Bluetooth Connector 0.38.2.2 + Bluetooth Client posted

[stipus]

Here is version 0.38.2.2 of the Bluetooth Connector plugin for HomeSeer 2.1 and 2.2beta:

Features:

- The plugin is compatible with the Microsoft XP SP2 Bluetooth stack, and with the Widcomm stack (v1.4.2.10 or later). It is not compatible with IVT, BlueSoleil or Toshiba BT stacks.

- Bluetooth device presence detection. You can configure different device values and device strings for away/detected.

- Bluetooth device signal strength (with the Widcomm Bluetooth stack). You can configure different device values and strings according to signal strength.

- An optionnal Bluetooth Client can collect bluetooth presence and signal strength from remote computers, and communicate its findings to the main plugin.

- With several long range Bluetooth dongles, the plugin allows you to triangulate the position of your Bluetooth devices.

- Web configuration interface for all parameters.


Change Log:

- Fixed a duplicate handler warning. The duplicate handler is now removed when found.
- Debouncing time for up/down buttons in the Web configuration interface changed from 500ms to 1 second.
- Bluetooth client tray icon is now red when homeseer communication is lost
- Added tooltips to the bluetooth client window
- Added a help popup window in the device configuration page
- Added device autoconfiguration buttons for the Widcomm or Microsoft stack in the device configuration interface.

How to install or upgrade the plugin:

1) Download the attached .ZIP

2) Unzip the archive without flattening the file tree (there are subdirectories that must be kept)

3) Shutdown HomeSeer

4) If you are upgrading, DELETE the HomeSeer 2/html/hspi_bt directory, because this directory will be replaced by the directory included in the ZIP.

5) Copy all unziped files and subdirectories to your HomeSeer 2 directory. Replace all existing files.

6) Restart HomeSeer<!-- / message --><!-- attachments -->


How to install the Bluetooth Client on a remote computer:

Copy the following files from your HomeSeer server to your remote computer.
All files should be found in the HomeSeer 2 directory on your HomeSeer computer
All files must be copied to the HomeSeer 2 directory on the remote computer. This directory should already exist as the speaker client must be installed on the remote computer.
All files must be COPIED, not MOVED or DELETED (including the .exe !).

- BlueTools.dll
- BlueToolsMS.dll
- BlueToolsWC.dll
- BlueToolsWC150.dll
- Franson.Bluetools.200.dll
- hspi_bt.dll
- BluetoothClient.exe

You can install several BlueTooth clients. Here I tested with 2 BlueTooth Clients + the main plugin, and with 3 long range dongles (Widcomm stack), the plugin can successfully triangulate an approximate position of each Bluetooth device in the house.

More info about all plugin parameters here: http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=111331


Best regards,

[EDIT] Attachement removed as a new version is available from the forum.
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[darren-mc]

Stipus,

Sorry for not getting back to you earlier..but I had a lot to do...

1. Downloaded and updated to latest client
2. Still finding issues where the client.exe is still running in the process list when you exit
3. The re-ordering of rules is now much better...could not cause it to error when re-ordering over WAN link
4. Changed dongles about to test duplicate messages...seemed to work OK...however....simply stopping and starting client service caused the discoveries not to reach the HS server (might have something to do issue 2). After a reboot of client PC worked great.
5. Auto-reconnect sometimes (I stress sometimes) not re-connecting over WAN..this is apparent when local discovery results are being displayed but information not reaching HS server. (this can be simulated by re-setting router then whilst still trying to connect across WAN.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Darren

[stipus]

Downloaded and updated to latest client

Did you also update the server ? Because I have changed the way the server sends queries to the client (To remove the duplicate handler occuring warnings)

Still finding issues where the client.exe is still running in the process list when you exit

The thread should be automatically killed after 20 seconds maximum.

The re-ordering of rules is now much better...could not cause it to error when re-ordering over WAN link

Yes, I have been working more than 5 hours on this one... just to understand that it's an Internet Explorer 6 bug, that may send duplicate requests when you click link buttons or image buttons in a grid....

Changed dongles about to test duplicate messages...seemed to work OK...however....simply stopping and starting client service caused the discoveries not to reach the HS server (might have something to do issue 2). After a reboot of client PC worked great.

If the BluetoothClient.exe is stuck in the process-list, and didn't release the Bluetooth stack yet, it's possible you see this behavior.

As you have several BluetoothClient running, do you see a "certain consistency" in the way it hangs ? I mean: does it always hang on the same client PC ? Do you have different Bluetooth stack versions on these PCs ? Does it always hang with the same version of the stack ? Do you have Client PCs that never hang ?

Auto-reconnect sometimes (I stress sometimes) not re-connecting over WAN..this is apparent when local discovery results are being displayed but information not reaching HS server. (this can be simulated by re-setting router then whilst still trying to connect across WAN.

It should reconnect after some time. There is a new reconnect packet sent every 5 seconds to the server. Can you see the same behavior with the speaker client ?

Thanks again for your reports,

[stipus]

This version of the plugin has been sent to the updater. It will replace the old 0.28 version that's only compatible with HS2.0.

[darren-mc]

Stipus,

Sorry for away from the board yesterday...but I was preparing for my vista update on my central media centre....which took me until 11:30 last night to complete.

Sigh...

I look forward to the update...

Cheers,

Darren

[darren-mc]

Yes, I have been working more than 5 hours on this one... just to understand that it's an Internet Explorer 6 bug, that may send duplicate requests when you click link buttons or image buttons in a grid....

It must also be a bug with IE 7 RC1 as same issue existed!

If the BluetoothClient.exe is stuck in the process-list, and didn't release the Bluetooth stack yet, it's possible you see this behavior.

As you have several BluetoothClient running, do you see a "certain consistency" in the way it hangs ? I mean: does it always hang on the same client PC ? Do you have different Bluetooth stack versions on these PCs ? Does it always hang with the same version of the stack ? Do you have Client PCs that never hang ?

OK....I think I may know what's the cause....during normal operation..HS always up, network always up etc etc the client closes correctly. When HS closes and/or network/WAN issues then the client can hang on shutdown. This the same for the both types of stack.

should reconnect after some time. There is a new reconnect packet sent every 5 seconds to the server. Can you see the same behavior with the speaker client ?

Don't know I will do some more testing next weekend

Thanks again for your reports

Not a problem...this connector now has stunning functionality..I now have some awesome events which can switch locations over....for instance when the Media Center at the lodge goes on and detects presence my phones I can transfer my messages to MSN Messenger interface running on that computer. Also don't bother sending me text alerts at the lodge as my mobile doesn't work...if there's an alert then call the lodge phone and HS speaks the alert......(which is why I want the SIP connector)

Very cool..I have lots of other events I want to do.

[Bill Brower]

the plugin can successfully triangulate an approximate position of each Bluetooth device in the house.
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I gotta know where you hid the BlueTooth tracking device on your significant other????

[stipus]

To triangulate Bluetooth devices in the best way, you need 3 long range bluetooth dongles with the Widcomm Bluetooth stack. If you have another setup, you may still succeed in doing something better than away / detected.

- 1 BT dongle installed on the HS Server
- 2 BT dongles installed on 2 HS speaker computers on which you install the Bluetooth Client.

Then, you have to write the algorithms yourself in the Web configuration interface to locate your devices.

- Go to HS Setup / Interfaces / BT Connector / Config button
- Choose the BT Device
- Click configure

Here you have to write booleans expressions that evaluate in order. The arguments of the boolean expressions are the device signal strength from each dongle.
- @(Network0) is the signal strength from the HS Server BT dongle
- @(Network1) is the signal strength from the first BT Client computer
- @(Network2) is the signal strength from the second BT Client computer

Place the BT device in your kitchen, hit your browser refresh button several times to watch the bluetooth signal strength from each dongle.

In my house, I get this for the kitchen:
0 <= @(Network0) < 2
1 <= @(Network1) < 4
-9 <=@(Network2) < -2

Then you just write this in the boolean expression field:

@(Network0)>=0 && @(Network0)<2 && @(Network1)>=1 && @(Network1)<4 && @(Network2)>=-9 && @(Network2)< -2

In the device string, you type: In the kitchen
In the device value, you type an inexisting device value for this device: example 4

You repeat the same process for each location in your house, and order the rules so that the best match hits first.

Here in my house, the plugin finds if my GF phone is:
- In the staircase
- In the kitchen
- In the living room
- In the bedroom
- Not detected

It can be quite a long process to get the good rules. Also, signal strength can change if the device is on a table or in your hand.... so that's a bit approximate... but it works !

It also depends on the phone. With my own Treo 650 phone, I can't get it to work better than away, detected, or very close to one of the dongles... and if I use the ConnectService or DiscoverService poll method (to get signal strength), the phone screen switches on for a few seconds at each poll... This mean that with this phone, I can only use the Autodiscovery poll method, and I only get away or detected results

The best is with my BT338 Bluetooth GPS (lol, I know !)... The plugin can find where it is very well in the house, as with one of my Dell laptop computers with integrated bluetooth.

Regards,

[GreenAcres]

Can someone please explain what Blue Tooth is.


Thanks

Thom

[stipus]

Tu ne connais pas la dent bleue ?

-----> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth

[GreenAcres]

Thanks

I just learned allot!

Thom

Tu ne connais pas la dent bleue ?

-----> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth