Re: Sensors / Switches / etc

["patricklidstone" <patrick@xxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Paul Gordon" <paul_gordon@h...>
wrote:
> >Yes, I'm using xAP. There is no "universal" standard for
this kind
of
> >thing -- that's why we invented xAP :-)
> >
> >Comfort is now xAP enabled.
> >
>
> Oooh, interesting.... care to elaborate?... :-)

Basically pretty much anything you can do with the comfort serial
interface, you can do via xAP messages. The great thing about this is
that the comfort interface no longer has to be tied to a single
software app - multiple apps can simultaneously hear comfort status
changes (e.g. PIR triggers for occupancy detection, away mode being
set) and can also interact with comfort (e.g. send an IR command). We
should have a basic xAP-comfort demo setup at UKHA 2003!

>
> > > - What physical presentation would be required ?
> > > (RS232/RS485/Ethernet/X10/Other ?)
> >
> >I use: RS232, 485 and Ethernet. Ethernet is favourite, but bumps
up
> >the cost significantly.
>
>
> Hmm... not sure about this, - OK, if your just talking about being
able to
> use an existing PC COM port then its very cheap, - but ethernet
hardware is
> pretty cheap now, - a 10/100 PCI card costs a lot less than a PCI
serial
> port card for instance... Although I guess I am thinking from a PC
> perspective.. Presumably for other hardware platforms like PIC/HV
et al,
> then I guess you're right...

I was thinking about the homebrew hardware side of thing. A serial
PIC temperature sensor can be built for a component cost of around 8
quid. The cheapest ethernet enabled hardware that I can make xAP
compliant is around 45 quid...

Patrick