Re: Tech question - interface between receiver and central station software

["Robert L. Bass" <robertlbass@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Greene Security NZ" <gs_newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1120391135.056966.233180@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Hi there,
>
> I'm new to this group, and came across your postings. Interestingly
> enough, what you are talking about as a theoretical project, I am
> attempting to do for real. Any advice or assistance I can get along the
> way would really be appreciated.
>
> I am connecting to an FBII Digital Receiver, model CP-220FB. We
> currently use an old DOS-based piece of software as the automation
> package. I am attempting to write my own automation software using
> Microsoft Access as the front-end, and Microsoft Desktop Engine (the
> cut-down version of SQL Server) as the back-end. I haven't as yet
> gotten as far as the serial-port interface, but that will definitely be
> happening in the not-too-distant future. We also have a SafeCom Radio
> Receiver, which also outputs on the serial port, so I will be
> interfacing with that as well.
>
> I am a novice programmer, and can cut VBA and VB code, and have minimal
> SQL knowledge. Most of my programming is done by way of plagiarism - a
> snippet of code from here, a snippet from there.
>
> I am doing this for the security monitoring company I work for, as a
> pet project. They needed something better than the old DOS system, but
> aren't prepared to pay the $50,000+ for a licence for professionally
> written automation software. There is no set timeframe for completion.
>
> I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, so if anyone wants to contribute
> constructive advice (please don't tell me it can't be done!) I look
> forward to hearing from you.

You may still want to consider using SQL instead of MS Access for its
security advantages.  It doesn't take that long to master once you have a
handle on Access.  If you're handy with XML you'll find it a lot easier to
set up the receiver, protocol, etc., than hard-coding in VB.  You can
implement various formats using schemas much quicker and with far less
hassle than you can rewrite your code.

You can also edit account data and signal displays much easier in XML than
you can with VB.  I'd use VB as the backbone and XML as the interface
between the app, the data and the receivers.  Doing it this way you can more
easily create reusable, modular code than by hard-coding everything.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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