Re: Hi from a new xAP user (+ question about Homeseer Plugin)

[Kevin Hawkins <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Chris Purves wrote:

Hi Chris

>Hello All,
>
>Just wanted to introduce myself.
>
>I started using xAP 2 days ago when I purchased one of Kevins CBUS-to-
>xAP gateway devices. The setup was painless and it is working
>extremely well at the moment.
>
>
:-)

>I am having a small issue at the moment with the xAP Homeseer plugin
>though. When I attach a new cbus device it shows up as a device in
>Homeseer straight away (excellent!) but unfortunately the status for
>the device does not show up unless I restart Homeseer
>
I see this too but only with BSC learned devices - the status is blank
until HomeSeer is restarted and then displays ok . I guess as most
devices are created just the once then the restart is just a minor
inconvenience for the time being until it's fixed.

> (also when HS
>starts up the status is sometimes incorrect).
>
>
Yep... this is because the Homeseer plugin doesn't  request the current
status from my gateway at start - ideally at startup a  xAPBSC.query
should be sent to each device to enquire about its current state.  As a
simpler approach a wildcarded target=UKUSA.C-Bus.> query request could
be sent that would make every C-Bus group report its status.  A real
brute force approach would be Target=*.*.>  although currently my
gateway may not respond to this.  This latter approach would ask every
BSC device on your xAP network to report the status of every one of its
endpoints - could be quite lively and not very efficient !

Periodically (every 10 mins) from my C-Bus gateway I send status
summaries using xAPBSC.info messages so as soon as HomeSeer receives a
set of these then the status will be corrected. However it would be much
better if HS asked for these at startup providing instant synchronisation.

A temporary workaround would be to have a startup script executed by
HomeSeer that requested this info by sending a xAPBSC.query message to
C-Bus .  I will have a look at doing this pending perhaps the HS Plugin
handling it itself.

James - does this sound do-able ??

>I am wondering if I have set something up incorrectly or if its a
>bug. I suspect a bug because all other aspects are working so well.
>
>
I think it's a lacking feature ;-)   The lack of displayed status is
just a little gremlin.

>My first xAP project will be to 'xAP' the call log info from my BT
>Revelation phone system. I will be investigating how to do this over
>the coming weeks.
>
Interesting this one - if you can get at incoming call CID then you
could just use the existing CID schema and you would have call popups
using xAP Desktop - maybe even with callers name lookup and call history.

>If that works well, may attempt my Russound CaV 6.6
>system (although that is a much bigger project).
>
>
I think I may know someone else who has gone the Russound route who is
interested in such an application too...

>Incidently if any of you are in London and fancy a beer sometime I'm
>located in Wimbledon.
>
>
There must be something in the local water there that creates xAP users !

Kevin

>Chris
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