What is xAP????

["Mark Harrison" <Mark.Harrison@xxxxxxx>]

There appears to be a bit of confusion over what xAP is, with comments
like:

> Would have liked to get involved in the hardware but looks like Avr is
the choice 


To try to clarify, there are, logically, TWO separate pieces of work being
done. Both sparked from a series of discussions about what HA information
we might like to make available round the house, say, with serial displays.
There were two distinct threads - one about WHAT to do, one about HOW to
implement it. As a result of these discussions, we have two discrete
projects.


xAP is an open protocol. The xAP protocol allows different systems (not
only HA controllers like HomeVision, Homeseer or Mister House) but other
systems as diverse as eMail programs and CLI displays to BROADCAST
information. Likewise it allows these, or other systems, to receive this
information and ACT on it.

HomeDisplay (in the absence of a better name - suggestions welcome -
ideally where we can register a domain name :-) ) is a device, or series of
devices, which will be able to receive xAP messages, and display them on
small, cheap hardware. 

HomeDisplay is NOT the only product able to respond to xAP messages. There
is, already, a (beta) PC-based software applet that will allow users to
view the status of xAP-enabled devices on their monitors.


In the xAP world, there are a number of questions open, for example:

- How do we support device status-response
- How do we ensure that the protocl is simple enough to be supportable by
very cheap devices
- How do we enable the protocol work across the Internet, so you can see
your Home system from Work

In the HomeDisplay world, there are a number of questions, for example:

- Rabbit? Tini? Avr? All three?
- LCD or VCD? Or support both?
- Cases? Prices?


We are looking, in the xAP world, to release 2 different things:

1: A set of "reference code" fragments, in various languages, to
allow others to add xAP-enablement to their products very quickly.

2: A set of "reference applications", that add xAP-enablement to
different products, or act as xAP products in their own right.

The aim is to support EVERYTHING. Be that Outlook, POP3, Ameol..., be that
HomeVision, Homeseer, Misterhouse, HomeAutomator..., be that wired
ethernet, 802.11x, serial cable... be that Rabbit, TiNi, Avr... The issues
are not WHICH will be supported, but which will be developed FIRST.

Finally, I should stress that this is NOT vapourware. The first reference
applications HAVE BEEN released. The way to keep the momentum, however, is
for YOU to get involved. The two places to look are:

- https://sourceforge.net/projects/xap/
- for code releases for xAP
- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukha_xap
- for discussion of both HomeDisplay and xAP


Regards,

Mark Harrison

P.S. - I hope Mark McCall won't object if we have suggestions for a good
name for the HomeDisplay project HERE rather than in the xAP list :-)

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