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#184852 - 17/10/2003 13:37 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: jmwking]
drakino carpal tunnel Registered: 08/06/1999 Posts: 7868	and using wireless in your car to automatically open your garage door is way cool. Wait, did I miss the info on how to do this? I'd love to have this setup in my new place.
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#184853 - 17/10/2003 13:45 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: drakino]
Daria carpal tunnel Registered: 24/01/2002 Posts: 3937 Loc: Providence, RI	julf talked about using (i think ssh) when the wireless associated with his home AP to open the garage door.
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#184854 - 17/10/2003 13:49 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: drakino]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	Well... It's not impossible to do. Bit of a hassle to bolt on 802.11* support though. The "quick" way would to be to find a cheapo PC somewhere and have it run a web server. Write a CGI script which toggles one of the printer port lines which signals the door mechanism to cycle. You'll need something on the empeg or a PDA that accesses the webserver after authenticating properly.
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#184855 - 18/10/2003 02:47 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
julf veteran Registered: 01/10/2001 Posts: 1307 Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	Well, an easier way is to use an X10 switch - and as I already have a server talking X10, that's the way I'm going. Despite X10 being one of the most awful protocols I've seen since X400....
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#184856 - 18/10/2003 04:50 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: julf]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	Yeah. There's that as well A universal module which is basically an X10 controller relay modules would do it. I know what you mean about the X10 protocol being bad. I'm designing an X10 <-> Ethernet gateway for a company at the moment and I've had to enjoy doing X10 at low levels...
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#184857 - 18/10/2003 09:43 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
Daria carpal tunnel Registered: 24/01/2002 Posts: 3937 Loc: Providence, RI	So uh, is there any security?
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#184858 - 18/10/2003 10:23 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
julf veteran Registered: 01/10/2001 Posts: 1307 Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	I'm designing an X10 <-> Ethernet gateway Sign me up for one Hmm... Would you have any pointers to good documentation on how features like "preset dim" and extended commands are supposed to work?
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#184859 - 18/10/2003 15:55 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: Daria]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	Security? If you're talking about the thing I'm making then no, there isn't particularly great security. It just checks a plaintext password. The microprocessor I'm using has extremely limited RAM so I can't do anything too ambitious regarding encryption.
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#184860 - 18/10/2003 15:57 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: julf]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	I've not finished it yet! I've got the X10 side working fine. Getting the ethernet portion working reliablely is another thing. The RTL chip I'm using is apparently a NE2000 clone but there are quite a few differences and Realtek aren't too hot on documenting them it seems... Nearly got it though. I've got the docs for X10 extended commands somewhere. I'll see if I can dig it out.
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#184861 - 19/10/2003 02:43 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
julf veteran Registered: 01/10/2001 Posts: 1307 Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	I've got the X10 side working fine. Getting the ethernet portion working reliablely is another thing. Well, I have kind of the opposite problem I'm involved with these guys: www.violasystems.com so I use their nifty little box for the ethernet part. NE2000 clone but there are quite a few differences and Realtek aren't too hot on documenting them it seems... Ouch. Yes. Always amazes me. There aren't that many different ways of doing a NE2000, and still some people consider their aberrations "proprietary secrets" I've got the docs for X10 extended commands somewhere. I'll see if I can dig it out. Well it's especially the "preset dim" stuff that is driving me crazy. Or any way to reliably dim up from 0 to a pre-defined amount.
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#184862 - 19/10/2003 04:26 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: julf]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	Well, I have kind of the opposite problem I'm involved with these guys: www.violasystems.com so I use their nifty little box for the ethernet part. Neat. They seem a lot more powerful than the Cypress PSoC chip I'm using. The fact they've got ethernet already working is a bonus Well it's especially the "preset dim" stuff that is driving me crazy. Or any* way to reliably dim up from 0 to a pre-defined amount.* Preset dim is actually obsolete. It's been replaced by the direct dim extended command. Nothing really apart from the DIN rail lamp modules understands direct dim or even preset dim however. The normal modules only support the basic command set so you're kind of stuck if you're using those. You have to do the turn-on-and-dim-down-in-successive-commands trick.
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#184863 - 19/10/2003 05:04 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
julf veteran Registered: 01/10/2001 Posts: 1307 Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	Neat. They seem a lot more powerful than the Cypress PSoC chip I'm using. Yes, Viola is using a Motorola Coldfire. The fact they've got ethernet already working is a bonus Should be - the chief technical guy wrote the TCP/IP stack I actually got him to open source it. Preset dim is actually obsolete. It's been replaced by the direct dim extended command. Nothing really apart from the DIN rail lamp modules understands direct dim or even preset dim however. The normal modules only support the basic command set so you're kind of stuck if you're using those. Well, I do have a bunch of the DIN dimmers (only ones capable of riving halogens), but I also have a bunch of "stupid" Marmitek LW11's You have to do the turn-on-and-dim-down-in-successive-commands trick. And that just doesn't work in my application, where I need to be able to dim up the lights slowly from 0.
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#184864 - 19/10/2003 05:19 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: julf]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	And that just doesn't work in my application, where I need to be able to dim up the lights slowly from 0. Umm... There's a kludge you can do to get around this. If you dim the module down to 0% and leave it there then can do the dim up from 0% thing... Does mean you can't really use on/off though as you'll need to do the dim down to 0% each time. If the lamp module is at 0% already then it will ignore the ON command as it's already on
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#184865 - 19/10/2003 11:01 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
julf veteran Registered: 01/10/2001 Posts: 1307 Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	Umm... There's a kludge you can do to get around this. I know - that's how I do it at the moment. But apart from being very unreliable (and I got some rather nasty unlinear behaviour that led me to think presets were playing into it), it doesn't work very well if you occasionally need to turn the light on/off manually from the switch. The really strange thing about the newer Marmitek stuff is that the manual for the LWM1 "mini-module" states "Two-way X-10: transmits the set dimmer level to other LWM1, LD11 and LW 11modules (set to the same HouseCode and UnitCode)." So somehow that would imply that the LW11 can track absolute dim settings.
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#184866 - 19/10/2003 11:32 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: julf]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	Hmm... The LW11 might actually support extended commands. The manual isn't particularly useful but does look like it's based on a LD11. I'll have to wire up one of them and have a look.
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#184867 - 20/10/2003 02:26 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
julf veteran Registered: 01/10/2001 Posts: 1307 Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	Have you actually found any software for Linux that transmits extended codes correctly?
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#184868 - 20/10/2003 03:33 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: jmwking]
frog51 pooh-bah Registered: 09/08/2000 Posts: 2091 Loc: Edinburgh, Scotland	>Those are pretty impresive ranges. Just seen a superb set of tests showing 35 km usable range from 100mW 802.11b. Our guy managed to get into the target network, although the network admins thought 128bit WEP and hiding of SSID broadcasts would be useful Heh - what a great job! _________________________ Rory MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi MkII, 240Gb in Mark Lord dock MkII, 80Gb SSD in dock
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#184869 - 20/10/2003 03:55 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: julf]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	Nope. I've not really looked for it however. To transmit extended codes from your computer, you must either have an XM10 or a HomeVision. The TW523 and other old ones don't support extended codes and won't work.
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#184870 - 20/10/2003 04:14 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
julf veteran Registered: 01/10/2001 Posts: 1307 Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	To transmit extended codes from your computer, you must either have an XM10 or a HomeVision Well, I have the CM11, and I think it's pretty much an XM10 with RS232 instead of TTL.
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#184871 - 20/10/2003 06:04 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: julf]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	Sort of. The CM11/12 does support extended codes but the interface and protocol it uses is totally different than the XM10. The CM11/12 has actually got some intelligence inside it and decodes the X10 signal whilst the XM10 makes you do all the X10 decoding yourself. I'll send you the CM11 protocol and the X10 extended commands bits.
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#184872 - 20/10/2003 09:28 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
robricc carpal tunnel Registered: 30/10/2000 Posts: 4931 Loc: New Jersey, USA	The Broadcom equipment however will not work at all under Linux as Broadcom refuse to release any details on how to program the chipset. Have you seen this? _________________________ -Rob Riccardelli 80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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#184873 - 20/10/2003 10:03 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: robricc]
tman carpal tunnel Registered: 24/12/2001 Posts: 5528	Interesting. Would have prefered an open source driver as this will taint the kernel but it's better than nothing. Broadcom aren't doing themselves any favours by refusing to release any information on their new chipsets. I've bought an Intersil/Harris 802.11g card anyway The driver is a bit unstable at the moment but it's being actively worked on.
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#184874 - 20/10/2003 10:47 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
drakino carpal tunnel Registered: 08/06/1999 Posts: 7868	Interesting. Would have prefered an open source driver as this will taint the kernel but it's better than nothing. Broadcom aren't doing themselves any favours by refusing to release any information on their new chipsets. And this still does me no good with my desire to run something like Kismet on my Powerbook. Aparently the Airport Extreme cards use a Broadcom chipset.
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#184875 - 20/10/2003 12:16 Re: Roll Call: Wireless Networking [Re: tman]
julf veteran Registered: 01/10/2001 Posts: 1307 Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands	The CM11/12 does support extended codes but the interface and protocol it uses is totally different than the XM10. Ahh yes. Was misled by the similarity of external appearance and specs. The CM11/12 has actually got some intelligence inside Not sure that's always a good thing I'll send you the CM11 protocol and the X10 extended commands bits. Got it! Thanks! Much appreciated! Now off to do some serial port twiddling...
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