| ECS-L Home Automation and Security Archives |
| Subject: From: Date: | Re: [ECS] DDE from VB Steve Letkeman Sat, 20 Mar 1999 10:01:30 -0700 |
Dan, I have two CAN interfaces that I commonly use. One is an ISA card and the other is a parallel (EPP) card. I have a complete set of drivers that I include with my product that are 32 bit DLL's with interrupt support etc. I believe I saw on your web page that your product is based on the 16bit version of VB, is that right? Your program would either have to call my DLL's or it would have to do I/O commands directly to the hardware. The CAN system is a little more complicated than regular serial but it has some huge advantages over RS-485 etc. I just sent some questions to Mark but I will duplicate them here, When some event occurs within ECS, does ECS create a DDE message to my program? If so, do I need to create a DDE 'item'? Does ECS poll my program for status of devices or does my program send the status of devices? Also, just for testing, how do I create a 1 minute timer to send a command to my program? And, how can I display the state of something within ECS based on the state of my program? I still don't have any hardware so this is all done on 'virtual' devices. Thanks, Steve -----Original Message----- From: Dan Hoehnen <dhoehnen@infinet.com> To: ecs-list@netbloc.com <ecs-list@netbloc.com> Date: Saturday, March 20, 1999 9:49 AM Subject: Re: [ECS] DDE from VB >Steve, > >What is required for ACE to talk to your CAN network? Is the CAN network >connected to a serial port? Is there a protocol doc you could send me? >If you give me a basic idea of the command structure and any handshaking >I can determine if it is something ACE can support. > >On Sat, 20 Mar 1999, Steve Letkeman wrote: > >> Hi Kevin, >> >> When Dan mentioned "ACE" I did not realize this was another product, >> and your right, it does look impressive, but, I think I would still have the >> same problem in that I am trying to get ECS to communicate with my >> CAN network which is something ACE doesn't support either so I don't >> think it can help me. I am interested in it's TCP/IP capabilities though. >> >> Steve >> Zanthic Technologies Inc. located at http://www.zanthic.com >> 68HC11/CAN (Controller Area Network) Development Systems and other >> PC CAN interfaces including the CAN-4-EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port) >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Kevin Keast <libertyc@prodigy.net> >> To: ecs-list@netbloc.com <ecs-list@netbloc.com> >> Date: Saturday, March 20, 1999 3:55 AM >> Subject: RE: [ECS] DDE from VB >> >> >> >Steve, >> > >> >Unless you are working with the VB for your own experience, I would take a >> >look at ACE written by Dan. It is truly a very nice program that does all >> >you are doing and much more-Over a TCP/IP network! You can download it >> from >> >his site for trial: Take a look, I think you will be impressed. >> > >> >http://www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/software/index.htm >> > >> >Kevin >> > >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >> From: Steve Letkeman [mailto:zanthic@zanthic.com] >> >> Sent: Friday, March 19, 1999 4:14 PM >> >> To: ecs-list@netbloc.com >> >> Subject: Re: [ECS] DDE from VB >> >> >> >> >> >> Thanks to Dan Hoehnen and Mark I have a working test program >> >> for those that are interested (or will be) >> >> >> >> Create a VB project with one command button (command1) and >> >> one text button (text1). Set the form LinkTopic to "Any" and attach the >> >> following code to the command button. The name of the project and >> >> form are testdde. >> >> >> >> Private Sub Command1_Click() >> >> If Text1.LinkMode = vbNone Then ' is it running? >> >> Text1.LinkTopic = "PGM->ECS|Any" >> >> Text1.LinkMode = 2 ' start up link in manual mode >> >> End If >> >> Text1.LinkItem = "S,testdde" ' Service command, set to this program >> name >> >> Text1.LinkRequest >> >> Text1.LinkItem = "C,A" ' Client ID set to 'A' >> >> Text1.LinkRequest >> >> >> >> ' As a test, do this >> >> Text1.LinkItem = "I,speech-interface-b" ' get status of >> >> interface-b, should >> >> be displayed to text1 >> >> Text1.LinkRequest >> >> End Sub >> >> >> >> >> >> Another command button can be called once the first one is run >> >> >> >> Private Sub Command2_Click() >> >> Text1.LinkItem = "V,Attention" ' ECS should respond with "yes" >> >> Text1.LinkRequest >> >> End Sub >> >> >> >> OK, now that that is working I need to create some kind of event >> >> within ECS to trigger my program. I don't actually have any hardware >> >> hooked to any of this and I still have no clue how to program/modify >> >> the ECS program but this is a good start. >> >> >> >> Steve >> >> >> >> >> >> Zanthic Technologies Inc. located at http://www.zanthic.com >> >> 68HC11/CAN (Controller Area Network) Development Systems and other >> >> PC CAN interfaces including the CAN-4-EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port) >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >> From: Dan Hoehnen <dhoehnen@infinet.com> >> >> To: ecs-list@netbloc.com <ecs-list@netbloc.com> >> >> Date: Thursday, March 18, 1999 11:46 PM >> >> Subject: Re: [ECS] DDE from VB >> >> >> >> >> >> >Steve, >> >> > >> >> >I have written ACE, which is written in VB and interfaces to ECS using a >> >> >DDE link. So, I can probably answer all your questions. To send >> >> >commands to ECS I have a textbox with the LinkTopic property set to >> >> >"PGM->ECS|Any". To send a command to ECS just set this textbox's >> >> >LinkItem property to the command string to send and then call the >> >> >textbox's LinkRequest method. Like this: >> >> > >> >> > frmMain.txtECSDDE.LinkItem = ecsmsg >> >> > frmMain.txtECSDDE.LinkRequest >> >> > >> >> >Of course, you will have to open the dde link first. I use the manual >> >> >mode and open the link like this: >> >> > >> >> > frmMain.txtECSDDE.LinkMode = 2 'manual dde link >> >> > >> >> >If you want ECS to be able to send your program info and commands, then >> >> >you need to do a few more things. Set the LinkTopic property of your >> >> >main form to "Any". Then send ECS these 2 commands so that ECS knows >> how >> >> >to connect via dde to your program. My program executable name is >> >> >ACE-S.EXE, thus the "ace-s" in my command. You should use your >> >> >executable name. >> >> > >> >> > SendCommandToECS ("s,ace-s") 'tell ecs what name to use >> >> > SendCommandToECS ("C," & ECSClientID) 'tells ecs which dde link to use >> >> > >> >> >I hope this helps. Let me know if you need more info. >> >> > >> >> >Mark, feel free to copy any of this and paste into your doc's. >> Assuming, >> >> >of course, that Steve says it works :) >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >On Thu, 18 Mar 1999, Steve Letkeman wrote: >> >> > >> >> >> Yes......was it supposed to help? ;-) Actually, I have been >> >> studying it >> >> >> but so far I can't get VB to work and I just thought somebody might >> >> >> have a working example. I need to know what the linktopic and >> >> >> linkitems are. >> >> >> >> >> >> Steve >> >> >> >> >> >> Zanthic Technologies Inc. located at http://www.zanthic.com >> >> >> 68HC11/CAN (Controller Area Network) Development Systems and other >> >> >> PC CAN interfaces including the CAN-4-EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port) >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> >> >> From: Mark Gilmore <omnip@usit.net> >> >> >> To: ecs-list@netbloc.com <ecs-list@netbloc.com> >> >> >> Date: Thursday, March 18, 1999 5:32 PM >> >> >> Subject: Re: [ECS] DDE from VB >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >Steve, did you see DDECLN.C ? >> >> >> > >> >> >> >Steve Letkeman wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> More ECS newbie questions...Has anybody played around >> >> >> >> with the DDE interface from VB? The ECS documentation >> >> >> >> (both sentences) on the topic are not as much help as I would >> >> >> >> like ;-) >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Steve >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Zanthic Technologies Inc. located at http://www.zanthic.com >> >> >> >> 68HC11/CAN (Controller Area Network) Development Systems and other >> >> >> >> PC CAN interfaces including the CAN-4-EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port) >> >> >> > >> >> >> >-- >> >> >> >Mark Gilmore >> >> >> >Omnipotence (ECS Home Automation Software) >> >> >> >omnip@usit.net >> >> >> >http://www.usit.com/omnip >> >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> >Dan Hoehnen >> >> >dhoehnen@infinet.com >> >> >He who dies with the most toys, wins! >> >> >> >************************************************************************* >> >> >* Home Automation Index: http://www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/ha/list.html >> * >> >> >* >> * >> >> >* ACE Home Automation Software - Supports HomeVision, ECS and most >> * >> >> >* other automation systems - Caller ID, Text-to-Speech, Internet and >> * >> >> >* intranet support, Touchscreen support, E-Mail, much more... >> * >> >> >* >> * >> >> >* Port16.ocx & Port32.ocx - Give Visual Basic access to I/O ports >> * >> >> >* >> * >> >> >* http://www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/software/index.htm >> * >> >> >> >************************************************************************* >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> > >> > >> > >Dan Hoehnen >dhoehnen@infinet.com >He who dies with the most toys, wins! >************************************************************************* >* Home Automation Index: http://www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/ha/list.html * >* * >* ACE Home Automation Software - Supports HomeVision, ECS and most * >* other automation systems - Caller ID, Text-to-Speech, Internet and * >* intranet support, Touchscreen support, E-Mail, much more... * >* * >* Port16.ocx & Port32.ocx - Give Visual Basic access to I/O ports * >* * >* http://www.infinet.com/~dhoehnen/software/index.htm * >************************************************************************* > > > > >