The UK Home Automation Archive

Archive Home
Group Home
Search Archive


Advanced Search

The UKHA-ARCHIVE IS CEASING OPERATIONS 31 DEC 2024


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Help, Serial input to Misterhouse, HA etc, most popular?


  • To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
  • Subject: Re: Help, Serial input to Misterhouse, HA etc, most popular?
  • From: "vectra999uk2002" <questuk1@xxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2003 15:30:35 -0000
  • Mailing-list: list ukha_d@xxxxxxx; contact ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
  • Reply-to: ukha_d@xxxxxxx


> Hi Gary
>
> 	Both xAP and xPL are competent and very flexible protocols to
do
> what you want ( I know you've explored xPL a little - and I'm from
the xAP
> side see www.xapautomation.org) however... let's step back a little
and see
> whether you need to involve an intermediate protocol at all. Maybe
you can
> do this directly.
>


> 	Can you just explain something ... when the RF message goes
out -
> and is picked up by the receiver what form does it come out of the
receiver
> in ?? Is it serial ? Does it have the ability to receive from many
> transmitters - indeed is it a transceiver ? ( I am familiar with
most of the
> RadioMetrix line if that's what you have).

The format is serial and fed into a TX (I think i used IC2 as the
basis of the protocol, as I had just written something using it, this
was 3 years ago and works fine, sends an address then sends data)

It is just a TX thats why I wanted PC to be the receiver, then it can
do the logic side and send out data via RF connected to serial port?



>
> 	I note that currently it has some ability to turn a light for
> example ON and OFF - how is it doing this - is it an output line
that goes
> ON and OFF that you then use to switch mains - or are you driving
some form
> of serially attached X10 or relay module perhaps ?  Perhaps the
receiver is
> addressed in some form of way ?

The receiver waits for its address then if OK runs PIC software to
turn on Relay the PIC then turns of after 30 seconds, crude but has
worked for 3 years and I have only seen it malfunction once in all
that time!



>
> 	Your needs can be met in a number of ways but I wouldn't look
at
> using the X10 protocol on an RF based system - you should use some
other
> protocol with more features. X10 was designed originally to switch
> appliances ON and OFF and control lights (dimming) - as such it was
not
> designed from the ground up as a bi-directional system or to carry
more
> complex data eg text or audio control. Some of these features have
been
> added later though using extended codes and some status responses
eg for the
> thermostats. You could roll your own but both xAP and xPL would help
> substantially here. You would have to implement your own transport
layer as
> radio , by it's very nature is error prone - you need to create a
layer to
> handle corruptions, collisions and acknowledgements/retrys although
maybe
> your RF modules already do this.

No, but I am treating this as a learning exercise, and it will only
control lights so nothing critical, But it will enable me to get
familiar with the HA side on the PC.



>
> 	I designed way back a bridge scoring system (the card game) -
this
> uses RF linked keypads and displays - some old info is still on
> http://www.ukusa.demon.co.uk/butler/butler.html
. xAP would have
been great
> here and indeed this product may appear in a new version using xAP.
However
> I sold the rights to this product to another company so currently
the
> decision is not mine.
>
> 	One route to consider is that Z-Wave have a range of RF
modules
> available shortly that will handle basic appliance and dimmer
functions, and
> an RF remote. They also have an RF transceiver that is USB
connected to a PC
> and supported by HomeSeer currently and Autom8it shortly. Although
their
> radio protocol is proprietary this might provide enough of the
functionality
> you need. One very nice feature is that the modules will
automatically act
> as relays for each other when nodes go out of range.

Thats what inspired me as X10 seems to have carrier line problems,
and RF will be the future!
But these are not available  for some time in 2004, summer in the UK?



>
> 	Hope some of that helps. I don't use MisterHouse myself
although I
> believe some old support for xAP and xPL was written in at one
stage. Using
> xPL there is a VBscript engine called xPL Hal that will help you
(actually
> you can use this for xAP too - the name perhaps doesn't reflect
that but
> they kindly included xAP bridging support). For xAP we will have
full
> support within HomeSeer very shortly, although HS is not free. Both
the 'x'
> environments have many dev tools and frameworks and both have OCX's
> available to allow you to code in almost any environment of your
choosing.


Basically I want the easiest route that will fulfil my simple
requirements till Z-wave becomes available at reasonable prices?


Any further comments please?




Regards,


Gary


>
> 	Kevin
>
>
>
>    > -----Original Message-----
>    > From: vectra999uk2002 [mailto:questuk1@xxxxxxx...]
>    > Sent: 03 November 2003 13:32
>    > To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>    > Subject: [ukha_d] Help, Serial input to Misterhouse, HA etc,
most
>    > popular?
>    >
>    > Hi all,
>    >
>    > My question is what is the best free software to
"bridge" the
>    > interface with the PC serial port, then to Misterhouse or any
other
>    > HA software?
>    >
>    > I have all the skills required, but do not know what protocol
to
>    > present to the serial port?
>    >
>    >
>    > CONTROLLED AT MOMENT
>    > --------------------
>    > I have a ceiling PIR that turns on a RF module connected to a
PIC
>    > micro, this sends data to a RF receiver. At the moment this
receiver
>    > then decodes the signal and if correct and it is dark in the
room,
>    > turns on a lamp for 30 seconds then switches it Off.
>    >
>    > FUTURE
>    > ------
>    > I would like to expand this using a PC to receive info from RF
+ PIC
>    > modules via the RS232 port, then depending on light sensors,
control
>    > the house lighting.
>    >
>    > I would prefer not to use X10 modules, as i will design my own
using
>    > 433Mhz RF modules
>    >
>    > I had thought of using X10 protocol though via my RF?
>    >
>    > I have worked in electronics for 20 years so that side is not
a
>    > problem and PIC programming software skills, are ok.
>    >
>    > Any suggtestions ideas welcome!
>    >
>    >
>    > Regards,
>    >
>    >
>    > Gary
>    >
>    >




Home | Main Index | Thread Index

Comments to the Webmaster are always welcomed, please use this contact form . Note that as this site is a mailing list archive, the Webmaster has no control over the contents of the messages. Comments about message content should be directed to the relevant mailing list.