Re: Electronic Wizards

[Pete Shew <pslists@xxxxxxxxx>]

Agreed, there is always a balance between time and money, and also
between pleasure gained from the creation  and that from the use of your
toys. I am in a position where I have more time than money and also
enjoy the process of designing from as low as possible. (I only came
across CAN when looking for line drivers for a planned UART based
network. I even had a good name for it ' ShewLace'.)

If time was of the essence I would be much closer to the commercial end
of the spectrum, using established HA protocols. I am also unlikely to
integrate my separate HA ventures - PBX, Central Heating and Myth based
media centre.

Pete Shew

Lehane Kellett wrote:
> There are two problems with RS485 (and CAN to some extent) for DIYHA.
>
> The first is that you generally have to create the hardware and doing
> this past
> prototype level, say if you want 10 in the house, is very time
consuming.
> There are all sorts of hardware available off the shelf but try
fitting
> them in
> a UK back box or the costs are higher than Ethernet.
>
> Secondly you'll need to (re)-invent a protocol layer(s) and/or an
> application
> layer and a bridge into whatever the main HA system is - assuming you
> want integration.
>
> Using off the shelf Ethernet hardware together with  xAP or xPL makes
> for a plug and play system at  c.50quid a unit, which unless you have
lots
> of free time, is cheap.
>
> Lehane
>
> Dan Ward wrote:
>
>> of course, I was forgetting RS485 would be very easy to implement
and
>> would happily use your cat5 wiring, I have wondered about it
before my
>> self.
>>
>> Another ethernet alternative would to be to use a site player
module.
>> There is a yahoo group for them, and they are fairly cheap.
>>
>> Dan
>>
>> Lehane Kellett wrote:
>>
>>> Something like
>>> http://www.honeycot tage.mm-wave.
com/xaplcd. htm
>>>
>> <http://www.honeycottage.mm-wave.com/xaplcd.htm>
>>
>>> <http://www.honeycot tage.mm-wave.
com/xaplcd. htm
>>>
>> <http://www.honeycottage.mm-wave.com/xaplcd.htm>>
>>
>>> There's a 128x64 touch version on the way.
>>>
>>> Lehane
>>>
>>> Chris Hunter wrote:
>>>
>>>> 'sounds just what we're after, too ...
>>>>
>>>> Chris
>>>>
>>>> Chris Miles wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Have any the electronics guys ever thought about
developing a
>>>>>
>>>> ethernet module with a small LCD display
>>>>
>>>>> that can be plugged in anywhere in the house and
displays network
>>>>>
>>>> information / current channel being
>>>>
>>>>> sent down to the tv / music titles being transmitted
via FM to home
>>>>>
>>>> stereo systems etc.
>>>>
>>>>> Or maybe even using CAT5 medium to send power and a
parallel
>>>>>
>>>> connection down to the display?
>>>>
>>>>> Chris
>>>>>
>>>>>




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