Chapter 5 – Important Terms: State, Commands, and Events

Learning about the examples and descriptions presented in the rest of this documentation will greatly simplify understanding how the Base module works. Understanding key terms, such as identifier (described below), is fundamental to grasping the idea behind configuring and operating the entire DOMIQ installation.

A few of the most important concepts are:

1. Subsystem – one of several supported interfaces, e.g. LCN or SATEL.
2. Identifier – a string of characters that uniquely identifies a device or variable. The Base module has a whole range of predefined identifiers and also lets the user define their own custom identifiers. Identifiers, along with a complete list of them, are described in detail in Chapter 12, Identifiers. Using an identifier, you can send a command, respond to events related to that identifier, and display its state.
   
3. State – the current value of an identifier (a device/variable).
   
4. Command – an instruction sent to a subsystem, intended to change the state of a device/variable. Commands are preceded by the prefix C. added to the state identifier.
   
5. Event – information emitted by the DOMIQ system when specific circumstances occur, e.g.: a motion sensor being triggered, a system variable’s value changing, an alarm occurring, a relay turning on, a temperature threshold being exceeded, etc. Events are preceded by the prefix E. added to the identifier’s name.
   

NOTE! All fields in the configuration interface that require the C. . or E.. prefix are marked with an orange background and an appropriate tooltip. The use of these prefixes, along with examples, is described in the “Identifiers” chapter.

The diagram below illustrates the flow of information within the DOMIQ Base 2.0 module, and the relationship between State, Commands, and Events with respect to example identifiers.

Study the example below, which describes the flow of information between a slider in the Remote app and a dimmer in the LCN system:

1. Dimmers in the LCN system use the predefined identifier LCN.output. In our example, let’s assume this is the identifier ,, which corresponds to the first dimmer in the module with ID 10, connected in the local segment.
2. The user, in the DOMIQ/Remote app, sets the slider to the midpoint of its range. The above identifier is assigned to the slider.
3. A command is sent to the LCN subsystem to drive the requested lighting circuit.
4. The end device (in this case, the LCN module) confirms that the light has been turned on – a status packet is sent to the Base module.
5. After processing the packet, Base updates the state of the LCN.output.0.10.1 identifier.
6. Information about the state update is then passed on to the Remote app, so it can display the current brightness information and the correct slider position.
   

And to round things out, here’s the same example, but using the identifiers themselves:

1. The user, in the DOMIQ/Remote app, sets the slider to the midpoint of its range – this generates the command C.LCN.output.0.10.1=50, which is sent to the LCN subsystem.
2. The end device confirms that the light has been turned on – a status packet is sent to the Base module.
3. After the status packet is processed, the state of the LCN.output.0.10.1 identifier is updated,
   LCN.output.0.10.1. and the event E.LCN.output.0.10.1=50 is emitted.
4. Information about the state update is then passed on to the Remote app, so it can display the current brightness information and the correct slider position.
   

1. State #

The states of all identifiers are available in the State tab of the configuration interface. In this tab, you can check the current value of every device or variable available in the DOMIQ system, e.g. the current value of a relay, a dimmable output, alarm sensors, etc.

IMPORTANT! The Base module only stores non-zero values in the state. So, if a given device hasn’t changed its value since the Base module was started and currently has a value of 0, that identifier will not be displayed in the state table. However, if that identifier changes to a non-zero value and then receives a value of 0, it will become visible in the state table.
The State tab has the following elements:

1. Refresh – Click this button to retrieve the current state of the identifiers. The table in the State tab is not refreshed automatically.
2. Delete – Used to delete the selected rows in the table.
3. The search field helps you quickly find the identifier you’re interested in.
4. The state table with current values for individual identifiers:
5. Name – The identifier’s name
6. Value – The identifier’s current value.
7. Time since last change – The number of seconds that have passed since the state was last updated.
8. Last change – The date and time of the last value change.
9. Description – The identifier’s description, read from the source device.
   

2. MEM variables
#

The DOMIQ Base module has non-volatile FRAM memory intended for storing MEM variables (NOTE! Older models, such as DOMIQ Base, have a limit of 8kB). The values of these variables are preserved through device restarts and power interruptions. For added reliability, the Base module saves a backup copy of these variables’ values to a file every 12 hours.
The State tab has a set of buttons for managing MEM variables.

• Import – Lets you select a MEM variable backup file.
• Export – Creates a backup of the MEM variables in XML format and lets you save it to your computer’s disk.
• Save to file – Creates a backup, which is saved in the Base module’s FLASH memory.
• Restore from file – Loads the MEM variable values from the backup saved in the Base module’s FLASH memory.
• Delete MEM – Executes a command to reset the FRAM memory, which deletes all MEM-type variables.
• Clear backup file – Deletes the backup file saved on the Base module.