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Global Variables are a useful way of sharing information between different scenes or parts of your Fibaro Home Center 2 (HC2) or Home Center Lite (HCL) Z-Wave Controller. Even though 'Variable' is a term often used in computer programming, don't be put off, they are easy to use and have lots of uses.
A Global Variable is simply a value that you define in the Home Center (HC). You can name it how you wish and then you use it to store information that can be used by scenes or other parts of the system. This is extremely useful for setting defined periods of the day, showing that some event has happened or even counting these events.
The Fibaro HC has two types of Global Variable - Standard and Predefined. They are both created in a similar way and work the same in scenes.
The Standard variable can store any numerical value you wish (you cannot store letters or other symbols). The value stored in the Standard variable can be set manually in the HC's Variables Panel or from a HC scene. It can then be used as part of a condition in other HC scenes.
The Standard variable is similar to a Mailbox - you store values which can then be used by many parts of the system.
Examples of Standard Variables are:
The Predefined variable has set values that you configure when you create the variable. The variable can then only be set to these values. It is useful for having defined values such as Night, Day, Home, Away etc.
In this respect the Predefined variable is like a Flag that shows a defined value.
Examples of Predefined Variables:
Both types of variable are created in a similar way - in the HC's Variables Panel or directly from within the Home Center's Graphical Scene Builder.
Figure 1: Creating a Predefined Variable in Home Center
Figure 2: Creating a Standard Variable in Home Center
The Variables can now be used in scenes as part of conditions to trigger the scene.
Figure 3: Simple Scene using a Variable as a condition
Updated: 17/9/14