Owner's Manual (Complete)

The Home Control Assistant 1
Chapter 4
Devices
A “device” is the name HCA gives to real world items – like a switch or module – that it can
control.
First you “create” the device in HCA using the New Device Wizard. When you create the device
in HCA, you give it a name, and other parameters. The New Device Wizard helps you through this
process for each device that you want to create for your own home. Then if you need to, you can
later modify the properties that you set up when you created each device.
This chapter concentrates on creating devices and how to later modify the properties for any
device. Sections in this chapter include:
 About devices
 Planning your devices
 Creating a new device
 Modifying an existing device
- Using the Options tab
 Deleting a device
 Insteon devices
 UPB devices
About devices
“Device” is the term used in HCA to represent any item in your home that is controlled with power
line signals - X10, Insteon, UPB, IR. A device can be a lamp or appliance, in any room or
location of your house. Each device has some way to identify it from all others. For X10 devices
this is by a house code and a unit code which is set in some way at the switch or module. For UPB
devices this is the unit code assigned to it when it was set up. HCA must know the device’s
address so that HCA can control the device.
In HCA, a device can be independent, it can be part of a group, it can be part of a schedule, and it
can be controlled by a program. You may want to review the chapters on groups, schedules, and
programs before you begin to create devices, as how you will control it may affect how you name
it, or what notes you include with the device. You will also want to read the following section on
planning your devices before you get down to the creation of the devices.
Much of the discussion in the chapter applies to X10 devices but the general concepts are the same
for all types of protocols
UPB devices are added to your design by importing a UPB network file. This is explained in the
UPB appendix.
How IR devices are set up and controlled depends upon the IR interface being used. See the HCA
appendix for the HouseLinc, IRLinc, and Global Cache which are interfaces for controlling IR
devices.