Subject: From: Date:

RE: [ECS] ECS Event programming question Martin Terry Sat, 20 Feb 1999 11:00:18 -0800

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Thanks for the comments Mark. It sounds like I should upgrade to ECST 4
instead of continuing to use ECST 3.4.

I remember vaguely that you mentioned there was a programming bug that could
step on memory in all prior versions (including the one I'm using). Is there
any functionality I would lose? I know this is a very open ended question.
:)


-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Gilmore [mailto:omnip@usit.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 1999 1:55 PM
To: ecs-list@netbloc.com
Subject: Re: [ECS] ECS Event programming question


Hi Martin,
Responses are inserted:

Martin Terry wrote:
> 
> Hi All-
> 
> I'm currently using ECST 3.4.020 in DOS mode, and am experimenting with
> version 4.
> 
> First question - Does ECST (DOS mode) 4.x still support the Bigmouth? I'm
> pretty sure the windows version does not. I just don't want to give up the
> local phone button access.

Yes, but ECS/Win does NOT.
You might consider X-10 keypads as a replacement for local phone
buttons.

> 
> Second question - For those of you that have (or had) the DOS version, how
> many actions that ECS performs "stops" ECS while it processes? For
example,
> here's a list I've compiled that I THINK react this way:
> 
> Answering the phone with Bigmouth (recording)
> Making calls with Bigmouth (dialing a number and recording an answer)
> Sending Pager messages with the modem
> Playing Recordings (wav or bigmouth)
> Statesman TTS (Speaking)
> Executing DOS commands

Good job - correct on all counts.

> 
> Also, I'm considering changing my event logic to create a "queue" for page
> messages and Statesman speach.
> I envision this being a FIFO text file that events place messages in, then
a
> single specialized event deals with reading the contents of the file and
> sending the page message or speaking the text, etc.
> 
> Anybody doing something like this? I am trying to avoid overruns that
occur
> occasionally when I'm doing paging (for example another page message
occurs
> before the first one gets processed) and I'm thinking that the speach
queue
> would simplify lots of events that have to "talk" to me.

No comment :-)

-- 
Mark Gilmore
Omnipotence (ECS Home Automation Software)
omnip@usit.net
http://www.usit.com/omnip

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