Alternatives for the CM11 interface?

Post by **DMB** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:01 am

Digit,

What kind of software do you use? Homeseer or homemade.
I use the CTX35 which is, I think, the equivalent of the TI213 you mentioned. I'll agree it works great.
I use it in combination with homeseer.

There's one remark.
After stopping homeseer the CTX buffers records a few X10 commands which are received during the time homeseer is offline.
The buffer is full after some commands.

After starting homeseer and the TI103 driver starts the stored commands in the buffer are executed by homeseer.
Sometimes a device will be set to ON because the command for it was buffered in the CTX. For instance the OFF command was also sent on the powerline but the buffer of the CTX was full. Homeseer sends the ON command from the CTX but the OFF command has been lost because of a full buffer. In real the lamp is OFF while homeseer thinks it's on.

I am searching for a command to flush the buffer of the CTX35 in the homeseer startup script.

DMB

Post by **Digit** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:08 am

Hi DMB,

I have written the software myself (Delphi).

I also encountered the problem of the buffers being full with old events. Till now, at startup of my yet-to-become Home Control System, i just read and discard anything that's in the buffer till it's empty and start acting on/logging events when they are "new"...

I don't know of any other way to flush these buffers then to just keep on sending (and discarding the response of) query's till you get an 'empty' response. Only from that time on, you can rely on what you receive.

To me that is not a real problem yet. Till now, i am assuming that a restart of my HCS means a general power failure has occured, so both the Home Control PC and the TI213 must have had a power dip. With some built-in intelligence i hope i can come up with some piece of software that doesn't turn off the lights in the attic while i'm there, trying to get my central heating operational again ...

))

Regards,
Robert.

Post by **Bwired** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:47 am

Hi DMB,
I do the same, that is a benefit of writing you own code, and that is why I don't use Homeseer. I always want it just a little different

I also flush the buffer the first time I start the program. My driver is not completely ready yet, but will be soon. I want to make it so that I check if the buffer is full, if not then use the buffer, else disregard the data. I use still VB6 and will soon convert to MS DOT.NET using the Visual Studio 2005.
Pieter

Post by **Willem4ever** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 11:07 pm

I received my CTX35 last week. I'm using HomeDaemon as my automation software, wich uses x10d to interface with the CM11. My plan is to modify x10d to have it interface with HomeDaemon (and other software that uses x10d) I'll keep you posted. BTW did anyone else completed their driver, and is actually using the CTX35 in a production system?

Post by **Bwired** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 12:29 am

I'm still busy on with the driver for the Xanura CTX35, keep you posted. But so much on my to do list for now.

Post by **Digit** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 1:13 am

Willem,

I'm using a TI213 (http://www.act-solutions.com/pdfs/PCCIn ... _instr.pdf) which is (AFAIK) the same as a CTX35. Although i'm already using it, there are some minor issues to be solved till i can say that the driver is completed. Written in Delphi, so not much of use to you when you're using HomeDaemon.

IIRC Misterhouse has some Perl code that could get you help going on writing your own driver.

Regards,
Digit

Post by **DMB** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 1:14 am

Hello Willem,

Do you use the x10d on a unix (linux) system?
I thought the x10d was written in C.

Maybe you can look to the code of misterhouse (http://www.misterhouse.com)(Written in Perl).
There is a TI103 driver in the misterhouse project.
The protocol of the CTX35 is equal to the protocol of the TI103.

Look for the file ti103.pm in the misterhouse project.

DMB

Post by **Willem4ever** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:37 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DMB
 Hello Willem,

Do you use the x10d on a unix (linux) system?
I thought the x10d was written in C.

Maybe you can look to the code of misterhouse (http://www.misterhouse.com)(Written in Perl).
There is a TI103 driver in the misterhouse project.
The protocol of the CTX35 is equal to the protocol of the TI103.

Look for the file ti103.pm in the misterhouse project.

DMB
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You are right, x10d is written in C. I have to admit i'm a bit rusty, but i'm sure it will come back to me.

BTW Did any of you guys open the CTX35? Does it have the same dipswitches as the TI103 ?

Cheers, Willem.

Post by **Willem4ever** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:38 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Digit
 Willem,

I'm using a TI213 (http://www.act-solutions.com/pdfs/PCCIn ... _instr.pdf) which is (AFAIK) the same as a CTX35. Although i'm already using it, there are some minor issues to be solved till i can say that the driver is completed. Written in Delphi, so not much of use to you when you're using HomeDaemon.

IIRC Misterhouse has some Perl code that could get you help going on writing your own driver.

Regards,
Digit
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hi Digit,

Minor issues, can you eleborate on that !

Willem.

Post by **DMB** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 1:05 pm

Willem,

The CTX35 box consists of a CTX15 module on a board and a 220V powersupply. On the board are circuits to convert the 5V TTL level of the CTX15 to the +-12V standard of RS232.

On the CTX15 is a programming switch on the same way as on the other Xanura modules.

On the board are some jumpers, but I don't know the meaning of them.

DMB

Post by **Digit** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 8:25 pm

Hi Willem,

These minor issues are in fact just 1.
When you query the CTX with a small interval, the X10 commands arrive 'fragmented' more often then with a larger interval. Like this:

04-11-2006 08:08:19 : X10: Query:$>2800008C#
04-11-2006 08:08:19 : X10: Data:00: $<2800! A04 AON0E#
04-11-2006 08:08:20 : X10: Query:$>2800008C#
04-11-2006 08:08:20 : X10: Data:00: $<2800!AON29#


Now you have to 'glue' these fragments together to get A04 AONAON, to correctly identify valid X10 commands. It's just my horrible programming skills that cause valid X10 commands left unnoticed...that's all.

Regards,
Digit.

Post by **Digit** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 8:32 pm

Hi,

Here's a picture of my TI213.

I was wondering if it's different from the CTX35?

Regards,
Digit.

Post by **Willem4ever** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 12:32 am

Hi Digit,

Sofar I managed to control myself and not to open the CTX35. Most likely one of these days I will open it, and I promise to take a picture of the interior and share it with you

Cheers, Willem.

Post by **Willem4ever** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:59 am

Hi,

The interior of an CTX35 ... aha their is a CTX15 inside. I'm not impressed how it looks, the PCB is slighly bended ...... looks like a very poor quality of assembly work.

Post by **DMB** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 12:22 pm

Willem,

Same thought, "zelfde gedachte", looks like hobby work to me, but it works.
Here is another CTX35 with the same bended PCB.

DMB