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

[patrick]

Hi,

My name is Michael. Long time listener, first time caller.

So here's my dumb question: If you can control Homeseer with MediaPortal, wouldn't you be able to control Z-wave devices with HomeSeer doing the translation?

Thanks,
Michael

Hi Michael,

Sounds like it should work! I don't see why it wouldn't

patrick

 

[TritonT]

Hi Patrick,

I have been using the plugin as my main means of interacting with my xAP network for more than a year. v2.0i is working very well, I have it installed on more than a dozen computers in 4 different networks. It is being used with X10, 1-Wire, iButton, raw devices (Netiom), cameras, Bluetooth and PSTN / VoIP telephony.

The one area users would really like more functionality is OSD Messages. I currently use message.display to put up a wide range of messages, caller ID, doorbell pressed, internet connectivity lost, asterisk status, etc.

The main request being that messages 'stack' instead of disappearing after a number of seconds. This is really useful when returning to the house, you can step back in time to see who has phoned you and in my setup see who has called to the door (I have a camera triggered by xAP from a doorbell press). I was thinking that using the line 'Duration=0' could signify that the message was to remain up until 'Back' on the remote was pressed. 'Duration=5' etc would be unaffected.

Another request has been to have a sound trigger with the OSD Message. Last year you kindly added 'Image=' to message.display to enable different icons to be displayed depending on the message contents. Would there be any possibility of adding 'Sound=' as well. I realise this means deviating from the schema a bit, I have already checked that adding 'Sound=' does not break any other possible targets for a message.display.

As all my OSD Messages are scripted out of xAP Floorplan I can make them any format I like, the following is my suggestion for a valid format:


xap-header
{
v=12
hop=1
uid=FF456200
Class=message.display
Source=mi4.floor.EPIA-800
Target=MEPO.BHAConn.Abit-ic7.OSD.1
}
Display.text
{
Line1=
Line2=
Line3=
Line4=
Priority=
Duration=
}
Display.look
{
Image=
Sound=
}


Also, I don't think 'Pic=' works in v2.0i, but this isn't important as 'Image=' still works fine.

Thanks!

 

[TritonT]

Here are a couple of updated skin files for the plugin. They are by no means perfect, but they are functional!

Monochrome Skin



This one has 12 devices per screen, if anyone needs a version showing 6/7 like Replicant, let me know.


Replicant Skin




Revision Skin



Managed to screenshot this one just as the doorbell rang, but before the OSD message telling me it rang!

 

[patrick]

Hi Patrick,

I have been using the plugin as my main means of interacting with my xAP network for more than a year. v2.0i is working very well, I have it installed on more than a dozen computers in 4 different networks. It is being used with X10, 1-Wire, iButton, raw devices (Netiom), cameras, Bluetooth and PSTN / VoIP telephony.

The one area users would really like more functionality is OSD Messages. I currently use message.display to put up a wide range of messages, caller ID, doorbell pressed, internet connectivity lost, asterisk status, etc.

The main request being that messages 'stack' instead of disappearing after a number of seconds. This is really useful when returning to the house, you can step back in time to see who has phoned you and in my setup see who has called to the door (I have a camera triggered by xAP from a doorbell press). I was thinking that using the line 'Duration=0' could signify that the message was to remain up until 'Back' on the remote was pressed. 'Duration=5' etc would be unaffected.

Another request has been to have a sound trigger with the OSD Message. Last year you kindly added 'Image=' to message.display to enable different icons to be displayed depending on the message contents. Would there be any possibility of adding 'Sound=' as well. I realise this means deviating from the schema a bit, I have already checked that adding 'Sound=' does not break any other possible targets for a message.display.

As all my OSD Messages are scripted out of xAP Floorplan I can make them any format I like, the following is my suggestion for a valid format:


xap-header
{
v=12
hop=1
uid=FF456200
Class=message.display
Source=mi4.floor.EPIA-800
Target=MEPO.BHAConn.Abit-ic7.OSD.1
}
Display.text
{
Line1=
Line2=
Line3=
Line4=
Priority=
Duration=
}
Display.look
{
Image=
Sound=
}


Also, I don't think 'Pic=' works in v2.0i, but this isn't important as 'Image=' still works fine.

Thanks!

Thanks for the skin.
Have been working on your requests.
I think I have the OSD stacking going and the no timeout(well I did limit it to 2 weeks)
Was working on the sound but got distracted by work

But just wanted to let you know I was working on it.

Thanks,
Patrick

 

[patrick]

The main request being that messages 'stack' instead of disappearing after a number of seconds. This is really useful when returning to the house, you can step back in time to see who has phoned you and in my setup see who has called to the door (I have a camera triggered by xAP from a doorbell press). I was thinking that using the line 'Duration=0' could signify that the message was to remain up until 'Back' on the remote was pressed. 'Duration=5' etc would be unaffected.

Another request has been to have a sound trigger with the OSD Message. Last year you kindly added 'Image=' to message.display to enable different icons to be displayed depending on the message contents. Would there be any possibility of adding 'Sound=' as well. I realise this means deviating from the schema a bit, I have already checked that adding 'Sound=' does not break any other possible targets for a message.display.

As all my OSD Messages are scripted out of xAP Floorplan I can make them any format I like, the following is my suggestion for a valid format:


xap-header
{
v=12
hop=1
uid=FF456200
Class=message.display
Source=mi4.floor.EPIA-800
Target=MEPO.BHAConn.Abit-ic7.OSD.1
}
Display.text
{
Line1=
Line2=
Line3=
Line4=
Priority=
Duration=
}
Display.look
{
Image=
Sound=
}

TritonT,

Well, I should have just forced myself to sit down earlier and make the changes but hopfully better late than never...

Uploaded v0.2j to the first post with Duration= and Sound= Options.
Limited the duration to 2 weeks, was not really sure how MP would handle an infinite OSD...
Did limited testing with the stacking and it seemed to work ok.

Also I did not test with the most recent SVN, just what I had.

HTH,
patrick

 

[tkortell]

Seting up a CM11 to control my X10 network

Hi,
Is there some documentation available on how to set up a (Marmitek) CM11 USB X10 inteface so that I could start controling my X10 network from this plugin? I'm new at this so a step by step guide would be greate.

Regards / Tomas

 

[patrick]

Hi,
Is there some documentation available on how to set up a (Marmitek) CM11 USB X10 inteface so that I could start controling my X10 network from this plugin? I'm new at this so a step by step guide would be greate.

Regards / Tomas

Well, IIRC, I do not think the normal CM10/11 xAP connectors will work for USB so it may be a little more work.

After you have this plugin setup...

Download the CM15A-Support-BIN-v0.2j.zip
It says CM15 but it is really just an interface to the ActiveHome SDK so hopefully it will work for you too.
So download that zip and Run ahscript_setup.exe install.
Extract the BHAAhCmdLine.zip file to you MediaPortal folder (preserve folder structure).

Now go back into MP configuration and into the plugin config (Basic HA Controller process plugin).
Under Connectors, select AH Command Line Controller and click configure.
Now you can manually add X10 devices but you do have to know their addresses.
Once you save here the devices should show up in the regular config and in MP.


HTH,
patrick

 

[Kaoh]

use that Marmitek box myself, its not a real USB device but uses a USB comm port translation, so your computer recognizes it as a Comm port. The xAp plugins work fine with it, so just use the xAP apps from the first page to setup, in that application specify the comm port and add your X10 devices, then the plugin should be able to find them.

So use the Xap x10 connector from this page:
http://www.edjo.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/edward/xAP/X10/x10_downloads.htm
I suggest the GUI version since the others are a nightmae to setup.
Watch it, it has 2 property screens and you only need the one from the plugin inside this app to setup your device and comm connection.

Then when done with that, make sure the firewall is not blocking the app and start the MP config after you deployed the plugin into your MP folder, then configure the process plugin to the interface plugin of this plugin. The device list should be filled matching the info you put into the above mentioned host app. All settings here are for enhanced user experience.

Patrick,

I have a problem mow myself and my xAp is failing me. I have the Xap connected to the CM11 and working fine, the xAp host broadcasts the devices fine and your plugin can send order fine also. But teh plugin does not recieve any info back from the xap host, an other machine does. So the xap host is working fine, but somehow this is machine is deaf to the answers but speaking loudly to send orders.
It seems like the plugin is blocked for listening somehow.
The stranger thing is that the Xap host is on the same machine even as the plugin, while the working machine is somewhere else in the network, and there the plugin does get all the answers back nicely.

Answers are for example the device list or status info, the failing machine never updates a device to on for example.
I hack the devices into the plugin (since it wont get a device list) my copying the db3 file from the working machine to the failing machine, so it can at least send the commands now.

 

[patrick]

Patrick,

I have a problem mow myself and my xAp is failing me. I have the Xap connected to the CM11 and working fine, the xAp host broadcasts the devices fine and your plugin can send order fine also. But teh plugin does not recieve any info back from the xap host, an other machine does. So the xap host is working fine, but somehow this is machine is deaf to the answers but speaking loudly to send orders.
It seems like the plugin is blocked for listening somehow.
The stranger thing is that the Xap host is on the same machine even as the plugin, while the working machine is somewhere else in the network, and there the plugin does get all the answers back nicely.

Answers are for example the device list or status info, the failing machine never updates a device to on for example.
I hack the devices into the plugin (since it wont get a device list) my copying the db3 file from the working machine to the failing machine, so it can at least send the commands now.

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

 

[tkortell]

use that Marmitek box myself, its not a real USB device but uses a USB comm port translation, so your computer recognizes it as a Comm port. The xAp plugins work fine with it, so just use the xAP apps from the first page to setup, in that application specify the comm port and add your X10 devices, then the plugin should be able to find them.

So use the Xap x10 connector from this page:
X10 Downloads
I suggest the GUI version since the others are a nightmae to setup.
Watch it, it has 2 property screens and you only need the one from the plugin inside this app to setup your device and comm connection.

Then when done with that, make sure the firewall is not blocking the app and start the MP config after you deployed the plugin into your MP folder, then configure the process plugin to the interface plugin of this plugin. The device list should be filled matching the info you put into the above mentioned host app. All settings here are for enhanced user experience.

Thanks, I got it to work now.

Btw, I don't have any problems recieving info sent by other devices.

Best Regards

Tomas