Insteon Notes - Universal Devices ISY-994i User Manual

12 INSTEON Notes

12.1 INSTEON Basics
12.1.1 What is a Device?
Devices are the basic building blocks of your home automation system. These
are the things you want to control, like switches, lamp modules, fan modules,
water sensor modules, etc.
Normal control of devices in a home is done with mechanical switches, that the
user has to turn on or off, or adjust ramp rates.
Devices in a home automation system need to have a different method to turn on
and off devices, or adjust ramp rates, etc., which does not require human
intervention, such as manually turning on a switch. This is done by the devices
receiving commands from other devices and acting on these commands.
Devices can be setup to receive commands and act on them, or they can be setup
to send commands for something to happen. Not all devices can do both, receive
and send. For instance, a lamp module would receive commands only. It does not
have a switch to initiate commands. Switches may send only can commands, as
they have nothing to control.
12.1.2 What is a Controller?
Controllers are devices which send commands to devices which receive
commands (responders).
Controllers not only respond to commands issued to the scene, they also control the
scene.
An example of a Controller might be a button located on a Keypad – when that
Keypad button is pressed, all members of the scene will respond as configured.
Controllers are colored red within a scene.
12.1.3 What is a Responder?
Responders receive commands from controllers.
Responders are devices contained within scenes that only respond to commands
issued to the scene.
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