PowerMaxPlus serial comms protocol

The RS-232 module is only $60 for the PowerMax+ alarm system (see for instance aartech.ca). Compare this to over $400 for the TCP/IP module. Granted, the RS-232 module doesn’t allow control from a LAN, and does not include a server (the IP module includes a web server for configuration).

There are Bluetooth class 1 (300 ft) devices to bridge to serial port: with adapter like IOGEAR GBS301 or Siig BT2 adapter,  you achieve the same effect for a quarter of the price.

The next question is whether the software that accompanies the 232 module work on Windows XP: Visonic claims it does, though the website only lists Win 85/98/NT. The guy at AARTech said Visonic does not intend to support Windows 7. Very unfortunate. So for now it could be useful, but within a couple years, who knows if I will still have any machine left with Windows XP.

Also, it would be nice to use the RS232 to monitor and control the PowerMax+ beyond what is in the software, for instance via Python pyserial module. But this would require that Visonic make the serial protocol available, which it doesn’t (I’m still in email communication with them but I don’t expect much). This is really unfortunately (and shortsighted of them, really).

Perhaps it could be reverse engineered using an RS232 sniffer like Free Serial Port Monitor by HHD Software or SerialMon (to be used in conjunction with SysInternals’ PortMon). The Visonic person did mention some patented hashing algorithm being used in the RS232 module as an excuse to not provide protocol, but if it patented, it can be obtained by finding the patent, in which case they should just give it to me.

An interesting extension is a serial-to-wifi adapter: you connect it to the serial port of the device, to provide it with wifi connectivity. An affordable adapter is the RN-134-K, which is a developer kit that includes a wifi adapter with serial port connector. On the PC, you need a serial port redirector like Pira CZ HW Virtual Serial Port (more options on wikipedia) which creates a virtual COM port (in range COM2 to COM20) that sends data to a host / port via TCP/IP and reads data on localhost / serverPort.  Slightly cheaper option, though less convenient, is serial-to-ethernet, such as GW212 by Neteon or NETRS2321E by StarTech.com.

RobotShop

 

 

 

RobotShop – Personal and Professional Robots, Robot Parts, Robot Kits, Robot Repair: excellent website for robotics hobbyist!

 

Home automation reviews, Technology reviews and articles

Home automation reviews, Technology reviews and articles.

Blog about home automation, has some good reviews about INSTEON etc but not updated very often. Several articles created in early part of 2009 but none (that I could see) after May 2009.

USB to serial converters

Some Home Automation controllers are serial-port based, such as the INSTEON Power Link Modem (PLM). Few computers nowadays have a serial port, but USB to serial converters are easy to come by. Unfortuantely, they are not all created equal. Buddy of mine suggested FDTI chip-based converters as solid, reliable, and work with Windows and Linux.

Looks like USBGear has an FDTI one but doesn’t look like they ship to Canada. Circuit City carries one that is probably FDTI (but I couldn’t find this in any specs available for the product, even from Cables Unlimited, which makes the latter unit) and shipping is $70! Dynex also makes one sold at FutureShop.ca for $60 but doesn’t seem as good as the FDTI item at USBgear.

Home Energy Monitoring

This is quite interesting product:

http://www.theenergydetective.com/

Both the 1000, and the recent 5000 models, provide a way of getting access to the data without the web interface. For the 5000 model this is an XML file obtained by opening a web page at the device’s IP address (IOT, the device has an embedded web server). Don’t know yet what the 1000 API looks like.

This means that it could easily be integrated into a homegrown home automation suite (as I’m planning to develop shortly for our new home).