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The UKHA-ARCHIVE IS CEASING OPERATIONS 31 DEC 2024


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Re: [Project] IREDS


  • To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
  • Subject: Re: [Project] IREDS
  • From: "Ian Lowe" <ian@xxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 15:45:26 +0100
  • Delivered-to: rich@xxxxxxx
  • Delivered-to: mailing list ukha_d@xxxxxxx
  • Mailing-list: list ukha_d@xxxxxxx; contact ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
  • References: <9e8k71+9hgf@xxxxxxx>
  • Reply-to: ukha_d@xxxxxxx

My own personal preference in these matters would be to have a
semi-intelligent controller,
and "dumb" zones.

So that you would have a single Ethernet host rather than many, but this
device would respond to an IP address per zone, so that the Zone hardware
could be cheap and simple.

I reckon you would need IR RX and TX at the zone, support for plugging
multiple IR emmiters (of the clip-on variety).

In fact, how about having the concept of a channel? so that each zone could
support a number of channels (perhaps seven channels and a broadcast
allowing 8-bit addressing, then same again for the Zones, Seven Zones +
Broadcast) at a zone, you could either hook multiple devices up to a single
channel, or group them, so you could control similar devices (for instance
two Sony VCRs, or two sky digiboxes) in the same  physical location
independantly..

So, your Controller would need to be able to interrogate the zone boxes for
something like dip settings, to figure out what channels/zones were in use,
and would provide an interface onto the Ethernet.

Your Zone boxes could even talk 433Mhz back to the Host, but that would
involve some Collision Detection Protocol etc. which breaks the whole
"cheap
and simple" concept.

Thoughts?

Ian

> --- In ukha_d@y..., "Andy Powell" <Andy@b...> wrote:
> > IREDS -  Infa Red Ethernet Distribution System (for want of a
> better name)
> >
> > Brief ideas
> > ========
> >
> > Receiver = Emitter unit
> >
> > Each receiver has an IP address which means that Zoneing would be
> simply a matter of sending the ir data to a specific group of ip
> adresses. Of course you would actually know what piece of kit had
> what ir emmiter.. eg Sony CD Player, ip address 10.21.1.3  so you
> could target the specific device rather that sending the same IR data
> to all emitters.
> >
> > Each zone would only require 1 CAT5 connection to the main box
> (either a PC or standalone unit) because you could just install a hub
> or switch locally to increase ports
> >
> > PC interface in the main box to allow it to send commands to
zones
>
> Few thoughts for the pot...
>
> It seems a great pity not to include an IR receiver on each node too.
> Add local storage, and each node can then replay IR either captured
> locally or downloaded from a fileserver.
>
> The units could be configurable to do selective repeating - decode IR
> commands, filter them and re-broadcast on ethernet based on rules
> (for subsequent retransmission by other units). This would give fully
> flexible zoned IR control, but with no central point of failure.
>
> Plus, with local storage, there's then the option of macros (a la
> pronto).
>
> As Ant's mail suggested -- and I've banged on about this on the ukbuy
> list -- for this to be maintainable you need a self mapping naming
> service - whether it's JINI, DHCP based or something else. One option
> would be assigned a multicast address to be shared by all IR units,
> and then devising an embedded discovery and sub-addressing protocol.
>
>
> Patrick
>
>
>
>
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>
>




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