How do I set it up so that the front porch lights turn on when someone approaches the house?

Solution

Related Product(s): HALdeluxe, HAL2000

Setting up this type of automation can get very complicated and involved. Follow the steps below to set it up. An explanation of how it all goes together is included after the last step.

Install an X-10 motion sensor in a location where it can detect someone approaching the house. Set an address on the sensor. (Install the sensor and set the address according to the instructions included with the sensor.)

NOTE: To minimize the chances of "false triggers", aim the sensor at an area where the sensor will less likely detect false or erroneous movement. For instance, installing the sensor above or to the side of the front door and aiming it at the top step of the porch instead of aiming it down the sidewalk will decrease the chances that an animal or blowing leaves or something similar will trip the sensor by mistake.
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).
Create a device called "Front Porch 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 Front 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 ADD to open the Sensor Wizard screen again. This time select TIMER from the Type field and type a name for the timer, such as Front Motion Timer. Click FINISH to save the timer and close the Sensor Wizard screen (the reason for this timer is explained below).
Click ADD to open the Sensor Wizard screen one more time. This time select FLAG from the Type field and type a name for the flag, such as Front Motion Flag. Click NEXT. In the next screen, set the "Default Value" to FALSE and select YES to have the flag's settings saved when HAL shuts down. Click FINISH to save the flag and close the Sensor Wizard screen (the reason for this flag is explained below).
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 Front Walk - Light. 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 you created previously ("Front 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 CONDITION to open the Conditions Wizard screen again. Select SECONDARY CONDITION then click NEXT to continue. Select FLAG in the "Condition" field then select from the drop-down menu the name of the flag you created previously ("Front Motion Flag"). Set it to FALSE 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. In the Action drop-down menu, select FLAG (the Action Wizard screen will change). Select from the drop-down menu the name of the flag you created previously ("Front Motion Flag") and enable the option "Set to TRUE". Click OK to save the action and close the Action Wizard screen.
Click ADD ACTION to open the Action Wizard screen again. This time select DEVICE from the Action drop-down menu. Left-click on the device that you created previously ("Front Porch Lights") to select it. Set its action to ON. Click OK to save the action and close the Action Wizard screen.
Click ADD RULE to create another Rule, but call it Front Walk - Timer Set. Click OK. The Conditions Wizard screen appears again. Select TRIGGER EVENT then click NEXT to continue. Select the sensor that was created previously ("Front Motion Sensor") and set it to ON. Click OK to add the condition to the Rule and close the Conditions Wizard screen.
Click ADD ACTION to open the Action Wizard screen. Select SET TIMER from the Action drop-down menu. Select the timer that you created previously ("Front Motion Timer"). Use the arrow keys to set what the timer is to count down from, such as 30 seconds or one minute. Click OK to add the action and close the Action Wizard screen.
Click ADD RULE to create another Rule, but call it Front Walk - Timer Off. Click OK. The Conditions Wizard screen appears again. Select TRIGGER EVENT then click NEXT to continue. Select EXPIRED TIMER from the "Condition" field then select the timer that was created previously ("Front Motion Timer"). Click OK to save the condition and close the Conditions Wizard screen.
Click ADD ACTION to open the Action Wizard screen. Select DEVICE from the Action drop-down menu. Left-click on the device that you created previously ("Front Porch Lights") to select it. Set its action to OFF. Click OK to save the action and close the Action Wizard screen.
Click ADD ACTION to open the Action Wizard screen again. Select FLAG from the Action drop-down menu. Select the flag that you created previously ("Front Motion Flag") and enable the option "Set to TRUE." Click OK to save the action and close the Action Wizard screen.

How It Looks:

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

Front Walk - Light
IF:
FRONT MOTION Sensor On (TE)
AND FRONT MOTION Flag Is False (SC)
THEN:
Set Flag FRONT MOTION To True
Turn On FRONT PORCH LIGHTS

Front Walk - Timer Set
IF:
FRONT MOTION Sensor On (TE)
THEN:
Set Timer FRONT MOTION To 30 Seconds

Front Walk - Timer Off
IF:
FRONT MOTION Timer Has Expired (TE)
THEN:
Turn Off FRONT PORCH LIGHTS
Set Flag FRONT MOTION To False

How It Works:

When someone walks up the front porch steps, the FRONT MOTION SENSOR detects the movement and sends an X-10 signal, which HAL receives. If the FRONT MOTION FLAG is false, then the FRONT MOTION FLAG will be set to "true" and the FRONT PORCH LIGHTS will turn on. At the same time, the FRONT MOTION TIMER will start counting down from 30 seconds. If the FRONT MOTION SENSOR detects more movement then it will reset the timer to 30 seconds and the timer will begin the countdown again. (The FRONT PORCH LIGHTS will not turn on again because the FRONT MOTION FLAG has been set to "true" and the Front Walk - Light Rule requires that flag to be "false"). If the FRONT MOTION TIMER reaches zero (0), then it means that the FRONT MOTION SENSOR is no longer detecting movement, so the FRONT PORCH LIGHTS will turn off and the FRONT MOTION FLAG will be set to "false".

Variations:

The steps above can be modified significantly, depending on what you want to have done. For instance, if you don't want the front porch lights to come on unless it's actually dark out, then you could add a condition to the Front Walk - Light Rule that specifies that the time of day must be between 7:00pm and 11:30pm. You could also add an action to that same Rule that will have HAL announce over the speakers that someone is approaching the front door.

Warning:

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 didn't use the timer and flag above, then the front porch lights would receive the ON command repeatedly as the visitor moved through the sensor's range, because every step that person took would trigger the sensor. The constant transmission of the X-10 signal to turn on the front porch lights could prevent other X-10 signals from being sent or received. Likewise, if you did have HAL set up to tell you that someone was approaching the house, then HAL would repeat that sentence over and over and over again until the visitor moved beyond the range of the sensor, which would be the only way to get HAL out of that loop.

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