Re: X10 programming from PC

["frank.agee@xxxxxxxxx" <frank.agee@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm new to home automation.  I know about X-10.  You can use a PC,
Windows or Linux to control x-10?  What hardware do you use to do this?
 What software?  Do you leave the PC on 24-7?

Come Join:
http://groups.google.com/group/realtime_signal_and_control

realtime_signal_and_control@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Geordie wrote:
> "Charles Sullivan" <cwsulliv@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:pan.2006.09.14.04.14.23.615463@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:19:33 +0000, Geordie wrote:
> >
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I'm trying to control an X10 system through a CM12U (similar to CM11) via
> >> the serial port, using my own software.
> >>
> >> I know the software is correctly talking to the serial port (because I
> >> tried
> >> it with a modem), but I'm having difficulty communicating with the CM12.
> >> What I'm sending is 0x04 (Header) then 0x5E (to address unit G2) but I
> >> can't
> >> get a Checksum back from the CM12.
> >>
> >> Any thoughts?  One thing I noticed in the "Interface Communication
> >> Protocol"
> >> document at the end of section 3.1 is "This format is typical of all
> >> transmissions between the PC and the interface with the difference being
> >> in
> >> the first transmission from the PC." - but I couldn't find anything about
> >> __what__ is different about the first transmission.
> >>
> >> TIA,
> >> Geordie
> >
> > Are you sending the two bytes in one transmission?  Sending separately
> > usually doesn't work.
> >
> > Try sending the single byte 0xEB and you should get the same byte echoed
> > back.
> >
> >
> Hi,
>
> Thanks to all for your suggestions - as it happens, the immediate problem
> lay elsewhere, but they're worth knowing about as I develop my code.
>
> My starting point in all of this was that my X-10 system was getting
> unreliable, and got worse when I upgraded the controlling PC to XP - I put
> the problems down to the ActiveHome software, so decided to write my own.
> After thinking about the posted suggestions, and trying a few other things
> out, I tried out Test Communications on ActiveHome's Tools menu - no
> response from the CM12.  Replaced the CM12 and everything works again!
>
> That still leaves me disillusioned with the ActiveHome software - given that
> the CM11/12 sends a checksum in response to each commend, why on earth
> doesn't ActiveHome verify this and let the user know if there's a problem???
> I'll continue with my own software, but without so much pressure!
>
> Thanks again for the pointers,
> Geordie