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Thread: HPM icontrol

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    Junior Member Goldstorm's Avatar
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    Default HPM icontrol

    Just received two service calls for a property with HPM Icontrol.
    Does anyone have an install and or user manual or can you PM me with the tech log in for the site. Haven't had a chance to contact HPM. The service call is tomorrow. The new tenants dont have any codes, new premises builder/electrician gone bust and cannot be found leaving the owner in the lurch

    Any help would be appreciated.



Look Here ->
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    Senior Member secure's Avatar
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    Default

    This is the website



    I haven't used this system.

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    Junior Member Goldstorm's Avatar
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    Default Got it

    Thanks already had the site just had to get to the tech manuals which I managed to do. I can see why nobody uses the system much.
    The install manual 164 pages and the user manual is like the installer manual with not as much info. Some of the changeable settings in the user manual for the end user would make sure you get a service call once a week hopefully not in the warranty period.

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    Default

    Did you find a solution to your iCotrol Problem

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    Default icontrol user manual

    Just moved into a house with HPM icontrol system. Have had no luck contacting the original installer to set up the system eg. alarm code, programming the lights.
    I wonder if anyone has a copy of the user manual, as I cant seem to find it anywhere. The hpmtech.com.au website no longer exists and hpm dont have anything on their website.
    If any has a copy of the manual it would be greatly appreciated

    thanks

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    Junior Member Goldstorm's Avatar
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    Default manuals`

    pm me your email address and I will send them to you

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    Default

    Hey Goldstorm

    You wouldn't happen to have those manuals still would you? I'm stuck with an iControl system at the moment and while HPM says that they still support it they just refer you to contractors who want to charge you a ton of money to do anything .

    Would it be alright if I sent my email address across and grabbed a copy of this installation manual?

    Thanks!

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    Default Control Software

    Hello All,

    We have iControl as the lighting control system at our factory - installed about 6 years ago. As stated by others, support by HPM is minimal and system integrators familiar with iControl are hard to find and not cheap.

    The software package used for programming iControl systems is called iBAS. It is not easy to use - even the system integrators we have had on site have required multiple visits to iron out "bugs".

    I have a (very) little technical knowledge about how the system hardware and comms bus works and I have tinkered with the iBAS software a bit, but have not spent the time to really work it all out. I am happy to share my (very limited) knowledge if anybody has specific questions - but expect a lot of "I don't knows".

    I am not certain of the licencing requirments, so I don't intend to provide a copy of iBAS to anybody without doing some additional homework - ask me if you like and I will see....

    I have spent a LOT of time (weeks) trying to chase up technical and programming manuals for iBAS and the iControl hardware - including contacting current and former employees of HPM who were a part of the iControl team and presented the training to integrators. They were very helpful, but led me to understand that documentation for iControl and iBAS is virtually non existant.

    So, if you have iControl installed, you have my sympathy....

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    Default

    I too have an icontrol system in my home. It works fairly well but my main complaint is the user interface. Even with all the manuals, it is almost impossible to program through the archaic touch pad device. When my installer set it up, I thought he would give me a copy of the ibas software. No such luck. Said it cost megabucks. I read that as "return visit service charges". Now the guy is long gone.

    5 years on and I need to make some adjustments. And I would love to have a user friendly interface. I emailed HPM today and they replied right away with a link to download all the ibas software versions.

    It installed nicely but the trouble is it requires an activation code. So I emailed HPM back and hopefully they will send one.

    Mild Lee, depending on what HPM says about my request, your research on the use of your version may become relevant. As I recall my house might have been temporarily attached to your factory during the original HPM installation.

    Thanks

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    Hello Skybug,

    Quote Originally Posted by Skybug View Post
    ....As I recall my house might have been temporarily attached to your factory during the original HPM installation...
    How odd! Factory is in Forrestfield, Perth. On Abernethy road. Ring any bells? What was the connection?

    Thanks very much for the link to the software - that's more than I managed to achieve! I shall trawl the links for documentation...

    The bad news is that you will need some hardware: an iControl usb-serial adaptor. The serial side is a RJ45 socket and a standard patch lead connects it the the RJ45 socket on the iControl keypad. I have not attempted any "reverse engineering" to work out how to make one of these adaptors or if a standard USB-Serial can be used (via a DB9 - RJ45 adaptor). I MAY have a spare (I have a vague recollection of seeing more than one lying about) but don't hold your breath.

    Once you have the hardware, going online is a breeze. Once online, you can upload a copy of the database to store as a backup and then go for broke playing with the settings.

    iBAS is a bit idiosyncratic - certainly not intuitive. Trying to work out the fuctionality without any documentation is time consuming. The on-line help gives basic information of what each item is, but I have found it difficult to translate these hints into a programming guide.

    Let me know how you go with an activation....

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    And this, ladies and gentleman, should make anyone think twice before betting the farm on a 'smart home' electrical installation which may be deprecated in five years time.

    Fifteen years from now, it will be easy enough to modify standard electrical wiring in most homes (assuming the Greens don't have us all living in darkness). However good luck getting C-BUS modules etc. if you thought that was a good idea at the time of construction...

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    This is why home automation should be left to the experts.

    have been going strong since 1985

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    Quote Originally Posted by intelliGEORGE View Post
    This is why home automation should be left to the experts.
    well said George.

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    Yeah? Well Clipsal's been around since 1920. Won't help anyone stuck with a Home Minder... :-)

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    Quote Originally Posted by downunderdan View Post
    Yeah? Well Clipsal's been around since 1920. Won't help anyone stuck with a Home Minder... :-)
    ouch !!

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    Quote Originally Posted by downunderdan View Post
    Yeah? Well Clipsal's been around since 1920. Won't help anyone stuck with a Home Minder... :-)
    Apples n Oranges HAI's grass roots is Home Automation.

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    Don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to automation and think a well designed system is a thing of beauty.

    I'm just suggesting that people consider, as part of their design, what happens in the future. Home electricals aren't as easy to swap out as a television... Plus, we're all used to people not wanting to spend three hundred bucks to replace a twenty year old alarm panel. How many will want to rewire their home because [brand x] is no longer supporting [product y]?

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    Quote Originally Posted by intelliGEORGE View Post
    This is why home automation should be left to the experts.

    have been going strong since 1985
    Our system was installed by HPM trained "experts". It is serviced and maintained by HPM trained experts. Whether the iControl system (as a brand) was designed by experts is another matter....

    As the site maintenance electrician (with a reasonable level of experience in industrial automation, security system installation and general tinkering with control systems) I am qualified to be investigating and maintaining most of our automated systems. I don't make changes (I call in the "experts" for that) but I do want to understand why it is so difficult to get it our lights to work right and I want to obtain all the available information to make maintaining the system possible into the future.

    HPM's iControl appears to be an obsolete platform. I am happy to pass on whatever I have learned about it, given that there is not a lot of professional support available for this particular platform.

    Of course, if you DON'T know what you are doing, you could disable the whole system ("look Mum, no lights") and only an idiot would touch the 240V side without an electrical licence.

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    I'm sure it will all be much easier when the vendors agree on a suitable Wireless Power Distribution standard.

    Then, you'll just need to stick light-fittings and switches to the wall using double-sided tape. Plus, you can take it all with you when you move house.

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    Of course - that is it, wireless power to go with wireless transmission of everything else, alarm states, video etc. I did have a customer ask me how the power got to the other end of a wireless video link... That was one occassion that I laughed at the joke (right in his face) then realised he was serious - no allowing for a power point at the other end at all.

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