ecsl@netbloc.com: 9015: Question About Light Control Using ECS

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Question About Light Control Using ECS
Kevin Trainor
Tue, 29 Aug 2000 13:53:45 -0500

Tue, 29 Aug 2000 13:53:45 -0500

I have downloaded a trial copy of ECS.  As a proof of concept, I am trying to duplicate
the light control system that I am currently using that is based upon the CM11A and
ActiveHome.  When I look at the default light control event coding that installs with
ECS, I am a bit confused about how it works.  The "Outside Lights" and "Inside Lights"
events both appear to send an ON command or an OFF command to their respective list
of lights on every ECS pass.  I'm wondering if this is standard coding practice for
light control or not.  Does this cause a steady stream of commands to be sent to the
PLC interface?  Or, are they intercepted somewhere and not transmitted because they
are redundant?

With my current CM11A/ActiveHome setup, I find that I often need to code repetitive
ON commands in order to make sure that certain lights in my house do indeed turn on.
 Is this coding technique simply an elegant way of dealing with that problem?  If so,
doesn't this techniqe pollute the circuit with a lot of unnecessary commands?

Thanks in advance for your help.  I know that this is a simple matter.  But, I am just
not figuring it out on my own.

Kevin

I have downloaded a trial copy of ECS. As a proof of concept, I am trying to duplicate the light control system that I am currently using that is based upon the CM11A and ActiveHome. When I look at the default light control event coding that installs with ECS, I am a bit confused about how it works. The "Outside Lights" and "Inside Lights" events both appear to send an ON command or an OFF command to their respective list of lights on every ECS pass. I'm wondering if this is standard coding practice for light control or not. Does this cause a steady stream of commands to be sent to the PLC interface? Or, are they intercepted somewhere and not transmitted because they are redundant?

With my current CM11A/ActiveHome setup, I find that I often need to code repetitive ON commands in order to make sure that certain lights in my house do indeed turn on. Is this coding technique simply an elegant way of dealing with that problem? If so, doesn't this techniqe pollute the circuit with a lot of unnecessary commands?

Thanks in advance for your help. I know that this is a simple matter. But, I am just not figuring it out on my own.

Kevin