X10 Community Forum

🖥️ActiveHome Pro => Plug-ins => iWatchOut/iWitness => Topic started by: craig on May 09, 2005, 03:08:56 PM

Title: Why 2 USB ports for iWitness?
Post by: craig on May 09, 2005, 03:08:56 PM

Just wondering what the two USB port are
used for for iWitness?  Are they always
taken up?

Thanks.

Title: Re: Why 2 USB ports for iWitness?
Post by: donald mcmow on May 10, 2005, 02:05:39 AM

One USB port is taken up by the VA11A
interface that digitizes the video stream
for the program to use.
The other port is used by the CM15A to
control the cameras.

Title: Re: Why 2 USB ports for iWitness?
Post by: craig on May 10, 2005, 05:53:42 AM

Thanks.

I have a CM15A with my Active Home Pro.
Will I need another that remains plugged
into the computer with iWitness?

Title: Re: Why 2 USB ports for iWitness?
Post by: donald mcmow on May 10, 2005, 09:37:57 AM

No - Only one is required to control the
cameras, but it must be connected to the
computer. IWitness would have no way of
controling the cameras otherwise. Any other
controlers you may have currently do not
work with AHP. The only hardware directly
supported by AHP is the CM15A(powerline
controler) and the VA11A(digitizes the
video stream). It would have been nice to
be able to use the FireCracker interface to
communicate with a remotely placed CM15A,
but X10 chose not to.

Title: Re: Why 2 USB ports for iWitness?
Post by: X10 Pro on May 10, 2005, 02:22:28 PM

Donald McMow (& others): The serial
Firecracker interface (CM17A) can't send
pan/tilt/zoom commands, and won't work with
AHP/iWitness. You should be able to use the
CM19A (USB Firecracker) with iWitness if the
CM15A is unplugged.

Title: Re: Why 2 USB ports for iWitness?
Post by: JimC on May 10, 2005, 07:28:28 PM

X10,

I am not able to control anything with
Iwitness and the CM19A. I have the CM19A
connected to a second computer, one that
does not have the CM15 connected. I am able
to turn lights on and off with the
Firecracker software but not with AHP.

This is a computer running Windows ME.

Title: Re: Why 2 USB ports for iWitness?
Post by: mark on May 11, 2005, 03:45:58 PM

The CM19A worked a few versions ago but now
neither iWitness nor the SDK can send via
the CM19A.  This is very disappointing.

Title: Re: Why 2 USB ports for iWitness?
Post by: donald mcmow on May 11, 2005, 07:17:29 PM

X10 Pro - You guys should have given both
different names. From now on I will call
the serial unit FireCracker-S and the usb
unit FireCracker-U. Ok. In any case you
guys didn't put any functionality to
utilize the FireCracker-U into AHP so that
we could use the computer away from the
CM15A. This would have been nice since the
interface should be positioned near the
middle of your house for best RF coverage.
IWitness requires that the CM15A be
connected to the computer. This is leading
to a rats nest of cables and power powers
and plug-ins the need to be at the location
of the computer. This is starting to get to
be a fire hazzard.

Title: Re: Why 2 USB ports for iWitness?
Post by: clarity on May 29, 2005, 02:07:55 PM

I am inclined to agree that we are faced
with an increasing number of cables and
interconnections. Not really a good selling
point for X10 in my humble opinion.