| ECS-L Home Automation and Security Archives |
| Subject: From: Date: | Re: [ECS] control via tcp/ip, was [ECS] Cable Modem - Feature suggestion Dan Hoehnen Sun, 27 Sep 1998 11:17:15 -0400 (EDT) |
Well, I've never written a Java applet before, so I ca't make any promisses. Heck, I can't even make promises about the ActiveX control. It's just something I'd like to do. I'm busy doing a couple other projects right now, so it will be a couple weeks before I start researching the acvtivex or java capability. On Sun, 27 Sep 1998, Ingo Pakleppa wrote: > Dan, > > great! > > Just one thing: can you make that a Java applet instead of an ActiveX > control? First, ActiveX only works with Internet Explorer (I believe). > Second, it only works on PCs, and I often use Linux instead. Unless you > want to write a Linux ActiveX control, as well. And one for every other > conceivable platform. > > Ingo > > At 09:40 PM 9/24/98 -0400, you wrote: > >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 > >> > > >> > > >> > > > > +----------------------------------------------------------------+ > | Ingo Pakleppa mailto:ipakleppa@ecs.com | > | Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet | > | Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer | > | Eagle Creek Systems, Inc., P.O.Box 888, Bonsall, CA 92003-0888 | > | http://www.ecs.com | > | (w) Tel.: 760 731-3251 Fax: 760 731-0054 | > +----------------------------------------------------------------+ > 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/ * *************************************************************************