Can someone describe a setup using this hardware. Being a software guy I have absolutely not idea how this stuff "fits" into an automation scenario. Does it go in the wiring closet and you run wire sensors to the devices or is it designed to "sit" on the equipment and the lan becomes the wiring.
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I don't have one, but my understanding of it is that you can connect the GC to your regular PC LAN, and physically install the GC remotely of the PC. Then, you can connect the GC to an IR Lan, or connect it to other serial devices proximate to the GC device.
So, it's incremental value compared to a Slinke or Ocelot or USB_IRT is the ability to physically seperate the PC from the controlled devices. And that it adds some serial ports at that remote location too.
So, let's say your HS server is located in your Study. And, your Home Theater is in the basement. All you would have to run is one Cat5 cable from Study to Theater and you could connect IR from GC to IR controllable devices, or connect one of the serial connections to a RS232 controllable CD changer or receiver. Or, connect a X10 RF device (CM11?) to the GC serial port in the theater. -
Ah Ha. So hypothetically this could be done wirelessly using a wireless access point as well.
As far as the on board serial port(s) are they accessible from the PC?Comment
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A wireless access point would not work unless it is a standalone unit providing a regular Ethernet connection for the GC100. (e.g. wireless to wired)
Although what David wrote is true, keep in mind that less wires are needed to remote an Adicon module, but the concept is similar. And adicon module needs data AB in, power, and then to continue the "bus" segment data AB out - 6 wires total. You can get away with some amount of "star" topology wiring (but not much) thus reducing the wires to 4 without the data AB out, and if you use a local transformer, drop 2 more wires for an absolute minimum of 2 wires. An Ethernet connection OTOH needs 4 wires minimum, and for the technical needs of 10-Base-T or 100-Base-T, CAT-5 has to be used which is 8 wires.
The serial ports are a feature that the GC has which costs more with the Applied Digital stuff and is a little more complicated to use. Currently the GC serial ports are not true extensions of the PC serial port - they are for use by something that has software written to use the GC serial ports - script commands are available in the plug-in that allow you to send/receive info. A true COM port emulator is not provided by GC.
The GC100 is nice, and lots of people love it, but IMHO it is very comparable to the Adicon modules. The serial port is nice if you need it, but if not... I think the GC's IR handling is far superb - I can work with it in plain ASCII, don't have to download or upload 1024 IR signals to get at one, and a single GC100 can have zoned IR outputs or all common outputs whereas the Adicon module determines that one. There are benefits to both!Regards,
Rick Tinker (a.k.a. "Tink")Comment
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Excellent information. Thanks Rick.Comment
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For ethernet connected serial ports, I have a Lantronix MSS-100 (not positive of the model number) that works very good with the projects I have used it with. Bought it eBay for around $100.Comment
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I'm surprised that the GC100 serial ports don't work with a driver on the PC to look like standard serial ports. This would seem like the logical thing to do.
Unless, of course, this makes it easier to have several PCs all access the same serial ports. This approach would make more sense for someone setting up complex control systems but less sense for the general user who wants to stick their modem or Ocelot (etc.) at some distance from the PC.Comment
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