Re: [LHA-misc] You want opinions? (was: Another article ...)

[Jay H. <Jay...@t-...>]

At 08:21 AM 11/7/00 -0500, Neil Cherry wrote:
[ wack ]

>We look real good right here, our interface is telnet and ASCII. This
>simplifies most of the development and debugging. I am having a tough time
>with what the standard commands should be. I may simply say: If x10 is
>supported on device X then accept on a1, off p16, dim/bright as the basics
>for X10. Then say: xmcd (extended command) ..., and xdata (extended data)
>... .
>
>The standard commands have been a problem, I have devices with digital,
>analog and X10. I want only 1 set of commands for the x10 no matter what
>(same holds true for digital I/O and analog I/O). I prefer to keep the
>database of device names to I/O names out of the device interface. Though
>I'm not sure if that's such a good idea yet.

What I've got running (workable but ain't real pretty yet) is ASCII. A
"command" looks like this:

SET ADDR=<address> VALUE=<value>

Where <address> is:
<interface>.<point>[.<item>]

So for an Ocelot, interfaces are:
0 = Local CPU
1 = X10
2 = IR
3 = ADICON

<point> I've had a tossup between numeric-only and alphanumeric letting
the target agent do the translation. 

<subpoint> comes in when for a finer grain like RCS Thermostats where
<interface> = Main Address (1,2,3), <point> = Zone, <item> = particular
setting for the zone (setpoint, current temp, ...)

To turn on G5 on the Ocelot the command is:
SET ADDR=1.G5 VALUE=100

The scaling/relay vs dimmer/current setting is all handled by the
agent. If it is a leviton then it know what the presets are, for
regular it can generate "approximate" dims.

For incremental you can do:
SET ADDR=1.G5 VALUE=+10

This carries over directly to the RCS stuff, relay cards, CM11A, ...


>The basics for X10 are the sending of on/off dim/bright commands. The next
>level is the receiving of commands (from RF or power line).

For the "receiving" side the agent generates message like this:
9100 ADDR="1.G5" VALUE="100" TS="984567345" TIME="2000/11/07 13:06:00"

9100 = (9=Unsolicited message, 1=Status message, 00=Generic)

On the "server" (2nd phase side) I've defined a "Lamp" with an
address of "OCELOT:1.G5", variable 0..100/on/off.

Just my thoughts and where I've been going...  The move from
here to XML is not much. I've already got a minimal library built
for handling the XML and am using it in configs at the moment.

Jay

> The next level
>is extended commands. Somewhere in there is the Leviton preset stuff and
>similar unusual commands. 
>
>> And to be completely harsh: you want funding?  You need to have a fairly
>> solid 1.0 release firmly under your belt and be well on the way to
>> V2.0.  Gone are the heady days of the Internet Gold Rush of '99.  The new
>> millenium *demands* profitability.  Come, let us build the new Silicon
>> Valley over the abandoned mine...
>
>I don't expect funding anytime soon, it's just a dream right now. But you
>are 110% correct. Unless we have something good to show venders will have
>no interest in the product.
>
>-- 
>Linux Home Automation           Neil Cherry             nc...@ho...
>http://members.home.net/ncherry                        (Text only)
>http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/lightsey/52          (Graphics)
>http://linuxha.sourceforge.net/                         (SourceForge)
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