How to solve problem with Cinegration shades driver?

[DLite]

We use the Cinegration Somfy driver with a Somfy Urtsi to control our Somfy shades.  We also use the Somfy shade remotes, and this causes a problem I haven't been able to fix.  If the Cinegration driver thinks the shades are closed, then programmatically issuing a "close" command has no effect -- i.e., there is no "close" command actually sent to the shade motors.  This causes problems whenever someone has previously opened the shades using the Somfy remote, instead of using C4.  

Is there a way to force the driver to issue a "close" command, regardless of what it thinks the status of the shade is?  Is this a problem with the Cinegration driver?  Would switching to the Domosapiens driver solve this problem for us?  

(A workaround is to issue "open" commands before a close, but this becomes incredibly annoying, since sometimes the shades are actually closed to start with.)

Thanks!

[pbir]

The Domosapiens Generic Somfy driver has a feature which could help, but only if you use a programming command.

The driver has a Device Specific Command 'Inform Blind'.  This was originally intended to inform individual blind drivers when myLink scenes were used, but it may be useful in other circumstances such as this.

Let's say the last operation done with the driver was to close (down) the shade.  Then, the user opens the shade using a Somfy remote.  The driver (and the Control4 proxy) think the shade is still closed and will not allow you to close it via Navigator.

The workaround is to use the following in programming for a 'Down' button:

    Inform Blind ... of Up/Open Movement

    Set the blind target level on ... to Closed

Similarly, for an 'Up' button:

    Inform Blind ... of Down/Closed Movement

    Set the blind target level on ... to Open

Paul Biron

Domosapiens

[South Africa C4 user]

@Cinegration would need to reply.

I use 2 different blind drivers at my house and unless you have contact sensors on the blinds to show the open and closed state you will normally have this problem if you are using 2 methods of controlling the blind (e.g. the Somfy remote and C4).  Changing to the Domosapiens driver won’t fix this.

[DLite]

Thanks for clarifying.  I was hoping there was a clean solution, since the old-school (V1) Somfy shade driver didn’t have this issue.  

It is a bit mystifying to me though, as I don’t see an obvious downside of issuing an RF close command in the “fully closed” state — worst-case is that the shade motor ignores the command.

[DLite]

35 minutes ago, pbir said:

The Domosapiens Generic Somfy driver has a feature which could help, but only if you use a programming command.

The driver has a Device Specific Command 'Inform Blind'.  This was originally intended to inform individual blind drivers when myLink scenes were used, but it may be useful in other circumstances such as this.

Let's say the last operation done with the driver was to close (down) the shade.  Then, the user opens the shade using a Somfy remote.  The driver (and the Control4 proxy) think the shade is still closed and will not allow you to close it via Navigator.

The workaround is to use the following in programming for a 'Down' button:

    Inform Blind ... of Up/Open Movement

    Set the blind target level on ... to Closed

Similarly, for an 'Up' button:

    Inform Blind ... of Down/Closed Movement

    Set the blind target level on ... to Open

Paul Biron

Domosapiens

Wow, very cool!  Thanks, Paul.  

[pbir]

I would add that our Advanced Blind Control driver (for non-Somfy one-way blinds) also has this feature.

Paul Biron

Domosapiens

[South Africa C4 user]

1 hour ago, pbir said:

The Domosapiens Generic Somfy driver has a feature which could help, but only if you use a programming command.

The driver has a Device Specific Command 'Inform Blind'.  This was originally intended to inform individual blind drivers when myLink scenes were used, but it may be useful in other circumstances such as this.

Let's say the last operation done with the driver was to close (down) the shade.  Then, the user opens the shade using a Somfy remote.  The driver (and the Control4 proxy) think the shade is still closed and will not allow you to close it via Navigator.

The workaround is to use the following in programming for a 'Down' button:

    Inform Blind ... of Up/Open Movement

    Set the blind target level on ... to Closed

Similarly, for an 'Up' button:

    Inform Blind ... of Down/Closed Movement

    Set the blind target level on ... to Open

Paul Biron

Domosapiens

Thanks Paul!

I will be giving this a try!

[DLite]

17 minutes ago, pbir said:

I would add that our Advanced Blind Control driver (for non-Somfy one-way blinds) also has this feature.

Paul Biron

Domosapiens

Paul,

I just want to check to make sure I understand.  Would the following work as the routine way to close the blinds programmatically:

If blinds are not fully closed:   Then close the blinds;

Else:  1) inform blind of up/open; and 2) Close the blinds.

Will this code work fine even in the case where the C4 state is "fully closed" and the blind itself is indeed fully closed?  I assume in this case, the RF "close" command is issued by the Somfy Urtsi but then appropriately ignored by the motor -- is that correct?

Thanks!  Again, this is a very cool feature.

 

[OceanDad]

1 hour ago, pbir said:

I would add that our Advanced Blind Control driver (for non-Somfy one-way blinds) also has this feature.

I love this driver.  Allows a pseudo-2 way control over basic one way blinds, using timers that are built in to the driver.

[pbir]

2 hours ago, DLite said:

Paul,

I just want to check to make sure I understand.  Would the following work as the routine way to close the blinds programmatically:

If blinds are not fully closed:   Then close the blinds;

Else:  1) inform blind of up/open; and 2) Close the blinds.

Will this code work fine even in the case where the C4 state is "fully closed" and the blind itself is indeed fully closed?  I assume in this case, the RF "close" command is issued by the Somfy Urtsi but then appropriately ignored by the motor -- is that correct?

Thanks!  Again, this is a very cool feature.

 

You really do not need the if statement, as these are one-way blinds.  Control4 does not physically know if the blind is fully closed or not and all you want is to issue a close/down command.  So, simply inform then close.   Inform will not break anything.

Paul