Are switches individually addressable?

[dlaugh]

Just purchased a home with an established Control4 system. Just downloaded ComposerHE.  Tinkering around in it, and so I expect I may be pestering this nice community with a question or two.

My first curiosity: are switches individually addressable?  Practical example: a room has main lighting and 4 separate switches wired to turn on and off that main lighting.  Can I set one of those switches to respond to a double tap in a certain way , and another to respond a different way?  I don't see a way to do this in HE, but that may be because (i) the dealer who set this up grouped the switches together (likely sensibly) in a way that doesn't currently permit this; (ii) it just isn't possible; (iii) it is possible right now and I'm just not appreciating how to do it.  (These appear to be standard Control4 switches if it makes a difference.)

Thanks!

[Nick Wanerka]

yes if they are control4 switches or dimmers then they are addressed by there ZigBee nodes. Each c4 switch/dimmer can be programmed for a tap once, twice and 3 times and also a hold for top and bottom. so you could have each switch have 8 different commands, and each command can be linked to a preset program or lighting scene or even both. The options to make a c4 switch are almost endless. I have one switch that when you double tap the bottom, it is them programmed to first turn on the garage light and open the garage door, then it will  start the goodbye lighting scene after 60 seconds seconds, turn off any av equipment in the house. (TV's, AVR's, DVD/Blu-Ray players, any streaming music and amps that might be left on), plus then after 3 min the garage door closes, and the alarm is set to away and the garage light turns off, (all the other lights should have gone off after the first 60 seconds). But I also have conditions in the same program. for example when the goodbye lighting scene is triggered and it is after dusk, then the outside lights will stay on, (the outside lights are already set up on timers through control4) but if it is during the day then the outside lights are turned off, and all I do is double tap the bottom of one of my switches on the way to the garage.

But I think this sort of programming can only be done at the dealers level. HE might not have those capabilities.

Your local dealer should be able to set all of that up for you, but he/she will probably charge a nice penny for it. If so and your looking to save money, then other dealers can do all that programming remotely. I am a new dealer and just trying to get my feet wet in this industry now that I went out on my own. If your local dealer does not want to do it, or are to busy or want to charge to much, then I would like to do it for you. Free of charge for the first couple of programming of switches. Like I said I am a new dealer but have been doing Home automation for many years. I am certified in URC total control 2.0 and 3.0, Lutron RadioRa 2 and also the new Lutron RadioRa 3, Clare controls, Control 4 home automation associate installer, Programmer, Centralized  lighting and also PCNA (professionally certified network Administrator). I have all 4 certifications from control4. Plus many other credentials and I am a Florida state Certified Unlimited Electrical Contractor, and if you ask around, the state of Florida Unlimited EC exam is one of the hardest in the country. But like I said just throwing it out there if your local dealer does not want to get involved, I never want to step on a happy control4 dealer/customer relationship.

So if you need me then here is a way to start the conversation and exchange info. You can email me and then we can go from there. I would then Like to talk to you on the phone so get an idea of what your looking to do, your daily routines ect. and give you any ideas if you need. Then go from there

Nick Wanerka

Wanerka Electric of Florida

                        +

Wanerka Low-Voltage and Security   

You can reach me at Nick@wanerka.com  

[Cyknight]

The short answer - yes you can.

To dispute one line from the above reply, there is nothing in HE programming that you can't do in C4 programming as far as the 'programming' tab of composer is concerned

That said, understand that if these are regular dimmers/switches pressing the button on them will ALWAYS trigger the light to go on or off.

So if you program for example:

WHEN dimmer x top button is double tapped
Set dimmer x to 50%

That would create some odd issues because the default press is in place, causing dimmer x to ramp to 100%, then you press again (which would stop the ramp at current level) - but you also register a double tap which sets the level to 50%. Now it'll depend on the system and how fasts things registered what happens: will it stop on the second tap at where it was (say 10%) or go to 50%? Or even jump to 50% - then keep ramping up

Similarly

WHEN dimmer x is double tapped
Set dimmer y to 50%

Will 'work - but you're still starting the ramp on dimmer x, and stopping it with the second tap. So you aren't 'just' setting dimmer y to 50%, you're also doing a small ramp up on dimmer x

 

The 'default' button behaviour (binding) CAN be shut off - but THAT is something you'll have to get your dealer to do I think (don't believe it's possible in HE - but some end users on here can correct me if I'm wrong) as it's in the settings page of the dimmer (or switch) - there's an option to 'use as 2-button' that needs to be selected if it's current gen devices. You can then program whatever you want on single tap, double tap and triple tap.

 

I do NOT advise programming against both press/release AND 1/2/3 tap as it can cause some odd behaviour, though the system will let you do it.

[Cyknight]

6 hours ago, Nick Wanerka said:

I am a new dealer and just trying to get my feet wet in this industry now that I went out on my own.

Wait what?

 

[Nick Wanerka]

Yes I am looking to get out of my family business , yes I am a new Control4 dealer also. I was certified as a control4 dealer a little over a year ago. My father who was the owner of the company and the license holder passed away 2 months ago. That forced me to get my Florida unlimited Electrical contracting license, which I did, but there are to many hands in the cookie jar. Since my dad's passing, I have 4 family member's, 1 being my mother (Who does not need the money 1 bit, as my dad left her very well off), but these 4 family member's all think they are entitled to a weekly salary but not have to do anything for that weekly salary. So instead of fighting it out in court, or worse, at family dinners, since I am now the license holder, I figured just close the business. Yes it is heart breaking, but honestly I have no real good choice. So I have been sending out that letter to anyone that posted a control4 job. 

I am still 100% willing to do some remote programming for you for free. I figure the more I can show the Control4 community what I can do, the better. Then I can get my name around and that will hopefully help me land a good job. A lot of people talk the talk and say how good they are, and that they can program/install any control4 system, but when asked to prove there worth then its a whole different story. Well I am willing to talk the talk and walk the walk, show anyone that will give me a chance what I can do.

So there it is in a nut shell. If you need some remote programming done, I am your man. If you have a job in the home automation/AV/Networking business  then I am still your man

[Cyknight]

1 hour ago, Nick Wanerka said:

So there it is in a nut shell.

Ah ok, understood

[dlaugh]

Thank you both, this was very helpful.  (And best of luck to you in launching a new business, Nick!)

There is still one nuance to my question I'm not sure of the answer to:

Example Room X.

Room X has main overhead lights.

The main overhead lights are presently controlled from 4 separate switches at various entrances to Room X.  Each switch presently behaves identically.

In ComposerHE, all I see for Room X is "Main Overhead Lights."  I do not see, e.g., Switch 1, Switch 2, etc.

I can alter the tap programming for Main Overhead Lights, but it applies equally to each of the 4 switches.

Reading Cy and Nick's responses, I take it this is because of dealer-level bindings?  That somewhere on the dealer end these individual switches have been bound together into a Main Overhead Lights group, and that ComposerHE is only capable of interacting at that group level?  Do I understand that correctly?

[msgreenf]

8 minutes ago, dlaugh said:

Thank you both, this was very helpful.  (And best of luck to you in launching a new business, Nick!)

There is still one nuance to my question I'm not sure of the answer to:

Example Room X.

Room X has main overhead lights.

The main overhead lights are presently controlled from 4 separate switches at various entrances to Room X.  Each switch presently behaves identically.

In ComposerHE, all I see for Room X is "Main Overhead Lights."  I do not see, e.g., Switch 1, Switch 2, etc.

I can alter the tap programming for Main Overhead Lights, but it applies equally to each of the 4 switches.

Reading Cy and Nick's responses, I take it this is because of dealer-level bindings?  That somewhere on the dealer end these individual switches have been bound together into a Main Overhead Lights group, and that ComposerHE is only capable of interacting at that group level?  Do I understand that correctly?

That means the other switches are aux switches which are effectively dummies and can't be programmed against

[dlaugh]

Thanks.  Is that alterable?  (By a dealer.)

[msgreenf]

2 hours ago, dlaugh said:

Thanks.  Is that alterable?  (By a dealer.)

Yes. Replace the aux w keypads. (I have used keypads in stock!)

[C4 User]

Note that you can purchase the keypads from @msgreenf , install them yourself, and have @msgreenf or one of the other remote programmers on this forum add the new switches to your system.

And regarding your original post, if you engage your dealer or a remote programmer, have them review CONNECTIONS on all of your switches and explain these to you. If you have C4 switches connected to each other or to lighting loads via CONNECTIONS and you try to program those buttons, you will get odd behaviors.