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

[ronsonol]

Hi Koah, I tried both g and i
neither work for me, the configuration crashes, and I get this error when starting MP ...

2009-04-27 19:45:20.975000 [Info.][MPMain]: Unable to start plugin:BHAProcessPlugin.BHAPlugin exceptionystem.MissingMethodException: Method not found: 'Void KCS.xAP.Framework.Message.xAPHeaderSource..ctor(KCS.xAP.Framework.Message.xAPHeaderSource)'.
at BHAxAPController.xAPMessageFactories.BSCxAPMessageFactory.SendQuery(String xAPTargetUID, String xAPTargetFullAddress)
at BHAxAPController.xAP.xAPManager.Start()
at BHAxAPController.xAPController.Start()
at BHACore.BHADeviceManager.StartPluginConnectors()
at BHAProcessPlugin.BHAPlugin.Start()
at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.PluginManager.Start()

 

[Kaoh]

Damn, ill see where that comes from.

 

[Kaoh]

Can you see what these dll versions of the xAP framework do for you?

 

[ronsonol]

Hi,

I can get version 'g' to load now using the xap files you provided. The config does not crash, and no specific errors in MP. version 'i' still doesn't work.

But no entries appear in the MP GUI. I checked config database and it seems no devices are present...yet if I view the .db3 file in sql editor I see them all. So it looks like it is having trouble reading existing data? I suspect this may be due to the fact I ran version 'i' before and 'g' isn't reading the newer data?

Another thing, I use the BHAcmdline for control of devices on CM15, perhaps I also need this updated from source and compiled for MP1.0.1.

Many thanks!

 

[Kaoh]

Do you have the xAP to X10 connector on the same machine?
Cause that behaviour I always have with g and the connector on the same machine (a bug in the version of the framewerk somewhere).
I have so many different versions of the xAP framework now that I am lost the i version works with another xAP framework (the 1 version but then mantain by a new guy). And I did not study that one yet.
Just recompiling isnt solving the problems, it just triggers new ones.

I think ill leave them be, I removed the command line tool because of that i miss dll's it references. So I could not compile with it.

Maybe ill give it another go someday. But now I need to sort out the framework hell I landed in, else I mess things up

 

[cybergeek]

WOW this is really awsome but I'm not sure how to hook it up. Do I need a special serial wire or device? and I can use my existing 120 volt wires already installed in my house for power to comunicate with each other? All I want to do is to control my garage door and my outside lights. It will be greatly appreciated for the help or the step by step instructions.

 

[Kaoh]

Hi cybergeek,

X10 is a protocol that uses your existing powerlines to communicate. That means that if you replace your light switches and other appliences with X10 enabled devices they will be able to communicate over the powerlines together. I do not know if there are 120 volt devices available, but there are for 220/230 etc.
Once you have that working you can connect a PC to the powerline using a usb device called the CM11 (there are others) and you will be able to control your devices using this system. Then you can use a xAP to X10 application (see first post) to let all you computers on your LAN control the devices over this one CM11 device. Once that is working you can use this plugin to control your devices from MediaPortal with a nice GUI.

@others:
I moved my upcoming xAP apps to the xFx v2.1 framework like Patrick did in his lats version. I did "fix" this framework into a new version 2.2 since it had some design flaws I could not live with.
I will spend some time to see if I can get the last version of Patrick to work with my 2.2 version. So maybe I can still salvage this plugin.

All apps using this 2.1 and all older versions have the problem that they do not properly close the listening connection they opened, thanks to .net it still get released when the thread is closed. But in the case where the MP setup keeps running but does stop the plugin this would result in the plugin only working once.
I also changed the way the framework detects free available ports. They used a horrible loop to find a port they do not get an exception on. I changed that to the proper windows way, I now let windows give me a free available port.
I tested my changes with several xfx 1.x framework apps and some xfx 2.1 framework apps and they seem to work fine together with my new apps.

 

[cybergeek]

Hi cybergeek,

X10 is a protocol that uses your existing powerlines to communicate. That means that if you replace your light switches and other appliences with X10 enabled devices they will be able to communicate over the powerlines together. I do not know if there are 120 volt devices available, but there are for 220/230 etc.
Once you have that working you can connect a PC to the powerline using a usb device called the CM11 (there are others) and you will be able to control your devices using this system. Then you can use a xAP to X10 application (see first post) to let all you computers on your LAN control the devices over this one CM11 device. Once that is working you can use this plugin to control your devices from MediaPortal with a nice GUI.

@others:
I moved my upcoming xAP apps to the xFx v2.1 framework like Patrick did in his lats version. I did "fix" this framework into a new version 2.2 since it had some design flaws I could not live with.
I will spend some time to see if I can get the last version of Patrick to work with my 2.2 version. So maybe I can still salvage this plugin.

All apps using this 2.1 and all older versions have the problem that they do not properly close the listening connection they opened, thanks to .net it still get released when the thread is closed. But in the case where the MP setup keeps running but does stop the plugin this would result in the plugin only working once.
I also changed the way the framework detects free available ports. They used a horrible loop to find a port they do not get an exception on. I changed that to the proper windows way, I now let windows give me a free available port.
I tested my changes with several xfx 1.x framework apps and some xfx 2.1 framework apps and they seem to work fine together with my new apps.

So if I want to control my garage door by my computer I need to replace my plug that has the garage door plugged into it and the plug that will be closest to the PC with X10 plugs in order for them to communicate?

Is there a step by step on how to do this or an online tutorial?

 

[Kaoh]

How to implement an X10 system in your house is a bit off topic, but here is a basic outline:
Using X-10 to control your garage door (#1) - X-10 Ideas - Tips and Ideas about X10 and other home automation products

Then you also get a CM11 or device like it to plug your computer into the system. And you have a working X10 garage door opener.

 

[cybergeek]

I have a few GE smart remote and plugs in the house similar to this so I just wanted to know if I can use a CM11 device to control these GE device or do I have to have an X10 plugs?