Re: Beam Breaks - worthwhile?

["mark_harrison_uk2" <mph@xxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "alcinababe" <alcinababe@y...>
wrote:
> --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, ian.bird@c... wrote:
>
> > on other factors e.g. ambient light level. Here is some details
on this
> > project http://www.mollyology.com/MyHouseKitchenLights.htm
>
>
> This is undoubtedly a stupid question that will demonstrate nothing
> but my ignorance, but here goes...
>
> Your beam breakers work with HomeVision, which I can't afford
> (yet...).  I'm still using the CM12U.  Is there any way, do you
think,
> of adapting the beam breakers to work with a CM12U - via RF say.

The only connectors on a CM12U are a serial port (to a PC, say), and
to the mains, so there's nothing to interface them to. The advantage
of HomeVision is that it has a bunch of physical interface ports.

One possibility, somewhat cheaper than HomeVision, but requiring a PC
with two serial ports would be to use xAP.

Ian Bird, the beam-break guru, has an input board that will send a
xAP message when an input it triggered. That board has a serial
output that could plug into a PC.

Likewise there's a software CM12U xAP connector that could plug into
the same (or a different) PC.

The missing link is then a basic xAP parser to take an input-trigger
event, and convert it to the appropriate X-10 command which the xAP-
CM12U parser can handle.

One advantage of doing it this way is that, if you DO get a
HomeVision, you can simply install the xAP-HomeVision plugin instead
of the CM12U plugin and nothing else needs configuring.

I know this - I installed the HomeVision xAP plugin last night,
unplugged the CM12U, and the xAP control of my lights and bathroom
extractor fan carried on working without even a reboot :-)

If you're interested in this, then join
http:\\groups.yahoo.com\group\xap_automation

(As an aside - I'm looking for some more Alpha testers of the
HomeVision plugin, which is X10 only at the moment, but with support
for IR and relay ports due in a few weeks time.)

Regards,

Mark