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[bfineman]

Hi all,

I'm a new AHP/BVC user hoping for some help getting up and running. My goal is to use the setup for home security (and eventually some automation too). I don't have mics yet, but I do have speakers run to a couple key rooms for testing - I'm trying to get BVC to talk to me. I think she doesn't like me though, she's giving me the silent treatment.

In AHP I have a simple macro to send B1 on (three ways - RF, Appliance, and Module). I have a listener in BVC that when it hears B1 (on RF or powerline) it says a phrase. But when I run the macro in AHP, no joy. I've also tried adding a dummy appliance module on B1 and turning it on and off with no effect.

I know I can hear BVC because under the voice selection I can get her to say "How do you like this voice?"

I thought it might have been the AHP version issue, so I downgraded then did the in-program update to 3.228. This didn't fix it, but my problem might be compounded as my system came with a CM19A instead of a CM15A, and I'm now getting an error that no USB interface it detected. So, probably a non-starter with the earlier version.

In conclusion: Am I doing something dumb? Or does BVC not work with the newer version and my only option is to find a CM15A?

Thanks for your help.
Ben

[Knightrider]

Some general thoughts:

The SDK got upgraded a while back, and the newer AHP needs the newer SDK version (as I recall).

I've never tried the CM19/BVC combination, but if it's all running on a single machine with no other controller in the mix, I would assume this would work (I could be wrong).

If you were trying to have BVC pick up the listener from another PLC controller, or another AHP computer, it's a no-go.

[bfineman]

Thanks for your response Knightrider. Both are on the same machine, so at least I have that going for me.

Do you mean the Microsoft Speech SDK? I'm on v5.1, is that the right one? It looks like it's from 2009 but I don't see a newer one.

[bfineman]

Ok, I also found "Microsoft Speech Platform - Software Development Kit (SDK) (Version 11)". But, this is for Windows 7/Vista, and I'm on XP. I'm happy to reinstall with Windows 7 but I was working under the assumption that I'd have better luck with XP...? 

[Knightrider]

No, not the speech SDK, the AHP, SDK.

http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=22883.0

http://www.activehomepro.com/sdk/sdk-info.html

[bfineman]

I was excited because I was sure that was it - I had never installed the AHP SDK. But, even after installing the current version (and rebooting), no joy.

So, I'm on AHP 3.318 - anything else I can check?

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

If memory serves, in older versions of AHP (like 3.228) you had to download and install a driver pack from X10 that supported the CM19A, as AHP didn't install that by default.  Then AHP (and BVC) would recognize the CM19A.

I have had no complaints about BVC and newer versions of AHP, but perhaps, you're the first to try them together?

What version of Windows (7 / Vista / XP) and what bittedness (is that a word?) (32bit / 64bit) are you running on?
 

[bfineman]

Bill! Great to see you. Since I last posted I've thrown some money at my problem in the form of more modules for testing, but am otherwise still stuck.

I'm optimistic that BVC will work with AHP 3.318, so I will continue down that avenue for now. I am running Windows XP 32 bit, as that seemed the safest. I did try it on a different computer with Windows 7 64 bit, with the same results. I am also having the same problem with PCC. This tends to suggest to me that I am doing something stupid, or I have some bad hardware. Since my CM19A can communicate with my Protector Plus I don't think it's bad, but I ordered some appliance modules and motion sensors to test with.

In the PCC thread on this board, we went off on a tangent regarding my test example. I have a simple macro in AHP that sends B1 ON. In the activity monitor, I can see that it transmitted B1 ON (via RF). In BVC, I have a listener set to listen for B1 ON (both RF and powerline) and speak a phrase. Unfortunately I never hear the phrase. This lead to some speculation regarding whether the CM19A transmits B1 ON but never hears it, because it does not listen to itself. So, I guess my question out of that is how should I be sending commands from AHP macros to BVC? I thought X10 commands would be the way to go, but does BVC only listen to X10 codes coming in from sources outside the computer?

Thanks Bill.

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Well, I just tested with a "wall switch" defined in AHP assigned to B1 and a BVC listener set to listen for B1 ON on RF Only, and it worked fine.  This is running AHP version 3.236 on Windows Vista 64 bit.

When I clicked the switch in AHP to "flip it on", the BVC listener triggered.

I do have a CM15A and it is set to transceive all house codes, so, perhaps, that makes a difference, but I don't think it should.

BVC does not install the AHP SDK, but relies on the files installed by AHP itself.  Perhaps AHP or PCC installed a newer version of the SDK and it is not compatable?  This wouldn't be a "first".  I had to modify BVC to work around an error introduced in newer AHP files once before.  In that case, BVC was receiving the information, but X10 had changed it in such a way that BVC didn't recognize it.