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[raym]

I have a temperature sensor that will
report  the temperature, for example 72
=  'B15'  + 'preset dim level 13%'.

My Cm15A ActiveHome Pro software
reports 'B15' + 'Extended House Code'. Not
the dim level. I tried setting it up as a
two way lamp module.

Anyone have any ideas on how to read
the 'raw' CM15A data associated with dim
levels and ActiveHome?

Anyone Using the SmartHome TempLinc with
ActiveHome Pro?

Help?

Thanks

Ken

[willgloy]

The only way to do this is use it in
thermosate mode.  I've done this with mine
with a preset for P1 on at 80 and P1 off at
75 with a macro that controls my ceiling
fans.  Wish X10 would include the preset
dim levels for triggers - this would be
cool and work for many other applications.
Such as dim on light and the others dim in
the room as well.

[raym]

Thanks,

That is sort of what I figured. It is good
but I will be wasting a lot of features of
the TempLinc module.

If the X10 software troops are listening,
this might be something to think about as a
new module or mode or something. SmartHome
has some things I like and X10 has most of
the things I like. I do realize that the
AHPro is relatively new. Please try to
integrate the custom module commands from
SmartHome into AHP.

I have the smart macro plug in. Just in case
X10 is interested in something like above. A
macro condition will need to be created to
read, and handle, dim levels.

Thanks to all,

Ken

[roger1818]

Hmm.  I thought I published this response
yesterday.  Fortunately I compose most of
my responses in Word so I was able to
recover it.

Ken:  If you use the SDK, you should be
able to read the temperature.
Unfortunately this will require the
computer be connected to the CM15A and
turned on.  Other than by using the SDK,
the CM15A does not support the
obsolete “preset dim” that SmartHome
modules (including the TempLinc) use at
this time.  It has been promised, but not
for several months.

[raym]

Hi,

I guess I am a little reading impaired,
sorry about that.

I thought about the SDK but my last VB
version is VB5 and my last C++ is the old
Borland Builder 4. They work fine for me so
I do not feel like making Bill Gates any
richer by buying more of his VB stuff.

I may play with the C++ Builder to see if I
can get something to work there.

Thanks for the info,

Ken

[jonk]

How would you use the sdk to read the
templinc? I see that the sdk supports the
sendplc presetdim1 and presetdim2 commands
but am not sure of the syntax to retrieve the
current preset dim level of a device. Thanks
in advance.

[roger1818]

Jon:  You would have to setup the RecvAction
notification and then send a statusrequest
command.  If I remember correctly the
TempLinc will then send a presetdim command
to indicate the current temperature, which
RecvAction will tell you about.

[jonk]

I have discovered that the "queryplc" command
for the recvaction is not working. Do you
know the syntax for the statusrequest
function. Is it "sendplc a1(or whatever
house/unitcode the templinc is on)
statusrequest".......Thanks again!

[roger1818]

You are correct and the queryplc command does
not currently work.  It wouldn't have helped
you much anyway as even when it did work, it
didn't send a status request command but
instead used the status that it last heard.

I haven't tried it (I don't have any 2-way
modules) but "sendplc a1 statusrequest"
should work.  For it to do anything useful
though you must first setup the RecvAction
notification so that you can read the response.

[jonk]

I am currently using this sub in a vb.net app:

Public Sub ActiveHome_RecvAction(ByVal
bszRecv As Object _
, ByVal vParm1
As Object _
, ByVal vParm2
As Object _
, ByVal vParm3
As Object _
, ByVal vParm4
As Object _
, ByVal vParm5
As Object _
, ByVal
vReserved As Object) Handles
ActiveHomeObj.RecvAction

If Not vParm1 Is Nothing Then
str = "Status: " & vParm1 & " " &
vParm2
Else
str = "Status Unknown"
End If
End Sub

Do you know by chance which "vparm" object
would contain the dim %?

[roger1818]

The old presetdim works in a funny way in
that the house code is used to determine the
dim %.  Here is a table indicating the dim
levels used by SmartHome switches (X10 never
used the old presetdim so the levels were
never standardized).  You will notice that
the presetdim1 command indicates a level less
than 50% and the presetdim2 command indicates
a level greater than 50%
 
House
Code  PresetDim1  PresetDim2
----- ----------  ----------
M        0%         52%
N        3%         55%
O        6%         58%
P       10%         61%
C       13%         65%
D       16%         68%
A       19%         71%
B       23%         74%
E       26%         77%
F       29%         81%
G       32%         84%
H       35%         87%
K       39%         90%
L       42%         94%
I       45%         97%
J       48%        100%

[jonk]

Thanks Roger. That is very valuable
information. It is weird how the house code
is not in any logical order here?? Might I
inquire as to where you obtained this info? I
went ahead and ordered the Templinc so, I
should have it in a couple of days. I am
anxious to give it a go in vb.net. Thanks
again....

[roger1818]

It is part of a table I built from bits and
pieces of information from here and there.
You can find most of the explanation on it at
http://www.act-solutions.com/kingery18.htm

[Charles Sullivan]

The old Preset Dim commands are a weird
kluge.  The byte sent over the over the power
line by all other X10 commands combines a
housecode with the particular function, with
the housecode occupying the upper 4 bits and
the function the lower 4 bits.  The Preset
Dim commands replace the 4 housecode bits
with a dim level (0-15) with the bits in
reverse order.

All in all, this kluge makes a terrible mess
of what otherwise is a relatively carefully
designed protocol.  (My suspicion is that X10
never intended the Preset Dim commands to be
implemented that way but it was forced on
them by some third party design, but I could
be wrong.)

[roger1818]

Charles:  The link I provided to Phil
Kingery's "Which One Should I Use" tutorial
provides a pretty good history of the
presetdim command and why it seems so weird.
It has to do with the way X10 converted from
little-endian to big-endian notation.  You
also have to realize that although X10
specified the presetdim command in their
protocol, they never actually implemented it
in any of their modules.  Newer publications
of the X10 protocol (in about 1993) actually
say that the presetdim command is now
obsolete (it has been replaced by an extended
command) but some third party manufacturers
(such as SmartHome) have decided to use it
anyway.