How do I have lights turn on automatically when I enter a room?

Related Product(s): HALdeluxe, HAL2000

For this example, assume that you want to have the living room lights turn on when you enter that room.

• Install an X-10 motion sensor in a location where it can detect someone entering the room. Set an address on the sensor. (Install the sensor and set the address according to the instructions included with the sensor.)
  
  
• Plug an X-10 wireless receiver into a standard outlet and set it to the same house code that the X-10 sensor is set to (other wireless devices can use this same wireless receiver, as long as those devices are set to the same house code).
  
  
• Right-click on the ear icon and select OPEN AUTOMATION SETUP SCREEN (or go to Start... Programs... HAL... HAL Automation Setup).
  
  
• In the Automation Devices screen, click on ADD to create a device called "Living Room Lights".
  
  
• Click on SENSORS at the top of the HAL Automation screen.
  
  
• Click ADD to open the Sensor Wizard screen. Type a name for the sensor, such as Living Room Motion Sensor. Leave the Type field set to X-10. Click NEXT to continue to the next screen. In the second screen, set the X-10 address on the screen to match the X-10 address that was set on the sensor. Click FINISH to create the sensor and close the Sensor Wizard screen.
  
  
• Click on TASKS at the top of the HAL Automation screen then click IF/THEN SITUATIONS (RULES).
  
  
• Click ADD at the bottom of the screen or ADD RULE on the left side of the screen to open the Rule Add Wizard screen. Give the Rule a name, such as Living Room Motion. Click OK. The Conditions Wizard screen appears. Select TRIGGER EVENT then click NEXT to continue.
  
  
• Select SENSOR from the drop-down "Condition" field. Select from the list the sensor your created previously ("Living Room Motion Sensor"). Make sure it's set to ON then click OK to add the condition to the Rule and close the Conditions Wizard screen.
  
  
• Click ADD ACTION on the left side of the screen. The Action Wizard screen will appear. Left-click on the device that you created previously ("Living Room Lights") to select it. Set its action to ON. Click OK to save the action and close the Action Wizard screen.

Here is how the HAL Automation If/Then Situations screen will appear after following the steps above:

It's simple - when you walk into the living room, the LIVING ROOM MOTION sensor detects the movement and sends an X-10 signal. That X-10 signal triggers the Living Room Motion Rule, which will turn on the lights in the living room.

 

Additional conditions and actions can be added to the Rule, depending on what you want to do. For instance, you could also have HAL announce how many voice mail or E-mail messages have been received or have it announce the time and date.

 

When creating automation sequences of this nature, be sure to test your Rules thoroughly. Make sure that you haven't missed any steps and that there are no "loops" in the automation. For instance, if you turned off the lights in the living room because you're watching a moving and don't want the lights to come on when someone else enters the room, then you could create a special flag that would override the original Rule.