Re: [LHA-misc] FW: Info

[Mike B. <mi...@th...>]

I'd have to second Neil's opinion.  Cebus had a lot of promise.  However
it suffered from being overly complex.  My favorite example was an
article in Circuit Cellar a few years ago dedicated to how Cebus works.

The whole premise was turning a relay on and off.  Fairly simple (on,
off, etc)

It took MANY pages of info and code to describe a fairly complex system
just to turn a relay on or off.

CeBus is in use - GE has a system based on it - but it is really
expensive.  And that is the key - CeBus is expensive.  Getting chipsets
is expensive.  And due to the complexity of the system, anything that
uses it is bound to be expensive due to teh development effort and CPU
horsepower required.

Compare this with something like the HCS - 8-bit Microchip CPUs can
handle plenty - including X-10, etc.

Given how quickly embedded ethernet has come down in price (I still
can't believe you can get Dallas TINI boards for just over $50), CeBus
becomes less useful.  Sure it coudl transmit over wireless, AC, twisted
pair, etc.

But look at it from a different perspective.  Use RS-485 twisted pair
for simpler control like the HCS and use Ethernet for more complex wired
AND wireless control.

So in teh next few years I'd say any HA controller would HAVE to haev
ethernet control, should have RS_485, but CeBUs?  Nah.

Now many complain about X-10 and how CeBus is so much better.  Well,
check out A-10 from ACT - I've seen demos of this technology and it is
amazing how powerful and reliable it is.  Plus the switches are much
more feature rich than your usual X-10 gear.  Yes, its more expensive,
but not obscenely.

Mike


Neil Cherry wrote:
| Niranjan K. wrote:
|
|>> Hi all,
|>>     We want to develop an application in Linux, which would act as a
|>> readymade soft box for any kind of power line communication
|>> protocols.  I
|>> had some basic doubts about cebus, if any body is aware of, do help
|>> me out
|>>
|>> *    What are the minimum requirements needed to set up a CEBus
|>> network. *    What are the CEBus products available? *    Is it
|>> mandatory to have a PC interface with the network, what kind
|>> of interfaces do the products provide?
|>> *    Does each individual chip needs to be programmed for the
|>> functionality?
|>> *    What is the implementation architecute, ie the various components
|>> involved in the CEBus system?
|>> *    If we want to write an application (to be run on a PC) to configure
|>> the CEBus network, what are the details we need to know?
|>> *    Is CAL a set of API's provided by the manufacturer. Can we write
|>> the
|>> application without CAL's help?
|>
|
| My experience with CEBus has been nil. I haven't been able to find much in
| the way of controllers or devices to control. From the people I've spoken
| to on the subject the impression I got was that CEBus would go nowhere.
| Anyone else care to add to this?
|
|