Re: Re: 1-Wire advice please

[Kevin Hawkins <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve Edwards wrote:
> --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Kevin Hawkins <lists@...> wrote:
>
>
>>     I'm rather pleased we now have 5 xAP embedded controllers
>> announced, three of them commercial....  (xAP Netiom, xAP
HomeVision
>> , xAP C-Bus,  opn-one, opn-232) which is panning out as a nice
>> family of useful HA devices.
>>
>
> Did I miss those announcements?
>
> Whats a xAP HomeVision or a xAP C-Bus embedded controller? I've never
> heard of them and neither has any of the xAP websites ;-)
>
> Cheers
>
> Steve
>

The  xAP / C-Bus gateway controllers been available for around 3
years now ! It's an embedded controller based on a Rabbit processor
platform with onboard Ethernet and C-Bus interfaces that directly
interlinks C-Bus with xAP using the BSC schema, once there it can be
integrated realtime with any xAP application capable application. xAP
even allows integration of C-Bus via BSC from other embedded hardware
like the xAP Netiom (16 inputs/outputs).   This is my own design but I
have had some professionally assembled for those interested. BSC stands
for the 'Basic Status and Control'  which is a near 'plug and play'
device schema within xAP.

The C-Bus / HomeVision gateway uses the same embedded hardware and
fully integrates C-Bus lighting using HomeVision's Custom Lighting
support. It's not a 'xAP' product. C-Bus and HV are fully synchronised
at power on and during operation and HV's macro language is extended
with commands for C-Bus including ramps and scenes. Additionally HV
actions/macros can be triggered automatically whenever a C-Bus group
changes state. All of the C-Bus processing is done outside of HomeVision
to avoid impacting its performance.   This is the product I meant to
'announce' in the 1-wire thread . It enters beta this week.

Also (and arrrgh unfortunately the one I mentioned by mistake) is
the xAP / HomeVision gateway which links all HV's I/O to xAP . Again
same hardware (but without a C-Bus interface). This supports hardware
(X10, custom lighting,  inputs, outputs, temperature, analogue, HVAC,
Security) and software components ( flags,variables,timers,macros).
These are all presented and controlled via the xAP BSC schema.  This
should be available (beta) in around a month.

An interesting aspect is that all these use the same hardware (with
some bits optional eg  C-Bus , opto isolation, LCD display,  keypad
etc).  On every unit there are 4 serial 232/422/485 ports and quite of
lot of binary inputs and outputs so I can add other 'personalities'
later - in particular  serial devices like CallerID , X10, temperature
etc.  In fact at the moment I am seeing if I can squeeze HomeVision,
C-Bus and xAP all into the one piece of hardware.  I eventually hope
people will be able to buy just the hardware and choose the mix of
personalities they want on a mix and match basis, so lots of embedded
possibilities then. I do control a few of my own bits of kit this way
(eg my AV amp and switcher, Slinke and some of the ones mentioned
before) .  The gateways provide an onboard web and ftp server although I
don't make much use of these yet.  They all have field upgradeable
firmware for updates.

I have also announced an embedded 'BSC Mapper' personality or
standalone device that will interconnect xAP BSC devices transparently.
So you can 'map' rather like one of those old fashioned plug type
switchboards inputs/triggers to outputs - a switch to a light or a level
sensor to a pump etc. Great when paired with  things like xAP Netiom as
you can provide basic operation without a PC.   Eventually this may
extend into a more powerful 'xAP controller/engine' - a sort of
HomeVision for xAP devices but that's a way off and I'm really hoping
someone else might get there first as it's a big undertaking.
HomeBrain are you still there ;-)  ??   It's probably more attractive as
an adjunct to one of the other gateways - but it could run by itself too
with the same hardware ,. Just got the UI to sort out so probably 6
weeks away ATM.

The old published web pages for the controller are woefully out of
date,  both the data and the pictures, and, point taken - I need to get
some links on the main xAP sites and fuller information on my site.
I'll try and address this shortly - you're not the first person to
mention it .  It's just coding is far more pressing at the moment and
the beta testers are hungry for units.... you know who you are...;-)
I'm continually evolving these designs and providing some of the
more useful and supportable personalities  to others who may be
interested  on an 'as is' basis - I'm not a commercial setup.  It's also
a surprisingly large amount of work moving from 'works for me' to
something that 'works for everyone' , and as my own HA setup is still in
need of a lot of pulling together it has to take some priority.Got the
bits - not the time. In fact I have C-Bus kit I bought 2 years ago still
not installed yet , something like 60 channels and only 10 wired up -
and a distribution panel that looks like a scene from StarWars after an
asteroid strike...  Ben Addison - my sparkie - will not be impressed...



Cheers Kevin