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Updated October 13, 2008 0600am EST

I would like to automate some window coverings with my 890 remote. Who offers Z-Wave compatible blinds or shades?

Motorized window coverings are an interesting item in that often the shade itself comes from one company, the motor from another, the motor control from a third, and a fourth company, the fabricator, puts it all together. Any fabricator of motorized window coverings can be told to use a Z-Wave enabled motor controller from either ESI or RS Scene Automation. For some fabricators that are members of the Z-Wave Alliance and have experience with Z-Wave Controllers.

I went to a Home Entertainment company to install a home theater. They used a Universal Remote that dimmed the lights and opened the curtains with the touch of one button. The button had a 4 on it. Do you know the brand name for this remote and have you heard of any positive comments about it?

From your description there is no way for me to guess what the product was. I suggest you ask the company what the product was and ask them about Z-Wave. If they have not heard of Z-Wave and don’t support Z-Wave products, I would recommend you find another company to install your home theater.

I plan to implement home automation and have decided to use Z-Wave. I’m also replacing my 20-year-old pool control systems and want them integrated into the new home automation platform (likely HomeSeer). The only Z-Wave compatible pool control product is from Intermatic, but I greatly prefer the product from Pentair. Pentair offers an iLink module that connects to home automation systems, but I’m not sure how it would work. It terminates into an RS232 output and I can’t connect this to my PC from the pool equipment room. Is there a Z-Wave adapter that would plug into a standard RS232 output to make it a Z-Wave device? And can you provide any insight into connecting to Pentair iLink?

Your best bet here is to use a Z-Wave capable central home controller with RS232 support such as the HomeSeer HomeTroller to talk to the Pentair iLink. There are a number of ways to extend the RS232 bus from the pool equipment room to the location of the central home controller. Ask the manufacturer of the home controller you chose, HomeTroller is a good one, what they recommend for extending the RS232 bus.

 

Mark Walters, our resident Z-Wave expert, is vice president of the Z-Wave Alliance.