RE: xAP HomeSeer

["Paul Gale" <groups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ah, thanks Kevin - an excellent explanation. Is this in a doc form
somewher=
e for others?

Thanks,

Paul.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: xap_automation@xxxxxxx
> [mailto:xap_automation@xxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Kevin Hawkins
> Sent: 30 June 2006 13:45
> To: xap_automation@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [xap_automation] xAP HomeSeer
>=20
> xAP makes use of 'schema' that describe the information and control
> messages that a device understands.  A schema is abstracted to the
> functionality that a device performs so instead of having a schema for
> a  Slimp3, Squeezebox, ExStreamer, MVP etc you have one schema for
> 'audio/media control' say and each one is supported via that.  This
> theoretically means you can just replace a working Exstreamer setup
with
> a Squeezebox and it still continues to work.    The CallerID or X10
> schema I guess is similar in that the device actually implementing X10
> or CID isn't important.   There is for example a generic display
schema
> that allows you to display onscreen messages generated by xAP . A
> Squeezebox implements this as it has its own display but an Exstreamer
> for example doesnt.
>=20
> BSC is a very generalised schema (Basic Status and Control) designed
to
> be able to monitor and control a device that has 'basic'
functionality,
> it supports the three basic types of inputs or outputs, These are
> digital inputs and outputs (STATE on/off) and also analogue ones
(LEVEL)
> of any range and granularity eg 0-10V or 0-255 or 0-65535 etc. Lastly
> BSC also supports TEXT values which is anything really that can be
> represented as a text value eg perhaps "BBC1" ,  
"Raining"   , "ACME Co
> $1234 - $0.2" etc.  Text can be used to support general serial
I/O
> too.    An excellent example is the xAP Netiom which is a totally
> standalone controller with 16 digital inputs, 16 digital outputs, 4
> analog inputs, counters and a serial port, this is totally implemented
> using the BSC schema.  Incidentally this type of modelling is the same
> basic building block that is used by very high end systems like say
> Crestron and AMX.
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> The intent of BSC was to allow very easy 'plug and play' type
operation
> for simple devices.  A controller only needs to implement the BSC
schema
> to be instantly able to discover, recognise the capabilities and
> control/monitor these devices. This avoids the controller having to
> understand other more complex or device specific schema.  It is
possible
> to model / shoehorn almost any real world device into BSC. For example
> you could have an AV amplifier controlled totally using BSC with input
> selection using binary I/O, volume using 'level' and say display
> information using 'text' . This is very workable and would result in
> instant recognition and control of all aspects of your AV amp is a BSC
> capable controller but it has one drawback - you haven't abstracted
the
> AV amp to a generic schema so should you later change your Sony amp
for
> a Technics one it would stop working.  For that reason complex devices
> should ideally have a richer 'functionality' schema and maybe provide
a
> more basic BSC schema too  .  Take for example lighting as an example.
> It is very easy to model this using BSC as you have ONOFF and LEVEL
> control - perfect,  but as you add scenes, groups and ramp rates it
> becomes more lighting specific. So you would create a lighting schema
> and a BSC schema as well.  My C-Bus xAP controller does exactly this.
> The fact it is C-Bus is not important and it should work the same with
> Dynalite, Lutron, DMX should you change later.
>=20
> As far as controllers (eg HomeSeer) are concerned in order to fully
> participate in complex xAP environments they need to have some
> understanding of schema - so to support a CD player for example they
> need to know the generalised commands like 'play' 'stop' 'pause' etc
and
> these schema are being developed all the time. So BSC being easy and
> fixed allows a controller to offer xAP support quickly and easily.
> HomeSeer supports the BSC schema fully but additionally can handle any
> schema by allowing the messages key values to be placed into HS
devices
> and using scripts you can generate any xAP message.  HomeSeer also has
> an inbuilt list of known schema that offers intelligent support of
these
> types of devices. So if a device is using BSC the easiest way of
> integrating with HomeSeer is to add it using 'BSC'.    BSC support is
> enabled by default within the HS plugin and is configured on a per
> device basis from the 'devices' tab.  As you might have expected there
> is both a HomeSeer specific schema and a BSC schema available for
state
> changes from the HS plugin.
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> A really nice bonus of BSC is that any device you already have within
> HomeSeer (and HS supports many many devices including say HomeVision)
> can be represented back on the xAP network using BSC - most can be
> controlled this way too - so instantly the number of devices supported
> by xAP is expanded by all the large library of HomeSeer
devices/plugins.
>=20
> Paul - for your situation specifically you wont be able to use BSC for
> CallerID information as it uses a CallerID schema and not BSC. You
will
> have to recognise the device directly and introduce the line 1 and
line
> 2 data individually to HomeSeer . Every telephone line (and Skype for
> example) represents itself as a different sub address but with the
same
> informational packets. So the source identifies which line the
> information is from and HomeSeer uses this to update the appropriate
> value in a device in HomeSeer.  As this is a sub addressed device it
> will move from 'New Devices' to 'Devices' once it is learned for the
> first time (ie line1). In order to pick up a second device you should
> 'reDetect' it and ensure that the next information you receive is
> appropriate to line 2 (ie ring it !)  - then you will have both lines
> available in HS.    (TIP:  You can also go back in say Viewer and
resend
> a previous message with exactly the right schema/source to ensure the
> next xAP message received by HomeSeer is the one you want to recognise
> and introduce as a device).
>=20
>     Kevin
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> Paul Gale wrote:
> > I still don't get BSC - despite Kevin explaining it a few
times!!!
> >
> > In very basic terms - what is it, what does it allow you to do
etc?
> >
> > It doesn't seem to be available in the xAP HS plugin - is there
> something else I need to do to 'enable' it?
> >
> > Paul.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: xap_automation@xxxxxxx
> >> [mailto:xap_automation@xxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Paul Gale
> >> Sent: 30 June 2006 12:00
> >> To: xap_automation@xxxxxxx
> >> Subject: RE: [xap_automation] xAP HomeSeer
> >>
> >> I had a quick play at making xSB data available to HS - I
just clicked
> >> through and it works fine - but only for one of my two lines
- how do =
I
> >> get the other line setup - or am I just being thick and
missing
> something?
> >>
> >> Cheers,
> >>
> >> Paul.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: xap_automation@xxxxxxx
> >>> [mailto:xap_automation@xxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of James
> >>> Sent: 29 June 2006 23:16
> >>> To: xap_automation@xxxxxxx
> >>> Subject: Re:[xap_automation] xAP HomeSeer
> >>>
> >>> Paul Gale wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Just installed xAP Homesser plugin =96 wow, how good
is that!!! J
> >>>>
> >>>> Just need to read the docs now =96 if there are any
James! ;)
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> The guides are here:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> http://www.mi4.biz/modules.php?name=3DContent&pa=3Dlist_pages_categories&=
cid=3D5
> >>
> >>> but they are based on the v1 HomeSeer plugin.  However
bar the fact
> one
> >>> is gui based and one is web based they work exactly the
same.
> >>>
> >>> James
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Yahoo! Groups Links
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Yahoo! Groups Links
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
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