Re: Autoglide & X10

["Ian Lowe" <ianlowe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Frank Mc Alinden"
<frankmc@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Ian
>
> Always wondered what happened to this project....What was your
issues with
> rs485 ??

it was death by a dozen cuts really...

I had built some PCBs, then found a problem with missing components
(didn't have a cap across the PIC's power supply) and the RS485 timing
was shot to hell and back...

it was easy enough to handle 232, with nice simple talk/response, but
handling the 485 with multiple talkers... awkward.

then I got distracted into looking at the PICNet stuff, wondering if
ethernet was the way to go - and that lead into the PIC18s.. and
before you knew it, the PCBs were useless and the whole thing died a
slow death.

I ended up using the X10 power off/on trick that Tony's describing -
used an xPLHal script to switch off the unit, wait 4 minutes and
switch it back on, with some logic to trap power outs etc.

the problems with it not handling human control (no status!!)
eventually led me to pick up one of the last of the X10 units from Laser.

Bloody wonderful little things, and could clearly have been the basis
for other X10 tricks. A real shame that it didn't work out - and a
reminder for the difficulty that our HA companies face: I doubt laser
recouped their dev costs on that one, despite it being a brilliant wee
unit.

I.



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