Visual IHC Controller Plugin V1.0.1

[mikejac]

Greetings,

I have developed a plugin for the Lauritz Knudsen A/S Visual IHC Controller. The new Wireless controller has not been tested with the plugin. If you live outside Scandinavia or Spain, you probably have nothing to use this plugin for (AFAIK the controller is not sold outside those countries)...

The IHC Controller provides 128 digital inputs and 128 digital outputs (low-voltage as well as power-relays). Your HS PC connects to the IHC Controller via a RS232 cable.

PLUGIN DESCRIPTION:

- Supports one IHC Controller currently.
- Provides 128 inputs (uses two housecodes).
- Provides 128 outputs (uses two housecodes) which can be controlled from HS.
- Provides triggers for all inputs and outputs.

PRE-REQUISITES AND INSTALLATION:

1) Requires HS 2.1 (the plugin was made by Visual Studio 2005 which uses .NET version 2).
2) See the included README file....

The plugin is for free (GNU Public License).

You can download the compiled plugin as well as the source code here: http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...roup_id=164838

Regards,
Michael

[jlikonen]

Mikejac,

This plugin sounds really great. We are going to build a new house and I have been thinking of using IHC system for controlling lights, but when I contacted IHC agent here in Finland they told me that they can't provide the serial protocol. Another problem is that the IHC resellers are not that interested in selling single components but they would like to do the programming and fitting, which would eventually become very expensive. Do you know whether it is possible to get IHC somponents from somewhere. I just checked the IHC site in Finland and now they provide a program for configuration of the IHC system. Is it difficult to make the programming yourself? Can you control lights with your plugin? I would use IHC only for lights; I use other systems for controlling heating and ventilation.

[tooms]

Mikejac,

This plugin sounds really great.

Hi jlikonen

sorry to just jump in but i'm the co-code with Mikejac on IHC software kit projekt.

We are going to build a new house and I have been thinking of using IHC system for controlling lights, but when I contacted IHC agent here in Finland they told me that they can't provide the serial protocol. Another problem is that the IHC resellers are not that interested in selling single components but they would like to do the programming and fitting, which would eventually become very expensive. Do you know whether it is possible to get IHC somponents from somewhere. I just checked the IHC site in Finland and now they provide a program for configuration of the IHC system. Is it difficult to make the programming yourself? Can you control lights with your plugin? I would use IHC only for lights; I use other systems for controlling heating and ventilation.

First thing tp note before buying IHC system to your house, IHC software kit does only work on the controller call "IHC visual controller 128" and not on the new wireless controller, but we are in the process of looking at the new controller.

The IHC system is not hard to program and has some good software todo it, so don't be worried about that, it is more getting hands on the software in the first place as they like to get money for selling you a cdrom with a copy of the software.

So try look into the cool plugin that Mikejac has done for the homeseer app.

[jlikonen]

tooms,
Thanks a lot for your reply. I think I am not going to have a full IHC system installed in our house but I would like to start with a starter kit and learn to programme it and then install the controller with few output modules. I want to integrate this with Homeseer. I don't want to have an IHC reseller to install it because I want to do it myself. So, basically I want to control ligths. What modules do I need (for controlling one lamp) and from where I can buy them?

[tooms]

tooms,
Thanks a lot for your reply. I think I am not going to have a full IHC system installed in our house but I would like to start with a starter kit and learn to programme it and then install the controller with few output modules. I want to integrate this with Homeseer. I don't want to have an IHC reseller to install it because I want to do it myself. So, basically I want to control ligths. What modules do I need (for controlling one lamp) and from where I can buy them?

The smallest start kit will be:

1 controller
1 power unit.
1 output module
1 input module
and some button's to click on.

Don't know about english webshops but here is some danish..

http://www.billigihc.dk/
http://www.greenline.dk/
http://www.elvvs.dk/index.php

and the software can be download from LK's website, it is just hard to finde ;-)

[jlikonen]

Tooms,

Thanks a lot for the info. I have looked at some of the websites you mentioned and I found also one finnish one. The controller (10 86 016 415) seems to be lot cheaper in Denmark than in Finland. I wonder why. This shows that a complete IHC system would be extremely expensive (including installation) because just the controller is about 3 times more expensive than in Denmark. I guess it will be lot cheaper to do it by myself. Of course it will be s stepwise project (change to IHC in one room at a time) for me.

One thing which I should also check is the wiring. I'll have a normal system (for lights) at first and then change to IHC gradually. If I have understood correctly the wall switches operate with low DC voltage. Is the output (e.g. dimming) unit near the controller and not near e.g. the lamp. So what is not quite clear to me is that are all the units in a special enclosure. If this is the case then I need a cable (low voltage) for the wall switch and a power line (neutral and 230VAC) for the lamp. I am going to use plastic fitting tubes in the house but I don't know whether it is allowed to have a low voltage and high voltage (230VAC) cable in the same tube. I have to check this.

Tooms, I haven't yet downloaded the plugin but I wonder what you can do with it. Can you control e.g. lights with it?

It seems that the Danish wall switches are different from the Finnish ones. Hopefully I can use the Finnish ones with the Danish controller.

I am quite excited about the plugin for HS. IHC is quite popular here in Finland but expensive. I believe that HS is far better then IHC's own program, especially now when there is a plugin for HS.

[mikejac]

One thing which I should also check is the wiring. I'll have a normal system (for lights) at first and then change to IHC gradually. If I have understood correctly the wall switches operate with low DC voltage. Is the output (e.g. dimming) unit near the controller and not near e.g. the lamp. So what is not quite clear to me is that are all the units in a special enclosure. If this is the case then I need a cable (low voltage) for the wall switch and a power line (neutral and 230VAC) for the lamp. I am going to use plastic fitting tubes in the house but I don't know whether it is allowed to have a low voltage and high voltage (230VAC) cable in the same tube. I have to check this.

The dimmer would be installed in the same enclosure(s) as the IHC Controller and it's input/output modules.

Tooms, I haven't yet downloaded the plugin but I wonder what you can do with it. Can you control e.g. lights with it?

Yes you can control lights with it - the plugin can control all the outputs connected to the controller (on/off).

It seems that the Danish wall switches are different from the Finnish ones. Hopefully I can use the Finnish ones with the Danish controller.

Should not be a problem.

/Mikejac

[tooms]

Tooms,

Thanks a lot for the info. I have looked at some of the websites you mentioned and I found also one finnish one. The controller (10 86 016 415) seems to be lot cheaper in Denmark than in Finland. I wonder why. This shows that a complete IHC system would be extremely expensive (including installation) because just the controller is about 3 times more expensive than in Denmark.

I does not know why it is so expensive and there is so big price difference between country's, but remember one thing before buying that the software is localize, so if you buy hardware from Denmark then you will get danish software !!

From what i have seen Denmark is the cheapest place to buy the IHC system from, and even then i think the price model is wrong.. it is still to expensive... it can not cost that much to make it.

I guess it will be lot cheaper to do it by myself. Of course it will be s stepwise project (change to IHC in one room at a time) for me.

Sounds like you are trying the integrate a IHC system into a old house, then it will be a lot smart (and expensive) to look at the new wireless system where you go wireless with some of the IHC parts..... but it is a lot more expensive and the IHC software kit + homeseer does not work on that system (jet)

One thing which I should also check is the wiring. I'll have a normal system (for lights) at first and then change to IHC gradually. If I have understood correctly the wall switches operate with low DC voltage. Is the output (e.g. dimming) unit near the controller and not near e.g. the lamp. So what is not quite clear to me is that are all the units in a special enclosure. If this is the case then I need a cable (low voltage) for the wall switch and a power line (neutral and 230VAC) for the lamp. I am going to use plastic fitting tubes in the house but I don't know whether it is allowed to have a low voltage and high voltage (230VAC) cable in the same tube. I have to check this.

Place make sure you keep up to the local electricity law, in Denmark the law says that every wire set most be double isolate from another wire set.....

So if there is single isolate wire in the tube then it is not legal to put another wire set into the tube. So to put a low voltage wire into a tube with 230VAC wire then both cables in the tube most be double isolate(4 lagers of isolate between the copper in the low-voltage wire to the copper in the 230VAC wire)

Tooms, I haven't yet downloaded the plugin but I wonder what you can do with it. Can you control e.g. lights with it?

It seems that the Danish wall switches are different from the Finnish ones. Hopefully I can use the Finnish ones with the Danish controller.

Yes in Denmark we are using two systems called FUGA and OPUS, with FUGA as the oldest and most used, i guess that it is not compatibility with the system you have as most country's in the world are using different systems.

I am quite excited about the plugin for HS. IHC is quite popular here in Finland but expensive. I believe that HS is far better then IHC's own program, especially now when there is a plugin for HS.

Just glad to hear that you find Mikejac and my work useful, but before you buy IHC gear for a whole years pay then i will recommend you to try out the setup with IHC, homeseer and the plug in, maybe at a friends IHC system.

;-)
Thomas

[jlikonen]

Thomas and Mikejac,

Thanks a lot for your replies. IHC is expensive but I think LK has put quite lot of money in developing the system. Prices for IHC units are much higher (2-3 times) in Finland and that is really ridiculous.

If I buy the controller from Denmark, is it possible to download the software from somewhere. We have agent in FInland and I noticed that you can download a program from their website but I don't know whether this program is the same which comes with the controller.

We are building a new house, but most likely we will have normal wall swithes for lights at first and later I will start integrating IHC. Of course this means that i have to do some rewiring which requires quite lot of work. Reason for this is that I have to do all the other automation things first (control of heating and ventilation). I don't like any wireless systems; I believe that hard-wired systems are much more reliable.

I have to check the regulations for wiring. In Finland the wall switch is between the mains supply and lamp, and this means that I have to put the low voltage and mains cable into the same tube (from controller and output module). Perhaps both cables should be put at the same time when we are building the house and afterwards install the IHC system. This would save time.

Jari

[tooms]

Thomas and Mikejac,

Thanks a lot for your replies. IHC is expensive but I think LK has put quite lot of money in developing the system. Prices for IHC units are much higher (2-3 times) in Finland and that is really ridiculous.

If I buy the controller from Denmark, is it possible to download the software from somewhere. We have agent in FInland and I noticed that you can download a program from their website but I don't know whether this program is the same which comes with the controller.

For the "IHC visual controller 128" there exist a number of software..

IHC Visual 1.32
This is the software to program the IHC system with.

IHC Service 1.8
This is a small app to monitor a the input and output on a IHC system, This software must be install in ordre for the IHC software kit or IHC homeseer plugin to work as we use the ActiveX from this software to talk to the IHC system.

IHC Firmware Loader 1.1
a small app to update the controllers firmware



The new wireless controller "IHC visual controller 128 wireless"

IHC Visual 2.00
This is the software to program the IHC system with.

We are building a new house, but most likely we will have normal wall swithes for lights at first and later I will start integrating IHC. Of course this means that i have to do some rewiring which requires quite lot of work. Reason for this is that I have to do all the other automation things first (control of heating and ventilation). I don't like any wireless systems; I believe that hard-wired systems are much more reliable.

yes i'm also best like hard-wired systems but it is not allways posible in a old house.

I have to check the regulations for wiring. In Finland the wall switch is between the mains supply and lamp, and this means that I have to put the low voltage and mains cable into the same tube (from controller and output module). Perhaps both cables should be put at the same time when we are building the house and afterwards install the IHC system. This would save time.

Jari

[jlikonen]

Tooms,

Thanks a lot for your reply. I checked that our IHC agent (www.schneider-electric.fi) has the finnish versions of the programs you mentioned above. So, I can get them easily.

I have now looked at the prices for the controllers and it seems that www.billigihc.dk is the cheapest place. Hopefully they can ship units to Finland.

Tooms, I found your web site couple of days ago but I just realised that it is your site.

Do you and Michael have Homseer servers running? I had Homeseer in our previous house but we sold the house and we will start building a new one later this year.

Jari

[tooms]

Tooms,

Thanks a lot for your reply. I checked that our IHC agent (www.schneider-electric.fi) has the finnish versions of the programs you mentioned above. So, I can get them easily.

okey cool

I have now looked at the prices for the controllers and it seems that www.billigihc.dk is the cheapest place. Hopefully they can ship units to Finland.

i can see that they ship to sweden, so why not finland..

Tooms, I found your web site couple of days ago but I just realised that it is your site.

yes my site is http://www.tooms.dk and the main things are IHC and anti spam fighting, hope it help you.

Do you and Michael have Homseer servers running? I had Homeseer in our previous house but we sold the house and we will start building a new one later this year.

Jari

No homeseer is a hole new thing for my, i have not even look at it before Michael email me about the plugin hi has build for it.....
So i'm a newbee at homeseer and is tring to look at it right now to learn how it works..

[mikejac]

Do you and Michael have Homseer servers running? I had Homeseer in our previous house but we sold the house and we will start building a new one later this year.

I have it running, but as with Tooms, it's pretty new to me as well. I choose HomeSeer because it has support for MainLobby....

/Mikejac

[mikejac]

Just got the IHC plugin to work with the UltraView2 plugin :-)

/Mikejac

[tooms]

Mikejac and i have now decode the native RS485 IHC protocol so there soon can be a version of this plugin that work on all the IHC controllers and not only the visual... also we do not need the LK software anymore as we will use our own code.