I need for now, but I would suggest that for future product you change the battery contacts to something more reliable. I would however like to see better battery management for the rechargeables in the controller. I am happy to let them run down occasionally, but any other undocumented procedures are a very poor show.

                Comment

                • paulockenden
                  Automated Home Legend
                  • Apr 2015
                  • 1719

                  Originally posted by ally153 View Post
                  • New feature. The ECO function is now adjustable and is call Eco/boost. The range is +3 > -3C default is as the old Eco function at -3C
                  Fan-bloody-tastic!

                  Thank you.

                  Comment

                  • DBMandrake
                    Automated Home Legend
                    • Sep 2014
                    • 2361

                    Originally posted by paulockenden View Post
                    Fan-bloody-tastic!

                    Thank you.
                    Indeed - a global +/- offset to the schedule of all rooms is something I've wanted for a long time, as I sometimes end up implementing this manually. (zone by zone) Sometimes conditions (or occupant preferences!) are such that you just want to bump the entire house up or down slightly while still following the schedule.

                    I'm just hoping it adjusts in increments of 0.5C and not 1C...
                    Last edited by DBMandrake; 16 August 2020, 10:56 AM.

                    Comment

                    • clivesanders
                      Automated Home Jr Member
                      • Feb 2017
                      • 16

                      Great to see this thread come alive again and welcome to ally153. I run a twelve zone CH plus DHW system and am generally very happy with it. I would normally have participated in the beta test but had only recently had my boiler and cylinder replaced. The boiler is Intergas and the cylinder is a ultra high recovery configured in the so called plan X format with opentherm alone controlling the boiler and one BDR91 for the valve transition between CH and DHW. It all seemed to work well after installation... I have though always monitored the system using an HG180 and Influx/Grafana and as I also brought this back on line I began to notice overshoots in the DHW temperature control. It became obvious that the response of the system to the DHW was too slow. I checked all the usual things and my conclusion is that the Evohome system is not updating the BDR91 quickly enough to work well with the 5 - 8 minutes my cylinder takes to reheat. I solved the problem by taking the BDR91 out of the loop and using the temperature captured by the CS92 / HG180 to operate my own relay on an MQTT system to switch the valve changeover. The opentherm signal operates the boiler as before with the DHW demand. So, in short, I will be interested to see if the new DHW priority can cope with high recovery cylinders. The system as I have with my ‘bodge’ runs flawlessly. I wonder if anyone else has issues with The controller speed of response to switch the BDR91? Just as a side I have confirmed by monitoring the output of Evohome that it is just that the controller that is not responding quickly enough and not RF issues between controller and BDR.
                      Last edited by clivesanders; 16 August 2020, 02:31 PM.

                      Comment

                      • kevinsmart
                        Automated Home Ninja
                        • Sep 2018
                        • 257

                        Clive, in your X plan setup do you also have the Intergas cylinder sensor connected?

                        I set my boiler DHW temperature to the same DHW temperature as EvoHome. When DHW is scheduled and the cylinder temperature is less than 5C below the set point, the Intergas boiler switches to mode 6 and reheats the cylinder at a higher temperature and power setting. This works around the CS92 slow response, as the boiler will stop heating based on the cylinder sensor. I don’t see any overshoots.

                        There is a BDR91 that short circuits the cylinder sensor when DHW is scheduled off.

                        Comment

                        • SteveP
                          Automated Home Guru
                          • Dec 2012
                          • 190

                          Originally posted by DBMandrake View Post
                          Indeed - a global +/- offset to the schedule of all rooms is something I've wanted for a long time, as I sometimes end up implementing this manually. (zone by zone) Sometimes conditions (or occupant preferences!) are such that you just want to bump the entire house up or down slightly while still following the schedule.

                          I'm just hoping it adjusts in increments of 0.5C and not 1C...
                          Re your first comment - totally agree - I end up having to adjust rooms for just 0.5 to 1 c adjustment as the weather warms/cools

                          Re your second - is there a software programmer who has just broken out into a sweat yelling “but I only thought 1 degree increments would be fine “ 🤣🤣

                          Comment

                          • clivesanders
                            Automated Home Jr Member
                            • Feb 2017
                            • 16

                            Hi Kevin, no I don’t have the intergas sensor connected. I did consider exactly what you have done but wanted to try to keep just one setpoint. The CS92 doesn’t seem to be a problem and I’m using it’s measurements it is just that the controller doesn’t output a signal to switch the BDR91 quickly enough for the short heat cycle. I would though if I had to sell the property to a non-techie install exactly as you have. I’m hoping the update will improve the responsiveness.

                            Comment

                            • ally153
                              Automated Home Jr Member
                              • Nov 2014
                              • 30

                              Originally posted by kevinsmart View Post
                              So no fix to read the outside temperature from an OpenTherm boiler?
                              Sorry Kevin, I understand how frustrating it must be to have a local temperature sensor you can't use directly with Evo, unfortunately we didn't have enough time to look into this.

                              Originally posted by CT1 View Post
                              I purchased EvoHome solely for it’s ability to provide fully independent control of. each room, and find most of the more techie features to be a disadvantage, so I am not in a position to comment on the other “enhancements”. I know that many of the members of this forum love to pile on more features, but I am not sure that the general public wants more complications. The plumbers that have serviced my boiler have any all said that they don’t know much about EvoHome and how to operate it.
                              I agree with your comments. Balancing feature sets and usability is a tricky proposition and we have tried our best to keep the product as simple to use as possible. I'm hoping that over time we can better integrate and improve usability.

                              Originally posted by clivesanders View Post
                              Great to see this thread come alive again and welcome to ally153. I run a twelve zone CH plus DHW system and am generally very happy with it. I would normally have participated in the beta test but had only recently had my boiler and cylinder replaced. The boiler is Intergas and the cylinder is a ultra high recovery configured in the so called plan X format with opentherm alone controlling the boiler and one BDR91 for the valve transition between CH and DHW. It all seemed to work well after installation... I have though always monitored the system using an HG180 and Influx/Grafana and as I also brought this back on line I began to notice overshoots in the DHW temperature control. It became obvious that the response of the system to the DHW was too slow. I checked all the usual things and my conclusion is that the Evohome system is not updating the BDR91 quickly enough to work well with the 5 - 8 minutes my cylinder takes to reheat. I solved the problem by taking the BDR91 out of the loop and using the temperature captured by the CS92 / HG180 to operate my own relay on an MQTT system to switch the valve changeover. The opentherm signal operates the boiler as before with the DHW demand. So, in short, I will be interested to see if the new DHW priority can cope with high recovery cylinders. The system as I have with my ‘bodge’ runs flawlessly. I wonder if anyone else has issues with The controller speed of response to switch the BDR91? Just as a side I have confirmed by monitoring the output of Evohome that it is just that the controller that is not responding quickly enough and not RF issues between controller and BDR.
                              Hi Clive, what is your cycle rate set to? The default value would be 6 CPH, if you up that value to 12 CPH the BDRs should cycle more often, which might go some way to helping your system.

                              Originally posted by SteveP View Post
                              Re your first comment - totally agree - I end up having to adjust rooms for just 0.5 to 1 c adjustment as the weather warms/cools

                              Re your second - is there a software programmer who has just broken out into a sweat yelling “but I only thought 1 degree increments would be fine “ 🤣🤣
                              Don't worry, I get to blame AtM if we get the requirements wrong. Luckily in this instance we did make the adjustments 0.5 increments!

                              Comment

                              • clivesanders
                                Automated Home Jr Member
                                • Feb 2017
                                • 16

                                Thanks ally153, I had not considered that. It explains exactly what has been happening as sometimes my loop instigates and completes a DHW heating cycle without the BDR ever being called on or off! I have set the cycle time to 12 per hour as you suggest and switched the DHW to BDR91 control. Fortunately I installed a switch so it’s easy to go back to conventional control. It will be easy to see what happens as I am logging all Evohome and relevant opentherm parameters.

                                Sincerely appreciate your response and will report back after it’s run for 24hrs.

                                Comment

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