Re: X10 programming from PC

["Geordie" <bill-gibson_remove_@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Staiger" <Staiger@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:g-adnYo8t_qaH43YRVny2g@xxxxxxxxx
>
> In my experience the CM11/12 is the most unreliable piece of junk you can
> buy.  I've been using ActiveHome recently, like Geordie, and have found
> that after a few downloads of "timers and macros" the CM11 just stops
> responding. There are clearly problems with the software in the CM11/12,
> and it's appalling that the manufacturers haven't fixed it after all these
> years.
>
> However, if you unplug it, remove the batteries and wait, refit the
> batteries, plug it in and start again it works again.  Obviously a
> software lockup.
>
> My suggestion to Geordie is to do that, rather than replacing the unit,
> when it goes wrong next time (which it surely will).
>
> Incidentally, I'm pretty unhappy with ActiveHome.  It's a 16-bit
> application which hasn't been updated in years, and has a very clunky look
> and feel to it.  I tried Harmony, but it looks like it's been put together
> by someone who's just learned Visual Basic so, like Geordie, I also will
> be writing my own control program.
>
> Geordie, what programming language/environment are you using?  I was gonna
> use Delphi, with which I'm reasonably familiar.
>
> Thack
One thing that convinced me my CM12 was beyond hope, was that it didn't get
warm in the right places (around the transformer).  I had effectively
already done a cold-start when I tried replacing the batteries without
effect.

After I replaced the unit, I opened it up.  The build quality reminded me
1960's transistor radios - the first ones, just after they stopped using
miniature valves.  Paper-based PCB, globs of solder and globs of rubber
cement (do I really want something like this connected to the househuld
wiring?).  This was a serial-port version - I don't know whether the
replacement USB versions are any better.

My software is on the back burner now that the system is running again (and,
when the h/w is so flaky, do I really want to spend time writing s/w for
it?).  I'm using C++Builder - I like Borland's language products but prefer
C(++) to Pascal.

Cheers,
Geordie