C-Bus Driver

[rhamer]

Well just an update to keep you other interested folks in the loop.

Unfortunately Dean has had no luck in getting the extended C-Bus protocol from Clipsal. :(

It seems they have a problem with the fact that the driver will be written in CML and shipped in an uncompiled form. This means any user could look at the code and figure out the protocol.

Now all this is a bit disheartening as we would have thought Clipsal would have been keen to expand their compatibility and worked with us. we were even prepared to pay for the documents, which seems a little strange also. :confused:

Anyway all is not lost! :)

I am still continuing with the driver as originally designed and I will work around the limitations as best I can. It means I can give it to anybody that wants it provided they have signed up with Clipsal as a private individual as I have. This is not a problem, you just apply online and the documents are emailed to you.

http://www.cbus-enabled.com/cbus-open-b-light.htm

The next step I intend to take is to do a driver that interfaces via a socket connection (actually 3 I think) to Clipsals C-Gate product. This will provide a fully functional protocol that will give me access to all the bells and whistles. Currently however C-Gate does not run as a service, but the word is it will soon.

Cheers

Rohan

[rhamer]

Ok its finished. :D

Now for the testing. :eek:

I have got it talking both ways and it understands all the commands on, off, ramp to, ramp to over time, both initiated from CQC out and from the C-Bus network in.

It auto discovers the network and the initial boolean state of the loads (off or not off).

It creates fields that match each of the programmed "Group addresses" it finds on the network as well as a "Command" field that can be used to send any command to any group address, to handle "Area addressing" and "Phantom addressing".

Rohan

[rhamer]

Ok, I have been giving the driver a bit of a thumping to try and find any bugs (and I found a couple). but essentially it is performing well.

It's a little difficult to fully test at the moment as I only have a small test jig to use. :( but I am learning a lot about what happens if you send ramp to over time commands to a relay module.

http://www.rohannoelene.bigpondhosting.com/dscn0757.jpg

When I move into my new house in a few weeks I will have a much bigger system. :D which I will be able to do a much better range of tests.

Here is a shot of the new C-Bus modules mounted in the Garage (just for show and tell).

http://www.rohannoelene.bigpondhosting.com/dscn0768.jpg

I would also like to thank Ashleigh from CIS for all his help with navigating the CIS licensing requirements and allowing me to distribute this driver. And he's a nice bloke as well.

Oh, and I finally figured out how to put pictures in the posts.

Cheers

Rohan

[Frank Mc Alinden]

Hi Rohan
Firstly well done on the cbus driver.....Need to post a message to the cbus forum...maybe Dean might get a few more CQC Users....CQC looks really good , im using xPL myself.....xPL-CGATE......works quite well....

Nice pics ;-)

Do did the cbus fitoff ..?....nice neat job !!

Frank

[Forumadmin]

Ok its finished. :D

Now for the testing. :eek:

Rohan

Well done Rohan,
I'll be interested to see it working when completed.
Keep us posted.
cheers

[Forumadmin]

I would also like to thank Ashleigh from CIS for all his help with navigating the CIS licensing requirements and allowing me to distribute this driver. And he's a nice bloke as well.

Oh, and I finally figured out how to put pictures in the posts.

Cheers

Rohan

Ashleigh is a very nice person to deal with. Seems to get things done right away the first time.
Glad you figured out how to get pics happening (you should tell us)
Nice neat work there Rohan as well. Good install. Want a job? (lol)
cheers

[rhamer]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys, I'll certainly post some more stuff as I go (with pictures).

Just for some more show and tell, here is some pics of the touch screen I will be using to run CQC. These are shots I took as I was building it. It's designed to be flush mounted in the wall cavity (I hate the idea of hanging a screen on the wall). The last one shows it complete in a temporary stand. The other shots were before I painted it.

http://www.rohannoelene.bigpondhosting.com/imga0162.jpg

http://www.rohannoelene.bigpondhosting.com/imga0166.jpg

http://www.rohannoelene.bigpondhosting.com/imga0167.jpg

http://www.rohannoelene.bigpondhosting.com/imga0169.jpg

I would like to post something over on the C-Bus forum but I'm not sure where to put it. They seem a little touchy about mentioning third party stuff (just remember that 'M' product). Any ideas would be appreciated.

The install was done by a sub of a sub of the building company that is doing my house. I am quite happy with the their workmanship, and they built it like that without me needing to lean on them to do a good job. But rest assured I am a stickler for that kind of thing, so it would have ended up like that, either the easy way or the hard way.

Did someone mention a job?

Rohan

[coppo1]

Rohan,

just put it up in the general C-Bus area on CIS website.

The reason CIS is so touchy about mentioning the m thing on its site is
because of legal issues involved with it, and certain issues they are not
allowed to talk about, not the actual product itself.

Other front ends and such, CIS have no problems with, as they have been
trying to encourage people who wish to do their own stuff via the c-Bus
enabled program.

plus if they like Dean's software more than CIS 's, but still buy C-Bus hardware to go with it, hey,
CIS can't complain about that!!

now if someone was stupid enough to put a dynalite thread on CIS site ....
different story

[ashleigh]

Thanks for the nice words.

I *try* to get things done quickly, but I'm a busy boy so it does not always happen :mad: , and sometimes I need reminding. And sometimes things get out of my control :rolleyes: .

Anyhow, if you seem to have no progress after a promise, a reminder won't cause offence. :)

There is a thread running on the cbus forums about the CQC. I have not seen the product but it sounds nice, and if it helps to sell cbus gear....

To claify...

C-Gate is a free download for single networks. C-Gate will soon be available running as a service. There is a fair bit of validation involved.

Use of C-Gate as the interface from CQC would be the most robust, most fully featured long term solution.

The DLL driver is available for Windows and Linux. Its free on application to cbusenabled@cispl.com.au. It does not come with source code. Version 3.1 is out now and includes support for apply labels to DLT switches. For best results this driver should be used with a version 4.0 or later cbus PCI.

The DLL driver is available in source form for members of the C-Bus Enabled program. This does cost a few $ (not much though), and it also brings lots of other yummy benefits, like protocol documentation, a validation service, and access to Clipsal Engineering to discuss and work through the idiosyncracies.

[rhamer]

Well here is my first attempt at a C-Bus control screen using CQC.

This was generated using CQC 1.3.9 beta release which is due out in the next day or so.

So if you like the look of it, give it a go.

Any comments welcome.

Rohan

http://www.rohannoelene.bigpondhosting.com\C-Bus_Screen4.jpg

[fleetz]

Rohan,

How did you interface the CQS C-Bus interface that you implimented to the Ness/ELK M1G? Do you use RS-232 and connect to the C-Bus via the 5500PC?

The way you implimented it is full duplex to the M1G? Is there any limitation of the C-Bus?

Thanks,

Fleetz

[rhamer]

Howdy Fleetz,

Your a little confused.

I wrote a driver for CQC to enable it to talk to C-Bus. It has nothing to do with the M1.

The fact that the M1 will have a C-Bus interface and CQC has a M1 driver is coincedence. I really have no idea how the C-Bus commands would be filtered through the M1 to CQC as I have not studied the M1 interfacing capabilities.

You can read about the CQC C-Bus driver here.
http://www.charmedquark.com/Web/Learn/Devices/Lighting/C-Bus.htm

This is all about what is the centre of the universe. Personally I place CQC in the middle with as much as possible connecting directly to it. CQC has the most functionality and certinly the most scope for rapid enhancement.

Other folk put things such as the M1 in the middle and try to connect everything do it, treating CQC as just a fancy front end. This in my opinion is a mistake, as I said previously CQC's functionality will (and has so far) grow much more quickly than a device such as the M1.

Cheers

Rohan

[fleetz]

Thanks Rohan,

Yep that's me confused:) but you have made me see the light....thanks. I am now turning my thing upside and what your suggesting makes a lot of sense.


I noticed that the C-Bus driver is based on an early version and you can't quiry things like dimmer status, has that been addressed or is it still at the earlier C-Bus protocol?

Compliments of the season to you.

Cheers fro Adelaide,

Fleetz

Howdy Fleetz,

Your a little confused.

I wrote a driver for CQC to enable it to talk to C-Bus. It has nothing to do with the M1.

The fact that the M1 will have a C-Bus interface and CQC has a M1 driver is coincedence. I really have no idea how the C-Bus commands would be filtered through the M1 to CQC as I have not studied the M1 interfacing capabilities.

You can read about the CQC C-Bus driver here.
http://www.charmedquark.com/Web/Learn/Devices/Lighting/C-Bus.htm

This is all about what is the centre of the universe. Personally I place CQC in the middle with as much as possible connecting directly to it. CQC has the most functionality and certinly the most scope for rapid enhancement.

Other folk put things such as the M1 in the middle and try to connect everything do it, treating CQC as just a fancy front end. This in my opinion is a mistake, as I said previously CQC's functionality will (and has so far) grow much more quickly than a device such as the M1.

Cheers

Rohan

[rhamer]

I noticed that the C-Bus driver is based on an early version and you can't quiry things like dimmer status, has that been addressed or is it still at the earlier C-Bus protocol?
It's not an earlier protocol, but the "Public Release" protocol which keeps a few secrets for those who pay to be members of the C-Bus enabled program.

It is not really a limitation as it does have full 2 way comms.

The issue is the mechanism provided at startup only tells me if a group address (read: load or channel) is active on the network and if it is currently "off" or "not off". So I can't tell if its set to 50% for example when the driver first loads.

However as soon as that group address changes for whatever reason, I then know exactly what the value is and keep in sync regardless if the change is initiated from within CQC or within the C-Bus network (or anywhere else for that matter).

The long term plan is to rewrite the driver to talk directly to C-Gate via a socket, which provides a better overall solution. But I'm still waiting for the C-Gate2 documentation to be released. It's been promised for almost a year now.

Cheers

Rohan

[fleetz]

Thanks Rohan for clarifing the C-Bus CQS driver.

Sounds like the C-Gate2 documentation is like the cheque is in the post!

Cheers,

Fleetz