X10 programming from PC
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Posted by Geordie on September 12, 2006, 11:19 am
Please log in for more thread options Hi, I'm trying to control an X10 system through a CM12U (similar to CM11) via the serial port, using my own software. I know the software is correctly talking to the serial port (because I tried it with a modem), but I'm having difficulty communicating with the CM12. What I'm sending is 0x04 (Header) then 0x5E (to address unit G2) but I can't get a Checksum back from the CM12. Any thoughts? One thing I noticed in the "Interface Communication Protocol" document at the end of section 3.1 is "This format is typical of all transmissions between the PC and the interface with the difference being in the first transmission from the PC." - but I couldn't find anything about __what__ is different about the first transmission. TIA, Geordie | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Robert Bonomi on September 12, 2006, 4:33 pm
Please log in for more thread options The first possibility that comes to mind is that the CM12 might be DTE, not DCE, and your cabling is wrong. >
Try adding a null-modem. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Geordie on September 12, 2006, 7:58 pm
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>>Hi,
>> >>I'm trying to control an X10 system through a CM12U (similar to CM11) via >>the serial port, using my own software. >> >>I know the software is correctly talking to the serial port (because I >>tried >>it with a modem), but I'm having difficulty communicating with the CM12. >>What I'm sending is 0x04 (Header) then 0x5E (to address unit G2) but I >>can't >>get a Checksum back from the CM12. >> >>Any thoughts? One thing I noticed in the "Interface Communication >>Protocol" >>document at the end of section 3.1 is "This format is typical of all >>transmissions between the PC and the interface with the difference being >>in >>the first transmission from the PC." - but I couldn't find anything about >>__what__ is different about the first transmission. >
> The first possibility that comes to mind is that the CM12 might be DTE, > not DCE, and your cabling is wrong. >>
>
> Try adding a null-modem. Hi Robert, Thanks for responding. I know from bitter experience that transposing DTE and DCE can be a PITA to resolve, but I don't believe that's the problem - my software communicates with a modem ok and, though I didn't mention it, the CM12 responds to the ActiveHome software on the same port/cable. Regards, Geordie | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Charles Sullivan on September 14, 2006, 12:14 am
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On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:19:33 +0000, Geordie wrote: > Hi,
> > I'm trying to control an X10 system through a CM12U (similar to CM11) via > the serial port, using my own software. > > I know the software is correctly talking to the serial port (because I tried > it with a modem), but I'm having difficulty communicating with the CM12. > What I'm sending is 0x04 (Header) then 0x5E (to address unit G2) but I can't > get a Checksum back from the CM12. > > Any thoughts? One thing I noticed in the "Interface Communication Protocol" > document at the end of section 3.1 is "This format is typical of all > transmissions between the PC and the interface with the difference being in > the first transmission from the PC." - but I couldn't find anything about > __what__ is different about the first transmission. > > TIA, > Geordie Are you sending the two bytes in one transmission? Sending separately usually doesn't work. Try sending the single byte 0xEB and you should get the same byte echoed back. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Geordie on September 15, 2006, 11:42 am
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> On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:19:33 +0000, Geordie wrote:
> >> Hi,
>> >> I'm trying to control an X10 system through a CM12U (similar to CM11) via >> the serial port, using my own software. >> >> I know the software is correctly talking to the serial port (because I >> tried >> it with a modem), but I'm having difficulty communicating with the CM12. >> What I'm sending is 0x04 (Header) then 0x5E (to address unit G2) but I >> can't >> get a Checksum back from the CM12. >> >> Any thoughts? One thing I noticed in the "Interface Communication >> Protocol" >> document at the end of section 3.1 is "This format is typical of all >> transmissions between the PC and the interface with the difference being >> in >> the first transmission from the PC." - but I couldn't find anything about >> __what__ is different about the first transmission. >> >> TIA, >> Geordie >
Hi,
> Are you sending the two bytes in one transmission? Sending separately > usually doesn't work. > > Try sending the single byte 0xEB and you should get the same byte echoed > back. > > Thanks to all for your suggestions - as it happens, the immediate problem lay elsewhere, but they're worth knowing about as I develop my code. My starting point in all of this was that my X-10 system was getting unreliable, and got worse when I upgraded the controlling PC to XP - I put the problems down to the ActiveHome software, so decided to write my own. After thinking about the posted suggestions, and trying a few other things out, I tried out Test Communications on ActiveHome's Tools menu - no response from the CM12. Replaced the CM12 and everything works again! That still leaves me disillusioned with the ActiveHome software - given that the CM11/12 sends a checksum in response to each commend, why on earth doesn't ActiveHome verify this and let the user know if there's a problem??? I'll continue with my own software, but without so much pressure! Thanks again for the pointers, Geordie | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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>
>I'm trying to control an X10 system through a CM12U (similar to CM11) via
>the serial port, using my own software.
>
>I know the software is correctly talking to the serial port (because I tried
>it with a modem), but I'm having difficulty communicating with the CM12.
>What I'm sending is 0x04 (Header) then 0x5E (to address unit G2) but I can't
>get a Checksum back from the CM12.
>
>Any thoughts? One thing I noticed in the "Interface Communication Protocol"
>document at the end of section 3.1 is "This format is typical of all
>transmissions between the PC and the interface with the difference being in
>the first transmission from the PC." - but I couldn't find anything about
>__what__ is different about the first transmission.