Re: xAP & RIO/netgear router help/advice needed ;o)

["Frank Mc Alinden" <fmcalind@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Kevin
Nice explaination .....Maybe this should go to the FAQ in the
Automated Home Forum for reference.......???

Frank


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Hawkins" <lists@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2004 10:09 PM
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] xAP & RIO/netgear router help/advice needed ;o)


> Frank Mc Alinden wrote:
>
> >Hi Jonathon
> >
> >
> >
> >>Yeah, I am having a look at both . I assumed that both
protocols would
> >>be compatible ?! is this not so ?
> >>
> >>
> >
> >No they are not compatible ...Although there is a plugin i believe
which
> >allows you to create xAP messages within xPL but i dont think
theres any
xPL
> >enabling in xAP.....Kevin Hawkins might be able to assist as his
main app
is
> >xAP but he also uses some xPL stuff i believe.......
> >
> >
> >
> >>As my intentions were to use xplrio (for my rio !) and then
use xap to
> >>monitor the unit (if poss) but my main reason for xap is to
have the
> >>weather reports and eventually some of the other features .
> >>
> >>
>
> Hi Jonathon,
>
>     Thought I'd post a bit of the reply here as it may help others.
>
>     xAP and xPL are different to the extent that they are not
naturally
> aware of each other. They can both be used on a network and happily
> co-exist but they do not interoperate.  The data that is exchanged
> between xAP devices is invisible to xPL and vica versa. However the
> fundamentals of both protocols are the same,  xPL was a fork and
change
> to the xAP protocol.  Both protocols have their strengths but are
> targeted in slightly different ways and which one you might choose to
> adopt is a personal decision . I come from the xAP side and so most of
> my systems are based on that but I have some xPL bits in there too.
>
>     However - and here's the really good news - you don't have to
commit
> yourself one way or another. Most people tend to ally themselves to
one
> or the other, particularly if they are writing their own code but as a
> user you can mix and match xAP and xPL applications in your setup. 
Each
> will run quite happily and independantly. So in your case there are
Rio
> applications available for both xAP and xPL but Tony's current app is
a
> true masterpiece in the making so it's a natural choice.  You may then
> wish to have the  graphic interface of say xAP Desktop and the xAP
> Weather / TV listings applications running too.   As a controlling
> application you can either use the scripting built in to xAP Desktop
or
> xPL Hal - both use the familiar VB script language. If you are not
much
> of a coder then  xPL HAL has 'determinators' too  which work like
> wizards to help you tie the bits together. If you use HomeSeer then
you
> can install the free xAP plugin and all your xAP devices become
visible
> as HomeSeer devices - and actually all your HomeSeer devices become
xAP
> devices too :-)
>
>     As you progress you will want some form of interaction between
your
> xAP and xPL worlds - perhaps you would like the Rio to play "Here
comes
> the rain"  as the forecast changes - silly suggestion but you get
the
> point. xPL HAL has a bidirectional scriptable bridge between xPL and
> xAP.  What this means is that you can choose to watch for certain xAP
> data say and copy this over to xPL. You might take the weather or TV
> listings info from xAP and announce it on xPL as 'text to speech' on
> your Rio or create a floating Rio window in xAP Desktop that is
updated
> from the xPL Rio application.  This could have transport controls and
> display the current tracks info just like is currently available for
the
> SliMP3 or Squeezebox. I can post a screenshot if you've not seen this.
> However you can't generically bridge all xAP and xPL traffic as they
> operate in different ways, you instead choose to translate certain
> information from one environment to the other and you have to create a
> script that does this translation.
>
> In my setup I  mix xAP and xPL - it allows you to choose a product
that
> is supported only in one environment but make the data available in
the
> other - this way it was hoped that there wouldnt have to be duplicated
> effort of the xAP and xPL teams to each offer their own support for
> every product - not quite what's happened but there you go. Most
common
> UKHA favourite devices have both xPL and xAP support.
>
> I think it's fair to say that both xAP and xPL are for HA enthusiasts
> still, suiting the majority of the users say on this list . They are
not
> yet however 'end user' offerings for all in the way that a property
> developer might install an automation system for example eg
> Crestron/Lutron/AMX/C-Bus even X10. However the x protocols are much
> richer, open expanable & encompass almost all forms of data and
control
> eg video,audio,internet,pictures whereas those others are contained.
> Great strides are being made with applications like xPL HAL, the
> HomeSeer integration and xAP Desktop to broaden end user access to the
x
> protocols. But the x protocols are just what they say on the tin
> (protocols) - and the manifestation as products  is something that is
> happening over time. xAP/xPL is if you like a language not the person
> who speaks it, an Esperanto if you like.
>
> The x adopters and the teams have tended to support the hardware and
> software  that they themselves own and use , creating for their own HA
> setups with a degree of interoperability that was previously just not
> possible before x . xAP/xPL are protocols that break down the
obstacles
> in getting device A to talk to device B in a standard and open way.
Yes
> you still need to understand a bit about scripting for the more
complex
> setups but x makes it about as simple as is possible.  It really is
easy
> with a small amount of programming skills to x enable your own
'Widget'
> and add it to your HA system. It has opened up for me the attitude 
that
> 'all is achievable' rather than 'when can I do this' or 'when will
that
> product ship'. Quite daunting  as the  'to do' list is now boundless !
>
> I hope I've been fair to both xAP and xPL, ( I've tried ) - which one
> you choose is a personal thing - both deliver. Its a bit like opting
to
> speak French or German,  people get exposed to or taught one and feel
> more comfortable there. Both work and coexist, both can hear each
other
> but to actually understand each other needs a bit of translation.
>
>     Kevin
>
> PS Jonathon - so yes you can achieve what you want :-) - the fact that
> xAP weather is just displaying a cloud picture  with a ? mark in it
> indicates it's not pulling the data off the internet correctly - I'll
> tackle this on the xAP Automation Yahoo group for you.
>
> >
> >The best of both worlds ;-)) Why not ..........
> >
> >
> >
> Indeed.
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>