Re: X10 Project ideas? Was: Anyone tried these AEI wireless units,

["vectra999uk2002" <questuk1@xxxxxxx>]

Thanks Doogie,

I guess I will also go with x10 after all your comments!

I would still like to do some wireless interfacing using a PIC Micro!

So I will use the RF interface of the X10, TM13U, whats the
recceiving range of these? typically

Anything not out there that needs designing? nothing too complicated
though for my 1st project with X10

Regards,


Gary



--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Doogie Brodie <ukhad@d...> wrote:
> vectra999uk2002 wrote:
> > I am looking at automating lights etc, and altough x10 is
popular,
> > its a bit expensive.I also like the idea of being wireless!
> >
> > I write software for PIC micros, so I thought I may be able to
> > interface these particular units to sensors etc.
>
> In the dim and distant past I thought about devices similar to
these,
> but ended up plumping for X10.
>
> I'm just going to have a bit of a brain fart, so excuse me if it
gets a
> bit rambling ;>
>
> ***Yes, it *is* long and rambling!***
>
> First, I'm surprised that there's a computer interface available
for
> these - it does instantly provide more possibilities, but what is
the
> software like, can you change it for something else, can you write
your
> own if it doesn't do exactly the things you want?
>
> *Everything* is RF based..... what size and construction is your
house?
> You might find issues with getting signal from your remote to a
specific
> device if it's at the other side of your house.
>
> PC interface says it's limited to 64 devices, whereas X10
is "limited"
> to 256 but you have the option of giving multiple devices the same
address.
>
> There's nothing like an IR interface, which means sitting in your
living
> room you'd need at least a Pronto, plus their remote (which IMHO is
not
> particularly attractive!) - I don't know if the Pronto's that have
RF
> functionality can be persauded to operate these or not, but if not
> you're stuck with 2 controllers. That also means you can't have a
system
> power up macro to do your video output device, AV amp, video source
> device and lighting all with one button push.
>
> Their lightswitch replacement idea seems to involve doing something
at
> the ceiling rose end and having a stick on switch, so you'd either
have
> that beside your existing switch, or replace that for a blanking
plate.
>  From what I can see, you have the option of controlling your
ceiling
> light from the doorway, or from their remote, not both.
>
> Their devices are "Site Code 8 Bit Factory Preset" which I
guess
means
> you can't do code sharing on multiple devices to behave at the same
> time, but also that you need the particular controller for a device
to
> operate it..... ie if you have remote control ceiling rose and
table
> lamps in the same room, you'd need *2* of their remotes to operate
them,
> unless you can do something with the PC interface to simulate scene
> lighting....
>
> Infact, looking at the PC interface again, it says nothing about
> receiving, only transmitting, therefore you can't send commands to
the
> PC and have it send different commands out, and you can't have
commands
> trigger things on the PC. There isn't even the mention of executing
> timed events from the PC! This may be a shortcoming of the synopsis
or
> it might be a feature that just isn't there.
>
> No mention of a web interface with the PC software, therefore
limits
> flexibility of using web pad/ tablet/ ipaq etc as a control device
>
> They have a PIR light switch, but the PIR is *in* the lightswitch,
which
> means its probably OK for entering the room (well, not for my hall
the
> way my front door is) but doesn't give you the flexibility to
position
> and angle it where you want to best detect occupancy.
>
> There is no immediate scope for integrating with, say a burglar
alarm
> system etc without you developing something yourself.
>
> There is no scope for controlling IR devices, like HomeVision does
out
> of the box, and HomeSeer can do via a cheap interface (actually I
must
> get around to doing that... soon!)
>
> Just to give you an example..... I'm sitting here in front of the
TV
> with the laptop and the Pronto. I have the Pronto setup so I can
control
> all the lights in this room directly, and initiate a couple of
scene
> setting/ going out macros, which affect both TV/Amp etc and lights.
>from
> my laptop, I can control any of the lights/ appliances on X10
anywhere
> in my house (ok, its a small flat, but the principle is there!) and
I
> can view a log of what has changed recently etc. I have a PIR in my
> kitchen, which not only switches on my kitchen light, but when it
goes
> off, it switches the hall light off too. The hall light is switched
on
> either manually, or by triggering the PIR on the inside front door.
>
>
>
> So! There you go.... apologies for the length of this..... in short
I'd
> say if you feel that, given some of the shortcomings I've pointed
out,
> it still feels like the right solution to dabble with, don't let
me/
> anyone else stop you, I could be wrong, and you could be not
as "techie"
> as most of us (but from your comments about PIC programming, I
doubt
> that!) but IMHO once you start getting into playing with these
things,
> you'll start hitting walls left right and centre, and will be
looking to
> upgrade to X10 or another solution.
>
> Whether you feel that this set of products will totally meet your
needs,
> or feel its right to dabble with one of these sets and then sell it
on
> ebay while upgrading to X10, or just go straight into X10 is
totally up
> to you.
>
> One of the vast advantages of going X10 is the sheer knowledge in
this
> group, both of the variety of different hardware available, and the
> different software packages/ stand alone controllers which can be
used
> in conjunction with them. Basically almost any scenario you can
think
> of, there's a huge chance that *someone* in the group has thought
of it
> before and come up with an X10 solution, more than likely several
people
> will have solved it in different ways, giving you different
viewpoints.
>
>
> --
> Doogie