Re: [LHA-misc] lonworks

[Neil C. <nc...@ho...>]

Mike Baptiste wrote:
> 
> I look at it this way.  You develop your core product in a way that is
> fairly 'open' and flexible.
> 
> Then, as new and exciting technologies come out, you add support for
> them.  Granted some will be more difficult than others, but...
> 
> As a point, I'm trying to add support for all sorts of 3rd party stuff
> for the HCS-II.  Things like RCS/Enerzone tstats, the JDS keypads, the
> new 240 phrase ELK voice module, etc, etc.  Why?  Because it makes the
> system more useful and attractive.

A very good job of it too, one that's appreciate (including the fact that
you've kept the kits going too!).
 
> I'd say the same holds for Linux HA.
> 
> On a side note (and an interesting one at that), I spoke with a few
> vendors at the EH Expo who develop periperhals and controllers that use
> RS-485 networks to communicate (they'll remain nameless but you can
> probably guess)  One idea that was tossed about was possibly developing
> a standard control protocol for HA RS-485 networks.  This way a
> controller from one vendor could be used with the peripherals from
> another and vice versa.
> 
> It was just talk, but I was excited by it and plan to pursue it in what
> limited time I have.  THough many folks said RS-485 basedf HA was doomed
> by PC based systems, they are still alive and well with multiple vendors
> developing products (both separately and together)

Good point, sometime overkill is just overkill.
 
> I mention this because I'd want to make sure you all were involved since
> I expect that Linux HA would be RS-485 capable at some point and I'd
> want it to be able to support a std protocol if one was ever developed.
> 
> Thoughts?

Steve Rodger HANd project (http://members.home.net/highwaystar/han.html)
uses RS485 and HTH's S.N.A.P (http://www.hth.com/snap/) to access the
RS485 nodes he has created, it runs under Linux.

There is an RS232 - RS485 interface based on a PIC available from the PIC
(rats, can't find the link). But I've saved it, somewhere on my system.

-- 
Linux Home Automation           Neil Cherry             nc...@ho...
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