How do I get Serial/COM working on the GC100 with HS3

[rjdevries]

Hey,

so I've been digging the forums for a while now, and noticed I'm not the only one with this problem.

With the upgrade to HS3 and the Global Cache plugin 5.0.0.7, it is no longer possible to set any of the Serial Ports the way we were in HSPro.

First of, why, second, why has this issue been ignored, especially since there are people asking on how to fix it?

We all spent a good bit of cash upgrading, only to have things break. I'm seriously considering downgrading back to HSPro.

[donstephens]

Is it possible that the GC plugin is only for an IP device? I just installed mine and it found the IP address without drama...

Good luck.

[rjdevries]

Don,

which version of HomeSeer are you using (I have HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.96 installed) and exactly which plugin?

I can find the GC-100-12 through IP but it only allows me to send/learn IR signals in the plugins page and change the Relays from the Device Utility page.

I can't find any information on where and how to send signals to the RS232 ports, and the scripts that worked just fine in HSPro don't in HS3 Pro.

Again, I've seen more people on the boards with this problem (nobody's bothered to put it in this category yet though) but no solutions. Most posts with this problem simply have views but no replies. The best solution anybody offered was to buy a third party plugin for $40, which I'm not ready to do yet.

Thanks.

RJ

[sparkman]

Hi RJ,

I use the Lantronix Serial Port Redirector with my GC-100's to create virtual com ports on my HS box. What do you have connected on the serial ports of the GC-100?

Cheers
Al

[donstephens]

RJ:

I'm using the HST plugin. I have a simple IP2IR device that I have yet to get working. I should have more careful reading your post, as I thought we had the same device.

Sorry.

Hope both of us get it working.

[rjdevries]

Al,
I have a Somfy URTSI-II connected for my shades. All my IR now goes through Roomie since there's virtually no delay as opposed to using Homeseer, and can use the same hardware that's connected to HS3 since it's IP based.

I'll try the Lantronix Redirector today. It's just annoying since in HS2 you could just directly connect to the GC serial ports without jumping through hoops. Now it looks like I have to re-write all the code and I'm pretty rusty since I only ever do it setting stuff up and then leave it alone. Oh well...


Don,
what problems are you running into with your IP2IR? I've found that to always be pretty easy with the exception of having a lag.

RJ

[rjdevries]

Al,

how do you have the the Lantronix Serial Port Redirector set up?
I've tried it in a bunch of different ways but it won't open the port.

Also, are you using the old v3.1.0.4 Redirector or CPR Manager 4.3.0.3? (I tried both).

Thanks.

[sparkman]

Hi RJ,

See below for my setup. Any questions, let me know.

Cheers
Al

[rjdevries]

Al,

Thanks for that, for some reason though I can't save any setups or even check the "Run As Service" box in the Advanced settings, I keep getting registry errors, etc. I've tried running it as Windows XP, Administrator, etc. but no dice.

I ended up using the forwarding software Global Cache suggests, found here:
http://www.eterlogic.com/Products.VSPE.html (32bit is free, 64bit costs $$)

The way to get that one to work is to (and I quote) as is stated here: https://globalcache.zendesk.com/entr...ort-redirector

This is still very cumbersome though, I wish the HomeSeer team just brought back Serial Support for the Global Cache plugin, or at the very least provide a sample script of how to access it (the documentation states that you can access the RS232 ports using scripting, they just don't tell you how, infuriating!)

[beerygaz]

RJ - I'm in the same boat. I use the Lantronix CPR manager 4.3.0.3 and it now only seems to support Lantronix kit and not any of the other hardware. I had a look at the eterlogic software, but given that I'm running on Windows Server 2008 I need to pay for the 64-bit version. HS2 used to expose the COM port on the GC-100, it's frustrating that I have to by some 3rd party software to make it work now (and buy the HS3 plugin too!)

[rjdevries]

Yeah, I decided to compile all the information I could get my hands on in the sticky note here: http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=159163

I called Homeseer to find out what was going on, apparently when they converted the plugins and had to divide the workload over their limited amount of programmers, Serial for the GC100 wasn't considered a priority because not enough people were using it. So they skipped it. I told them to pay more attention to the boards because plenty of people were looking for info and no answers were given. They should really give us upgraders a discount to compensate for stuff breaking, I'm not thrilled about this whole situation but I've spent too much money on the solution to just throw it out and start with something new, you know?

[cheeryfool]

Perhaps drule's IP/Serial plugin would help here. I don't have a GC-100 but drule does.

See here

[rjdevries]

@cheeryfool, thanks, I'll look into it and post what I find.

[rjdevries]

@cheeryfool,

Amazing, it works like a charm, and is soooo easy to use!
It took me a second to realize the plugin just shows up as a drop down under the Events, but once I did, testing was done in about 3 seconds...

You can simply access the GC100 serial port as an IP device, and it works, screenshots below.

[cheeryfool]

@cheeryfool,

Amazing, it works like a charm, and is soooo easy to use!
It took me a second to realize the plugin just shows up as a drop down under the Events, but once I did, testing was done in about 3 seconds...

You can simply access the GC100 serial port as an IP device, and it works, screenshots below.

Perfect. Glad it works that way for the GC100. I am using it to control a Monoprice HDMI Matrix and now an IRTrans infrared module and others (see below)

Another interesting possibility with this plugin is that you can setup inbound connections too and then link the inbound and outbound and pass data directly through it using the proxy field in the connections config.

e.g. I use the iRule app on my iOS devices, which maintains a connection with the plugin and I have that linked to my IRTrans connection. iRule can send the IR command string to the plugin which passes it straight out to the IRTrans device.

I have all of the following in operation from my iRule soft remotes:

IP -> Plugin -> IP devices (TVs, BD Player, AV Receiver)
IP -> Plugin -> Serial Devices (HDMI Matrix and Samsung TV Ex-link port)
IP -> Plugin -> IRTrans (Cable boxes, legacy projector and receiver)
IP -> Plugin -> Event -> Virtual Device (e.g. maintain ON/Off state of TV)