High Plains Thumper wrote:
> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>
> > Real world control from a Web page
> >
> > ,----[ Quote ]
> > | You can create a Web form on an Apache/Linux server, process the data
> > | with a PHP script, then push the control instructions down to the
> > | microcontroller over the serial line. The microcontroller will run code
> > | that interprets the data from the serial line and instruct the I/O pins
> > | to perform some action. Basic applications might bdde to turn on
> > | lights, relays, or motors from a remote browser screen.
> > `----
> >
> > http://hardware.newsforge.com/hardware/06/05/11/1517222.shtml
>
> Just curious, but does anyone make an X10 controller with drivers for Linux?
> That would be practical. Then I could replace my RadioShack Color Computer
> II.
>
A couple of years ago I did a fairly involved home automation project
to our house so I have some first hand experience with this. Check-out
a device called an "Ocelot" which is made by Adicon (
http://www.appdig.com/adicon_new/ocelot.htm ).
It's a stand-alone device meaning that once you program it, you no
longer need a host computer. In most cases this will be sufficient and
it's how my initial setup was. There's also a serial-port on the device
so you can connect it to a computer/server and also control it via the
RS-232 interface. (You can use both at the same time.) The internal
program is enough to do just about anything and in my case, handles the
majority of the work. There are a few "advanced situations" that I
wanted to handle so I have my server control intervene throug the
serial interface. This probably could have been done with the built-in
program but 1) It was probably easier doing it through the server where
I can configure it via a web-page and #2) I wanted to interface it to
my server.
There are various modules you can get for this (temperature, humidity,
rain, etc.) but built-in it has the ability to send/xmit IR and handle
bi-directional X10.
Note: The software that you use to "program" the device is Windows
only. (Once programmed you no longer need the host computer or
programming software.) If you don't have an internal programming
running you can still control 100% of the functionality through the
RS-232 port. I'm not sure if there's a way to write the software
externally and "push" your program into the device.
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