If you want to learn more about using advanced PROSOFT features such as the Condition function, the Process function, Astrological function, and Flags, you are at the wright place.
Below, we have a typical case where all of them are used. This use case involves controlling display window lighting. It is an interesting exercise because it addresses quite a few issues to achieve a final result.

Commercial

Why TDS and What is the Added Value of Using TDS for Store (Lighting) Control?

The TELETASK system is a perfect solution for full integration of both residential and professional installations. A particular area of application is the management of store lighting. This is beneficial because the TELETASK system not only has internal clocks and timers but also astronomical clocks to estimate outdoor light without the need for a light sensor.
Additionally, the system has extra information, such as the occupancy of the store (whether the store is 'open' or 'closed'), which obviously affects the standard indoor lighting but also certainly the display window lighting.

You can detect the status with motion sensors or the status of the alarm system (the store is closed when the alarm system is activated), which in this case is a perfect application. This also prevents store employees from forgetting or making mistakes in managing the store lighting. In the use case below, we simply use a button on an AURUS panel to communicate open/closed status to the system, but actually, linking it to an output of the alarm system is a better option because an employee who is the last to leave the store cannot forget to set the store status to 'closed'. Of course, he/she must not forget to activate the alarm system when leaving, otherwise, the TELETASK function will not work correctly either.

Before you start

It comes down to the fact that as a system integrator / TDS programmer, you must always work systematically to avoid wasting unnecessary time. You really need to be able to perfectly define what exactly the customer's wish is, before you start with the PROSOFT configuration. You will see that there is a lot involved and that a simple request is not always that easy to configure.

Problem elaboration

How can this shop window lighting request be controlled with the TELETASK system?

To solve a slightly more challenging problem, which this case indeed is, it is always necessary to work systematically. Therefore, we propose the steps to be taken in chronological order. It is a method that you can use for most somewhat complex problems:

1. Ensure you know exactly what the client desires. Ask the client to write down or email his exact wishes. Verbal descriptions are generally inadvisable as they often lead to uncertainties due to a lack of clarity. As a system integrator, you do not work for free, and we believe this is the most efficient method, even if the preparation may seem unnecessary at first glance. In this case, you will see that such a simple control involves more than just switching a few light circuits on and off with a timer.
2. Create a technical analysis for yourself until the client's wish is 100% clear, so your work can be billed once the requested goal is achieved.
3. Check with your customer if your analysis is correct.
4. Now (especially in this case) create a graphical representation of the requested process (see an example below).

Case: Request from the customer

Review the text below and the various timeline sketches that clarify the question.
You can ask the client for confirmation at this stage to ensure his request aligns with the timeline.

The window lighting has specific modes:

• When the store closes, and if it’s already dark outside, the shop window lighting needs to be at 50%.
• If it was not yet dark at closing time, the lights are switched OFF. However, when it gets dark (sunset) later, the shop window lighting needs to be set to 50%.
• At 10:30 PM (fixed) they are switched OFF.
• In the morning, the shop window lighting goes to 50% at 6:30 AM (fixed) and is switched OFF when daylight is reached (sunrise).
• When the store is open, the lighting is always at 100% (ON).

The request of the customer (shop owner), in a graphical way:

The open/close control for the user

There is a shop ‘OPEN’ and ‘CLOSE’ function, which is defined by button 1 and 2 on an AURUS touch panel.

Use two GENERAL MOODs for it:

• GM “shop open” (see example in the capture below)
• GM “shop closed “

They contain all actions needed for their individual tasks. That concerns also other light actions, motorized shades settings, temperature settings, audio…

Shop open/close button: At the entrance of the shop, there is a (recommendation: hidden to customers) touch panel with the upper-left button being the button which activates GM ‘shop open’ and the upper-right button ‘shop closed’.

The general working process of this shop-window lighting case

Two main challenges in this case:

1. Sunrise and sundown time change every day.
2. Seasonal differences between summer/winter: sometimes of the year, sunrise becomes before the shop opens, other periods sunrise happens after opening hour of the shop. Comparable differences happen in the evening.

Result: you can’t work just with fixed clock actions in TIMESOFT. With only ASTROLOGICAL functions it is not possible either. Both will be needed.

What do we need to do, to configure it in PROSOFT?

We need two LOCAL MOODs to control the two light levels 50% and OFF (0%).
– see screen capture below.

The 100% ON action is done by a ‘shop open’ General Mood, while for the other actions 0% and 50%, a Local Mood is sufficient.

The Local Mood “Window lighting 50%” looks like below (in this case we have only 2 light circuits to control). The other LM is similar but with settings to 0% instead of 50%:

We also need two FLAGs (see timeline below):

• ‘SUN’ flag to reflect the outdoor light intensity. This flag is ON 1 hour after sunrise and OFF 1 hour before sunset.
• ‘NIGHT’ flag which is controlled by TIMESOFT: activated late in the evening 10pm and deactivated early in the morning 6:30am.

The “SUN” flag

The FLAG ‘SUN’ becomes active 1 hour after sunrise (to be controlled by an Astrological function action) and deactivated 1 hour before sundown.
How: use an Astrological function for it.

The “NIGHT” flag

The FLAG ‘NIGHT’ is active in the evening from 10pm until the morning 6:30 am.
How: To be configured in TIMESOFT in the continuous clock table.

You also need two Condition functions:

Condition 1: “Window lights to 50%”:
When NIGHT flag = OFF
AND
the ‘SUN’ flag is OFF
AND
the Window lights are OFF

Condition 2: “Window lights to 0%”:
When the NIGHT flag is ON
OR
The SUN flag is ON
AND
Window lights are at 50%

To make this all working, we also need two Process Functions:
(A process function continuously checks if a condition is met):
PRS function 1: “Window lights to 50%”
Condition: ‘Windows lights to 50%’
Action: set non-toggable LM with all window lights to 50%.
(if the condition is not TRUE, all dimlevels are set to 0%)

PRS function 2: “Window lights to 0%”
Condition: “window lights to 0%”
Action: execute the Local Mood “window lighting off”.

The startup Local Mood can look like the screen capture below:

Don’t forget to save and transmit your nbt file to the central unit.
After that the central unit will restart and you can test your exercise.

We hope this excercise was usefull for your needs.

Link: to the .nbt exercise file: https://professional.teletask.be/dl1289

For those who want to check all possible combinations, we made a drawing for you below
It shows you the different cases of sunrise before shop opens and after, etc;...

Table of contents: