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| Make/Model | Device Version | Connection Type |
| Brightan/CAN | 0.6 | Serial RS232 |
This driver provides access to the Brightan Controller Area Network CAN network which can comprise of anywhere from 1 to 127 networked boards, all through the one RS232 connection. Each Brightan board can be configured for a number of different devices including switch inputs, infrared inputs, dimming outputs, analog inputs, relay outputs, scenes, and timers. Each device can communicate with each other through a CAN connection to build a completely stand-alone system that can also pass information to CQC (asynchronously) through one of the boards that is equipped with an RS232 port. A Table (see below for full description) contains a list of devices on the network that CQC is interested in reading and writing to. When the driver starts, it polls the table to find out what device types are present and builds the appropriate fields dynamically.
Note that the configuration process of the Devices and the Table is done with a separate Brightan configuration program. See www.brightan.com for more details.
None known at this time.
The parameters are selectable from 9600, 38400, 57600 and 115200 baud, 8 bits, one stop bit, no parity. Use the fastest speed supportable by your hardware and wiring run, to maximize performance.
Because the Brightan network can contain hundreds of devices, all sending data at different times, and each device can send data rather rapidly (compared to the speed at which an RS232 device can operate) it would be easy to swamp a PC based control system with too much data, much of it not actually required. The Brightan RS232 interface uses an internal Table that contains the list of all of the Nodes and Devices on the Brightan network that we are interested in watching. This means that if one of the Devices listed within the table changes states, the RS232 port will transmit a message to notify CQC that something has happened. Also, a built in function of the interface is that if status messages are received very rapidly, before the actual packet has gone out of the RS232 port, the oldest status message will be deleted and replaced with the newest. An Update Rate setting for each Table entry will tell the interface how often to report new status messages, even if they are received faster than that setting. Note that in some cases, the oldest message is not deleted. In the case where a digital input goes from zero to one and back to zero again, it is important that CQC be notified of this transition, not just the last one. In this case, both the one and zero transition will be reported through the RS232 port. Currently there is room for 75 table entries, numbered from 0 to 74.
Fields are dynamically created based on the type of devices found in the Table! The field name is based on the name that is given to the device when it is configured.
Default fields:
Name Type R/W Description/Limits Command String Write Send commands, depends on Device Resync Boolean Write Reloads the table to see what Devices are present Digital Input Field(s):
Name Type R/W Description/Limits Value Boolean Read Current status of digital input. These inputs are pulled to +5v and are meant to be switched to ground to activate, so, with the switch open (+5v) the value returned is False. With the switch pulled to ground (0v) the value = True Infrared Input Field(s):
The infrared input Device on a Brightan board accepts commands from a simple 14 button remote control. Each button can be configured to send commands to other devices such as a dimming output to fade up, fade down and turn on and off. Each button can also be used to send a Boolean on/off to CQC so it looks the same as a digital input (above) but is actually coming from the 14 button remote control.
Name Type R/W Description/Limits Value Boolean Read Current status of remote control button:
Not pressed = False, Pressed = TrueAC Dimming Output Field(s):
This device is capable of outputting a phase controlled, +5v signal to control a solid state relay for the control and dimming of a 110v light. It has a programmable Soft On/Off feature that dims a light up and down over a small amount of time (0-2sec). It can also be set to fade to a different value over time, from 1 second to over 9 hours. It can also be configured to be a simple on/off output for controlling something that is not dimmable, like a motor.
Name
Type
R/W
Description/Limits
Value
Integer
Read/Write
A value of 0-100. If the output is set to be a simple on/off device then 0=off and any value (1-100) is on
Command Strings:
Name
Usage
Example
Description
DimRamp
DimRamp:Name,Value,Time
DimRamp:Lamp1,50,120
Dim “Lamp1” to a new value of 50% over 120 seconds
DimFullOn
DimFullOn:Name
DimFullOn:Lamp1
Set “Lamp1” to 100% brightness (SoftOn/Off settings still apply)
DimOn
DimOn:Name
DimOn:Lamp1
Set “Lamp1” to whatever its current On setting is. This can either be a constant preset level or the last value it was left on, depending on its configuration (Current SoftOn/Off settings still apply)
DimOff
DimOff:Name
DimOff:Lamp1
Turn “Lamp1” off (Current SoftOn/Off settings still apply)
DC Dimming Output Field(s):
This Device is capable of a PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) output between 0 and 5VDC and can be used to drive a transistor, FET or other power driver to run a DC load. It can be dimmed and has the Soft On/Off features just like an AC dimming output and all of the fields work the same as the AC dimming output.
Analog Input Field(s):
This Device can read an analog input between 0 and 5V (and scaled internally) and configured to transmit periodically or when a certain amount of change occurs (or both)
Name
Type
R/W
Description/Limits
Value
Integer
Read
Currently limited to 0-255 but this has to be changed
Scene Field(s):
This Device is not a physical I/O pin, but rather, a list of commands that can be executed by CQC that run at the CAN network level (making it very fast). Each Scene can hold up to 18 Scene Entries, each entry can be the following:
- Command an output to go to a new value over time
- Simple if/then/else decisions based on an output value or day/night etc
- Call another Scene
- Plus more…
Another feature of a Scene is that you can tell each of the 18 Scene Entries to respond to certain commands going to the Scene. You can tell a Scene to Execute, Fade Up, Fade Down, Full On, or Full Off. Then you can tell each Scene Entries whether they should respond to a command. For example, we have three lights, “Outside”, “Lamp” and “Front Door”
We could have all three lights in a scene that we would execute when we come home.
- Turn outside light off
- Turn front door light to 50% over 5 seconds
- Turn Lamp on to %75 over 2 seconds
But we can tell the outside light to only respond to the execute command and the front door light and the lamp to respond to a Full On command. We can then run the scene the above actions will occur but if we then send the Full On command, only the front door and lamp will get the command from the scene.
This is just a simple example, please refer to the Brightan website for a complete description.
Name
Type
R/W
Description/Limits
Value
Boolean
Write
When True, execute the Scene
Command Strings
Name
Usage
Example
Description
SceneOff
SceneOff:Name
SceneOff:EveningMode
Send the Off command to the Scene so that any entry that is “Off Enabled” will turn off
SceneOn
SceneOn:Name
SceneOn:EveningMode
Send the Full On command to the Scene so that any entry that is “Full On enabled” will turn to full brightness
Note: The actual Scene system is capable of fading an entire scene up or down but it is not practical to implement this feature under CQC.