Lighting Controls

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resistance

resistance

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Hello! I have never done a lighting control system?yes, really I haven?t :) Has anyone worked with this type of system:http://www.insteon.com? If so, do you have a hardwired type wiring diagram that shows how the system?as a whole-- is wired. [As a whole=from a router or etc to the switch]. I was told it will have a brain, and the wall pads (6-8 button) will receive a signal from a gang of switches in a remote location. Just need some info, so I can study up on the product. Want to be one step ahead. TY!
 
Why not use less generic and more descriptive title and avoid ambiguity like "this system" so we don't have to waste time just to get a general idea of what it is WITHOUThaving to click a link?

It's just another consumer market proprietary building automation implementation that is not compatible with competitor devices. X10, Z-Wave,WiFi,Bluetooth,Zigbee wired or whatever flavor of connection that lets you address the system from the internet to do the same thing like turn off/on stuff remotely.

WN3Z3mq.jpg

Snagged this picture from Alibaba.
 
I have Insteon on my house. The switches and keypads require a neutral in the box. Three and four way switching is accomplished with additional wall dimmers with no load. All the devices talk to each other over the existing wiring and RF simultaneously. All programming for a dimer is stored in the dimmer, so swapping a failed unit is a little more of a challenge if you don't have a computer. The units are individually addressed, I didn't install the wall plates until the initial programming was complete, so I could still see the address on the front of the dimmers.
 
DTLight said:
I have Insteon on my house. The switches and keypads require a neutral in the box. Three and four way switching is accomplished with additional wall dimmers with no load. All the devices talk to each other over the existing wiring and RF simultaneously. All programming for a dimer is stored in the dimmer, so swapping a failed unit is a little more of a challenge if you don't have a computer. The units are individually addressed, I didn't install the wall plates until the initial programming was complete, so I could still see the address on the front of the dimmers.
Click to expand...

Building automation is nothing like buying a cell phone, so you need to seriously think about availability to add, expand or replace components 15-20 years later. Dimming standards are forward phase cut or 0-10v. The latter has been very slow to penetrate, but I feel confident about an additional pair of 18/2 to each fixture, because it's easy enough to re-purpose the pair for another method. Those are the only two that really stuck around. And DMX in production and stage. Philips does something else over these two wires. There's a system that uses a second hot that is dimmed. The dimmed hot is line voltage, but it does not carry power and it's only used to communicate dimming. Lutron Electronics is the only who uses this, but they're moving away from this.

All the digitally linked ones are like cordless phone handsets at this point. You will only be able to buy pieces that can talk to each other for a few years.
 
Its pretty much the same as lutron. Good input DTlight! Thanks for the input, but I believe I got it!
 
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