EA-1 with a self healing power controller

[MikeIn312]

This may be a "Workaround" as opposed to "Pushing Limits" but it's definitely outside normal use.

 

Using an EA-1 in a location where hard wire network is not achievable.  Good Wi-Fi environment, so solid connection to system.  I want to take advantage of a self healing power controller (I.E. it pings the device and reboots outlet if the unit falls offline or freezes).  Is it possible to configure the eth port on the EA-1 to respond to these pings while utilizing a Wi-Fi network connection?  The Linux parts of the OS SHOULD allow me to configure these devices as a network bridge, but even a static setup where the power controller could get a response would be acceptable.

We have the backup plan of installing a wifi bridge with a switch to allow them both full network access.  But a proper setup should allow me to eliminate additional parts (and places to fail).

Thoughts?

 

[Matt Lowe]

this can be done easily with a number of devices.

pakedge has hardware to do this.

bluebolt does as well. 

these would be the two i would use.

[Engineerisaac]

You can do a EA3 and use the relay on NC. So it self sacrifices itself using the power cable to reboot. 

 

This is how I handle EA watchdogs. Using Alan's ping driver

[Matt Lowe]

not sure that you should be sending 120v through the C4 relay, not sure that it is rated for that.

[Pounce]

Isn't the question about pinging an E1 over Wifi from a power supply that can ping the attached devices for health? In other words I read that he has a device that sends pings and he wanted to ping the E1, but is not using the ethernet port.

 

I'd say network pings do not tell you the device software is healthy. A "ping" that is really a logical response from the software is a better indicator. Some hardware devices allow you to make that health ping a restful or http/s request. 

[Cyknight]

2 hours ago, Matt Lowe said:

not sure that you should be sending 120v through the C4 relay, not sure that it is rated for that.

It indeed is not.

[MikeIn312]

The question is can I take an EA-1 that is connected via Wi-Fi and make a bridge through Ethernet port to connect the power controller to the network, or failing that, get the Ethernet port setup static IP so it would respond to a ping from static IP power controller.

[Engineerisaac]

It's actually quite sad but true the ea1 doesn't even have a relay me A3 has a relay that only goes up to 36 volts AC 

The old 300 series totally could handle the amperage but I totally understand why they avoid it it feels like a liability

The 800 had an external power supply so it totally could

But now that you've replied to your post I kind of see what you're really trying to go after and I don't believe that the ea1 will be able to do Network pass-through from the Wi-Fi

 

I think you would have to get something like a Linksys extender or something of better equivalency

[MikeIn312]

I keep re-reading my original post, and I can't figure out how any of you think this has to do with a relay.  I'm talking about using a IP power controller (like snap's wattbox or pakedge/C4's PDU) to reboot the EA-1 if it locks up or falls offline.  The EA-1 is Wi-Fi connected, so I was looking for info on 'hacking' the unit to use the eth port to give internet access to the power controller or failing that, to respond to power controller's pings to confirm it the C4 os is still running properly.  I understand that from within control4 software, there is no way to do this, but since the EA-1 is a device running linux at the most basic level, it certainly IS possible to make this work somehow, by someone more knowledgeable than myself.

In any case, I agree with EngineerIsaac that the only reasonable way to do this would be with a Wi-fi bridge, but for one device it seems overkill to introduce another point of failure to a system.  I wouldn't trust a Linksys Wi-Fi bridge to connect the EA-1 to the system, for example, over the built in interface, so adding one for the power controller is likely to result with the EA-1 being rebooted when it was actually online the whole time, defeating the purpose. 

Thanks for the feedback, though!  I would take the opportunity to complain that the EA-1 has no relay as well, but the new zigbee I/O device that replaces Z2IR, Contact sensor AND relay devices is at a great price point and has worked flawlessly in the systems we've used it.

[sonic30101]

What about a zwave outlet switch that is plugged into the outlet the EA1 is on. 

[lippavisual]

12 hours ago, MikeIn312 said:

I keep re-reading my original post, and I can't figure out how any of you think this has to do with a relay.  I'm talking about using a IP power controller (like snap's wattbox or pakedge/C4's PDU) to reboot the EA-1 if it locks up or falls offline.  The EA-1 is Wi-Fi connected, so I was looking for info on 'hacking' the unit to use the eth port to give internet access to the power controller

That's what I thought you were talking about.  Unfortunately, no way of hacking the EA1's Enet port.  Is the outlet that this is plugged into dedicated??  You could always move the IP PDU where the branch circuit is.  There's options obviously, but some are going to cost more than others.

[Engineerisaac]

The relay de-rail is my bad. I was thinking way too far outside the box for you.

 

 however if it makes you feel any better I've had scenarios where I had no choice but to use a Linksys repeater for said situations.

Wattbox makes a good unit that doesn't completely go off the rail when it comes to bandwidth.

You also can get a wireless extender with the Watchdog built into it to maintain Wireless connectivity.

Engenius access point actually have a bridge mode you can use if you want to go with one of those types of products and they're really good but again they come at a cost.

It would be really cool for the EA to be able to do that and I promise you I've been asking the control4 team to do that for a long time now since the 250 series and they keep talking about how it could be potential but not in the cards at the time which is really just them saying is we don't know how yet

 

I'm thinking it's because the controllers network card is on a Linux level and doesn't run inside the virtual environment directly and I know they hedge when it comes to modifying the Linux kernel to do said things even though it's very much possible

[Matt Lowe]

13 hours ago, MikeIn312 said:

I keep re-reading my original post, and I can't figure out how any of you think this has to do with a relay.  I'm talking about using a IP power controller (like snap's wattbox or pakedge/C4's PDU) to reboot the EA-1 if it locks up or falls offline.  The EA-1 is Wi-Fi connected, so I was looking for info on 'hacking' the unit to use the eth port to give internet access to the power controller or failing that, to respond to power controller's pings to confirm it the C4 os is still running properly.  I understand that from within control4 software, there is no way to do this, but since the EA-1 is a device running linux at the most basic level, it certainly IS possible to make this work somehow, by someone more knowledgeable than myself.

In any case, I agree with EngineerIsaac that the only reasonable way to do this would be with a Wi-fi bridge, but for one device it seems overkill to introduce another point of failure to a system.  I wouldn't trust a Linksys Wi-Fi bridge to connect the EA-1 to the system, for example, over the built in interface, so adding one for the power controller is likely to result with the EA-1 being rebooted when it was actually online the whole time, defeating the purpose. 

Thanks for the feedback, though!  I would take the opportunity to complain that the EA-1 has no relay as well, but the new zigbee I/O device that replaces Z2IR, Contact sensor AND relay devices is at a great price point and has worked flawlessly in the systems we've used it.

You can use a relay to cut power to the controller and reboot it if it falls offline.

as i and others have stated you dont need to hack it. you just need to get a power strip of some sorts to reboot when the controller or the device is unable to ping the controller.

this could be done with 

bluebolt

pakedge

luxul

middle atlantic

Below the ea1 being monitored cannot be director

a 120v relay

a c4 outlet

and thats about all i can think of.

[Engineerisaac]

All valid ideas above. 

 

Ide suggest a wifi extender with watchdog and bridge features. That way the wifi handshake system is handled by the extender. 

If you static the controller too then the handshake in the ea1 will have a higher chance of holding the connection.

Then no need for a power reboot at all.