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[larryc]

Very new to X10.  Just bought a house that has it.  Previous owner used no software to aid his setup and programming.  I ordered the ActiveHome Pro thinking I could use it to communicate with house codes already established.  The house codes are known to the Ocelot.  I was hoping ActiveHome would sync up with the Ocelot and I could build the modules/macros within ActiveHome.  Right now, I can not even turn on a light thru ActiveHome.  I guess my question is: Did I waste my money or can ActiveHome and Ocelet work together?  Any opinions/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Dan Lawrence]

Junk the Ocelot.  It only interfaces with RS232 (serial) devices.  I presume you ordered the Active Home Pro package, which includes the CM15A USB interface. It will control X10 devices, if that's what was left.

[Charles Sullivan]

Very new to X10.  Just bought a house that has it.  Previous owner used no software to aid his setup and programming.  I ordered the ActiveHome Pro thinking I could use it to communicate with house codes already established.  The house codes are known to the Ocelot.  I was hoping ActiveHome would sync up with the Ocelot and I could build the modules/macros within ActiveHome.  Right now, I can not even turn on a light thru ActiveHome.  I guess my question is: Did I waste my money or can ActiveHome and Ocelet work together?  Any opinions/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know much about the Ocelot other than it has a lot of capability and seems to be highly regarded by home automation geeks.  I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss it before learning what it can do and finding out what software is available to make programming it simpler for non-geeks.

ActiveHome Pro only talks to a CM15A and is intended to be a non-geek solution.  If it works for you, great!   (If not, you may tear your hair out.)

[Dan Lawrence]

The Ocelot ONLY interfaces with RS232 (serial) devices, so unless the OP has a CP290  or a CM11A handy, it is useless. AHP won't talk to it, as the CM15a is USB. If the OP is running WindowsXP, a CM11 or CP290 may or may not work due to (apparently) motherboard problems.  Thus my  "Junk the Ocelot" comment.

[JeffVolp]

Junk the Ocelot.  It only interfaces with RS232 (serial) devices.

The Ocelot and ActiveHome are totally different products, and are not meant to work together.

Actually, the Ocelot is a VERY capable controller.  I moved up to it from the beta CM14A.  True, it talks to the PC through a RS232 interface.  However, that is really only used to download the program which runs without any PC support.  The Ocelot performs far more complex functions than are possible with the CM14A or CM15A.  It can issue X10 commands through a TW523/PSC05 or XTB-II.  And, using expansion modules, it can easily monitor temperatures and other analog parameters.  There is a very good users group available at:

http://www.appdigusers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php

The Ocelot doesn't have the fancy GUI that the X10 products have.  It is programmed in ladder logic, which can take some time to get used to.  However, the manual includes a bunch of examples to get you started.

Jeff

[Charles Sullivan]

The Ocelot ONLY interfaces with RS232 (serial) devices, so unless the OP has a CP290  or a CM11A handy, it is useless. AHP won't talk to it, as the CM15a is USB. If the OP is running WindowsXP, a CM11 or CP290 may or may not work due to (apparently) motherboard problems.  Thus my  "Junk the Ocelot" comment.

Sorry Dan, you're grossly misinformed.  The Ocelot uses an X-10 TM523 interface to communicate with the power line and one of these is presumably already connected to the OP's Ocelot .  The Ocelot is programmed from the PC via an RS232 port.

Learn a little about the Ocelot here:  http://www.smarthome.com/73101.html

[Dan Lawrence]

I read the link you posted, but it's pretty well known that some motherboards in PC's don't communicate properly with the serial ports. My old PC's motherboard was one of them. When I updated to WindowsXP, Active Home started loosing the CM11A.  I switched to AHP/CM15A shortly thereafter.

Since the Ocelot is programmed by a serial (RS232) port, it's not a sure thing that WindowsXP will see it. For the SmartHome price of 200 bucks, AHP is a better bang for the buck.

[JeffVolp]

What you say about the CM11A having trouble with the serial port is true.  As beta tester for both that and the CM14A, the serial port was a significant issue.  But, just because X10 can't learn how to use a serial port properly doesn't mean that other manufacturers have the same problem.  Back at the lab I developed many systems that worked just fine through the serial port using default Windows drivers.  As I recall, X10 rolled their own for the CM11A and CM14A.

The Ocelot has never had any problem communicating through the serial ports in any of my computers - from W95 through XP SP2.  I use multiple serial ports to access a number of devices, ranging from the Carrier/Bryant HVAC system monitor to the Rain8 irrigation controller.  No problems with any of them.

If you want fancy graphics and relatively simple X10 control, go for the CM15A.  If you really want to automate your house, the Ocelot is a good entry level system.  Since the original poster apparently already has one, it might be worth reading the manual.  That and the CMAX program are available for download at:

http://www.appdig.com/adicon_new/download.htm

Jeff