Support for Cm15 ActiveHome Pro USB controller

[rkato]

Hello all
I realize that it been a long time since anyone has ask if homeseer will be supporting the Cm15 Active Home Pro USB controller and I realize that there has been interest in the past.And I have read the CM15a Support statement http://www.homeseer.com/support/cm15a.htm
But I was wondering anyone has a solution yet

Plus I heard that the Linux boy have hacked and look at it Http://home.comcast.net/~ncherry/com...15d/cm15d.html

Can I ask that someone out there please find a solution?
Thanks

[macromark]

HomeSeer already supports 7 other X10 interfaces (well, more actually if you include controllers like the Stargate and Ocelot). We would have supported the CM15a too but the full SDK was never released.

Last year, we carried two X10 compatible interfaces in our online store but with growing popularity of other newer technologies (Z-Wave and INSTEON in particular), sales of those interfaces slowed to a crawl. At this point, we only carry the ACT TI-103, which we feel is probably the best interface ever made for X10.

We'll continue to maintain our current set of interface plug-ins for X10 as long as we can. Beyond that, we have no future X10 projects planned. Of course... anyone who feels strongly enough about the CM15a to reverse-engineer the SDK and write a plug-in for it can certainly do it.

-Mark

[rplante]

CM15A SDK software is now available at X10

The CM15A SDK software is available on request on the X10 site. Will you make a driver for HS?

[rjh]

Unfortunately, the SDK is very limited. Its an OCX that only allows basic ON and OFF control.

With so many "better" solutions out there, it does not seem worth the effort to support this. If you want the best X10 controller, get the TI103. If you need USB, get the SmartHome 1132CU.

[ksum]

With so many "better" solutions out there, it does not seem worth the effort to support this. If you want the best X10 controller, get the TI103. If you need USB, get the SmartHome 1132CU.

A couple weeks ago, when I was looking to start all this automation, I almost bought the cm15 unit. If x10.com didn't have the RCA unit (cm11a) along with a remote (tv and rf which I have found no use for) and a 2-way transceiver for a steal, I would have bought the newer cm15 model and probably never tried HomeSeer. Now I am purchasing the program, and already added the ws800 as well.


Am I using the best units I can? No, I am currently using the RCA version of the cm11a, a couple ds10 door/window units, a Hawkeye motion sensor, and some cheap x10 lamp modules along with 2 of the Black and Decker outdoor units. My house has an old Moose security panel, which we don't use, so I may switch the motion sensors over to a powerflash unit (no batteries and changing rf codes when changing the batteries. I am really thinking of getting the HomeSeer Insteon controller package from Smarthome so I can have the Insteon capabilities.
<O</O
Bottom line, if I didn't do a little more homework, HomeSeer would have lost a client. Also, I may have become too frustrated with the other options and dropped the entire HA idea. Just to play the Devil's Advocate: Is a wider new client base "worth the effort?"


Karl

[stipus]

I understand, but if the CM15 SDK has only limited ON/OFF functionalities, building a plugin will only lead to frustration.

[ksum]

Maybe, but most of what I have at the moment is on/off. I currently only control fishtank lights, my outside lights, and one that comes on when I get home. Only that lamp is dimmed, in hopes to improve the wife point of view. I need to get something better for that because it comes on at 100% and then dims. That is a frustration point as well, but I can see that it is not related to HomeSeer, and think most would do the same with the cm15. I am next automating the TV, which is on/off also. As are most appliances.

From my point of view, dimming is nice, but a small piece of what I need.

The point is: "What is the current and near future availability of inexpensive entry level controllers?" If I rememebr correctly, it is low. How many people started with a cm11a, then upgraded later once they got the bug and found there are better options? Sorry, but the attitude of "there are better options" just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There are better options than a lot of the cars out there, stereos, TV's, kitchen knives, etc., but they are still selling the cheap stuff. And the expensive stuff that is only "quality" because of good marketing.

[stipus]

If I build a plugin, and sell it for $29.90, CM15 price + plugin price might be more expensive than buying a cheap CM11 from the store, or from ebay, and use the free CM11 plugin that comes with HS2.

Furthermore, rjh said the CM15 SDK is an OCX control.... it's an old COM technology... and the future is with .Net...

[rjh]

The bottom line here is that X10 is not providing enough information for us to even consider supporting it. We don't feel that on/off control only is viable product. I guess our sites are just a little too high!

[ksum]

The bottom line here is that X10 is not providing enough information for us to even consider supporting it. We don't feel that on/off control only is viable product. I guess our sites are just a little too high!

Rich,

Your sites should always be high. It creates a better end product. My only concern is that if this results in ignoring the little guy/newbie, it may prove detrimental to your bottom line, and thus you ability to have high sites.

Honestly, I have no plans on using one now. Like I said originally, I was playing a side to show something that may not have been seen. If the cm11a is no longer available new, and the cm15 is the new cheap guy on the market, I would simply suggest it opens your user base to a market that otherwise becomes closed. A base which you currently have, and includes sales such as mine. Without that new user base, your sales become mostly upgrades. Unfortunatly I have seen some companies go down the tubes for ignoring this one idea, and would hate to see it happen to a product such as yours.

Karl

[rjh]

Well, I can tell, that if the SDK was complete, we probably would have created a plugin a long time ago, we do support the CM11A, which was actually reverse engineered as the docs were not complete.

[macromark]

ksum,

As Rich already noted twice, X10 doesn't provide enough information to properly support it. Here's what he means: many X10-compatible products work with "preset dim" and "extended dim" commands, including ALL of the Smarthome "SwitchLinc" and "LampLinc" devices as well as many Leviton switches. Without those commands, HomeSeer is not able to properly control those devices.

The CM15a actually supports those commands BUT only through X10's own software. They did not make those commands available to 3rd party developers in their SDK. Had they made these commands available, we would have supported the CM15a long ago.

Mark

[ksum]

Mark,

Thank you for the expanded explanation of what the supported commands mean. As I understand your implication, the devices mentioned would be fully unsupported because they do not respond to an On/Off command, but a command to a preset dim (100% dim = other devices On), and not just partially supported. If they do respond to On/Off, I understand the support issues with supporting the cm15 in an On/Off Only mode, and that 99% of the users will not read the help file where you would state that HomeSeer does not support more than On/Off functions with the cm15. The same holds true for the lack of most to read that these brands will not function with the cm15 at all if they do not respond to On/Off. All making more support calls. Having created online help for our end users and supporting a CADD system for over 10 years, I can empathise with you there.

Karl

[Pothead]

The CM15a is not without it's advantages. Its ability to receive all sixteen RF housecodes makes it perfect for use as a universal RF Tranceiver. I use a CM11a as my main interface and a CM15a elsewhere in the house as a tranceiver. Previously, I had a bank of single channel tranceivers plugged into a power bar in the laundry room to support all of my motion sensors and remotes.

A basic plugin for the CM15 would however be a good start provided the source were made available for others to run with. Perhaps we as a user community could leverage some pressure on X10 to release more information.

Yes, I know there is a myriad of interfaces out there which Homeseer does support, but each costs money. I'd like to add some DS10's to my system and am looking at $75 for a W800 while I already have a CM15 which supposedly supports them.

Just my two cents.

[macromark]

X10 (as a protocol) has a pretty limited shelf life at this point (IMO) especially for "New" purchases. I don't think folks will be throwing their old X10 devices away anytime soon but a lot of people are gradually 'phasing out' their X10 stuff as they look to replace worn out or malfunctioning units. Newer technologies like Z-Wave, UPB and Insteon are where the market is now.

Given that, it's pretty unlikely that we (HomeSeer) will be adding new support for *any* X10 device, let alone ones that aren't completely documented (like the CM15a).

HOWEVER (and we've been saying this right along), anyone who feels strongly enough about this and wants to take the time necessary to reverse-engineer the protocol to write a HomeSeer plug-in, is certainly welcome to do so.

-Mark