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Help with Grafik-Eyes

Greetings,

I am working with Lutron Grafik-Eye dimmers for the first time.

I have a GRX-3104 on my desk interfaced to an NI-3100 via a Lutron GRX-RS232. I am using the AMX module as downloaded from the website.

Several command result in errors. For example:

L:[1:1]:100:1 should turn zone one of address one to 100 percent with a one second fade

Sending that command results in:

String From [33003:1:10]-[L:[1:1]:100] - 09:19:21
String From [33003:1:10]-[ERROR=Time-out error, no response received$0D$0A80 commands were executed.] - 09:19:23
(...And the zone does not change to 100%)

The command K:P:[1]:1 to call preset one on address one does work.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

Comments

  • Chip MoodyChip Moody Posts: 727
    I don't know anything about the software module, but through a GRX-232, you can only recall scenes and indiscretely ramp zones up and down - there are no commands to set a particular zone to "xx" percent. (And as such, there's no rate to specify, either) Lutron interfaces like the GRX-PRG may allow for that, but not the GRX-232.

    - Chip
  • TurnipTruckTurnipTruck Posts: 1,485
    Thanks for your reply. You are absolutely correct. After researching with Lutron today, I found this out. In order to set specific zones to specific levels, one would need a GRX-PRG and 350x series Grafik Eyes.

    I'm living and learning!
  • galayegalaye Posts: 28
    yes right u can call only zones!!

    it like the button that is connected to the graffik eye normally it installed on the entarnce of the room and actes the same as the buttons on the grx-graffik eye...

    1-4 they are the first zones, now if u want more u need to program the graffik eye the zones u want and then call the zone by the same that u called before that work from 1-16!!

    only whan u are connected to main conteroler called homeworks u can do dimming and call zones on off and all.but u need a lutron programer to program a virtual buttons and u can call the zones and dim ones..

    on the graffik eye is some kined of an extanion and u program it by your self according to what u want!!

    and call zones like putting and ir on it!!

    hope i could help u from my exrience ,i control a lot of lutron products!!

    bye
  • HedbergHedberg Posts: 671
    For me, this is an interesting issue as we have an installation with a GRX-PRG, which is the programmable Grafik Eye system. I'm not exactly sure what can be programmed and the documentation that I have is a little fuzzy to me -- but that's typical of my experience with Lutron documentation.

    As mentioned by others, the basic RS232 protocol allows you to recall "scenes" (presets). You can have multiple control units and for each control unit you can have as many as 16 scenes. You can recall scenes on multiple control units with one Lutron command. In the Lutron systems that I have been involved with, the scenes have been programmed with a wall interface -- I didn't do that part, so I'm not sure how it works, but it didn't look like rocket science.

    Several of the systems that I have been involved with have had dimmable lights. If the proper Lutron equipment is installed (and I don't really know much about the various Lutron options) , the basic RS232 interface will allow you to ramp the lights on "zones". When you ramp a "zone" all the lights on the zone change intensity independent of any selected scene. I don't know haw the ramp features are set -- it's something not controlled via AMX and RS232 so I wasn't involved with that.

    So, the Lutron nomenclature is a little esoteric (to me), but basically you can have multiple "control units". Each control unit can have sets of lights grouped into "zones". What exact lights are part of a particular zone appears to me to be an electrical hardware question. That is, the electricians determine what lights are on what zone on what control unit when they wire everything up. Each control unit can have multiple presets called "scenes". My understanding is that scenes control lights by zone -- you can't control individual lights unless they are on a single zone by themselves.

    Whoever designed and installed the system should have arranged for all the zones and control units to be installed in accordance with a specific plan. They should also arrange to have all the necessary scenes programmed. Then, all you have to do is select scenes IAW some plan and that's a very easy thing to do. If zones are rampable, you can also provide for user raising and lowering of zones with very simple RS232 commands.

    Lutron basic RS232 control is so simple that I've never been tempted to look for an AMX module to do it for me. Also, the RS232 response is pretty much useless once you get the system programmed. All it tells you is whether or not the command had an error. Once you program the system, there should be no RS232 errors returned from the Lutron, and if something is broken, it will be pretty obvious in that the lights won't turn on and off. It's a lot like switching channels on an IR controlled device in that regard.

    Lutron has the rs232 protocol on its site. Basic commands are very easy to understand and implement, once you know what they are and the syntax.
  • galayegalaye Posts: 28
    good and right explantion!!

    and buddy if u dont fined the protocol ican look for it and upload it....tell if u need
  • NMarkRobertsNMarkRoberts Posts: 455
    Lutron Grafik Eye GRX-AV-RS232/ATC for sale

    I have a serial interface unit for sale if anyone wants one. Just make it worth my while and reduce my cupboard clutter! Freight from Brisbane Australia required.
  • patbpatb Posts: 140
    As a general rule if you have never used something before and really don't understand how it works, don't use an AMX module. Write it yourself from scratch so then you will understand it. Once you have a mastery of the equipment if you feel using an AMX module helps then feel free to use it. I have found that out of multiple hundred modules that I have used, I have used an AMX written module less than 5 times and that was only when I was in an extreme time crunch and didn't have time to write one myself. The Lutron protocol is extremely simple and it should be a good exercise into coding and understanding modules. And it will take less time to write a new module from scratch than it would be to try and troubleshoot an AMX written module.

    I find that polling the current scene is very useful (and simple to do) because it keeps your touch panel updated in case the user presses a button on the wall panel to change the scene. I have written my own module for the Lutron that recalls scenes, ramps a selected scene and polls for the current scene. I made it so I could pass in the address of the unit so I could use multiple instances of the module in the same code in case there were multiple controllers connected together on the same Lutron bus. It shouldn't take more than 3-4 hours at the most to write a module from scratch so the time should be well worth it to have a nice working module that you can use over and over again.
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