Re: Re: Forget the webbrick

[Kevin Hawkins <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think this is a key point re useability...(below).  I haven't seen
the device until now so I could be wrong.. but here's my first
thoughts....(wow)   and my second thoughts....The device provides a
great platform at an exceptional price but it is essentially a web
interface page to a device with a lot of I/O capability and if you wish
to go beyond altering the web pages and uploading them via ftp then you
will need some C skills and a good understanding of the code.  It
appears to be a small powerful development board example for Microchips
tcp stack..., even down to the 'prototyping add on' -  great for the
techies and a most welcome addition , at an attractive price.

What could be added is an interface via xAP or xPL, or a HomeSeer
plugin to make the product more accessible to the people perhaps ??

Take a look also at the Netiom
http://www.phaedrusltd.com/pages/html/netiom.html
by Phaedrus (this one
I have seen in the flesh) . This is much the same sort of idea but with
a lot more user accessibilty/features built in. It has roughly the same
webserver capabilities, 16 inputs, 16 outputs, Ethernet, serial port and
4 channel A/D convertors. But it also has counters,  email alerts, a
compact tcp based status and control protocol, configured via a very
capable front end application for setting things like high latches,  low
latches , thresholds and names.   The tcp based status protocol is
probably of the most interest /significance as a way of communicating
between a PC application and the device via Ethernet. The device will
also email you anywhere should its inputs match a certain state.  The
I/O on the Netiom is also presented on screw terminals rather than the
IDC connectors the above device appears to have which is perhaps easier
for the hobbyist.  The Netiom is more expensive at £79 though so £30 more.
Lastly of course if you are into xAP then a variant of the Netiom is
available 'imminently' with embedded xAP.  The really nice thing here is
you have a true standalone (no PC required) solution for HA usage that
delivers realtime status and control over Ethernet. Taking the PC out of
the loop is in my experience the most valuable step towards stability
and response times.   Switch inputs to say Netiom (which has included
debounce firmware) could even be used to switch C-Bus or X10.
Implementing xAP and BSC in the Netiom also means that the device
becomes plug and play with say HomeSeer (using the xAP plugin) and xAP
Desktop etc. Additionally all the I/O points have friendly names and can
be wildcard addressed.  A plugin between MainLobby and Homeseer and also
a xAP plugin (beta) for XLobby is also available so some great touch
screen / HA software is available out of the box for a xAP Netiom.

Now it's horses for courses and the pricepoint of the Telmatics
product is amazingly good - the device creates a good (great) building
block for the more experienced developer but it will be more challenging
to most. The Netiom has some extra features that address this and
certainly the device is more accessible to most being useable out of the
box in some existing software.  I can't comment on the web brick cos I
haven't looked in any detail but I think it has some inbuilt 'smarts'
above both these solutions that allow for logical actions (if this goes
high then do this.. type of thing) and I believe they also interoperate
as netwoked devices in a standalone setup which could be most powerful.
BTW the VIOM (the old UKHA favourite) from Phaedrus also has a lot of
inbuilt 'smarts', including timers - allowing for logic and timed
actions across its I/O ... but the Viom is a serial connected device.

Lots of useful little building blocks now....    Kevin




solentelectricalservices wrote:

>ok guys, before we all piss our pants in excitment (too late for me)
>how do we turn this fantastic product into something we can all use.
>As an installer all these fancy programming languages are way above
>me so this product is usless. But if anyone can make it do some of
>the things I have in mind then I would be interested in talking to
>them and paying them. please feel free to email me.
>--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Ian" <ian@f...> wrote:
>
>
>>Holy Crap on a stick - NOW your talking!
>>
>>Interesting to see how much can be done with it - one of the
>>
>>
>webbrick's big
>
>
>>selling points was the programmability, but this thing is using
>>
>>
>the same
>
>
>>processor on board.
>>
>>Ian.
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Ake Hedman [mailto:akhe@b...]
>>Sent: 15 March 2005 17:16
>>To: UKHA List
>>Subject: [ukha_d] Forget the webbrick
>>
>>
>>Forget the webbrick. This (
>><http://total-telematics.com/shop/index.php?
>>
>>
>main_page=product_info&cPath=1_3
>
>
>>&products_id=30>
>>) is what I call value for money!!!! :-D
>>
>>Cheers
>>/Ake
>>
>>--
>> ---
>>Ake Hedman (YAP - Yet Another Programmer) eurosource,
>>
>>
>Brattbergavägen 17,
>
>
>>820 50 LOS, Sweden
>>Phone: (46) 657 413430 Cellular: (46) 73 84 84 102
>>Company home: http://www.eurosource.se
>>Kryddor/Te/Kaffe: http://www.brattberg.com Personal
homepage:
>>http://www.eurosource.se/akhe
Automated home: http://www.vscp.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
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