Re: HA cameras / Idratek

[David Gumbrell <david.gumbrell@xxxxxxxxx>]

> Going back to the Idratek, I was wondering about current
monitoring ...
> I know Comfort do a suitable 'board, with coil through which to feed
the
> cable to be monitored, and I would imagine others would also be

Depending on the output of the coil-monitor, they have an analogue
input module (ie A/D conversion). You might need an adaptor to get
output of the coil-thingy into the correct range.

There are also digital inputs on the OID and DIO modules. I haven't
tried pulse counting with them though.

> available, but 'not sure how this could be connected to Idranet ...
> similarly a frequency meter / counter ... and pattern recognition /
> neural-nets (for better trend-analysis / curve-fitting / elimination
of
> rogue data, for example) ... no doubt the Idratek guys have such
> subjects on their to-do list !

I think it's a long to do list. I've been filling it up ...   :-)

>
> There are a couple of references to radio links on the Idratek
web-site,
> presumably in connection with the remote operation of garage-doors
&
> gates (radio key-fobs being the usual thing in such cases), but I've
no
> idea how the connection to Idranet would be made ... ?   Maybe they go
> via an X-10 device - 'though that might not be a very robust approach

Dunno for sure how they did that. I think they avoid X-10 wherever
possible because it's slow.

> ... ?   Similarly, links to PDAs are mentioned ... 'wonder if that
> includes IR, with the Idranet acting as a conduit, between PDA &
PC ?
> Maybe Bluetooth & WiFi are also on their list ? !

Bluetooth and Wifi for what though ? It's more about the higher layer
protocols, since Bluetooth and WiFi can interface directly to Cortex.
The PDA link was (as I recall) WiFi to the Cortex PC -- ie you have to
have a WiFi network connected to the PC. The Idranet is not high
enough bandwidth for routing WiFi and Bluetooth -- it's designed for
control and resilience, not BW, so it's *not* an Ethernet replacement.

Actually, that reminds me, you mentioned connecting your amp RS-232 to
one of the RS-232 modules. At the moment they are designed as PC
gateway's only -- I asked a similar question before. I don't think
it's technically unfeasble, but the gateway has to avoid choking the
Idranet with RS-232 traffic. Perhaps an alternative would be to use a
port server and connect via Ethernet (you are going wild with CAT5 for
Ethernet, aren't you ?). The Lantronix MSS-100s are pretty good and
very small, keep an eye on eBay for them.

>
> Questions, questions !
>

Ask away .. but give the Idratek guys a ring too.

-- Gumby