Basic Home Automation via xAP BSC enabled devices (updated 9-01-2008) (1 Viewer)

[Kaoh]

Kaoh,

Strange....
Any chance a firewall got (re)activated? Since xAP is over TCP/IP I guess it could block on the same machine too?
Is a xAP hub is the first xAP starting on that box?


patrick

I also have speedfan running, but with xAP disabled. There arent any other xap apps running on the machine.
I tested it with the firewall and virus scanner disabled and still have this problem, its very weird.

Time for me to start gathering knowledge about debuggen xap problems

 

[svcguy]

n00b

Hello all,

I've been reading this thread and am very interested in using this plugin. I have some questions, though. First my setup.

HTPC running MediaPortal - Vista x64 in living room.
Server running ActiveHomePro - Windows Home Server in office.
Functioning X10 network throughout the house controlled by CM15A.

What's my best bet to go about this. The WHS box in the office has the CM15 attached to it and I'd like to avoid hooking one to the HTPC in the living room. This leads to the question: Can I use xAP across the network to make the server issue X10 commands through the CM15A? Which leads to the next question: How?

I tried installing the plugin and CM15A support on the HTPC, but the ahscript_setup was crashing (haven't looked into it much, but I'm assuming its because it's Vista x64) and now when I try to configure the HA Controller Process plugin, MP config crashes. During all this, I never actually hooked the CM15A to the HTPC (would have required getting off the couch ). Anyway, I'm going to try and reinstall the plugin and get back to scratch.

I would prefer to have a way to control the CM15A while its attached to the server, but I don't know how.

patrick

I noticed several times throughout this thread you say you don't have a CM15A for testing. I have a spare I'm not using. If I can figure out a way to make sure that I only need the one connected to my server (that's where I would need your help ), I have no use for it and I'll donate it to the cause.

Andy

 

[Kaoh]

What you should do is install the xAP application from the first post on the server with the CM15 attached. Then your server can recieve any xAP message and transmitts it to the powerlines for your X10.
So then running the MP plugin on any machine in the network should do the trick. The xAP application works as a server for this purpose. Your only real point of attention will be the Home server, does the software you run there require a direct attcahed CM15 if so your in trouble since the comm port or USB device in this case may not allow multiple connections at once. So the Home automation server there should be able to work through the xAP also. Then your home automation software would become a client just like the mp plugin on the network.
I use for example a server with the power line converter (CM11 in my case) somewhere in my network and have 3 MP clients running the plugin from this thread, and they all can manage the lights.
So it all comes down to the home automation software you use and if that is cable of transmitting xAP messages (and recieving). However many do, but that will require more setup on your part.

 

[svcguy]

Kaoh,

The home server is running ActiveHome Pro. It's software written by ActiveHome and probably only supports X10 (will look into it, tho). In general, I either need some kind of plugin for ActiveHome Pro (AHP) that supports xAP or I could try the xAP to X10 connector and see if that works. How does the connector work; must it know about the device (CM11 in your case, CM15 in mine), or does it talk to the service (x10nets, ahcmd, etc). In both cases, I use the MP plugin to send xAP messages, correct?

Thanks,
Andy

 

[svcguy]

Does this plugin run on Vista x64? I'm having trouble getting it to run. When I click on Configure for the process plugin, after about 1-2 seconds, Vista tells me MP has stopped working and needs to close. I can't find anything in the event viewer for it. Are there any logs? I've reinstalled with no luck.

*EDIT*

Found a BHA.log. Last entry is Decoders Built: All Decoders Added... BHA log makes no mention of any errors, can post whole log if needed, it's small

Found Event Viewer entries. Application Errors Source: Perflib IDs 1023 and 1008. They talk about not being able to load extensible counters and Open Procedures failing. A quick google says these might be SQL related? A little over my head.

*EDIT*

Andy

 

[Kaoh]

Kaoh,

The home server is running ActiveHome Pro. It's software written by ActiveHome and probably only supports X10 (will look into it, tho). In general, I either need some kind of plugin for ActiveHome Pro (AHP) that supports xAP or I could try the xAP to X10 connector and see if that works. How does the connector work; must it know about the device (CM11 in your case, CM15 in mine), or does it talk to the service (x10nets, ahcmd, etc). In both cases, I use the MP plugin to send xAP messages, correct?

Thanks,
Andy

the Mp plugins can only send xAP. So you need a xAP connector that can translate these into what you need.
In your case a ActiveHome plugin that listens to xAP and trigger events in ActiveHome would work OR a xAP connector to X10 directly would work, but that would break you ActiveHome setup so you would need a plugin for ActiveHome that can send xAP command also.

Does this plugin run on Vista x64?

I really do not know that. Sorry.


On another note, did anyone get the skin working with the new blue3wide skin in RC4?

 

[svcguy]

Does this plugin run on Vista x64?

I really do not know that. Sorry.

The rest is kind of moot point unless I know this for sure. The plugin seems to constantly crash during configuration and runtime in mediaportal. Maybe the dev can answer this.

Andy

 

[Kaoh]

Does this plugin run on Vista x64?

I really do not know that. Sorry.

The rest is kind of moot point unless I know this for sure. The plugin seems to constantly crash during configuration and runtime in mediaportal. Maybe the dev can answer this.

Andy

oh, I only use the g version not the i, that one gives me trouble also. Try that.

 

[globaldonkey]

OK, I have taken the first tentative steps into home automation, and subsequently discovered this amazing application Mediaportal has a plugin for HA. I somehow guessed it would..... after all, what can't this application do???

I have ActiveHome Pro with the CM15 as well, but I'm a bit confused about what I need to install where.

I have the ActiveHome Pro software and the CM15 installed on a separate machine from my MP Server. Can this configuration work with this plugin, or do I need to install the CM15 on the MP Server? Seems not, but there may be some caveats? Which components do I install on the machine with the CM15, and which components go on the MP Server?

From Kaoh's post above: install the xAP application from the first post on the server with the CM15 attached

Which is the xAP application? Is that the files ahscript_setup.exe in the CM15A support zip file? Does the command line dll go on the MP server?

Finally the skin files are for BlueTwo. Can these be used with blue 3? What's the best skin to use with this plugin?

 

[Kaoh]

I use a CM11a and need the CM11a xAP app on my server. But I do not know how the CM15 support works.
Maybe its not designed to work on a remote server. I do not own a Cm15 so I can not confirm how it should work.

Sorry.

Here are some skin files for the Blue3 skins
Modified them myself last week to make th plugin work for me again.
I use the plugin logo for the plugin instead of the old looking guy with power plug. Would love someone to make a figure for the power plug based on the new look though