| ECS-L Home Automation and Security Archives |
| Subject: From: Date: | control via tcp/ip, was [ECS] Cable Modem - Feature suggestion Dan Hoehnen Thu, 24 Sep 1998 21:40:11 -0400 (EDT) |
The ACE software product may do just what you need. The ACE server runs on the same pc as ecs. The ace server and ecs communicate via dde. The server supports tcp/ip connections from multiple ace clients. Each ace client displays 30 buttons. These 30 buttons can be divided into pages and groups. Depending on which page and group is active, teh 30 buttons take on different functions. Each button can be configured to send a command to ecs. Each button can also be configured to monitor an item's state in ecs and ecs will send a msg to ace whenever that item's state changes. The button's text and/or color can then be changed based on the ecs item state message. The tcp/ip connection can be via the internet or any intranet. Yes, I am the author of ace, so I guess I may be biased. You can download a fully functional trial version and there are several ecs users currently using ace who can help answer ecs-ace questions. ACE has not yet been officially released, but it is close. I just need to get the documentation and web site up to date. You can download the latest version from: www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/software/ace.htm If you decide to try it, download the full install disks and the upgrade file. Install the full install disks and then install the upgrade file so you are using the latest version. You can get more info from ace users via the ace mailing list by sending mail to: ace-ha@coollist.com You can subscribe to the list by going to www.coollist.com and subscribing to the list named ace-ha. I have been thinking of writing an ActiveX control to put on a web page that allows access to ace. This would allow you to design your own web interface to control ace and ecs. It sounds like this is what everyone wants (and probably the way we will all be doing things pretty soon). On Thu, 24 Sep 1998, Martin Terry wrote: > > > I've given some thought to ECS<->TCP/IP gateways myself, and I think the > simplest short term solution would be to use a machine such as a small > linux server that operates as the TCP/IP gateway, with an output to a > serial port. Basically a web server that when given certain commands can > send a formatted output to a serial port. Then you can use this to > interface to ECS with a serial byte item. I don't think this would be > that hard, and existing servers already have built in security services. > > Long term, divorcing the "thinking" side of ECS from the user interface > and changing it to a service would be the better goal. This would allow > the user interface to exist anywhere, either locally or remotely. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Ingo Pakleppa [SMTP:ipakleppa@ecs.com] > > Sent: Thursday, September 24, 1998 7:44 AM > > To: ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org > > Subject: Re: [ECS] Cable Modem - Feature suggestion > > > > Reddy, > > > > personally, I would prefer using HTML and/or Java and/or a Telnet > > interface. > > PCAnywhere is good as a stopgap. Its main drawback is that it requires > > a PC, > > won't work through most firewalls, requires you to install PCAnywhere > > on the > > controlling PC, and it pokes a big security hole because essentially > > anybody > > with PCAnywhere can take over the whole ECS machine. I'm often at a > > client's > > site where I don't have control over what kind of machine I have, so > > some kind > > of portable access that works on any type of machine would be great. > > > > Telnet's main advantage is that it is available on pretty much any > > type of > > machine, even old DOS boxes or text-only terminals on a Unix system. > > but many > > firewalls will block it. Java is available on many of todays machines > > but for > > the most part will require graphics capabilities (OK, you can write a > > text mode > > program in Java...) and a fairly new OS. > > > > I have an idea how this could work myself, but it would probably > > require a > > significant redesign of ECS: the engine that actually runs the system > > would have > > to be converted to a service without a user interface. Instead, it > > would have a > > Telnet port and a proprietary TCP/IP control port. The user interface > > would be a > > Java application or applet that uses the proprietary control port. > > These two > > would communicate through TCP/IP. Not exactly a weekend project, I'm > > sure... > > > > Ingo > > > > William Biggs wrote: > > > > > Ingo, > > > > > > My thoughts exactly. I've seen Bruce Winters' web site, and it seems > > that > > > the house itself is rarely online. > > > > > > Their temperature page is uploaded once a day to an ISP. > > > > > > I have a couple ideas on how this could work. PCAnywhere can be used > > across > > > the internet to give you control , but it is relatively slow. I > > would rather > > > use html and write hooks into ECS. > > > > > > I'm going to start on this project when I get my Windows setup, > > probably > > > within the next 2 -3 months. > > > > > > Reddy > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Ingo Pakleppa <ipakleppa@ecs.com> > > > To: ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org <ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org> > > > Date: Wednesday, September 23, 1998 11:12 PM > > > Subject: [ECS] Cable Modem - Feature suggestion > > > > > > >I've got a cable modem, too, and what I love most about it is the > > "always > > > >on" feature; no more dialing to the Internet! > > > > > > > >And since I'm travelling a lot, I've always thought that there > > would be one > > > >feature that would be fantastic if ECS had it: allow remote control > > through > > > >the Internet - for instance, view the status of all items in a Web > > page, > > > >listen to messages, ... > > > > > > > >OK, one can dream, right? > > > > > > > >Ingo > > > > > > > >At 03:23 PM 9/23/98 -0500, Bill Walters wrote: > > > >>All - > > > >> > > > >>I've got a new e-mail address - > > > >> > > > >> wtwalters@home.net > > > >> > > > >> > > > >>Up and running on a Cable modem as of last night; blazing fast! > > > >> > > > >>Test download of ECS34v24.EXE (3.5 meg) from GALLOPS ftp site had > > it > > > >>residing on my hard-disk in 35 seconds...... Ya' gotta like that! > > > >> > > > >>Will be trying to bring up a network to use the cable modem from > > other > > > >>locations in the house; don't know what security issues that will > > open, > > > >>so will go v-e-r-y slowly. If anyone has any experience with > > same, > > > >>please e-mail privately since it doesn't really pertain to > > ecs-list. > > > >> > > > >>Bill Walters > > > > > Dan Hoehnen dhoehnen@infinet.com He who dies with the most toys, wins! ************************************************************************* * Home Automation Index: http://www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/ha/list.html * * * * Port16.ocx & Port32.ocx - Give Visual Basic access to I/O ports * * http://www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/software/ * *************************************************************************