Guide to Smart Home Automation with Linkstyle App - The Ins and Outs o

In a previous guide, we demonstrated how to set up a simple automation routine with the Linkstyle App, using an automatic door chime as an example. Here, we will dive deep into the interface of automation and Tap-to-Run routine setup and describe each condition and task. With this knowledge, you can unlock the full potential of your smart home devices and create DIY routines that fit your needs.

Routine Overview

Each DIY routine consists of a few elemets:

Condition: activation condition(s) used to trigger the designated task(s)
Task: the most important part of the routine - what you want your devices to do
Name: to help you identify created routines in the app
Style: the color and background image used to represent the routine
Effective Period: time constraints for when the routine is active

Condition and Task are by far the most important parts of a DIY routine; to put it simply, DIY routines are essentially specified tasks being performed automatically when preset conditions are met. Tap-to-Run routines are fundamentally just automations that are activated by a button press instead of conditions.

Activation Conditions

Launch Tap to Run

The "Launch Tap to Run" condition makes the routine a "Tap-to-Run" routine, creating a quick-access button in the app DIY and Devices sections that activates the designated tasks. Selecting this option advances directly to the "Set up task" step.

Quick Tip: You can bundle a group of tasks to a Tap-to-Run routine and then bind the routine to a Smart Scenario Button to access it without having to open the app. For example, using a button press to turn on all of the lights in a room.

When the alarm mode changes

The "When the alarm mode changes" condition activates the routine based on a change in the alarm mode of a connected Security Gateway. For example, if you would like to toggle certain functions of certain devices automatically whenever you disarm your Security Gateway, then choose this condition.

The three different alarm modes that can be set as conditions are: Away, Disarmed, and Stay. You can also enable the "For Some Time" option and set a delay timer for the condition. For example, if you would like to turn on certain devices 2 hours after your Security Gateway has been armed, use this toggle.

When you select the "When the alarm mode changes" condition, first select the associated Security Gateway, then set the specific alarm mode that will be used to as the trigger.

When the alarm sets off

The "When the alarm sets off" condition is self-explanatory, it activates the routine whenever a specified alarm goes off. Because the Linkstyle Smart Security Gateway accommodates a wide variety of Zigbee alarms and sensors, you will then select the specific type of alarm to be used for this condition.

Geo Fencing

If you enable Geo Fencing location authorization on your mobile device, you can use physical proximity to your home as a trigger for routines. There are 2 modes associated with Geo Fencing triggers: Occupied and Empty. Occupied means your mobile device is in close proximity to the address you have set for the location, i.e. when you are home; Empty means your mobile device is not in close proximity to the preset address, i.e. when you are away.

When weather change

This condition uses weather data associated with your custom home address to activate the routine. The parameters that you can set for this condition are: Temperature, Humidity, Weather, Sunset/Sunrise, and Wind Speed.

Temperature: activate the routine when the temperature of your area is greater than, equal to, or less than a specific point. This is based on online data for the area that your home is located in. For better accuracy specific to your home, consider using a Linkstyle Temperature and Humidity Sensor instead.

Humidity: humidity levels are represented by 3 buckets: Dry(0% - 40%), Comfortable(40% - 70%), and Moist(70% > 100%). For more granular control of devices based on humidity, consider using a Linkstyle Temperature and Humidity Sensor instead.

Weather: weather conditions are represented by 5 types: Sunny, Cloudy, Rainy, Snowy, and Hazy. Use this parameter if you have routines that you'd like to run for these specific conditions.

Sunset/Sunrise: the app uses local weather data to determine the time of sunrise and time of sunset for each day. This is useful if you have lighting elements or smart curtains connected to the app that you would like to automate based on the presence of sun light.

Wind Speed: activate the routine when the wind speed of your area is greater than, equal to, or less than a specific point.

Schedule

Schedule is also a self-explanatory condition, you can activate the routine at a specific time of day. You can also set the schedule to repeat on a weekly basis.

When device status changes

The "When device status changes" condition enables the system to use conditions and statuses of connected devices to control other devices. For example, you can set your entry sensor to make your security gateway to play a door bell chime whenever it detects that a door is open, as shown in our previous guide. Selecting this option will take you to a page where you then select the device whose status will act as a trigger condition. Each different device will have its own specific parameters and statuses that can be used as an activation condition for automation routines. We will provide documentation for each unique device.

Multiple Conditions

You can add more than 1 activation condition for each automation routine. When you have more than one condition set for a single routine, you need to choose whether all of the conditions need to be met or just any condition needs to be met to trigger device task(s). This gives you more precise control over your connected devices.

Device Tasks

After selecting an activation condition, the app will bring you to the task selection page, where you will tell the routine what to do when the activation condition is met.

Alarm mode changes

The "Alarm mode changes" task sets the security gateway's alarm status, which can be: Away(Armed), Stay(Armed), or Disarmed. Set this task if you are planning to automatically arm and/or disarm your smart home security system based on some condition.

Defence and withdraw defence alerts

This task simply sends a reminder to your mobile device to arm your security gateway. You can choose between the Away Arm Reminder and the Stay Arm Reminder.

Run the device

This is the main task category for most functional routines. From here, you choose a specific connected device and make it perform a specific function (e.g. making the security gateway play a door bell chime). Each different device will have different callable functions that can be included in DIY routines, and we will provide documentation of all such tasks for each device.

Select Smart

The "Select Smart" task simply interacts with another already-created routine. If you want to use one routine to activate tasks already bundled in another Tap-to-Run routine, this would be a quick way to add it. This can also be used to enable and disable a pre-existing automation routine. Selecting this task will take you to a screen where you will then select the category and specific routine to be added.

Send Notification

This task simply sends a notification to your mobile device. The content of the notification message will be the name of the routine. Change the name of the routine to the desired message to fit your purposes.

Delay

Delay is an often overlooked task that comes in handy in many situations. This task simply adds and runs a countdown timer. Once the countdown timer ends, the next task added will be activated. This is a useful task that enables time-delayed activation and could help with coordinating chained tasks.

Multiple Tasks

Similar to how you can add multiple conditions to a routine, you can also set multiple tasks to a routine. When activation conditions are met, the queued tasks will activate in order until all of the tasks are performed.

Changing the Routine Name and Style

For the most part, the routine's Name and Style are for identification purposes. Changing them logically gives you an easy way to find them on the app interface. The routine name also serves as the notification message that will be sent to your mobile device if you have that task selected.

Effective Period

The last option in routine setup is the Effective Period. This is simply the time interval of each day when the routine can be triggered. The Effective Period differs from the Schedule condition in that the Schedule condition activates the preset tasks at exactly the time on the schedule, while the Effective Period is an additional condition that has to be met (for example, a door bell chime playing at exactly 8am every day vs. the auto doorbell being active between 8am and 5pm).

Wrapping it All Up

Hopefully this guide has made it clear what DIY routines are in the Linkstyle app and gave you some ideas on how to integrate connected devices into your smart home. We will continually update our guides to include tips and suggested scenarios for Linkstyle smart home devices, subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss out.

It's now time to experiment and discover the endless possibilities for unlocking your enchanted lifestyle! Join our Facebook group and you can share with our community your own tips and suggestions that you discover along the way.