Re: was: Re: Idratek - Serious Contender? Now: Alternative to clipsal switches in C-Bus Install

[Kevin Hawkins <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nigel Giddings wrote:
>
> The main driver for this is cost, secondly, as much as I like the
clipsal C-Bus switches they are only switches ...
Actually they are quite a bit more in practice. Aside from simple ONOFF
they can easily be set up for many actions including dimming, ramps,
timers, scene triggers etc, and they have multi state feedback
indicators.  Some switches have IR receivers too.  Most importantly
depending on the model of switch they can also store and manage scenes
on C-Bus.   C-Bus is also very intelligent with regard to any
discrepancies it comes across (for example 2 switches think a light is
ON but another switch and a dimmer thinks it's OFF, perhaps caused by a
glitch, or a network interruption).  There is an involved arbitration
system that will resolve such inconsistencies that C-Bus switches
participate in.  Also although it is fairly simple to send a "Group XX
to Level YY" onto C-Bus say via the PCI - something on C-Bus has to
maintain the group level and report it periodically , you can't create
'phantom' groups on C-Bus that are maintained like true C-Bus groups
(arbitration/reporting/status etc) .  This means that some C-Bus
hardware device has to have the group defined.

One of the things I am doing is using xAP to control C-Bus - hence any
switch that can generate a xAP command can control a C-Bus load.  The
xAP Netiom for example has 16 inputs (which are debounced) and thus can
attach to 16 switches - for £70+VAT - also you get 16 outputs as well. -
usable for relays with C-Bus control.
http://www.phaedrusltd.com/pages/html/netiom-xap.html
What I don't know just yet is how immune these are to long distance runs
for the switches. If you can run the wires not alongside any mains that
would help of course.   For say 4 x 4 way switches in one room this
might be worth considering. There are a couple of other things like how
to get dimming working based on momentary actions and how to map xAP to
C-Bus groups but all achievable (currently needs a PC application helper).

Kevin