Re: Survey: Home Control Software

["John J. Bengii" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wall wart is a term commonly used for AC/DC adapter/battery
eliminators. I may have used it incorrectly but yes. the plug in lamp
dimmers/switches or appliance units that plug into the wall
receptical.


I have no interst in writing code for DOS. I want to get the system
off DOS.

I figured if I could get decent drivers for the various units I could
write my own code using Visual Basic and write my logic using same.
once the subroutines are written it can't be any more cumbersome than
the current HC2000 language I am using now and would give me any
option I could think of instead of being formalized into a fixed
language coommand structure. I have also maxed out the capabilties of
the programme in subroutine calls. Quite an idea with only pulldown
verb,  unit and subroutine names but not my style. Saves on typos
though.


"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4774265f.40636281@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>I forgot the smiley after my remark about all the time you'll have.
>;)
>
> Take a look at PureBasic. It's cross-platform (Windows, Linux, Mac)
> and only
> costs $99 (you get all three platforms). It won't do DOS but it will
> do
> console apps. It's easy to learn and use but does take a lot of
> coding since
> you need to handle all the things that mose of the "visual"
> languages handle
> for you.
>
>     http://www.purebasic.com/
>
> If you want to stick with DOS, PowerBasic (was TurboBasic when
> Borland
> marketed it) still sells a DOS version.
>
>     http://powerbasic.com/
>
> Insteon has an SDK but it costs $200 and you don't get much beyond a
> bit of
> hardware and docs. I do not recommend it to anyone other than
> commercial
> operations and even they should buy an even more expensive package
> that
> offers more hand-holding.
>
> There's an oft reported problem that I named "endless dim syndrome"
> but it
> only occurs with RF transceivers. It's most prevalent with TM751s
> but can
> occur with RR501s. It's caused by the powerline radiating the 120kHz
> bursts
> which inductively couples back into the superregenerative RF
> receiver in the
> transceivers.
>
> Some phase couplers are know to create and/or feed "powerline
> storms" where
> the line is flooded with continuous commands. However, I don't
> recall
> Dim/Bright being one of the codes reported. The storms do however
> monopolize
> the powerline, blocking all other commands.
>
> The meaning of the term "wall wart dimmer" eludes me. Do you mean a
> plug-in
> lamp module?
>
> "John J. Bengii" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>>LOL. I doubt I will have lots of time to troubleshoot. I am building
>>the home, mostly myself. This wasn't intentional but it is hard to
>>find decent labout at a realistic price around that area.
>>
>>The worst problem I have is my sunrise halogen that I progressively
>>briighten on work mornings. Some days the wall wart dimmer will not
>>shut off and I have to unplug it. I have tried different units with
>>the same success. I suspected I was pushing the unit's heat rating
>>(300W) and got a 200Watt bulb with the same result. Basically there
>>is
>>nothing else on the circuit and it appears to work fine in the
>>another
>>circuit. I have checked all the electrical connections and suspect
>>some kind of resonant tuned circuit in the cable length. My TW523 is
>>at the service panel for centralization with a 100' RS-232
>>connection
>>to the computer.
>>
>>Basically I would also like to get something that will run on a
>>Windoze machine with network access to the beast. Currently I can
>>only
>>run in DOS and I cannot for the life of me remember how to get all
>>the
>>NIC drivers working. Win 3.11 used to set them all up for you and
>>then
>>you just dropped the GUI. I wrote my own code for the CM-11 but
>>can't
>>get through some of the protocol spec published. AFAIC it just
>>doesn't
>>work in spots. On a power blink it needs to be accessed and relaod
>>macros or something (been a long time now) and haven't been able to
>>make it talk that part of it. I am sure there is all kinds of code
>>and
>>drivers out there that are good for an old hack like me to boost his
>>starting point.
>>
>>Is code writing for hacks supported with the Insteon i/f also?
>>
>>
>>"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>news:4773e7e2.24639250@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> There's a "gotcha" with the gradual replacement scenario. Each
>>> Insteon
>>> device is two-way and the transmitters attenuate X-10 signals in
>>> the
>>> same
>>> manner as two-way X-10 devices do. The more Insteon devices, the
>>> better the
>>> Insteon reliability but the bigger the hit on X-10 reliability. It
>>> depends
>>> on how many total devices you have but at some point you'll
>>> probably
>>> find
>>> you need to convert all remaining X-10 devices.
>>>
>>> All that said, most of the people using Insteon report good
>>> reliability
>>> although some report problems. While Insteon is subject to the
>>> same
>>> signal
>>> attenuators and noise sources as X-10, filters will fix most
>>> problems as
>>> they do for X-10. There are some persistent complainers on the
>>> Insteon forum
>>> but I suspect most are from people who really do not understand
>>> it.
>>>
>>> I think an ESM1 signal meter is almost a necessity. It lets you
>>> see
>>> X-10 and
>>> Insteon signals (although it cannot interpret Insteon) and measure
>>> relative
>>> amplitudes. It can eliminate most of the guesswork.
>>> AutomatedOutlet.com will
>>> even loan you one - knowing full well that 98% (my WAG) of the
>>> loaners turn
>>> into purchases.
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.automatedoutlet.com/product.php?productid=463&cat=0&page=1
>>>
>>> Insteon prices have edged up plus they have apparently
>>> discontinued
>>> some of
>>> their lower priced "value" lines but I think it is still the best
>>> choice for
>>> new installations where the user doesn't want to spend far more
>>> for
>>> hard-wired low voltage control. However, someone who has a large
>>> X-10
>>> investment and understands the ins and outs is probably better off
>>> sticking
>>> with it.
>>>
>>> Given that you've had X-10 problems, you may continue to have them
>>> with
>>> Insteon. You probably need to run the the problems down before
>>> deciding.
>>>
>>> Whichever way you go, as you move into the new house, deploy
>>> switches and
>>> modules in sub-groups so you can find and fix problems before you
>>> have a a
>>> large number of devices. Troubleshooting a limited number of
>>> devices
>>> is
>>> easier to manage. You'll have lots of time to troubleshoot.
>>>
>>> "John J. Bengii" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I was not aware of the RF missing factor on these devices. You are
>>>>correct on the overhype. They discuss this technique in depth and
>>>>give
>>>>the impression all Insteon devices are "fully equipped" but when
>>>>examining their remote units, the RF is never mentioned.
>>>>
>>>>The units are quite pricey and the slow replacement of X10 devices
>>>>seems attractive. Most of mine have been removed from service due
>>>>to
>>>>several reasons
>>>>- I am building a new home and recovering units for the move.
>>>>- many operated unreliabily or not at all despite two powerline
>>>>signal
>>>>bridges and neighbour blocking devices.
>>>>- too may light left on for days is costing me energy money on my
>>>>bill, despite software to shut them down a few times a day for
>>>>"just
>>>>in case" scenarios.
>>>>- too many "all lights on" in the middle of the night from
>>>>wireless
>>>>receivers (I think)
>>>>
>>>>I short the three of four dozen units and 15 years of trying to
>>>>perfect the system has resulted in a complete distrust for X10
>>>>units
>>>>and there is only a few spots where flakey can be useful. Soon I
>>>>will
>>>>retire and won't need my "sunrise" algorythm for a 300W halogen
>>>>anymore either. I was hoping Inteon may be an answer for a
>>>>technology
>>>>hungry kid.
>>>>
>>>>"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>news:4775911c.2425218@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> Unless you're using something that receives RF directly, you
>>>>> cannot
>>>>> see the
>>>>> RF messages. You only see powerline messages so the incorrect
>>>>> command has
>>>>> already made it to the powerline before your software is aware
>>>>> of
>>>>> it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Even if your software does receive direct RF messages, there are
>>>>> seldom
>>>>> collisions between RF codes and when there are, the result is
>>>>> garbage -
>>>>> there's no possible way to sort out what the two colliding
>>>>> messages
>>>>> were.
>>>>> The RF messages do contain data which allows a receiver to check
>>>>> validity
>>>>> but any corruption will merely cause an invalid message it will
>>>>> not
>>>>> cause
>>>>> one message to be transformed into another. IOW, corrupt RF
>>>>> messages
>>>>> never
>>>>> make it to the powerline from any X-10 transceiver.
>>>>>
>>>>> Bream Rockmetteller <bream(dot)rockmetteller(at)mac(dot)com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>Regarding the software, the reason it knows it has received a
>>>>>>"bad"
>>>>>>message is because I told it so. When I have a light act in a
>>>>>>strange
>>>>>>manner, I look at the log that Indigo keeps.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>If I see that an RF switch somehow transmitted "turn on E10"
>>>>>>instead
>>>>>>of
>>>>>>"turn on the kitchen lights" which are E1, I'll  add a script in
>>>>>>the
>>>>>>"Trigger Actions" sections that says something like "If you
>>>>>>receive
>>>>>>a
>>>>>>message to turn on E10, send a message to turn on the kitchen
>>>>>>lights."
>>>>>>That way, even if the switch or the receiver or some random
>>>>>>noise
>>>>>>has
>>>>>>caused the message to go bad, the software will re-transmit the
>>>>>>correct
>>>>>>message.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I hope this helps...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> http://davehouston.net  http://davehouston.org
>>>>> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/roZetta/
>>>>> roZetta-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://davehouston.net  http://davehouston.org
>>> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/roZetta/
>>> roZetta-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>
>
> http://davehouston.net  http://davehouston.org
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/roZetta/
> roZetta-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx