I am trying to get my tsu 7000 to dim my x-10 lights using a macro. I can't figure out a way to get the dimming button to stay depressed for a specified period of time.

Eric

Eric,

One alternative of course is to do it manualy by assigning a DIM (1 step) command to an associated button; see the CCF X10 file section; I use Yvan Luk's:
[[Link: remotecentral.com]]

But I presume you want to, for example, dim your light at 50% or by 20% automatically from within a macro. Here I see 3 possibilities, some easy, some not. 1- Get yourself an X10 wall switch, preferably 2-way, with DIM presets and use Yvan Luk's preset codes
2- Get the switch in -1- but make sure it has "resume DIM", as with the SmartHome SwitchLinc's, so when you send an X10 "ON" it will come up at the last DIM level
3- the tough one, make yourself a custom IR code with a defined number of DIM levels (apparently there is a "number of DIM's" field in the X10 message header)

I hope others will pitch in: I'm living this dilemma myself right now; for now I've opted for #2 and I manually adjust DIM. But it would be great to control DIM level via macros.

This looks interesting, one of these days I am going to have to figure out how to edit an ir string, but for now I have succeded in several ways.

For fluid dimming I placed a link to the "dim" button on my left cursor, "bright" on my right cursor, "on" on the up cursor, and "off" on the bottom cursor.

For preset dims levels I used dim links and delays for the desired effects.

Augusty,


I'm curious about your usage of "delays for the desired effects". Can you expand?

You do not need a macro. Just hold the button down as long as desired. Here are the IR543 codes that work for me:

Bright:

0000 006A 0000 0030 00A6 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 002E 0105 01C9 0095 00A6 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 002E 0105 01C9 0095 00A6 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 002E 0105 01C9 0095 00A6 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 002E 0105 01C9 0262

Dim:

0000 006A 0000 0030 00A6 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 01C9 0095 00A6 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 01C9 0095 00A6 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 01C9 0095 00A6 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 002E 0105 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 008F 0097 008F 0097 002E 0105 01C9 0262

Eric's initial post, as I understand it, was looking for advice on dimming specifically through a macro.

Here's an example of where a macro would be useful.

You enter your theater room and with one button press want to activate all the A/V components and have the lights on at 30% brightness. But you don't want to have to press and hold some other button until the lights dim at your preferred level; if you automate, you want to automate all the way, right?. To make matters worst, you have older X10 switches or lamp modules that don't have preset dim's our that cannot resume from last dim.

What would be helpful would be a "repeat" parameter that can be assigned to a link within a macro. This would be useful for dimming, but also for people with components that need a prolonged key press to perform some function.

CV27, just before you posted this response, you posted to the thread where Philips announced that they are adding the ability to specifiy the duration for a code transmission. So why are you suggesting here that this would be a helpful new feature when Philips has already announced it is coming.

Peter,


If you're referring to my post of March 20th 11:43, I was asking the forum a question. I'm still not clear what "IR duration" means. Is it the unit of burst time?

Another participant was saying


This suggests to me "IR send times" affects the physical characteristics of sending a signal.

I would appreciate your insight on that one.

In this thread, I'm talking about a "repeat" factor, as in "send the following code 'x' times", versus having to set up a macro with 'x' number of Links, macro which would then not repeat on a key press and hold. This to me is quite different from IR duration. Maybe I should have simply asked the question: "How can I automate dimming with a macro?"

So far, my impression is that IR duration controls how long in time a given (unique) code is transmitted and could be related for example to one of the following parameter:

Parameters for NEC IR code (decimal values)
Carrier Frequency: 40kHz
Unit of Burst Time: 22 cycles of the carrier
Lead In Burst: 342 171
"1" Burst Pattern: 22 96
"0" Burst Pattern: 22 22
Lead Out: 22, 1427

Could the IR techies please step in and end this painful questionning?

They are doing the equivalent of keeping the button pressed for a specified period of time.

Peter,

Thanks for the clarification.

What is your involvement with this upcoming release of TSU3000 firmware?

Zero.

I guess I am still confused. Is there a way to have my dim button "held down" for a specified period of time rather than having press successive times which gives a strobe light feel. In other words is there a field that I can set up in a macro that will allow a certian duration of a certain ir code?

Again,
I appreciate everyone's input.
Eric

Why couldn't you just put multiple dim commands in the action section? or dim, pause, dim, pause, dim, pause.... until it produces the desired level?

I think I might have a potential solution for you. What I did for my situation was to create a "preset" dim macro. This is done by first having the light in question come up to full brightness using the "on" command and then sending the dim command 7 times. This approach, while slightly less convenient than the preset dim, will allow all modules to function as though they had the preset dim capability. The added bonus is that the degree of dimmness or brightness can be easily adjusted by adding or removing dim commands from the macro, instead of re-programming the modules.

Sending repeated commands did not work on my IR543. I have to hold down the button. I'm really looking forward to the new firmware release that has programable transmission time. I can have all kinds of lighting themes! :)