Android/iPhone control of Intellitouch and Easytouch

[CraigMW]

Many of us with an Easytouch or Intellitouch system want a way to control our systems via the web, and Screen Logic 2 apparently does a nice job of this. But, it's not compatible with the Adroid O/S, it requires a connection to Pentair's servers, and it's kind of expensive. Now, there is a new option (now I'm sounding like a sales guy... I admit I have no financial connection/conflict with the following new product, I'm just enthusiastic!).

Autelis has just released a firmware update for their PoolControl module that supports both the Intellitouch and the Easytouch:

http://www.autelis.com/pool-control-for ... touch.html

What's cool:

1. The unit plugs into your ethernet/CAT5e. If you don't have an ethernet wire to your pool pad, they sell an inexpensive WiFi bridge. It also has a 4-post terminal that connects into your Intellitouch/Easytouch communications (RS485) bus, just as if you were to add another control panel.

2. After opening a port for the unit on your router, you can access it not only locally (just type POOLCONTROL on your browser's address line), but you can also access it from anywhere with a web-browser. The firmware includes a fully functioning app for iPhones, Androids, etc. Just pull up this APP.HTM page and you have many control functions over your pool. So basically the system acts as a standalone web server that directly links into the Intellitouch or Easytouch.

3. Full control over each circuit, including On/Off and dim levels (the latter I have not tried though). The software confirms your selections as well, which is nice for remote control.

4. Control over programs. So, you can view/edit your programs remotely, and add new ones.

5. Control over pool and spa temperature set points. It also lets you control the heat source: HEATER, SOLAR PREF, SOLAR ONLY, OFF for both pool and spa. Also, displays current Air and Water temps.

6. Displays status of system and each circuit (including assigned names for each circuit, e.g. Waterfall, Blower, Cleaner, etc).

7. Full control over lighting, including synchronization, etc. Easy to control the color shows and single colors on Intellibrites.

8. Can serve as a bridge between home automation systems and the pool automation. Autelis lists a number of HTML GET commands that can be used not only to obtain status info, but also to activate circuits, etc. Supports integration of an ISY-99i or ISY-994i. You could program a "backyard party mode" on a keypad in the house (or on your smartphone) that not only turns on the backyard lights, but turns on the spa and water features, turns on the backyard audio, and heats your spa up to temp.

There are some things that it doesn't do that the Screen Logic 2 will do, so this is important to keep in mind. Right now, there is no control over the IntelliChlor setpoints or the Intellichem. However, the Autelis team have been very responsive and I'm sure if enough jump on this, they'll probably add this functionality. Also, control over IntelliFlo speeds (except those preprogrammed at a panel) is not possible through the PoolControl. Again, this would be a nice touch if they could add it.

Overall, I think this is a really nice way to go and really enhances the value of pool automation. Let's say you want to heat up the spa and turn on the pool lights for when you get home from work. You just log in to the Autelis unit, turn on the spa, set your setpoint, and set your color mode. When you get home, it's all ready to go! (Except, it doesn't pour your beer... yet!).

Anyways, I thought I'd let you all know that this system is now available. BTW, they also have systems compatible with Jandy pool automation as well.

 

[arvven]

Oh my goodness..my geek alarm is on full audio...I can't wait to get my hands on this and try it out!!! Thanks sooo much for sharing

 

[Bluegrassman]

Do Want!!! Can't wait to see some TFP user reviews

 

[CraigMW]

Do Want!!! Can't wait to see some TFP user reviews

Actually, I'm a TFP member and I have it... so I guess my post is my review. It's pretty cool. I don't have an SL2 to compare it with, but it does some pretty nice stuff. I have mine hardwired to my LAN via CAT5e that I strung to the pool house, but you can also purchase either a WiFi bridge alone or with an outdoor enclosure for cheap. I haven't tried out all of the things it can do yet, like the email notifications or controlling it from my HA system yet. Once I do, I'll post more info.

Craig

 

[CraigMW]

Oh my goodness..my geek alarm is on full audio...I can't wait to get my hands on this and try it out!!! Thanks sooo much for sharing

We are having two pool parties this weekend, and of course I'll be in full geek mode showing this off... "hey, watch how I can turn on the waterfall, and change the color of the pool lights from my Android." I'll make sure to wear socks with sandals and my pocket protector!

 

[landmark218]

I just placed my order. I have a ScreenLogic2 but have been less than thrilled with it. The cost is now less then $100 more than the Autelis since they don't bundle the router in the package. The SL2 has an advantage of being fully supported by Pentair. However, I have had problems getting the SL2 to work reliably. Although Pentair support has been very helpful it is still hit or miss every time I connect. Bottom line is the WAF is very low.

I'm excited about getting this device and getting my geek on.

 

[arvven]

We are having two pool parties this weekend, and of course I'll be in full geek mode showing this off... "hey, watch how I can turn on the waterfall, and change the color of the pool lights from my Android." I'll make sure to wear socks with sandles and my pocket protector!

haha..I have learned to embrace my total attraction to all things shiny new and electronic and loaded with software Sorry if my excitement spilled over into sarcasm..another area I spend a lot of time in

 

[CraigMW]

Arvven - I'm the same way. I am tired out from the two parties. Yesterday, we had something like 75 people over! It was pretty cool showing off the Pool Control. But, I am finding this pretty handy besides the geek factor. I had taken out the pool cleaner for the party, and as I was putting it back in, I wanted to make sure it was secure for the morning run. Yeah, I could have walked out of the pool area back to the panel, but I had my Android and just activated the Cleaner circuit. I can see this being really useful for pool maintenance issues as well. The only issue here is that my Android phone touch screen does not work so well with wet fingertips. They really have to be dry to work properly, so that's another issue to consider. The only thing I hope for is that at some point that they add control of the IntelliChlor, and maybe the IntelliChem, which I think they probably will.

 

[landmark218]

The Autelis arrived today and 15 minutes after getting home from work I'm controlling my pool from the iPad. It helps that I already had the screenlogic unit hooked up. The rs485 connector on the SL wouldn't fit so I had to use the Autelis delivered one. One thing to note is that the Autelis does require all 4 wires to be connected even though it has a power brick. The red and black wire are +15 volts and ground which will power the SL so a wall wart isn't required. I'm not sure why the Autelis requires additional power.

All of my equipment and settings came right up except for the auxext circuit that controls a 3way valve for the whirlpool jets in the spa. I will contact customer support about that one.

The interface is simple but very functional. I've tried the mobile app on my iPhone and it fits the screen perfectly.

 

[Just-a-PB]

Will it control "feature circuits"?
I see all the Aux circuits

 

[CraigMW]

Landmark:

Yeah, it's a pretty nice and robust little unit. Simple and functional describes it perfectly. I'm not sure why both Pentair and Jandy interfaces must connect into their relay servers. I guess that's so pool pros can log into a single site to check on their client pools. BTW, the AuxX seems to be implemented differently than the other Aux circuits. But they are a clever crew over there at Autelis, and I'm sure they can figure out how to get it working. I'm now trying to figure out how to use it with my ISY99i. I've already been able to send web commands to it and get it do turn the pool lights and waterfall on and off. That means I could put together my own HTML web page if I wanted to. It's really a nice little interface, and they are planning to add even more functionality (e.g. IntelliFlo and IntelliChlor) shortly.

 

[CraigMW]

Will it control "feature circuits"?
I see all the Aux circuits

Yes, on the Equipment Control page, the system lists both Aux and Feature Circuits. If you rename any of these with pre-programmed or custom names, these are displayed instead of the generic name. For example, I have Aux1 control my Intellibrite lights, so this says POOL LIGHT instead of Aux1. Aux 2 controls the waterfall pump, and says WATERFALL instead of Aux2. I have a cleaner circuit associated with F. Circuit 2 and a "HIGH SPEED" pump mode associated with F. Circuit 1. So, the list also displays HIGH SPEED and CLEANER on the equipment list. Overall, it's pretty intuitive.

 

[Vcbmoore]

CraigMW,

Our pool dig starts today. The equipment specified is an Easytouch with wireless SL. Although I'm an iPhone, iPad, iPod guy, after reading this thread, I'm intrigued with the Autelis system. First it's much cheaper. It seems much simpler. Pentair's wifi implementation seems like a Rube Goldberg approach. Also, I'm not a fan of tieing into others servers. Call me a control freak? :-D The Autelis system seems much more straight forward.

Any word on the implementation or timing of the IntelliChlor or IntelliFlo functions? Although not a neccessity, they would be very handy.

Their website is pretty sparse - no phone numbers, mailing address, etc. It makes one wonder if they are for real.

How long have you had your system? Other than Already mentioned in this thread are there any other caveats, gotchas or show stoppers?

Thanks in advance for your insight.

Bill

 

[Just-a-PB]

Just a FYI, with the pentair control system you can choose how you want to connect each time. You can connect locally just through the wifi, or you can choose to go through the server. This is the best of both worlds because you can remotely use your system when not at home.

 

[CraigMW]

Just a FYI, with the pentair control system you can choose how you want to connect each time. You can connect locally just through the wifi, or you can choose to go through the server. This is the best of both worlds because you can remotely use your system when not at home.

I don't have the SL2 (because it doesn't support Android phones), so I wouldn't know this. The Autelis unit is pretty simple, just basically a small web server that interacts with the Easytouch/Intellitouch panel. It's extremely simple to set up and use, and can be controlled either remotely or over a local WiFi connection. It has a small html app for smartphones, otherwise it has a more extensive interface for standard browsers. But, I can see the advantage of the server approach if you are a pool professional with lots of client pools online.

 

[CraigMW]

CraigMW,

Our pool dig starts today. The equipment specified is an Easytouch with wireless SL. Although I'm an iPhone, iPad, iPod guy, after reading this thread, I'm intrigued with the Autelis system. First it's much cheaper. It seems much simpler. Pentair's wifi implementation seems like a Rube Goldberg approach. Also, I'm not a fan of tieing into others servers. Call me a control freak? :-D The Autelis system seems much more straight forward.

Any word on the implementation or timing of the IntelliChlor or IntelliFlo functions? Although not a neccessity, they would be very handy.

Their website is pretty sparse - no phone numbers, mailing address, etc. It makes one wonder if they are for real.

How long have you had your system? Other than Already mentioned in this thread are there any other caveats, gotchas or show stoppers?

Thanks in advance for your insight.

Bill

Bill:

I'm not trying to sell this over the SL2, as I think they are both really fantastic products. Also, I don't have the SL2 since it doesn't support Android smartphones (and I don't have an iPhone, etc). I do like it for its simplicity. It will allow you to control it from your smartphone or any web browser both locally and remotely. For the latter, you just need to open a port for it in your router's software and it can be remotely accessed (via a static IP address or a DDNS service like DynDNS). At this point, the implementation is likely not as rich as the SL2. I believe you can access more detailed info about things like salt and ORP/pH on systems with IntelliChlor/IntelliChem on the SL2. This is not currently supported on the Autelis unit, nor is the ability to set specific speeds on the Autelis. Hopefully, they will chime in here to offer some insight on this. You can still make programs, but the IntelliFlo settings need to be set at the panel (and associated with a particular circuit/function).

So, I think the Autelis is much simpler, but I think that's okay. I don't really have a need to do extensive configuring online, as I can do this at the panel. But, being able to set the pool and spa setpoints remotely, activate the various features, and do this anywhere in the world is pretty cool. I've had mine for about a month, but their firmware that supports both the Intellitouch and Easytouch took a couple of weeks, and then there were a couple of bugs that they had to work out (again, for the Easytouch compatibility). The software seems quite robust now. They have been quite helpful, BTW. If you have any questions, you can contact them at [email protected] with your questions. They also have a support forum on their website. The Pentair support is relatively new, but it appears they've sold quite a few of their Jandy compatible units. Also, they have a good return policy where if you don't like it, you can return the product for a refund after 30 days, so it might be worth it to check it out to see if it suits your needs.

I haven't found any true "gotchas" at this point. Like I said, there were some bugs at first as they were developing the firmware to be Easytouch compatible, but it appears quite solid now. They seem very responsive, so if you do find a gotcha, you send an email and they usually have a fix very quickly. I've been quite impressed at how quick they are.

Craig

 

[Vcbmoore]

Just-a-PB,

I appreciate your point of view. A decision hasn't been made yet. My PB is looking into the Autelis system. Until now he has installed the SL2 exclusively. If it were not for this thread the SL2 would have been a no brainer. The major pluses to the SL2 are it can control almost everything in the system and if there is problem, only one vendor is involved. Then it is only a matter of the quality of customer service. The downside is it is complex and expensive.

A must criteria is a wireless connection into the home network.

My understanding of the SL2 system is as follows, please feel free to correct me along the way. The SL2 system requires a 520500 which includes the software and protocol adapter. For wireless capability a 520639 is required which includes an RF Tx, Rx using a proprietary transmission scheme and a proprietary Ethernet Router. Although I have read the Router may not be needed. Combined, the 520500 and 520639 cost between $800 to $900. In addition, the SL2 requires an app on my iPhone. That's no big deal but just another step in the process and potential problem. One more level of complication is remote access is via the Pentair server. The whole thing just seems overly complex. It was probably designed several years ago before Ethernet and wifi were ubiquitous.

The Autelis system requires a controller which converts the 4 wire bus to Ethernet. The controller has a builti-in server function (ala a wireless webcam). An Ethernet bridge is needed for the wifi. Both boxes come to a total of $330. Just like the SL2, the Autelis can be accessed locally via the home network. Remote access is via a web browser and ip address - very straight forward. The downside is it is not a single vendor solution, does not control major functions, level of support, long term reliability and company history/longevity.

The original pool specs call out a wireless SL2. I'm sure I will have a lively discussion with my PB.

 

[Vcbmoore]

CraigMW,

Thanks for you insight. Did Autelis ever give you any feedback on the IntelliChlor or Intellflo features?

As I alluded to in my post to Just-a-PB, this is no a simple decision. With your Andoid, you didn't have much of a choice.

Do I go with a complete, all one vendor, complex, expensive solution? Or be an early adopter of a simple, inexpensive solution that lacks some key features?

My next step is to contact Autelis on some of these issues and see their response.

I'll keep everyone posted on the final outcome.

 

[CraigMW]

Bill:

I think your best option at this point is to contact Autelis directly and ask them for their plans. They did mention some interest in access to the IntelliChlor and Intelliflo, but you would have to confirm it with them. You might also ask them to to confirm their policy regarding returns. You can try it out and if you don't like it, they have a 30 day return policy, at least that's what their website says. I'm not sure if Pentair or your pool builder will have the same for the SL2. It would be nice to be able to do a side by side comparison.

 

[Just-a-PB]

Just some clarification for the masses, not pushing you in any direction.
For the SL2 the 520500 is needed. From this there are many other ways to hook it up. First and cheapest is to plug it directly into your router, and run a 4 wire cable between both points.
If that is not possible then some kind of bridge is needed. The one they sell is not made by them, but a really good quality as they wanted distance/wall penetration and didn't want issues with it, thus the high price. You can purchase wireless bridges of all sorts quite a bit less online.
From there, there is no complications, it is just plug and play. You will be able to get into all of your programming screens, set times, set pump speeds, temps, change light colors ect. It also tracks different things depending on what equipment you have. It tracks history on temp of pool and spa, run times, PH and ORP levels, ect.