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    HAI version 2.4 firmware

    Rick,

    Will you be investigating the new version of firmware from HAI? It will support the Ethernet attached Omni and supports multiple encypted sessions, and I'm not sure what else.

    Larry.
    -Larry

    A member of "The HA Pioneer Group", MyWebSite

    Plugins:
    VWS, AB8SS, lrpSpeak, Calendar, Arduino, Harmony, BlueIris, Sprinklers, ZipBackup...

    Hardware:
    Intel NUC8i7BEH1 running Windows 10 Pro headless, HS3 Pro, Plex running on Synology dual High Availability DS-1815+ NAS (24Tb each), Synology Surveillance Station running on DS-416 Slim (8Tb), Samsung SmartThings, Google Home, Alexa, Hubitat Elevation, ZNET, Ubiquiti UniFi Network, Davis Vantage Pro II Weather Station. Whole house speaker system using a couple of AB8SS switches. Vantage Pro II Weather Station, Rain8Net Sprinklers, Hubitat Elevation, Google Home, Alexa, DSC Security System, Ubiquiti UniFi Network.

    #2
    Larry,

    Yes, I suppose I will, but it is not high on the radar screen at the moment. The reason is primarily how many things I have been able to accomplish with HAI's "help" lately. I'd rather wait for the smoke to settle on this version before I do anything with it, and a few users actually requesting it wouldn't hurt either.

    Both features of the firmware are really one and the same. The Ethernet support is really just an implementation of the same protocols used over the serial port via Ethernet. Honestly? Big deal. If they were embedding a web server in it, then it might be interesting, but at this point it is an Ethernet version of a serial port. The encryption is only because of Ethernet. On Ethernet, every node on the LAN hears the same LAN traffic. On an RS-232 cable, you have to split the wiring to get it to be multi-point. Thus, encryption is necessary to make sure that only the machine with knowledge of the decryption key/algorythm can read the information. To be quite honest, if you have ever worked with the Omni-Link protocol, it's practically encrypted already!

    So while this is an important feature for HAI, I am still waiting/hoping for:
    1. Support of a non-polling protocol enhancement to significantly improve the computer to panel communication interface. (Although I now have it working well.)
    2. Information on reading the panel configuration so I don't have to resort to stupid methods of determining the zones configured as FIRE zones.
    3. Ability to do the same thing with HAI thermostats in the "high level" Omni protocol that you can do with the plain-Jane serial protocol.
    4. Segmented processes inside the controller so that having a large number of program lines and zones/units in the panel do not affect the speed by which it responds to Omni-Link protocol commands on the serial ports.


    Did I answer your question then?


    Regards,

    Rick Tinker
    HomeSeer Technologies
    Regards,

    Rick Tinker (a.k.a. "Tink")

    Comment


      #3
      You answered my questions and then some !

      Thanks
      -Larry

      A member of "The HA Pioneer Group", MyWebSite

      Plugins:
      VWS, AB8SS, lrpSpeak, Calendar, Arduino, Harmony, BlueIris, Sprinklers, ZipBackup...

      Hardware:
      Intel NUC8i7BEH1 running Windows 10 Pro headless, HS3 Pro, Plex running on Synology dual High Availability DS-1815+ NAS (24Tb each), Synology Surveillance Station running on DS-416 Slim (8Tb), Samsung SmartThings, Google Home, Alexa, Hubitat Elevation, ZNET, Ubiquiti UniFi Network, Davis Vantage Pro II Weather Station. Whole house speaker system using a couple of AB8SS switches. Vantage Pro II Weather Station, Rain8Net Sprinklers, Hubitat Elevation, Google Home, Alexa, DSC Security System, Ubiquiti UniFi Network.

      Comment


        #4
        Here is the official post on HAI version 2.4 firmware. It looks like the Ethernet support will be supplied free of charge via a DLL to developers.


        See below:



        HAI Announces Availability of Ethernet Firmware for the OmniPro II Controller

        Date: 05/05/03
        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



        New Orleans, LA – HAI, the leading manufacturer of integrated security and automation products since 1985, is now shipping Version 2.4 of the OmniPro II firmware and Version 2.4 of 1105W and 1106W PC Access programming software. The Version 2.4 upgrade chip for the OmniPro II controller is approximately $35 (dealer cost) and upgrades to PC Access are free to registered users of the program.
        The award-winning OmniPro II is a sixth generation controller. It includes UL-listed security, temperature and lighting control for energy management, and the ease of telephone and Internet access and control. With the new 2.4 Ethernet firmware, an OmniPro II controller can be plugged directly into a commonly available home router using standard Ethernet (CAT 5) wiring. This eliminates the need for dedicated serial wiring to one computer in the home. It also allows access to the OmniPro II controller over the Internet without requiring a PC operating at the home.

        The OmniPro II Ethernet port supports three secure sessions simultaneously. Three independent computers can access the controller over the local network or remotely over the Internet through the home router. Security is assured through the use of 128-bit private key encryption using the industry standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

        HAI PC Access is the first software product to allow connectivity to the OmniPro II Ethernet port. HAI’s Web-Link II Internet access and control software with support for the OmniPro II Ethernet port will soon follow.

        HAI will provide a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) to implement the network protocol and encryption functions required to connect to the OmniPro II via the Ethernet port for third party programs. The DLL simplifies the task of adapting third party programs that support HAI Omni-Link Serial Protocol to use the Ethernet port. The DLL will be available upon request to Connectivity Partners at no charge.

        Since its introduction in 2002, the OmniPro II has been named one of the Top Products of the year by Electronic House magazine, won the CES Innovations Award in the Integrated Home Systems category, and garnered the Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice Award. Additionally, the OmniPro II was one of 20 products recently chosen by the readers of CEPro magazine as one of the High-Impact Products of the year.

        All HAI products are sold through its worldwide network of Distribution Partners and installed by over 1000 trained dealers. For more information on the OmniPro II Ethernet firmware or any of HAI’s award winning products, please call 800-229-7256 or visit www.homeauto.com.
        Contact:

        Allison Read
        Marketing Director
        Home Automation, Inc.
        5725 Powell Street, Suite A
        New Orleans, LA 70123
        Phone: (504) 736-9810, ext. 229
        Fax: (504) 736-9890
        Email: allison.read@homeauto.com
        Web: www.homeauto.com



        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Copyright 1996-2003 HAI. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
        -Larry

        A member of "The HA Pioneer Group", MyWebSite

        Plugins:
        VWS, AB8SS, lrpSpeak, Calendar, Arduino, Harmony, BlueIris, Sprinklers, ZipBackup...

        Hardware:
        Intel NUC8i7BEH1 running Windows 10 Pro headless, HS3 Pro, Plex running on Synology dual High Availability DS-1815+ NAS (24Tb each), Synology Surveillance Station running on DS-416 Slim (8Tb), Samsung SmartThings, Google Home, Alexa, Hubitat Elevation, ZNET, Ubiquiti UniFi Network, Davis Vantage Pro II Weather Station. Whole house speaker system using a couple of AB8SS switches. Vantage Pro II Weather Station, Rain8Net Sprinklers, Hubitat Elevation, Google Home, Alexa, DSC Security System, Ubiquiti UniFi Network.

        Comment


          #5
          Rick,

          The main reason I would like to see Ethernet support for the OmniPro II in Home Seer is that, believe it or not, I've just about run out of serial ports on my OPII! Never thought I'd use all 3 serial ports...

          Right now one is used for PC Access/HomeSeer, another for a connection to my ADI Leopard, and the third is being used for a direct connection to an MR26A so the HAI can receive X10 wireless without needing a PC.

          Am still debugging my MR26A connection (as the OPII doesn't supply DCD, DTR, and CTS signals that the MR26A draws its power from (at least one of these lines, can't remember which one at the moment)).

          Actually even right now, Ethernet access will help out as I could run HomeSeer over the serial and PC Access over ethernet at the same time. Just need to order my 2.4 upgrade...

          And considering I have plans for yet one more integration over a serial port, it would really be handy if HomeSeer could use it...

          I'm sure I'm atypical with all of this though...

          Now if the OPII only allowed more than 128 message strings... Or allowed you to insert "flags" into them when sent out (ie: Message "+V230%3d" when sent withh flag 300 set to 123 would send "+V230123")... Am beginning to wonder if I'm going to run out of message strings with doing all this ProLink stuff...

          Comment


            #6
            Brian,

            The Pro-Link protocol was not designed to be a comprehensive interface, it is just for the purpose of connecting simple devices to the HAI system, and so yes, many integrators run out of Pro-Link message strings very quickly.

            A lot of your issues could be resolved if you can tell me why you don't want the MR26A to connect to a PC. With the Omni PC-Access programming, many lines of program code will slow down the processing of that code and it will get very difficult to support since there are no comment lines in the code. If you interface the MR26A to the Omni, then when you want to have the weather forecast read to you by pressing a button on an RF remote, you will have to have the Omni change a flag in order to trigger an event in HomeSeer anyway.

            One thing that I used to tell dealers in classes that I taught was that you want as few protocols to learn as possible. If they were not using a PC, then do everything in your Omni or do everything in your HomeVision or do everything in your Ocelot, JDS, etc. - do not split things up or you will find it a nightmare to support. This was proven by several dealers who called me long after to say that they did not listen to me, and then when the customer asked for a change they did not remember on which intelligent controller they put the code for the feature they had to change. You need to pick one, usually the most powerful one, as your main integration controller and use the rest as slaves.

            In the case of HomeSeer being that controller, the MR26A or even the WGL Designs W800 is a great device for getting RF signals into HomeSeer. The RF signal does NOT have to result in the corresponding X10 signal going out over the powerline either.

            The only thing you should have in the Omni are things such as setting the mode on all thermostats connected to the Omni to "OFF" and the fan to "Auto" if there is a fire so you don't keep circulating oxygen to it. Turning on the lights in the house when there is a fire, etc. This is not because HomeSeer cannot do it or cannot be trusted, but because the interface to HomeSeer and other systems takes secondary priority over the communicator on the panel when an alarm condition occurs, which is the way it is suppose to be. The panel can do them faster in an emergency.

            HomeSeer also gives you the capability of integrating apples and oranges without you having to know anything more than setting up events in HomeSeer since there are plug-ins and scripts written to talk to these other devices for you. When you connect them to the panel, you have to know the protocol of the device you are connecting as well as the Pro-Link usage.

            But I digress greatly...

            I did send an email to Scott at HAI yesterday asking for the DLL and the specification. We'll see if he responds. It would sure be easier if HAI would just send this stuff out to their application providers automatically - it's not like I haven't been in their face so much over the past 6 months that they could forget about me!


            Regards,

            Rick Tinker
            HomeSeer Technologies
            Regards,

            Rick Tinker (a.k.a. "Tink")

            Comment

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