Re: Device discovery for control/sensor schemas

["Frank Mc Alinden" <fmcalind@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi John

> We should be able to be given a list of all known DMX channels, and a
friendly description of >what is connected to them.

Yes a friendly name would be really good ,As Steve has mentioned
xpl-hvision
has provision to use the hv app name of the device....Not sure how you
determine if a dmx channel exsists tho....

This is what im hoping can be done if i get round to playing with
xpl-dmx.lcd stuff...that the  app
will keep the message list (friendly name as well as the actual text) that
will be stored in the pic device,

> The same issue applies to things like the C-Bus connector - you
shouldn't
have to remember the >C-Bus group address of the light(s) you want to
control - you should be able to be >presented .with a list of all
detected
devices

Would be nice to be able to import the cbus groups somehow...???

> The question is: Should each xPL connector be responsible for
maintaining
a list of "friendly" >device names, and mapping them to actual
device names,
so you'd be able to send something >like

Being a hardware hacker im probably way off target here , but my thoughts
are its better to let the connector looks after the friendly names for its
app , less burden on xplhal .....

Also regarding Lehanes idea referring to zoning ie ...zone 1= lounge....
turn on all lounge lites, This i assume is the same as "Area" in
CBUS
...????

Frank

----- Original Message -----
From: "John B" <home-automation@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_xpl@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 6:36 AM
Subject: [ukha_xpl] Device discovery for control/sensor schemas


>
> Hi all,
>
> Many of the recent xPL apps are making use of the sensor/control
schemas,
as these make it much easier for devices to interoperate.
>
> However, there is no way of finding out a list of valid devices that a
particular xPL connector supports.
>
> If we take DMX as an example, we can send a message like:
>
> control.basic
> {
> device=3
> type=dmx
> current=255
> }
>
> This will set channel 3 to level 255.
> But how do we know what channel 3 actually is?
> Or even if channel 3 exists at all?
>
> We should be able to be given a list of all known DMX channels, and a
friendly description of what is connected to them.
>
> The same issue applies to things like the C-Bus connector - you
shouldn't
have to remember the C-Bus group address of the light(s) you want to
control - you should be able to be presented with a list of all detected
devices.
>
> The question is: Should each xPL connector be responsible for
maintaining
a list of "friendly" device names, and mapping them to actual
device names,
so you'd be able to send something like:
>
> control.basic
> {
> device=lounge_lights
> type=dmx
> current=255
> }
>
> Or should it be up to a controller like xPLHal to store this
information
and do the mapping between friendly devices and actual devices?
>
> I have a couple of ideas on how we can progress this, but I'd be
interested to hear other peoples suggestions on this one first.
>
> Regards,
>
> John
>
>
>
>
> xPL Links: http://www.xplproject.org.uk http://www.xplhal.com
http://www.xpl.myby.co.uk
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