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Who can add extended code support to Mister House?

Hello gang!

Somebody in this group mentioned the W800RF32A and it's ability to receive extended X10 like their alarm devices.

I want to know when the mail arrives.

My simple plan will tie in with another complex one, so I chose the following method...

I bought an X10 Door/Window sensor model DS10A. I got 3 for $25-ish, delivered... from X10.com

I bought a plastic mailbox from Homedepot.com, and I await it's arrival.

I figured I would catch the signal with the sensitive RF receiver, and the information would be available on a serial port. RS-232

On the WGL website it is mentioned that their product is compatible with Mister House. Wonderful!!

I knew of the Mister House project, and remember it is written in Perl.

What an outstanding choice, Perl. It can do Web stuff, TCP/IP ports, Serial, disk access... Everything I ever wanted to make HA interfaces.

So I discovered the way to enable support for the W800RF32A in the mh.ini file, and did.

I'm using this PC temporarily, for various testing. It has but 1 serial port. And it is within an X10 dead zone, so neither of my new PowerLinc

1132B's receive anything over the power line. When my AF-120 filter returns, then X10 will return to this branch circuit.

Mister House doesn't like no being connected to a PLC. And it wants a CM11 or a CM17. I didn't see mention of the TW523 or the PowerLinc

1132B. Am I covered?

Both the PowerLinc 1132B and the W800RF32A support the extended codes.

It wasn't until I dug deeper did I discover that the Extended codes are not yet fully supported.

Dohh!!

So I read the Mister House module for the W800 and see it is only looking for a 4-byte response. The extended codes are 6-bytes, and maybe

9 more bits in some cases... Thats 2 more bytes...!

Currently the module doesn't get the extended job done.

Who am I gonna call??

I'm tempted to pay a few bucks for this, and I know about Rent-A-Coder. I could ask for bids to extend the W800 module to include all code functionality.

Who knows HOW much it would cost?

And I know this is a SourceForge project. Plenty of coders out there!

If I do pay for this, do I then release it for free? Harsh!

Anybody besides me think WGL should provide?

I don't expect any help from Dave Huston... Dave don't hate me 'cause I plan to use the W800RF32A without government authority, to keep an eye on my post master approved mailbox.

I have an Elk M1 Gold. If I buy a wireless zone expander, and a wireless door/window sensor... I can have what I need. Kinda expensive at about $130 if memory serves. Probably a better solution!

But...

I want to monitor occupancy, and log all motion sensors to a text file. I believe Mister House can be made to do this for me easily. The W800 is at the center of this functionality...

This is why I didn't go with the other hardware.

So WHO is it I need to talk into re-writing the W800 module for Mister House, so as to include ALL the X10 extended codes?

Thanks!

Jack :)

Reply to
Jack Edin
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Just add a second serial port using USB. Or use a usb controller that already supports the extended codes.

Reply to
wkearney99

The port isn't the issue. This machine is temporary...

And the fact that this branch circuit is deaf to X10 is also temporary.

One question was: How do I use a PowerLinc 1132B? Is it the same as a CM11?

The big question was: Can Mister House hear a DS10A on a W800RF32A, and do stuff?

The W800 module says it isn't complete. That it doesn't do the extended codes, etc.

And a quick read through the code itself looks like they're correct.

From the WGL.com documents for the W800 I know the X10 security puts out more bytes of data than the normal X10.

And I see they're ignoring all but 4 bytes at a time...!

So it LOOKS like it will not work.

I could easily be wrong...

If it does need completion, my ultimate question was:

Who can I ask to finish that module?

Thanks,

Jack :)

Reply to
Jack Edin

Is there any special relationship between the RF "extended codes" transmitted by the DS10A Door/Window Switch and the X10 PLC Extended Codes recognized by X10 2-way Lamp Modules like the LM14A? Or are they two entirely different things referred to by the same name? (I notice that X10's XTC798.DOC refers to the Type 2 PLC Extended Codes as "Reserved for Security" but there's nothing further.)

The 1132B can send and receive the PLC Extended Codes and the W800RF32A can receive the RF "extended codes", but bey> Hello gang!

Reply to
Charles Sullivan

Charles,

I believe I'm speaking of the type 2 codes.

My need is RF...

Here is a document explaining the Protocol:

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Does Mister House work with the PowerLinc 1132B?

How do I configure it?

Thankx, again!

Jack :)

Charles Sullivan wrote:

Reply to
Jack Edin

I've seen that doc, but there's no indication of a connection with the X10 PLC Type 2 Extended Codes.

The fact of the matter is that the W800rf32a reports only two _significant_ bytes for an RF transmission from the DS10A. One is a "security address" which is generated randomly when the DS10A is reset. The second contains the function code, with bits for switch open/closed, position of front panel slider switch, and I believe low battery.

There's nothing to prevent software being written to format these two bytes into some semblance of an X10 PLC Type 2 Extended Code, but the software might just as well convert the two bytes into a standard X10 code, like A1 ON, A1 OFF.

BTW, one other consideration with the DS10A is that it automatically reports its status every 60-70 minutes, so the software would have to look for changes in status.

Regarding Misterhouse and the 1132B, there's a Sourceforge Misterhouse forum/mailing list which is frequented by the developers. You might get some answers there.

For your mailbox, why don't you just stick a motion sensor on the inside back wall.

Regards, Charles Sullivan

Reply to
Charles Sullivan

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