Flashing function

Situation

This step-by-step plan explains how to get a connected lamp and a dimmable lamp to flash using a single push button.

This guide shows how to make both a dimmable and connected lamp flash (but at different frequencies). If you simply want to get a connected or dimmable lamp to flash, you can skip certain steps in the step-by-step guide.  

Of course, you can also get more than one connected or dimmable lamp to flash; the programming logic is just the same.

Starting point

The starting point for this step-by-step plan is a project that already encompasses Project information and for which a plan is already drawn up or uploaded.

Run through the steps in Adding a new project and then Drawing a plan or Upload a background image if there is no existing project.

Step 1: Add a single push button

• Go to Creation in the menu bar at the top. 

• Click on add an input. You can now see the plan of the home on the left and a list of options on the right.
• Click on single push button in the list of options. The icon appears on the plan.
• Drag the push button to the correct location on the plan.
• Give the input a name e.g. 'Flashing function'.
• Choose a location from the list of options or add a location if the location has not been previously defined.

• Click on save to return to the Creation start screen.

Step 2: Add a connected lamp

If you simply wish to make a dimmable lamp flash you may skip this step.

• Click on add an output. You can now see the plan of the home on the left and a list of options on the right.
• Click on lamp in the list of options.
• Drag the lamp to the correct location on the plan.
• Give the lamp a name.
• Choose a location from the list of options or add a location if the location has not been previously defined (e.g. Sitting area).

• Click on save to return to the Creation start screen.

Step 3: Add a dimmable lamp

If you simply wish to make a connected lamp flash you may skip this step. 

• Click on add an output.  You can now see the plan of the home on the left and a list of options on the right.
• Click on dimmable lamp in the list of options.
• Drag the dimmable lamp to the correct location on the plan.
• Give the dimmable lamp a name.
• Choose the dimmable lamp's location from the list.
  Click on add a location if the location has not yet been defined.

• Click on save to return to the Creation start screen.

Step 4: Add a virtual output 'flashing on?'

• Click on add a virtual output. The virtual output appears as a flag on the plan of the home.
• Drag the icon to a logical and appropriate place on the plan.
• Give the virtual output a clear name, for example 'Flashing on?'.

Tip: use yes-no questions such as 'is the flash function on' or 'Should the lamp flash?'

.

• Choose a location from the list of options or add a location if the location has not been previously defined (e.g. Dining area).

• Click on OK to return to the Creation start screen.

Step 5: Create an action, 'start to flash'

• Click on add an action. The action will appear as a text balloon on the plan.
• Drag the action to a logical and appropriate place on the plan.
• Give the action a name.
• Choose the action's location from the list. 
  Add a location if the location has not yet been defined.

• Click on continue to go to the players tab.
• Click on the single push button and the virtual output 'flashing on?' to add these to the action as players.

• Click on continue to go to the Basic behaviour tab. 
• The default start and stop behaviour is correct. You don't need to change this.

• Click on continue to go to the Conditions tab.
• Click on continue to go to the Time automation tab.
• Click on save to return to the Creation start screen.

Step 6: Add a virtual output 'flash the connected lamp'

If you simply wish to make a dimmable lamp flash you may skip this step.

• Click on add a virtual output. The virtual output appears as a flag on the plan of the home.
• Drag the icon to a logical and appropriate place on the plan.
• Give the virtual output a clear name, for example 'Flash the connected lamp'.
• Choose a location from the list of options or add a location if the location has not been previously defined (e.g. Sitting area).

It is logical to choose the same location as the connected lamp.

For this virtual output the aim is to activate the connected lamp when the status is active and to turn off the connected lamp when the status is inactive. This is continued in the next step 'Connected lamp flashing frequency'.

• Click on OK to return to the Creation start screen. 

Step 7: Create an action 'connected lamp flashing frequency'

If you simply wish to make a dimmable lamp flash you may skip this step.

• Click on add an action. The action will appear as a text balloon on the plan.
• Drag the action to a logical and appropriate place on the plan.
• Give the action a name e.g. 'connected lamp flashing frequency'.
• Choose the location from the list of options or add a location if the location has not been previously defined (e.g. Sitting area).

It is logical to choose the same location as the virtual output 'flash connected lamp'.

• Click on continue to go to the players tab.
• Click on the virtual output 'flash connected lamp' to add it to the action as a player.
• Do not add an input.

• Click on continue to go to the Basic behaviour tab.
• Set in start behaviour the output flash connected lamp to active after 0 seconds.
• Click on add another element under 'this happens when the action is started'.
• Set in start behaviour the output flash connected lamp to inactive after 1 second.
• Remove the stop behaviour by pressing on the red cross.

This basic behaviour sets the time that the lamp is on to 1 second (the lamp will go on for 1 second and then go off again). You can increase the flashing time yourself by modifying the second start behaviour from 1 second to 2;3;4;... seconds. In that case the lamp will go on for 2;3;4;... seconds instead of 1 second. 
Warning: If you change the flashing period you'll also need to insert other values in the time automation - we'll come back to this later.

• Click on continue to go to the Conditions tab.
• Click on continue to go to the Time automation tab.
• Under timing click add a time.
• Set that the action should begin each day at 00:00.
• Click under duration on restart this action automatically after a certain period.
• Set that the action should restart automatically after 2 seconds.

The time that you set under 'this action restarts automatically after' determines how long the lamp will be off. If, as in the example, you set the restart time a at 2 seconds and under basic behaviour the virtual output is set at inactive after 1 second then the lamp will go on for 1 second, then go off for 1 second, then on for 1 second and so on. So, if you want the lamp to go on for 1 second and then off for 2 seconds you need to set that the action restarts automatically after 3 seconds. That means you set the flashing frequency using a combination of the basic behaviour and the restart behaviour.

The time that you set under 'this action restarts automatically after' should always be at least 1 second more than the time indicated under basic behaviour upon which the virtual output is set at inactive. Otherwise the lamp will never switch off and therefore not be able to flash.

The flashing function will not work immediately upon uploading the programme to the installation. It will only start to work from 00:00 the next day. This is because the action is activated each day at 00:00. One possible way around this is to set the timing of the daily start at a time 5 mins after uploading.

• Click on save to return to the Creation start screen.

Step 8: Add a virtual output 'flash the dimmable lamp'

If you simply wish to make a connected lamp flash you may skip this step.

• Click on add a virtual output. The virtual output appears as a flag on the plan of the home.
• Drag the icon to a logical and appropriate place on the plan.
• Give the virtual output a clear name, for example 'Flash the dimmable lamp'.
• Choose a location from the list of options or add a location if the location has not been previously defined (e.g. Dining area).

It is logical to choose the same location as the dimmable lamp.

For this virtual output the aim is to activate the dimmable lamp when the status is active and to turn off the dimmable lamp when the status is inactive. This is continued in the next step 'Dimmable lamp flashing frequency'

• Click on OK to return to the Creation start screen.

Step 9: Create an action 'connected lamp flashing frequency'

If you simply wish to make a connected lamp flash you may skip this step.

• Click on add an action. The action will appear as a text balloon on the plan.
• Drag the action to a logical and appropriate place on the plan.
• Give the action a name e.g. 'dimmable lamp flashing frequency'.
• Choose the location from the list of options or add a location if the location has not been previously defined (e.g. Dining area).

It is logical to choose the same location as the virtual output 'flash the dimmable lamp'.

• Click on continue to go to the players tab.
• Click on the virtual output 'flash the dimmable lamp' to add it to the action as a player.
• Do not add an input.

• Click on continue to go to the Basic behaviour tab.
• Set in start behaviour the output flash the dimmable lamp to active after 0 seconds.
• Click on add another element under 'this happens when the action is started'.
• Set in start behaviour the output flash the dimmable lamp to inactive after 2 seconds.
• Remove the stop behaviour by pressing on the red cross.

This basic behaviour sets the time that the lamp is on to 2 seconds (the lamp will go on for 2 seconds and then go off again). You can increase the flashing time yourself by modifying the second start behaviour from 2 seconds to 3;4;5;... seconds. In that case the lamp will go on for 3;4;5;... seconds instead of 2 seconds.
Warning: If you change the flashing period you'll also need to insert other values in the time automation - we'll come back to this later.

It is best not to set the time for flash dimmable lamp inactive at 1 second. A dimmable lamp needs around 1 second to warm up, so it will appear that the lamp is never switched on.

• Click on continue to go to the Conditions tab.
• Click on continue to go to the Time automation tab.
• Under timing click add a time.
• Set that the action should begin each day at 00:00.
• Click under duration on restart this action automatically after a certain period.
• Set that the action should restart automatically after 4 seconds.

The time that you set under 'this action restarts automatically after' determines how long the lamp will be off. If, as in the example, you set the restart time a at 2 seconds and under basic behaviour the virtual output is set at inactive after 2 seconds then the lamp will go on for 2 seconds, then go off for 2 seconds, then on for 2 seconds and so on. So, if you want the lamp to go on for 2 seconds and then off for 3 seconds you need to set that the action restarts automatically after 5 seconds. That means you set the flashing frequency using a combination of the basic behaviour and the restart behaviour.

The time that you set under 'this action restarts automatically after' should always be at least 1 second more than the time indicated under basic behaviour upon which the virtual output is set at inactive. Otherwise the lamp will never switch off and therefore not be able to flash. 

Even though you have set the dimmable lamp at 2 seconds on, 2 seconds off, it will seem as if the dimmable lamp is off for 3 seconds and on for 1 second. This is because it takes the dimmable lamp around 1 second to warm up. If you want it to appear to go on for 2 seconds and off for 2 seconds you need to set the virtual output 'flash the dimmable lamp' at inactive after 3 seconds (1 sec warm up - 2 sec on -1 sec off - 1 sec warm up - 2 sec on- and so on).
It is impossible to set the off time for a dimmable lamp at 1 second.

The flashing function will not work immediately upon uploading the programme to the installation. It will only start to work from 00:00 the next day. This is because the action is activated each day at 00:00. One possible way around this is to set the timing of the daily start at a time 5 mins after uploading.

• Click on save to return to the Creation start screen.

 Step 10: Add an action 'flash the connected lamp'

If you simply wish to make a dimmable lamp flash you may skip this step.

• Click on add an action. The action will appear as a text balloon on the plan.
• Drag the action to a logical and appropriate place on the plan.
• Give the action a name e.g. 'flash the connected lamp'.
• Choose the location from the list of options or add a location if the location has not been previously defined (e.g. Sitting area).

• Click on continue to go to the Players tab.
• Click on the connected lamp to add it to the action as a player.
• Do not add an input.

• Click on continue to go to the Basic behaviour tab. 
• The default start and stop behaviour is correct. You don't need to change this.

• Click on continue to go to the Conditions tab.
• Click on add a condition.
• Give the condition a clear name, for example 'flashing control connected lamp ON'.

• Click on no (automation).
  There are no inputs linked to the action. The action can only be automatically started when a couple of conditions are met.
• Click the outputs you have defined in one of the previous steps to link them as players to the action.
• Click the virtual outputs flashing control ON? and flash the connected lamp on as players.

Warning: the order in which you click the virtual outputs has an influence on the rest of the programming.

• Under Advanced settings set the logical table according to the figure below.

• Click on continue to go to the Time automation tab.
• Click on save to return to the Creation start screen.

Step 11:  Add an action 'flash the dimmable lamp''

If you simply wish to make a connected lamp flash you may skip this step.

• Click on add an action. The action will appear as a text balloon on the plan.
• Drag the action to a logical and appropriate place on the plan.
• Give the action a name e.g. 'flash the dimmable lamp'.
• Choose the location from the list of options or add a location if the location has not been previously defined (e.g. Dining area).

• Click on continue to go to the players tab.
• Click on the dimmable lamp to add it to the action as a player.
• Do not add an input.

• Click on continue to go to the Basic behaviour tab. 
• In start behaviour change the time in which the dimmable lamp goes to 100% to 0 seconds.
• In stop behaviour change the time in which the dimmable lamp goes off to 0 seconds.

If required change the light intensity of the dimmable lamp.

• Click on continue to go to the Conditions tab.
• Click on add a condition.
• Give the condition a clear name, e.g. flash function dimmable lamp active.

• Click on no (automation).
  There are no inputs linked to the action. The action can only be automatically started when a couple of conditions are met.
• Click the outputs you have defined in one of the previous steps to link them as players to the action.
• Click the virtual outputs flashing control ON? and flash the dimmable lamp on as players.

Warning: the order in which you click the virtual outputs has an influence on the rest of the programming.

• Under Advanced settings set the logical table according to the figure below.

• Click on continue to go to the Time automation tab.
• Click on save to return to the Creation start screen.

Result

You can now continue with step Cabinet set-up or step Realisation.