Hello to everybody,

this is what I've understood so far:

there is a module, CM12, connected to the mains that sends commands, using
x-10 standards, to a LM12 (lamp modulator ??). The LM12 is connected to my
lamp.

Now my questions :) :

Between the CM12 and LM12, the commands are transported using x-10 signals,
correct?

     But, after the process starts (I give command toggle off/on my lamp) I
send my commands using the xAP protocol.
     The CM12 is able to convert the xAP commands into x10 signals? Or there
is another device capable to do this?
     Likewise, the LM12 is able to decode the x-10 signals into xAP commands?

     I presume no, the CM12 isn't capable to convert from xAp to x10,
because xAP is a new protocol. So, how can I use xAP with x-10? Because it
seems that I need some converters for codeing/decodeing from one to
another...

For Kevin:

     I've subscribed to UKHA forum but I haven't received yet a confirmation
email. I'll try later.
     My mains voltage and frequency is 220V and 50Hz. Or maybe 230V, because
the standard isn't followed here. E.g. I live in a campus, here in
Bucharest, where the mains constantly reach 240-250-260V, deppending on what
floor you live :))... my poor PC obviously has a strong russian power suply,
in order to resist the stress...
     I'll ask you about your special kits a little bit later. I don't know
how much money do I have. Anyway, I've made my choice, there is no coming
back :)...

Thanks alot,
Alex


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Hawkins" <lists@...>
To: <xap_automation@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 8:03 PM
Subject: RE: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation


> Just to be clear Alex - there are two types of controller you are talking
> about here. xAP and X10. xAP is very new so you can't buy 'off the shelf'
> xAP controllers yet - most of the applications are run through a PC.
>
> 1) xAP is effectively a software protocol but it can be embedded in
> a device either as a sender, which is really a controller, (perhaps a PC
or
> timer)  and also in a receiver - perhaps a little box that acts as an
> On/OFF/Dimmer for your lamp. If they were both xAP capable then you would
> need some connection between them to act as the network. This could be
> Ethernet, serial (eg RS232) or many other possibilities including such
> things as radio - as long as data can get between the sender and the
> receiver.
>
> 2) X10 is a much older technology and has no dependence on xAP - it
> effectively allows you to buy a very low cost hardware X10 controller and
> very low cost lamp or appliance modules and they talk to each other over
> your existing mains wiring. If you have not seen this working then do buy
> yourself a couple of modules to play - it is quite enlightening and not
> overly expensive. Make sure that you get the correct voltage units for
your
> country so I am guessing you should buy European modules - there is a
> distributor for X10 in Belgium who seems to stock almost every variety of
> socket form that Europe uses although maybe not Romanian. You might have
to
> hack together a converter just to match the mechanics. I will try and find
> the web site address and I would recommend you get a lamp module, an
> appliance module, a switch or a small controller - plus maybe even a PC
> interface- this would probably cost around 100 Euros or something. Maybe
> that is more than you wish to invest though. If you are interested I will
> help you choose further - I may even have a couple of 'special' kits that
> were sold at very advantageous prices here that are a bundle of useful
parts
> - I would be happy to send these to you for what they cost me. What is
your
> mains voltage and frequency -  230V 50Hz ??
>
> xAP appears again now as a way of mixing X10 in with a load of other
> technologies that form the cornerstones of Home Automation - temperature
> sensors, security systems, water flow, infra red control, audio
> distribution, telephone caller ID, MP3 playback, video etc etc. It
> effectively acts as the glue that gets everything talking to each other.
>
> So in an X10 setup your xAP controller knows how to convert its
> information to a format that X10 can use so it speaks through your PC
> connected X10 interface which sends and receives X10 powerline commands to
> the X10 lamp or X10 appliance modules you have. Additionally if you have
X10
> controllers then xAP will hear the X10 signals and convert them back to
xAP
> messages. xAP becomes the 'all capable' technology in this and you can
build
> your own system up using a variety of different technologies and get them
> all talking to each other.
>
> BTW Mark/Stuart - Am I right in thinking we have another Romanian
> member of the UKHA list ? Dan the IR man ?? Or is my memory failing me ...
> again...
>
> Kevin
>
>    > -----Original Message-----
>    > From: Alex Ciurea [mailto:alex@...]
>    > Sent: 15 April 2003 15:25
>    > To: xap_automation@yahoogroups.com
>    > Subject: Re: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation
>    >
>    > Hello Kevin,
>    >
>    > Thanks alot for your extra-detailed answer.
>    >
>    > Now I get it : xAP is a protocol used to transmit data to and from
>    > various
>    > devices, connected via X10, wireless, dedicated wires, etc, etc..
>    >
>    > To send commands I need a PIC/Rabbit controller, but to execute the
>    > commands, I need a decoder for each device? I mean, each device
should
>    > have
>    > a microcontroller that will interpret the commands?
>    >
>    > I presume that in order to light up a lamp, there should be a
>    > microcontroller (PIC or Rabbit) that sends commands to the lamp, and
>    > the
>    > lamp should have another microcontroller (for decodeing) my commands.
>    >
>    > So, if I want to make an application to turn on/off a lamp via a WEB
>    > browser, using X10, I need:
>    >
>    > - a PC with a HTPP server;
>    > - a PIC/Rabbit microcontroller connected to my PC and also connected
to
>    > the
>    > mains (that will transmit my commands through mains - using the xAP
>    > protocol
>    > via X10 - );
>    > - a decoder for the lamp, that will decode my commands and will
control
>    > the
>    > dimmer;
>    > - a lamp :).
>    >
>    > The dimmer is easy to find in US, but being in Europe (Romania), I
have
>    > to
>    > build my own dimmer? I know, I could fly to US, buy some dimmers and
>    > come
>    > back in a second, but this is not a long term solution...
>    >
>    > Probably those aren't questions for the xAP mailing list, but for
those
>    > questions I haven't found yet any answers.
>    >
>    > Thanks alot,
>    > Alex
>    >
>    > ----- Original Message -----
>    > From: "Kevin Hawkins" <lists@...>
>    > To: <xap_automation@yahoogroups.com>
>    > Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 3:05 PM
>    > Subject: RE: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation
>    >
>    >
>    > > Hi Alex - welcome to the list !
>    > >
>    > > Most of the talk here is focussed on xAP itself rather than X10
>    > > although X10 can interact very nicely with xAP and there are xAP
>    > schemas
>    > in
>    > > place to facilitate this.
>    > > X10 is essential a whole other area and you will find lots of
>    > > information on the internet covering this - a good place would be
the
>    > X10
>    > > main site - and their support area at
>    > http://www.x10.com/support/support.htm
>    > > - unfortunately this site is one of the worst offenders for push
>    > advertising
>    > > - pop ups etc. There are many other sites of a technical nature
>    > around X10
>    > > and a Google search will be rewarding. You can also find helpful
>    > people on
>    > > the UKHA main list as almost everyone there uses X10 to varying
>    > levels.
>    > > To answer some specific issues you raised.. You can have 16 devices
>    > > on each of 16 housecodes with X10 - so 256 total devices. The
>    > communication
>    > > is by a signal superimposed over the mains wiring - it is
>    > unfortunately
>    > not
>    > > 100% reliable and not inherently error checked or guaranteed
delivery
>    > so
>    > it
>    > > can be a little quirky in use - however it is cheap and cheerful
>    > > (particularly in the US)where the costs are way lower and the range
>    > of
>    > > products more extensive. The transmission speed is relatively slow
by
>    > > network standards - I can't remember offhand the exact time for
each
>    > > transmission but I think it's around 20 cycles of the mains or so
and
>    > hence
>    > > expect about a half second delay for anything to happen.
>    > > xAP is essentially a protocol definition aimed at the
>    > > interconnection of various disparate devices to allow them to
>    > exchange
>    > > information or control each other is some way. As such it is
>    > independent
>    > of
>    > > the physical interconnection between devices which could be any
>    > electrical
>    > > connection capable of exchanging data although typically this is a
>    > serial
>    > > interconnect or network (Ethernet). The networks are linked via a
>    > software
>    > > bridge application (should you have several networks which in
>    > practice
>    > very
>    > > few people do have). Your networks must also be interconnected
>    > physically -
>    > > perhaps by a standard hardware router.
>    > > The speed of message transmission on xAP is simply dictated by your
>    > > physical interconnect speed so at say 10-100MB/s it is to all
intents
>    > and
>    > > purposes instantaneous. Some xAP applications are designed to talk
>    > directly
>    > > to each other (although as you will have read every xAP application
>    > can
>    > hear
>    > > everyone else) - some people will implement xAP through a central
>    > controller
>    > > which will act as a coordinator for all the xAP traffic. Really the
>    > solution
>    > > is dependant on your needs.
>    > >
>    > > Kevin
>    > >
>    > >    > -----Original Message-----
>    > >    > From: Alex Ciurea [mailto:alex@...]
>    > >    > Sent: 15 April 2003 08:10
>    > >    > To: xap_automation@yahoogroups.com
>    > >    > Subject: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation
>    > >    >
>    > >    >
>    > >    >
>    > >    > Hello,
>    > >    >
>    > >    >  I'm new to this protocol and I could'n find a summary
>    > >    > documentation about X10.
>    > >    >
>    > >    >  Where I could find a brief documentation about x-10
>    > >    > protocol? What hardware do I need to start my own
>    > >    > application?
>    > >    >
>    > >    > I need simple facts, like how many devices can I use
>    > >    > in a x-10 network, how fast can I send the commands to
>    > >    > my devices, what interface is used for decodeing the
>    > >    > xAP commands, how can I interlink two or more xAP
>    > >    > networks... etc...
>    > >    >
>    > >    >  I've read some articles from www.xapautomation.org and
>    > >    > I've understood how I can identify my devices, and
>    > >    > other stuff (what can I say, those guys have done
>    > >    > their homeworks because there's a lot of detailed
>    > >    > documentation about xAP) but nothing practical about
>    > >    > x-10.
>    > >    >
>    > >    >
>    > >    >  Thanks alot for your time and help,
>    > >    > Alex
>    > >    >
>    > >    >
>    > >    > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups
>    > Sponsor ---------------------~--
>    > >    > >
>    > >    > Get 128 Bit SSL Encryption!
>    > >    > http://us.click.yahoo.com/xaxhjB/hdqFAA/VygGAA/dpFolB/TM
>    > >
>    >
    > ------------------------------------------------------------------
>    > ---~-
>    > >    > >
>    > >    >
>    > >    > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>    > >    > xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>    > >    >
>    > >    >
>    > >    >
>    > >    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
>    > >    > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>    > >
>    > >
>    > >
>    > >
>    > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>    > > xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>    > >
>    > >
>    > >
>    > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
>    > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>    > >
>    > >
>    >
>    >
>    > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups
Sponsor ---------------------~--
>    > >
>    > Get 128 Bit SSL Encryption!
>    > http://us.click.yahoo.com/W7NydA/hdqFAA/VygGAA/dpFolB/TM
>
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-
>    > >
>    >
>    > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>    > xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>    >
>    >
>    >
>    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
>    > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

I don't know how to thank you Kevin, for your support and good intentions.
You are indeed a good person.

Tomorrow I'll write you another email with my conclusions.

May all your friends apreciate you!



----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Hawkins" <lists@...>
To: <xap_automation@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 8:27 PM
Subject: RE: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation


> Alex - just double checked and a guy called Dan on the UKHA mailing list
is
> based in Romania - have a search - if you can't find his posts I'll email
> you his address directly - just don't want to post it here on a list.
>
> Kevin
>
>    > -----Original Message-----
>    > From: Kevin Hawkins [mailto:lists@...]
>    > BTW Mark/Stuart - Am I right in thinking we have another Romanian
>    > member of the UKHA list ? Dan the IR man ?? Or is my memory failing
me
>    > ...
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

Alex - just double checked and a guy called Dan on the UKHA mailing list is
based in Romania - have a search - if you can't find his posts I'll email
you his address directly - just don't want to post it here on a list.

	 Kevin

    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Kevin Hawkins [mailto:lists@...]
    >  BTW Mark/Stuart - Am I right in thinking we have another Romanian
    > member of the UKHA list ? Dan the IR man ?? Or is my memory failing me
    > ...

Just to be clear Alex - there are two types of controller you are talking
about here. xAP and X10. xAP is very new so you can't buy 'off the shelf'
xAP controllers yet - most of the applications are run through a PC.

	 1) xAP is effectively a software protocol but it can be embedded in
a device either as a sender, which is really a controller, (perhaps a PC or
timer)  and also in a receiver - perhaps a little box that acts as an
On/OFF/Dimmer for your lamp. If they were both xAP capable then you would
need some connection between them to act as the network. This could be
Ethernet, serial (eg RS232) or many other possibilities including such
things as radio - as long as data can get between the sender and the
receiver.

	 2) X10 is a much older technology and has no dependence on xAP - it
effectively allows you to buy a very low cost hardware X10 controller and
very low cost lamp or appliance modules and they talk to each other over
your existing mains wiring. If you have not seen this working then do buy
yourself a couple of modules to play - it is quite enlightening and not
overly expensive. Make sure that you get the correct voltage units for your
country so I am guessing you should buy European modules - there is a
distributor for X10 in Belgium who seems to stock almost every variety of
socket form that Europe uses although maybe not Romanian. You might have to
hack together a converter just to match the mechanics. I will try and find
the web site address and I would recommend you get a lamp module, an
appliance module, a switch or a small controller - plus maybe even a PC
interface- this would probably cost around 100 Euros or something. Maybe
that is more than you wish to invest though. If you are interested I will
help you choose further - I may even have a couple of 'special' kits that
were sold at very advantageous prices here that are a bundle of useful parts
- I would be happy to send these to you for what they cost me. What is your
mains voltage and frequency -  230V 50Hz ??

	 xAP appears again now as a way of mixing X10 in with a load of other
technologies that form the cornerstones of Home Automation - temperature
sensors, security systems, water flow, infra red control, audio
distribution, telephone caller ID, MP3 playback, video etc etc. It
effectively acts as the glue that gets everything talking to each other.

	 So in an X10 setup your xAP controller knows how to convert its
information to a format that X10 can use so it speaks through your PC
connected X10 interface which sends and receives X10 powerline commands to
the X10 lamp or X10 appliance modules you have. Additionally if you have X10
controllers then xAP will hear the X10 signals and convert them back to xAP
messages. xAP becomes the 'all capable' technology in this and you can build
your own system up using a variety of different technologies and get them
all talking to each other.

	 BTW Mark/Stuart - Am I right in thinking we have another Romanian
member of the UKHA list ? Dan the IR man ?? Or is my memory failing me ...
again...

	 Kevin

    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Alex Ciurea [mailto:alex@...]
    > Sent: 15 April 2003 15:25
    > To: xap_automation@yahoogroups.com
    > Subject: Re: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation
    >
    > Hello Kevin,
    >
    > Thanks alot for your extra-detailed answer.
    >
    > Now I get it : xAP is a protocol used to transmit data to and from
    > various
    > devices, connected via X10, wireless, dedicated wires, etc, etc..
    >
    > To send commands I need a PIC/Rabbit controller, but to execute the
    > commands, I need a decoder for each device? I mean, each device should
    > have
    > a microcontroller that will interpret the commands?
    >
    > I presume that in order to light up a lamp, there should be a
    > microcontroller (PIC or Rabbit) that sends commands to the lamp, and
    > the
    > lamp should have another microcontroller (for decodeing) my commands.
    >
    > So, if I want to make an application to turn on/off a lamp via a WEB
    > browser, using X10, I need:
    >
    > - a PC with a HTPP server;
    > - a PIC/Rabbit microcontroller connected to my PC and also connected to
    > the
    > mains (that will transmit my commands through mains - using the xAP
    > protocol
    > via X10 - );
    > - a decoder for the lamp, that will decode my commands and will control
    > the
    > dimmer;
    > - a lamp :).
    >
    > The dimmer is easy to find in US, but being in Europe (Romania), I have
    > to
    > build my own dimmer? I know, I could fly to US, buy some dimmers and
    > come
    > back in a second, but this is not a long term solution...
    >
    > Probably those aren't questions for the xAP mailing list, but for those
    > questions I haven't found yet any answers.
    >
    > Thanks alot,
    > Alex
    >
    > ----- Original Message -----
    > From: "Kevin Hawkins" <lists@...>
    > To: <xap_automation@yahoogroups.com>
    > Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 3:05 PM
    > Subject: RE: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation
    >
    >
    > > Hi Alex - welcome to the list !
    > >
    > > Most of the talk here is focussed on xAP itself rather than X10
    > > although X10 can interact very nicely with xAP and there are xAP
    > schemas
    > in
    > > place to facilitate this.
    > > X10 is essential a whole other area and you will find lots of
    > > information on the internet covering this - a good place would be the
    > X10
    > > main site - and their support area at
    > http://www.x10.com/support/support.htm
    > > - unfortunately this site is one of the worst offenders for push
    > advertising
    > > - pop ups etc. There are many other sites of a technical nature
    > around X10
    > > and a Google search will be rewarding. You can also find helpful
    > people on
    > > the UKHA main list as almost everyone there uses X10 to varying
    > levels.
    > > To answer some specific issues you raised.. You can have 16 devices
    > > on each of 16 housecodes with X10 - so 256 total devices. The
    > communication
    > > is by a signal superimposed over the mains wiring - it is
    > unfortunately
    > not
    > > 100% reliable and not inherently error checked or guaranteed delivery
    > so
    > it
    > > can be a little quirky in use - however it is cheap and cheerful
    > > (particularly in the US)where the costs are way lower and the range
    > of
    > > products more extensive. The transmission speed is relatively slow by
    > > network standards - I can't remember offhand the exact time for each
    > > transmission but I think it's around 20 cycles of the mains or so and
    > hence
    > > expect about a half second delay for anything to happen.
    > > xAP is essentially a protocol definition aimed at the
    > > interconnection of various disparate devices to allow them to
    > exchange
    > > information or control each other is some way. As such it is
    > independent
    > of
    > > the physical interconnection between devices which could be any
    > electrical
    > > connection capable of exchanging data although typically this is a
    > serial
    > > interconnect or network (Ethernet). The networks are linked via a
    > software
    > > bridge application (should you have several networks which in
    > practice
    > very
    > > few people do have). Your networks must also be interconnected
    > physically -
    > > perhaps by a standard hardware router.
    > > The speed of message transmission on xAP is simply dictated by your
    > > physical interconnect speed so at say 10-100MB/s it is to all intents
    > and
    > > purposes instantaneous. Some xAP applications are designed to talk
    > directly
    > > to each other (although as you will have read every xAP application
    > can
    > hear
    > > everyone else) - some people will implement xAP through a central
    > controller
    > > which will act as a coordinator for all the xAP traffic. Really the
    > solution
    > > is dependant on your needs.
    > >
    > > Kevin
    > >
    > >    > -----Original Message-----
    > >    > From: Alex Ciurea [mailto:alex@...]
    > >    > Sent: 15 April 2003 08:10
    > >    > To: xap_automation@yahoogroups.com
    > >    > Subject: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation
    > >    >
    > >    >
    > >    >
    > >    > Hello,
    > >    >
    > >    >  I'm new to this protocol and I could'n find a summary
    > >    > documentation about X10.
    > >    >
    > >    >  Where I could find a brief documentation about x-10
    > >    > protocol? What hardware do I need to start my own
    > >    > application?
    > >    >
    > >    > I need simple facts, like how many devices can I use
    > >    > in a x-10 network, how fast can I send the commands to
    > >    > my devices, what interface is used for decodeing the
    > >    > xAP commands, how can I interlink two or more xAP
    > >    > networks... etc...
    > >    >
    > >    >  I've read some articles from www.xapautomation.org and
    > >    > I've understood how I can identify my devices, and
    > >    > other stuff (what can I say, those guys have done
    > >    > their homeworks because there's a lot of detailed
    > >    > documentation about xAP) but nothing practical about
    > >    > x-10.
    > >    >
    > >    >
    > >    >  Thanks alot for your time and help,
    > >    > Alex
    > >    >
    > >    >
    > >    > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups
    > Sponsor ---------------------~--
    > >    > >
    > >    > Get 128 Bit SSL Encryption!
    > >    > http://us.click.yahoo.com/xaxhjB/hdqFAA/VygGAA/dpFolB/TM
    > >
    >    > ------------------------------------------------------------------
    > ---~-
    > >    > >
    > >    >
    > >    > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    > >    > xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    > >    >
    > >    >
    > >    >
    > >    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
    > >    > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    > > xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
    > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
    > >
    > >
    >
    >
    > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--
    > >
    > Get 128 Bit SSL Encryption!
    > http://us.click.yahoo.com/W7NydA/hdqFAA/VygGAA/dpFolB/TM
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-
    > >
    >
    > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    > xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    >
    >
    >
    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
    > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

On Tue, 15 Apr 2003 18:27:18 +0300, "Alex Ciurea" <alex@...>
wrote:

>Hi Mark,
>
>I know the basics of a http server because I know how to work with PHP
>(still perl is probably more suitable for this application) but I don't know
>where and how the script sends the "xap-send" command.

Apologies for butting in here :-) In this case xap-send will be an
external programme which takes a xap message as an input. I think.

>Stuard Booth said that I need a CM12 device, connected to a serial port. Is
>that the target device for the "xap-send" command?

There seem to be a couple of ways of thinking in this, and I seem to
be alone in thinking that I should send a message targetted at the
device - in this case the lamp, and not the CM12 - even if the lamp
cannot natively pick up xAP messages.

Others feel the message should be targetted at a xAP 'connector'
application which interfaces between xAP and X10.

Nowadays I do both.

>>From this point, the CM12 converts the command into x10 signal and broadcast
>it to all over mains?

Yes - the CM12 is the interface between the PC and the mains supply.

>And if it's like this, I need another CM12 to decode my x10 signal and to
>control my device? (e.g a lamp)

Not quite. You need an LM12, a Lamp Module, that the lamp plugs into
to receive the X10 signal.

I guess CM stands for Computer Module?? I'm guessing at that bit. I
have't experimented with X10 so somebody will hopefully jump in to
correct me if I'm wrong in this.

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

Hi Mark,

I know the basics of a http server because I know how to work with PHP
(still perl is probably more suitable for this application) but I don't know
where and how the script sends the "xap-send" command.
Stuard Booth said that I need a CM12 device, connected to a serial port. Is
that the target device for the "xap-send" command?

From this point, the CM12 converts the command into x10 signal and broadcast
it to all over mains?

And if it's like this, I need another CM12 to decode my x10 signal and to
control my device? (e.g a lamp)

Tanks alot,
Alex

----- Original Message -----
From: "mark_harrison_uk2" <mph@...>
To: <xap_automation@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 5:51 PM
Subject: [xap_automation] Re: x-10 hardware documentation


> --- In xap_automation@yahoogroups.com, Stuart Booth <lists@s...>
> wrote:
> > >- a PC with a HTPP server;
> >
> > Some means of sending a xAP message that targets that lamp and tells
> > it what state is required here. There are many possibilities I'm
> > sure! Web browsers are on my own ToDo list. Somewhere... ;-)
>
> Here's what I do :-)
>
> Win2k.
> Apache 2.
> PERL.
>
> I have a PERL "xap-script" in cgi-bin that takes a parameter. The
> parameter is the name of the pre-defined xap mesasge I want to send.
>
> The PERL script does the following:
>
> - Outputs a standard HTML header, including a meta refresh directive
> pointing at a more useful page :-)
> - Execs "xap-send <name of file that was the passed argument>"
>
> If you remind me, I'll post the full (not long) PERL script here.
>
> Web servers aren't high on my personal "things to automate with xAP"
> list, but it turned out to be so easy that it just happened one
> evening :-)
>
> Regards,
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

--- In xap_automation@yahoogroups.com, Stuart Booth <lists@s...>
wrote:
> >- a PC with a HTPP server;
>
> Some means of sending a xAP message that targets that lamp and tells
> it what state is required here. There are many possibilities I'm
> sure! Web browsers are on my own ToDo list. Somewhere... ;-)

Here's what I do :-)

Win2k.
Apache 2.
PERL.

I have a PERL "xap-script" in cgi-bin that takes a parameter. The
parameter is the name of the pre-defined xap mesasge I want to send.

The PERL script does the following:

- Outputs a standard HTML header, including a meta refresh directive
pointing at a more useful page :-)
- Execs "xap-send <name of file that was the passed argument>"

If you remind me, I'll post the full (not long) PERL script here.

Web servers aren't high on my personal "things to automate with xAP"
list, but it turned out to be so easy that it just happened one
evening :-)

Regards,

Mark

On Tue, 15 Apr 2003 17:24:54 +0300, "Alex Ciurea" <alex@...>
wrote:

>So, if I want to make an application to turn on/off a lamp via a WEB
>browser, using X10, I need:
>
>- a PC with a HTPP server;

Some means of sending a xAP message that targets that lamp and tells
it what state is required here. There are many possibilities I'm sure!
Web browsers are on my own ToDo list. Somewhere... ;-)

>- a PIC/Rabbit microcontroller connected to my PC and also connected to the
>mains (that will transmit my commands through mains - using the xAP protocol
>via X10 - );

Is this where the CM12 device comes into play? It is connected to the
PC. You then need an application on the PC that 'knows' xAP and
additionally 'knows' the X10 CM12 interface, probably through the
serial port I imagine (haven't got this far yet myself).

It can then pick up the xAP message targetted at the lamp and convert
it to whatever signals are required to be sent to the CM12, which
deals with the mains and X10 signals.

>- a decoder for the lamp, that will decode my commands and will control the
>dimmer;

The lamp module that the lamp is plugged into and is in turn plugged
into the mains to receive the X10 signals??

>Probably those aren't questions for the xAP mailing list, but for those
>questions I haven't found yet any answers.

I think these are very applicable to the xAP list :)))) Keep on
posting away as this is something I too am interested in. Oh for more
time...

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

Hello Kevin,

Thanks alot for your extra-detailed answer.

Now I get it : xAP is a protocol used to transmit data to and from various
devices, connected via X10, wireless, dedicated wires, etc, etc..

To send commands I need a PIC/Rabbit controller, but to execute the
commands, I need a decoder for each device? I mean, each device should have
a microcontroller that will interpret the commands?

I presume that in order to light up a lamp, there should be a
microcontroller (PIC or Rabbit) that sends commands to the lamp, and the
lamp should have another microcontroller (for decodeing) my commands.

So, if I want to make an application to turn on/off a lamp via a WEB
browser, using X10, I need:

- a PC with a HTPP server;
- a PIC/Rabbit microcontroller connected to my PC and also connected to the
mains (that will transmit my commands through mains - using the xAP protocol
via X10 - );
- a decoder for the lamp, that will decode my commands and will control the
dimmer;
- a lamp :).

The dimmer is easy to find in US, but being in Europe (Romania), I have to
build my own dimmer? I know, I could fly to US, buy some dimmers and come
back in a second, but this is not a long term solution...

Probably those aren't questions for the xAP mailing list, but for those
questions I haven't found yet any answers.

Thanks alot,
Alex

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Hawkins" <lists@...>
To: <xap_automation@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 3:05 PM
Subject: RE: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation


> Hi Alex - welcome to the list !
>
> Most of the talk here is focussed on xAP itself rather than X10
> although X10 can interact very nicely with xAP and there are xAP schemas
in
> place to facilitate this.
> X10 is essential a whole other area and you will find lots of
> information on the internet covering this - a good place would be the X10
> main site - and their support area at
http://www.x10.com/support/support.htm
> - unfortunately this site is one of the worst offenders for push
advertising
> - pop ups etc. There are many other sites of a technical nature around X10
> and a Google search will be rewarding. You can also find helpful people on
> the UKHA main list as almost everyone there uses X10 to varying levels.
> To answer some specific issues you raised.. You can have 16 devices
> on each of 16 housecodes with X10 - so 256 total devices. The
communication
> is by a signal superimposed over the mains wiring - it is unfortunately
not
> 100% reliable and not inherently error checked or guaranteed delivery so
it
> can be a little quirky in use - however it is cheap and cheerful
> (particularly in the US)where the costs are way lower and the range of
> products more extensive. The transmission speed is relatively slow by
> network standards - I can't remember offhand the exact time for each
> transmission but I think it's around 20 cycles of the mains or so and
hence
> expect about a half second delay for anything to happen.
> xAP is essentially a protocol definition aimed at the
> interconnection of various disparate devices to allow them to exchange
> information or control each other is some way. As such it is independent
of
> the physical interconnection between devices which could be any electrical
> connection capable of exchanging data although typically this is a serial
> interconnect or network (Ethernet). The networks are linked via a software
> bridge application (should you have several networks which in practice
very
> few people do have). Your networks must also be interconnected
physically -
> perhaps by a standard hardware router.
> The speed of message transmission on xAP is simply dictated by your
> physical interconnect speed so at say 10-100MB/s it is to all intents and
> purposes instantaneous. Some xAP applications are designed to talk
directly
> to each other (although as you will have read every xAP application can
hear
> everyone else) - some people will implement xAP through a central
controller
> which will act as a coordinator for all the xAP traffic. Really the
solution
> is dependant on your needs.
>
> Kevin
>
>    > -----Original Message-----
>    > From: Alex Ciurea [mailto:alex@...]
>    > Sent: 15 April 2003 08:10
>    > To: xap_automation@yahoogroups.com
>    > Subject: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation
>    >
>    >
>    >
>    > Hello,
>    >
>    >  I'm new to this protocol and I could'n find a summary
>    > documentation about X10.
>    >
>    >  Where I could find a brief documentation about x-10
>    > protocol? What hardware do I need to start my own
>    > application?
>    >
>    > I need simple facts, like how many devices can I use
>    > in a x-10 network, how fast can I send the commands to
>    > my devices, what interface is used for decodeing the
>    > xAP commands, how can I interlink two or more xAP
>    > networks... etc...
>    >
>    >  I've read some articles from www.xapautomation.org and
>    > I've understood how I can identify my devices, and
>    > other stuff (what can I say, those guys have done
>    > their homeworks because there's a lot of detailed
>    > documentation about xAP) but nothing practical about
>    > x-10.
>    >
>    >
>    >  Thanks alot for your time and help,
>    > Alex
>    >
>    >
>    > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups
Sponsor ---------------------~--
>    > >
>    > Get 128 Bit SSL Encryption!
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>
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-
>    > >
>    >
>    > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>    > xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>    >
>    >
>    >
>    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
>    > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
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>
>

Hi Alex - welcome to the list !

	 Most of the talk here is focussed on xAP itself rather than X10
although X10 can interact very nicely with xAP and there are xAP schemas in
place to facilitate this.
	 X10 is essential a whole other area and you will find lots of
information on the internet covering this - a good place would be the X10
main site - and their support area at http://www.x10.com/support/support.htm
- unfortunately this site is one of the worst offenders for push advertising
- pop ups etc. There are many other sites of a technical nature around X10
and a Google search will be rewarding. You can also find helpful people on
the UKHA main list as almost everyone there uses X10 to varying levels.
	 To answer some specific issues you raised.. You can have 16 devices
on each of 16 housecodes with X10 - so 256 total devices. The communication
is by a signal superimposed over the mains wiring - it is unfortunately not
100% reliable and not inherently error checked or guaranteed delivery so it
can be a little quirky in use - however it is cheap and cheerful
(particularly in the US)where the costs are way lower and the range of
products more extensive. The transmission speed is relatively slow by
network standards - I can't remember offhand the exact time for each
transmission but I think it's around 20 cycles of the mains or so and hence
expect about a half second delay for anything to happen.
	 xAP is essentially a protocol definition aimed at the
interconnection of various disparate devices to allow them to exchange
information or control each other is some way. As such it is independent of
the physical interconnection between devices which could be any electrical
connection capable of exchanging data although typically this is a serial
interconnect or network (Ethernet). The networks are linked via a software
bridge application (should you have several networks which in practice very
few people do have). Your networks must also be interconnected physically -
perhaps by a standard hardware router.
	 The speed of message transmission on xAP is simply dictated by your
physical interconnect speed so at say 10-100MB/s it is to all intents and
purposes instantaneous. Some xAP applications are designed to talk directly
to each other (although as you will have read every xAP application can hear
everyone else) - some people will implement xAP through a central controller
which will act as a coordinator for all the xAP traffic. Really the solution
is dependant on your needs.

	 Kevin

    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Alex Ciurea [mailto:alex@...]
    > Sent: 15 April 2003 08:10
    > To: xap_automation@yahoogroups.com
    > Subject: [xap_automation] x-10 hardware documentation
    >
    >
    >
    > Hello,
    >
    >  I'm new to this protocol and I could'n find a summary
    > documentation about X10.
    >
    >  Where I could find a brief documentation about x-10
    > protocol? What hardware do I need to start my own
    > application?
    >
    > I need simple facts, like how many devices can I use
    > in a x-10 network, how fast can I send the commands to
    > my devices, what interface is used for decodeing the
    > xAP commands, how can I interlink two or more xAP
    > networks... etc...
    >
    >  I've read some articles from www.xapautomation.org and
    > I've understood how I can identify my devices, and
    > other stuff (what can I say, those guys have done
    > their homeworks because there's a lot of detailed
    > documentation about xAP) but nothing practical about
    > x-10.
    >
    >
    >  Thanks alot for your time and help,
    > Alex
    >
    >
    > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--
    > >
    > Get 128 Bit SSL Encryption!
    > http://us.click.yahoo.com/xaxhjB/hdqFAA/VygGAA/dpFolB/TM
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-
    > >
    >
    > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    > xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    >
    >
    >
    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
    > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

In my xAP-Audio schema document I suggested the following, as an
example:

Class=xAP-Audio.Transport

xAP-Audio.Transport
{
Command=[play | pause | stop | next | prev | shuffle]
	 --- mandatory
Param=[on | off]
	 --- optional (depending on Command/Hardware support)
}

Sometimes I'm not always sure what to call the block name, so I have
just gone with the Class.Type name. But this is a little wasteful. So
how about stripping off the "xAP-" bit to save some space?

Audio.Transport
{
Command=[play | pause | stop | next | prev | shuffle]
	 --- mandatory
Param=[on | off]
	 --- optional (depending on Command/Hardware support)
}

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

Hello,

  I'm new to this protocol and I could'n find a summary
documentation about X10.

  Where I could find a brief documentation about x-10
protocol? What hardware do I need to start my own
application?

I need simple facts, like how many devices can I use
in a x-10 network, how fast can I send the commands to
my devices, what interface is used for decodeing the
xAP commands, how can I interlink two or more xAP
networks... etc...

  I've read some articles from www.xapautomation.org and
I've understood how I can identify my devices, and
other stuff (what can I say, those guys have done
their homeworks because there's a lot of detailed
documentation about xAP) but nothing practical about
x-10.


  Thanks alot for your time and help,
Alex

Hi Folks,

I've just uploaded the latest build of my xAP Framework code library,
v1.2.3.3, for Microsoft .net v1.1.

You can read the full story here:

http://www.xapframework.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=19

The binaries and source for the framework are available in the
Downloads section. I've also updated all my xAP apps to fix a few
minor buglettes - having just noticed for the first time that a few of
them were pumping out multiple heartbeats.

The most notable features of this release are support for SliMP3 OSD,
and some support for wildcard addressing. My xAPListener class (that
listens for xAP messages) will now report badly formed xAP messages
separately to totally unrecognised or well formed messages.

Getting this release out means I can move onto some new things I have
in mind which I require myself now.

As ever, any problems/queries/bugs/comments, let me know.

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 11:12:53 +0100, "Kevin Hawkins"
<lists@...> wrote:

> There was a thread a long time ago on the Tivo Underground list
>about hacking the overlays and graphics - I never followed it to its
>conclusion except that I know it seemed very difficult and that most seemed
>to be imaged to some form of Targa file - and then displayed - wasn't going
>to provide an easy route for realtime fancy text (font/colour/size/opacity)
>usage. Have a search - a long way back - 2 years or so - on the bbs - I am
>sure by now this will have come on a long way. It would be a great feature
>to have !

I'll add this to my (horribly long) list. Good idea though, but unless
it's easy to achieve I've already got waaaaayyyyyy too many things to
do that are more important to me I think.

> I guess you are not using the VCR out when you recorded this ? I
>believe that the text overlays & Tivo graphics are not present on this
>output - to protect against exactly the issue you experienced.

Well I think I am using VCR out, but it definitely records all
interaction on the box, including menus, TiVo sound bloops and other
on screen stuff. I've seen that myself when checking the recording
worked okay.

He mentioned things appearing which I took to mean my OSD messages,
but now that you mention it, I might be wrong.

S
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

There was a thread a long time ago on the Tivo Underground list
about hacking the overlays and graphics - I never followed it to its
conclusion except that I know it seemed very difficult and that most seemed
to be imaged to some form of Targa file - and then displayed - wasn't going
to provide an easy route for realtime fancy text (font/colour/size/opacity)
usage. Have a search - a long way back - 2 years or so - on the bbs - I am
sure by now this will have come on a long way. It would be a great feature
to have !
	 I guess you are not using the VCR out when you recorded this ? I
believe that the text overlays & Tivo graphics are not present on this
output - to protect against exactly the issue you experienced.

	 K

    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Stuart Booth [mailto:lists@...]
    > Sent: 09 April 2003 11:41
    > To: xap_automation@yahoogroups.com
    > Subject: [xap_automation] TiVo OSD
    >
    > Has anybody come across any fancier OSD modules for TiVo than the
    > simple YAC or TiVoWeb's slightly more colourful display output?
    >
    > A friend had the amusing experience of watching something I'd recorded
    > onto VHS tape for him and seeing various TiVo OSD messages that my xAP
    > applications were transmitting at the time :-))
    >
    > Anyway, it set me thinking, what I really want is something capable of
    > doing the TiVo style colourful and graphical overlays, allowing me to
    > send pictures and things to the OSD outputs.
    >
    > Mug shot CID notifications for instance.
    >
    > Stuart
    > --
    > Stuart Booth
    > xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net
    >
    > http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...
    >
    > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--
    > >
    > Get 128 Bit SSL Encryption!
    > http://us.click.yahoo.com/xaxhjB/hdqFAA/VygGAA/dpFolB/TM
    > ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-
    > >
    >
    > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    > xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    >
    >
    >
    > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
    > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

On 09 Apr 2003 12:01:19 +0100, Stuart Poulton
<stuart.poulton@...> wrote:

>1) Coding on the TIVO ?
>2) A box of electronics that overlays onto a video signal either RGB, or
>composite ?
>
>IMHO 1 isn't going to be easy, and probably isn't too good an idea.

Definitely the former, #1. The TiVo can already overlay messages and
options on-screen, including the changing channels message, the VCR
icon, and the EPG, so I was wondering if that functionality could be
hooked into to display some graphical text rather than the bland YAC
display we have at the moment.

S
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

Stuart,

Are you talking about

1) Coding on the TIVO ?
2) A box of electronics that overlays onto a video signal either RGB, or
composite ?

IMHO 1 isn't going to be easy, and probably isn't too good an idea. 2 is
possible but it's probably outside the realms of most.

A possible alternative, might be to do something with a VIA Mini-itx
board and TV capture card, again not a simple solution without it's
problems.

Cheers

Stuart


On Wed, 2003-04-09 at 11:41, Stuart Booth wrote:
> Has anybody come across any fancier OSD modules for TiVo than the
> simple YAC or TiVoWeb's slightly more colourful display output?
>
> A friend had the amusing experience of watching something I'd recorded
> onto VHS tape for him and seeing various TiVo OSD messages that my xAP
> applications were transmitting at the time :-))
>
> Anyway, it set me thinking, what I really want is something capable of
> doing the TiVo style colourful and graphical overlays, allowing me to
> send pictures and things to the OSD outputs.
>
> Mug shot CID notifications for instance.
>
> Stuart
--
Stuart Poulton <swp@...>

Has anybody come across any fancier OSD modules for TiVo than the
simple YAC or TiVoWeb's slightly more colourful display output?

A friend had the amusing experience of watching something I'd recorded
onto VHS tape for him and seeing various TiVo OSD messages that my xAP
applications were transmitting at the time :-))

Anyway, it set me thinking, what I really want is something capable of
doing the TiVo style colourful and graphical overlays, allowing me to
send pictures and things to the OSD outputs.

Mug shot CID notifications for instance.

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

Hi Guys..

As both P and S have put out updates I thought I'd let you know where I'm
at..

Firstly Clipsal C-Bus. Following the earlier delays Clipsal eventually
issued the NDA about 2 months ago. It was signed and returned that day but
they have still not sent the information through :-( . Lot's of possible
issues here and I have also heard that they are potentially discontinuing
the C-Bus SIM which is the tiny serial interface module they make for
integration into third party devices. I am still waiting on an official
response on this. So it may be that the embedded xAP to C-Bus gateway is a
non starter. Regardless of that I have the original xAP to C-Bus gateway
running utilising the C-Gate software - and I have been offered a very low
cost licence for this should I want. However this mandates the use of a PC
and also requires the purchase of an RS232 or Ethernet module for C-Bus
which are many times the cost of the SIM module. C-Gate also provides
'managed' control of C-Bus rather than the full and complete control
available via the SIM.

Whilst waiting for the C-Bus stuff I have totally xAP'd my alarm system -
all the alarm activities appear as xAP events now. Again this was an NDA for
the serial protocol but it arrived within days.

I am currently looking at my rather old SliMP3 Caller ID / Outlook
integration. (xAP 1.1) Basically an incoming or outgoing call displays CID
and name from Outlook contacts on the SliMP3 display - also last call
history. Unknown calls show STD area - even to sub area as you dial the
digits - quite interesting to watch. However I am considering either xAP'ing
this now with the new xAP SliMP3 support and also possible a small Perl
helper plugin for others - I feel offering a plugin would interest loads of
people on the SliMP3 lists - and they could use xAP alongside this without
even realising it - this way more developers might become interested.

I have also just been finishing off the Tagtronic bus interface for my Tag
Mclaren AV system - almost done now and looking at incorporating a little
xAP
now - but as always it's finding the time.

Lastly have been looking at the HV integration of C-Bus - there is a neat
way to do this that requires a small change from CSI - unfortunately it is
way down their list at the moment due to the imminent release of HV Pro.


The demise of Tony's framework for Xap left me with a bit of a void from my
own perspective (Visual Basic)- and I am just about to turn to creating a
new framework and the incorporation of Patricks OCX . I am guessing that a
lot of people here are more comfortable with the 'low ground' of VB cf the C
high ground . Yes ??

Contemplating xAPing my AV matrix switch at the moment too - so many things
... so little time.


Kevin

On Tue, 08 Apr 2003 15:20:08 +0100, Stuart Booth
<lists@...> wrote:

>3) Sample xAP messages that you can send to the Slim using a xAP Send
>application such as the one you can find further down this page:
>
>http://www.xapframework.net/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=4
>
>You may need to alter the target address in these sample messages to
>suit the name of your Slims. Or change the target of the message to a
>suitable wildcarded address e.g. KCSoft.SliMP3.*

I've just updated the download with another sample message and a text
file detailing the targetting address of each of the 3 sample messages
which are all different to exhibit different possibilities. This will
hopefully make use of this little application clearer.

Let me know if there are any problems or if something's not clear. One
of the possible problems here is that all my s/w makes perfect sense
to me, but some aspects of its use/setup/documentation might be really
poor and I wouldn't necessarily know it.

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

Hi folks,

Last night I wrote a short (and overdue) document describing the use
of my very simple SliMP3 connector application:

http://www.xapframework.net/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=25

The app is still the same as before, and still only supports
xAP-OSD.Display messages onto the SliMP3, but the documentation I've
added to this download includes:

1) A short user guide describing how it works, how to configure it,
what types of message it picks up, and how it identifies targetted
Slims.

2) An even shorter document describing the xAP schema I anticipate
encapsulating further in the coming days to support more Slim
functionality.

3) Sample xAP messages that you can send to the Slim using a xAP Send
application such as the one you can find further down this page:

http://www.xapframework.net/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=4

You may need to alter the target address in these sample messages to
suit the name of your Slims. Or change the target of the message to a
suitable wildcarded address e.g. KCSoft.SliMP3.*

Note that as ever you need Microsoft's .net Framework v1.1 installed
to run these apps. Details of this can be found here:

http://www.xapframework.net/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=12

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

Hi Folks,

Haven't worked on my xAP framework code too much lately because of a
variety of things going on but there are some things in the pipeline:

1. I've still to finish encapsulating the xAP-Audio schema I put
forward. At the moment I have a SliMP3 connector that copes with Slim
OSD  messages quite nicely indeed.

2. I'm continueing to work on the error handling in my framework code
a bit, as and when I find a case that isn't handled as imformatively
as I'd like. My xAPSend application benefits from this a lot as it is
getting some quite useful error feedback to the user now. Rather than
just reporting "It went wrong." it now feeds back much more useful
data such as the line number of field name that was incorrect. This
helps validate xAP message formatting.

I prefer my framework code to be strict, spotting errors as early as
possible. I can easily make certain aspects of this optionally (and
configurably) less strict though, which is sometimes useful.

3. Finally starting to put a GUI on my xAP applications although this
is some way from completion. Console mode apps are quick and cheap,
allowing me to focus on the guts rather than the pretty exterior.
Quite a few ideas to develop here, so more news when it happens.

Oh, if only updating the web site with all these source/binary updates
wasn't so tedious...

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

A quick little noddy application:

http://patrick.lidstone.net/ha/xAP/xAP%20Projects/Applications/irman

Allows pretty much any IR remote's keys to be mapped to xAP messages -
  great for quick-and-dirty X-10 control / MP3 player control etc, as
well as more sophisticated stuff like "watch a movie" macros that
include setting the house to "do not disturb" mode as well as setting
up the amp, projector and screen. Works under Windows and Linux.

Patrick

Hi Folks,

I updated this a while ago, but I've not spent any time on it in the
past week unfortunately. Still to implement the MP3 controls, but as I
don't have enough active speakers or spare amplifiers lying around...

Thus it still only handles xAP-OSD.Display messages. But I have
updated the targetting mechanism which I'll try to explain.

If you name your SliMP3 "Office" for instance, the following targets
are picked up by my connector and routed correctly.

Target=KCSoft.SliMP3.Office
Target=KCSoft.SliMP3.>
Target=KCSoft.SliMP3.*
Target=KCSoft.SliMP3.SlimDevi.SliMP3.Office

If you name your SliMP3 "SlimDevi.SliMP3.Office" (ie using a full xAP
device name instead of just a simple text string), then all of the
above targets are still picked up by my connector and routed
correctly.

Basically it takes the Instance string off the target address (which
is that of my connector application) and tries various combinations to
match against Slims on the network until it finds a match or matches.

But I've additionally added the option of spying in on messages
targetted at some other address. Thus the following can all be
detected if that suits you (as it does me):

Target=SlimDevi.SliMP3.Office
Target=SlimDevi.SliMP3.>
Target=SlimDevi.SliMP3.*

Again, naming your Slim "Office" or "SlimDevi.SliMP3.Office" will work
in all these cases.

And of course you can name your Slim "Bedroom.Master" or
"Bedroom.BigDave" (or "SlimDevi.SliMP3.Bedroom.Master" etc) if you
want in all of the above cases (although "*.*" would be required in
the target address).

Just a few options to give a bit of flexibility rather than rigidity I
hope.

Here's a sample message:

xap-header
{
v=12
Hop=1
UID=DEADBEEF
Class=xAP-OSD.Display
Source=KCSoft.Send.Anya
Target=KCSoft.SliMP3.>
}
Display.SliMP3
{
Line1=Incoming Voice Call from:
Line2=Stuart Booth (01234-567890)
Duration=5
Align1=Left
Align2=Left
}

Here's the schema I'm using:

Class = xAP-OSD.Display

Display.TiVo
{
     Text=(text to display)
         --- mandatory
     Duration=(seconds to display)
         --- optional
     Priority=[High|Medium|Low] (may override current msg)
         --- optional (Low is assumed if not stated)
     Row=(screen line)
         --- optional
     Column=(screen column)
         --- optional
     Foreground=(foreground colour rgb)
         --- optional
     Background=(background colour rgb)
         --- optional
}

Display.SliMP3
{
     Line1="Text to display"
	     --- Mandatory
     Line2="Text to display"
	     --- Mandatory
     Duration="Duration to display in seconds"
	     --- mandatory

     Align1=[Left | Centre | Right]
	     --- optional (Left aligntment is assumed if not present)
     Align2=[Left | Centre | Right]
	     --- optional (Left aligntment is assumed if not present)
}

No source code yet as I'm a bit strapped for time.

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

Discussion - no real discussion, just no time, too busy coding and having
colds. Better go and develop a new 'Inputs' schema now I figure I need one.
Bad idea putting switches on the relay board.

Ian

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ian Lowe [mailto:ian@...]
>Sent: 26 March 2003 11:32
>To: xap_automation@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [xap_automation] Rather ghost towny...
>
>
>
>Anyone would think that all of the discussion was happening
>offlist... ;)
>
>
>
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>xap_automation-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

Anyone would think that all of the discussion was happening
offlist... ;)

It was really strange to come home and see weird messages changing on my
SliMP3 screens ! Spooky.

They do make great xAP display devices - Your SliMP3 connector seems to be
coming along really well - with unlimited client addressing capabilities !
Just don't play the Clash at 4AM !/

I'll have to route my Caller ID display onto your SliMP3 screens..

Kevin

A whole market in SliMP3 'Spam' filters opens up !

    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Stuart Booth [mailto:lists@...]
    > Sent: 19 March 2003 23:58
    > To: xap_automation@yahoogroups.com
    > Subject: [xap_automation] SliMP3 Connector
    >
    > Yay! I don't know if Kevin's noticed, but I've been sending
    > xAP-OSD.Display messages to one of his SliMP3s tonight via my
    > xAP<->SliMP3 Connector application.
    >
    > <LOL> <LOL>
    >
    > It's kind of funky to configure the application config file to point
    > to his Slim server rather than mine and have it start up listing all
    > his Slims. That tickled me.
    >
    > I added wildcarding to my xAPFramework last night too, and updated my
    > test application (which runs a series of tests on my framework code to
    > ensure it's working fine) tonight. I daresay I could now modify my xAP
    > message to send to all his Slims, but I doubt I'd be too popular :))
    >
    > I've updated the way my connector picks up Slim messages, which I'll
    > detail tomorrow for those that are interested.
    >
    > Cheers Kevin, :)
    >
    > Stuart
    > --
    > Stuart Booth
    > xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net
    >
    > http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...
    >
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Yay! I don't know if Kevin's noticed, but I've been sending
xAP-OSD.Display messages to one of his SliMP3s tonight via my
xAP<->SliMP3 Connector application.

<LOL> <LOL>

It's kind of funky to configure the application config file to point
to his Slim server rather than mine and have it start up listing all
his Slims. That tickled me.

I added wildcarding to my xAPFramework last night too, and updated my
test application (which runs a series of tests on my framework code to
ensure it's working fine) tonight. I daresay I could now modify my xAP
message to send to all his Slims, but I doubt I'd be too popular :))

I've updated the way my connector picks up Slim messages, which I'll
detail tomorrow for those that are interested.

Cheers Kevin, :)

Stuart
--
Stuart Booth
xAPFramework.net - a reusable xAP framework for .net

http://www.xapframework.net/       stuart@...

But not bad enough to be kicked out again I hope ;-)

S.

--- In xap_automation@yahoogroups.com, "mark_harrison_uk2" <mph@a...>
wrote:
> ... and we're bad.
>
>
> Or something :-)
>
> Mark

... and we're bad.


Or something :-)

Mark