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[Fitohdez]

Excuses me for my English

Hello I am of Monterrey, México 
and recently begin in the automation of my house 
and I need something of help
 
I am making my interface with vb.Net and I can already control the On, Off, Dim, and bright 
of the lights but I don't have notion as transmit a macro or a timer at CM15A 
there will be something that helps me 

Me and attempted to open the example of the code of  Web X10 
but this make with a major version that my  version 

Thank you.....


Greeting.........

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

If you mean you want to create a timer or macro and store it in the CM15A so it will run without the computer being on, I don't think X10 has released any information to allow programming the CM15A from outside the AHP software.

If anyone knows how to do this, I would sure like to know about it!

[Charles Sullivan]

-Bill- (of BXVC):
The file:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users/Application Data\Active Home Professional\ahpeeprom_w.txt
generated when you download a schedule is reasonably well commented.  With some study and experimentation you can probably figure out the protocol.

Having created a binary memory image, it appears you can download it with the "sendraw" command in the SDK the same as you would for a CM11A, i.e., download 16 byte pages with the same header/address as for the CM11A in 19 byte blocks.  The only snag is that there's no return code with that command so you'd have to use a long enough delay between each block.  I've tried patching various bytes  in an existing image like this and it seems to work, at least for the common X10 functions - on/off/dim/bright.  However some of the other functions, like status_req, don't appear to have been implemented properly in the firmware, at least for the CM15A units I have.  Perhaps it's been fixed in newer firmware.  (Either that or X10 has made a major change in the way it's programmed, and since there's no way to download a poll with AHP  I  can't really tell.)

I started out intending to write a program to create the binary image but gave up when I found the status_req didn't work since I use that function extensively in my personal CM11A schedules.

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Thank you Charles!   

This is the first I've heard about any of those things.  I really haven't hacked the AHP software (too much  ).  Between that and some info found on the internet, we might be able to download timers and macros to the CM15A without having to build them in AHP.  That would be really useful!

Thanks for the helpful information (I even clicked helpful on your post).

Not to push my luck, but you wouldn't happen to have a pinout of the CM11A serial cable perhaps?  I ordered one of the "deals" and got what looks to be a used CM11A no cable. 

Thanks again and I hope this helps you too Fitohdez.

[TakeTheActive]

...Not to push my luck, but you wouldn't happen to have a pinout of the CM11A serial cable perhaps? 

GOOGLE is your friend:

ACTIVEHOME FAQ

Where can I get the pinout for the CM11A cable?
The pinout is available in the CM11A protocol file in MSWord format on the ActiveHome CDROM. If you do not have the CDROM available, you can acquire it from our manuals page.

Code: [Select]

2.      Serial Parameters.

The serial parameters for communications between the interface and PC are as follows:

        Baud Rate:  4,800bps
        Parity:     None
        Data Bits:  8
        Stop Bits:  1

Cable connections:

        Signal DB9 Connector RJ11 Connector
        SIN    Pin 2         Pin 1
        SOUT   Pin 3         Pin 3
        GND    Pin 5         Pin 4
        RI     Pin 9         Pin 2

where:  SIN    Serial input to PC (output from the interface)
        SOUT   Serial output from PC (input to the interface)
        GND    Signal ground
        RI     Ring signal (input to PC)
Reference: CM11A Protocol.Txt

I ordered one of the "deals" and got what looks to be a used CM11A no cable. 

You did write back and complain I hope?

Thanks for the helpful information (I even clicked helpful on your post).

Geez, I hope I get a 'Helpful' too!   

[I suspect that I have this ONE FAN that strives to give me as many 'Not Helpfuls' as possible?!?    *LOOK*, I just got another one!  ]

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

Geez, I hope I get a 'Helpful' too! 

Would I forget you? 

You did write back and complain I hope?

Of course I did!  I emailed support and got a reply telling me where to download the (buggy?) CM11A software and that I would receive an email telling me when my cable would ship.  Two weeks have passed with no email and of course no cable.

[Fitohdez]

Thank you for their help 
 
I was search for the file that you suggested me but 
I don't find anything I believe that the file generates it the CM11A 
and the CM15A should make it in another way 
 
As it is if they have some other suggestion. 
 
Greetings...........

[Charles Sullivan]

Sorry.  The file location I gave should instead be:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Active Home Professional\ahpeeprom_w.txt

I had looked this up while running under the Linux OS and overlooked changing one of the forward slashes ('/') to back-slashes ('\') before I posted it.

If you still have problems, just have Windows search for the filename ahpeeprom_w.txt

The file is generated each time you download a schedule to the CM15A with ActiveHome Pro.  Download a few different schedules and you'll probably be able to figure out the protocol.

[jawaid]

Charles

I did a search on my XP for the file ahpeeprom_w.txt and could not find it anywhere. I am runnning AHP 3,204. I just downloaded to the interface but failed to see such a file. Any thoughts?
 

[steven r]

...I did a search on my XP for the file ahpeeprom_w.txt and could not find it anywhere....

A search failed to find it for me also but I did find it at the location Charles mentioned.

[steven r]

...The file is generated each time you download a schedule to the CM15A with ActiveHome Pro. Download a few different schedules and you'll probably be able to figure out the protocol....

It does appear to be well documented but I'd hate to try to figure it all out.

So this file is generated each time you download from AHP. Could an .ahx file be re-created from it or the "bin" file in the same directory or is that just wishful thinking.

Any idea what the ahpeeprom_r file in the same directory is? If the ahpeeprom_w file is the write file, could the ahpeeprom_r file be a read file of the CM15A? The first line in my ahpeeprom_r.txt file reads...

Active Home Pro EEprom, read: 2006-jul-23, 01:18:54 (GMT-5:00); version: 2006-jul-15, 09:26:35 (GMT-5:00)

[Charles Sullivan]

steven r:
If the file is in the directory I posted, I don't know why Windows "Find files and folders" can't find it.

A little Haiku:
   Yesterday it worked.
   Today it's not working.
   Windows is like that.

Yes, the eeprom image file is complex - perhaps X-10 hasn't yet figured it out either and that's why they haven't published the protocol. :-)
Possibly more likely is that it's still in a state of flux - I know some things looked different from the earliest releases of AHP and those which came later.
But here's one factoid to get you started:  That big long timestamp number you see in the file (and in the .ahx files) is the number of time increments measured from Jan 1st, 1601 at Midnight, the time increment being 100 microseconds in some places and 10 microseconds in other places.  (I forget which is found where.)

Yes, the ahpeeprom_r.txt _should be_ the decompiled uploaded eeprom image.
I'm not sure how this works on all versions of AHP.  The last time I tried it (which was quite some time ago) I first had to manually read the binary image with the "Upload eeprom" command which would produce a ahpeeprom_r.bin file, then run the "Decompile binary eeprom file" command on this file - both of these commands were in the Help menu.

Unless you did something like this, I can only assume that it's somehow now been made automatic when you download, or perhaps AHP reads the eeprom when it's started for comparison with what was most recently written.  Do the dates and times on your ahpeeprom_w.txt and ahpeeprom_r.txt files agree with either of these suppositions?

[steven r]

...If the file is in the directory I posted, I don't know why Windows "Find files and folders" can't find it....

Turns out the "Application Data" folder is a hidden folder and apparently search doesn't search hidden folders by default. I found it with search after I told it to look in hidden folders.

...
A little Haiku:
   Yesterday it worked.
   Today it's not working.
   Windows is like that.
...

And X10 also.

...Yes, the ahpeeprom_r.txt _should be_ the decompiled uploaded eeprom image.
I'm not sure how this works on all versions of AHP.  The last time I tried it (which was quite some time ago) I first had to manually read the binary image with the "Upload eeprom" command which would produce a ahpeeprom_r.bin file, then run the "Decompile binary eeprom file" command on this file - both of these commands were in the Help menu.

Unless you did something like this, I can only assume that it's somehow now been made automatic when you download, or perhaps AHP reads the eeprom when it's started for comparison with what was most recently written.  Do the dates and times on your ahpeeprom_w.txt and ahpeeprom_r.txt files agree with either of these suppositions?

I assure you I've never knowingly requested an upload from the CM15A. I didn't even know it was possible.
I'll do a save through AHP, look at the files and get back to you.

[steven r]

...Unless you did something like this, I can only assume that it's somehow now been made automatic when you download, or perhaps AHP reads the eeprom when it's started for comparison with what was most recently written.  Do the dates and times on your ahpeeprom_w.txt and ahpeeprom_r.txt files agree with either of these suppositions?

Before todays download:
ahpeeprom_r.txt     7/23/2006 1:18 AM
Active Home Pro EEprom, read: 2006-jul-23, 01:18:54 (GMT-5:00); version: 2006-jul-15, 09:26:35 (GMT-5:00)

ahpeeprom_w.txt    7/26/2006 5:52 PM
Active Home Pro EEprom, read: 2006-jul-26, 17:52:23 (GMT-5:00); version: 2006-jul-23, 01:20:26 (GMT-5:00)

After todays download:
ahpeeprom_r.txt      7/23/2006 1:18 PM
Active Home Pro EEprom, read: 2006-jul-23, 01:18:54 (GMT-5:00); version: 2006-jul-15, 09:26:35 (GMT-5:00)

ahpeeprom_w.txt    7/29/2006 4:45 PM
Active Home Pro EEprom, read: 2006-jul-29, 16:45:56 (GMT-5:00); version: 2006-jul-23, 01:20:26 (GMT-5:00)

I don't have the resources to do a before and after file compare but believe from the above that a read is not done at the time of a download. I'll keep an eye on the ahpeeprom_r.txt file to see if I can correlate any reads of the file.

If an .ahx file could be recreated from the ahpeeprom_r text or bin file, it could be a very powerful recovery/diagnostic tool.

[Charles Sullivan]

steven r:

Stop and start AHP to see if that makes any difference in the ahpeeprom_r.txt (or .bin) date and time.  Maybe even first try rebooting your PC - when's the last time you did that?

If neither of these work and you don't have the commands I mentioned in the Help menu, then the appearance of ahpeeprom_r.txt sounds like it was created by a glich in AHP.