RE: Re: xAP control of X10 Extended commands via Homeseer

["Edward Pearson" <edward.mailgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This thread prompted me to take a look at the code for the X10
connector to
check out exactly what it provides around Extended Commands and Direct Dim.

The connector will accept xAP-X10 schema messages like:

xap-header
{
v=12
Hop=1
UID=FFA92200
Class=xAP-X10.Request
Source=ersp.PowerShell.baltic
Target=ERSP.X10.>:Test.LD11
}
xAP-X10.Request
{
Device=A1
Command=Extended1
extCmd=49
extData=32
}

Where extCmd=49 is a direct dim (Extended 1, Type 3 command) and
extData= 0 - 62 (0 - 100% dim).

I think the latter should really be 0 - 63 but that's how it is in the
current version.

When a device is setup as a ProDimmer then the connector will translate
between xAP-X10 and xAPBSC in both directions. So the command above
produces
a BSC event:

xap-header
{
v=12
Hop=1
UID=FFE0D806
Class=xAPBSC.event
Source=ERSP.X10.baltic:Test.LD11
}
output.state
{
State=ON
Level=92/180
DisplayText=Event: Test LD11 dim to 51%
}

Likewise if there's another X10 controller on the powerline capable of
sending direct dim commands then the connector will see these, alter its
internal record of the device level and issue both a xAP-10 and BSC events.

This translation requires both X10 and BSC schemae to be enables in the
options panel.

Edward
________________________________

From: xap_automation@xxxxxxx
[mailto:xap_automation@xxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of James Traynor
Sent: 07 May 2007 15:57
To: xap_automation@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [xap_automation] Re: xAP control of X10 Extended
commands via Homeseer



Hi Jon,

I have been chatting with Edward re the extended x10 commands and
the following ocx will support it

www.mi4.biz/files/testing/20070507_hspi_xAP2.zip
<http://www.mi4.biz/files/testing/20070507_hspi_xAP2.zip>

I have also added a line that means that should HS request and x10
code that the plugin doesn't know that the info will be put in the log
which
will hopefully make debugging easier!
If you do have lots and lots of devices then I would suggest going
to the xAP>Config>Devices tab and disabling some. Down the bottom of
the
list you have a disable all option. Probably best to start with then all
off
and turn them on as needed.
Stability wise I haven't seen any problems. I have seen issues
occasionally where when HS2 restarts the hs_compatibilty.exe which runs the
plugin doesn't stop and when HS2 starts it can't run any plugins. There is
an issue with domotion, both xAP and domotion work fine on their own. Run
them together and one or the other doesn't work, very odd.
It may be worth deleting your /xAP/ folder before running the new
ocx to make sure all is nice and clean. The vb.net error is very odd and
not
something i've seen before, if it continues could you email you
/xAP/settings.txt file to me and i'll see what is going on. ( james at mi4
dot biz). I don't know if your running this on vista but there is a hot fix
for some vb.net errors ftp://homeseer.com/pub/VBPatch.exe
<ftp://homeseer.com/pub/VBPatch.exe>
, but even without that patch the xap
plugin is working fine here on vista with HS2.2.0.11

Let me know how you get on.

James
Jon wrote:

Kevin,

Sorry, I should have answered your first post better.

I do also have Michaels xAP plugin installed (but disabled)
and tried
it before downloading James offering.

I was hoping to support a home grown plugin first!  That
said, I did see
a post somewhere on the HS message board about xAP conduit
stability
issues (I cannot find it ATM) and wanting to change to
Michaels plugin.

With conduit, I am seeing so many xAP messages, probably due
to my 486
devices being constantly updated that the xAP viewer cannot
cope at
times. As usual, I'm probably pushing things to their limit.

I'll wait until James replies before going down a different
route.

Thanks,

Jon


--- In xap_automation@xxxxxxx
<mailto:xap_automation@xxxxxxx>
, Kevin Hawkins <lists@...>
<mailto:lists@...> 
wrote:


HI Jon - sounds ominous ... HS runs for me pretty
much 24/7 but
maybe you're using an aspect of the xAP plugin that
I'm not. There is
also Michaels xAP plugin for HS - a very different
UI but he uses it a
lot and it fully supports BSC.

K

Jon wrote:


Hi James,

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, things
are going from bad to


worse


at the moment.

For some reason, Homeseer crashed totally in
the night and refused


to


restart getting stuck with a VB.NET script
exception:

07/05/2007 04:03:59 ~!~Warning~!~VB.Net
script exception,


re-starting:


Object reference not set to an instance of
an object.

As soon as I remove hspi_xAP2.ocx from the
root of Homeseer and


restart,


the problem disappears. This is totally
reproducible. If I


re-install


the plugin, restart Homeseer (as many times
as you like) and this


error


occurs. Remove the ocx and the problem is
cleared.

Until this is sorted, I am able to go any
further.

FYI, I was using your last option by placing
the X10 app in the X10
target field. If as you say uses the old
x10-request schema then I
assume this is the reason why extended does
not work.

Thanks,

Jon