Smarthome 1625 TempLinc User Manual

TempLinc™

X10/PLC compatible temperature sensor

Model #1625 TempLinc

Congratulations!

Congratulations on purchasing TempLincTM, a small power line carrier (PLC) based
thermometer/thermostat that can be easily placed anywhere in any room with an AC
outlet. The TempLinc offers an easy way to monitor and/or control the temperature
in a room through PLC X10 communications protocol. The TempLinc can be set-up
in variety of different ways depending on the project's needs. TempLinc can be pro­grammed as follows:

• To sendan updated temperature when a change in room's temperature is detected

• Send temperature when requested

• Act as a thermostat

• Operate in a combination mode that combines the thermostat mode with either a
report on change or repor t on request

All of this can be done in either Fahrenheit or Celsius temperature scales depending
on the project's requirements.

TempLinc is designed to be a general-purpose temperature sensor for home
automation use. It should not be relied upon for to prevent damage that may occur
if temperatures drop too low or rises too high. Because of the nature of PLC com­munications, there is a possibility that signals sent by TempLinc may not be
received. The electrical components in TempLinc and its PowerLinc II™ powerline
communications interface module may fail or lockup upon exposure to temperature
extremes, even those that the TempLinc manual specifies that TempLinc can sense.

Additionally, like all home automation products, TempLinc should never be used for
life saving or life-preserving situations. TempLinc is not a replacement for smoke or
fire detectors and should not be relied upon as the only means of protecting a home
from freezing temperatures.

Key Features

• Reports temperatures between -60°F and 131°F

• Reports temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius

• Programmable to transmit upon temperature changes

• Programmable set point reporting

• Uses RCS-compatible temperature chart

• Small sized sensor

• Includes new PowerLinc II Interface module with pass-through AC outlet

• Compatible with Smarthome Live and Smarthome Action

Compatibility with Third Party Home Automation Programs

TempLinc uses the same translation table as the RCS family of powerline control­lable thermostats. Many home automation programs already support these thermo­stats. When setting up the TempLinc for use with a home automation program, look
for support of RCS model TX15-B (it might also be described at "Bi-Directional" or "2­Way").

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Parts included with TempLinc

• The TempLinc sensor

• PowerLinc II PowerLine Interface Module

• PowerLinc II connecting cable

• Double-sided foam tape and mounting screws

Please note that this PowerLinc II interface is
designed to only work with the TempLinc sensor.
While it resembles our regular # 1132B PowerLinc
II interface, the two are incompatible and not interchangeable. The included
PowerLinc Interface contains dif ferent circuitry and programming to support only the
TempLinc sensor. The AC outlet on the front of the PowerLinc II interface is a pass­through outlet for any 120-volt electrical device. It does not have any automation
functions.

Installation

Locate the TempLinc in an area that has good air flow and is located near an electri­cal power outlet. The TempLinc can be mounted either vertically or horizontally, for
best results it is recommended that a vertical position be used. TempLinc is not
weatherproof and should not be used outdoors or for measuring water temperature.
Doing so may shorten the life of the sensor module.

1. The TempLinc comes with double-sided tape to secure it to the surface. Once
the location is chosen, make sure the mounting surface is clean and free from
dust, dirt, and debris.

2. Remove the protective sheet from one side of the double-sided tape to expose
the adhesive portion and apply it to the back of the TempLinc

3. Remove the protective sheet from the other side of the double-sided tape to
expose the other adhesive portion and place it over the mounting surface and
press firmly to secure it.

4. With the TempLinc secured in placed, connect the cable between the
PowerLinc and the jack of the TempLinc.

Do not plug the PowerLinc in until instructed to do so in the programming section of
this manual.

Because of the way TempLinc communicates over the AC wires, it may be difficult to
have other modules on the same house code used by TempLinc. You may want to
study the signals sent between the TempLinc and your home automation control
program(s) to find addresses for other modules. Or, simply set-aside the entire
house code for TempLinc's exclusive use.

Quick Start Instructions

1. Un-plug the PowerLinc II from the AC outlet for 10 seconds

2. Plug in the PowerLinc II into the outlet and wait three seconds

3. Within one minute of plugging in the PowerLinc II, send the following:
i. Send the base house/unit code of the TempLinc three times in a row
ii. Send the house/unit code for the Operation Mode

(see Table 1 on page 7 for operating modes)

iii For Thermostat modes, send the set point using unit codes

(See page 7 for more detailed instructions)

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New Features in TempLincs with the PowerLinc II interface

With the changeover to the new PowerLinc II interface, we have taken some time to
implement some user-suggested improvements. Since most of the brains of the
TempLinc system are in the PowerLinc II interface, any TempLinc sensor and cable
will have these improvements when used with the PowerLinc II interface.
(Remember, the TempLinc must be used with a specially made and programmed
PowerLinc II interface.)

Status Request signals can be sent in any mode

Status Request commands are now accepted and responded to in any mode the
TempLinc is programmed into. Previously, TempLinc would only respond to Status
Request commands if it was programmed in the "Report on Request" mode.

PLC signals are now sent twice

To improve signal reliability, the TempLinc will send ON and OFF commands twice
(when set to one of the thermostat modes). Additionally, the TempLinc will hold off
transmitting if it detects signals on the powerline from other PLC transmitters. (This
is sometimes called Polite Mode or Signal Collision Avoidance.) By sending the sig­nal twice, the odds are increased that a complete transmission of data will arrive at
the receiver(s).

Transmissions after a power failure

When the TempLinc is powered up (for the first time or after a power failure),
TempLinc will check the temperature and if it is beyond the programmed set point
(in the thermostat mode), it will send a PLC signal to activate the controlled device.

Send on Change mode now ignores small temperature changes

This was an improvement suggested by many of our users. TempLinc will no longer
send PLC signals if a small change in temperature is detected. Previously, when
TempLinc was in the Send on Change mode, it would send a PLC signal every time a
temperature change was detected. In some cases, this could cause a flood of PLC
signals and unnecessary cycling of equipment controlled due to TempLinc's temper­ature reporting. With this improvement, the TempLinc will not send a PLC signal if
the temperature changes back to the previous temperature.

See Chart below

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