Ethernet connected Receivers and Transmitters

Post by **b_weijenberg** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:14 pm

Put your Home Automation receivers and transmitter now on the optimum location for receiving all sensors in your property. No longer problems with RF noise radiated by the PC which makes the receiver now more sensitive.
If the Ethernet interface is connected to the Internet it enables you to add remote locations like your holiday home to your Home Automation system or control and check the home of your grandmother.

All existing Home Automation software that runs on a Windows platform and has interfacing software for the W800RF receiver or the RFXCOM receiver can use the RFXCOM Ethernet interface without any modification in the HA software thanks to the CPR (COM Port Redirector) software. This CPR software emulates a standard COM port in Windows.
On other platforms like Mac and Linux, the communication protocol is via TCP/IP with the receivers and transmitter. Of course, TCP/IP communication is also possible on the Windows platforms.

All RFXCOM receivers have a W800RF compatible receiving mode and the RFXCOM receivers translate all received non-X10 RF packets (like Visonic, SecureLinc, KlikOn-KlikOff, Domia Lite) to an equivalent X10 packet. This makes it possible to process those non-X10 sensors and remotes by all X10 oriented Home Automation software without any modification in this Home Automation software.

There are 4 different types of RFXCOM Ethernet interfaces.
1. LAN with 1 COM port and connections for 1 or 2 receivers OR 1 transmitter,
2. WLAN with 2 COM ports and connections for 1 or 2 receivers AND 1 transmitter,
3. LAN with 2 COM ports and connections for 1 or 2 receivers AND 1 transmitter,
4. WLAN+LAN with 2 COM ports and connections for 1 or 2 receivers AND 1 transmitter.
http://www.rfxcom.com/transmitters.htm#Interfaces

Bert

Post by **DJF3** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:58 am

So this box has an ethernet port. How can I use this port to turn on/off lights? Can I call a URL to turn on a light?
Example: http://10.1.1.99/action?housecode=A&devicecode=9&code=1 (for on?)

Or is the ethernet port only used as a 'remote' COM port that can only be used by serial applications? (that would be a shame

Where can I find documentation on how to use the ethernet ports? (in applications etc)

Tnx
DJ

Post by **b_weijenberg** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:14 am

DJ,

http://www.rfxcom.com/documents/RFXCOM_ ... erface.pdf
http://www.rfxcom.com/documents/RF%20re ... etails.pdf

And check http://www.rfxcom.com/downloads.htm for other documentation.

There is an SDK available for the device servers in the RFXCOM Ethernet interface. This enables you to write your remote control web page in the device server

Bert

Post by **DJF3** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:04 pm

Thanks for the info Bert,

Looking at these docs I can assume that the fact that ethernet is only used as an 'extension' mechanism for the serial port? (because all communication is serial and send to the ethernet RFXCOM device using serial port redirectors?)

Has anyone tested these serialport redirectors through VMWare?

Cheers
DJ

PS. If anyone has an example on how to use these ethernet devices by sending http commands to the box or anything else, please post it!

Post by **b_weijenberg** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:19 pm

DJ,

the RFXCOM receiver is connected using a TCP/IP tunnel simulating a COM port. So it is not possible to use HTML to connect to the receiver.

The Ethernet controller has HTML functionalities but that is used for configuration of the Ethernet controller.

I have send you an email how to test the connection in VMWare using my receiver. This can be done via Internet.

Bert

Post by **Digit** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:36 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by b_weijenberg
 
I have send you an email how to test the connection in VMWare using my receiver. This can be done via Internet.

Bert
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I'm having VMWare here somewhere on a PC to test with. I can do that this evening if you want. (if the PC stays up long enough; bad memory) I have to do it anyway for my future plans.
Bert, what do you mean with testing connection via Internet?

Post by **b_weijenberg** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:40 pm

I have a receiver connected to the Internet for testing purposes so anybody that would like to test the functionality can send me an email to get the IP and port number and the instructions how to test.

Bert

Post by **Gourmet** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 2:40 pm

Hi,

I've been followed the exchanges on this forum for about 2 weeks in order to buy a RFXCOM system.
The Ethernet one is pretty good as it seems to me to be, perhaps

, the only one that could evolve towards others RF systems like Zigbee.
But I wonder how I could integrate such a peripheral in my system.
Indeed, I've no MS-Windows at all and will probably never have (but, maybe, in a VM for testing) because of licence, because it needs to be reinstalled at every new version, because patches are as voluminous as the system itself.
I have systems that are running since nearly 10 years (the hardware is the same but the softwares evolved, of course, but without a whole (re)installation). So my choice.

I understood than many code around RFXCOM products was developped under .Net. As you could imagine I'm not at all .Net but rather Java (for a matter or portability) or Python. I abandon Perl many years ago.

Well, I also understood that the Ethernet device works with a COM port emulation onto TCP. How could it work with Linux (or xBSD)?
Of course we can emulate a com port onto ethernet under such systems (tap, ppp, etc) but it claims that the system in front understand the same basic protocol.
I saw another software environment which is xPL (written in Perl). Does xPL support the new Ethernet products from RFXCOM under Unix (well, anywhere where Perl can run)?
Thank you and sorry for my basic and newbie questions,
db

db

Post by **Snelvuur** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 2:51 pm

I didn't see anyone running xpl-perl on bsd yet, but as you say yourself its perl. So it should be possible to get this to work then, if you have the correct packages.

And yes xpl-perl does support the new ethernet products, i'am using them at this moment on debian linux without any issues.

// Erik (binkey.nl)

Post by **Bwired** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 2:52 pm

Hi Gourmet,
Welcome on the forum.
It is possible to control the RFXcom receivers with all kind of software. If you are a programmer you can make it yourself.
For example the RFXCOM Ethernet version communicates on tcpip to a particular port number. Once you write software that reads that IPnr/portnr then the rest is easy and can be extracted from the sample software. If you are not a programmer then you have a small problem and have to wait until some other forum member programs it.

Post by **TANE** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:43 pm

Is it possible to use the comports on the ethernet devices also for other product like the CTX35?
This will make the RFXcom ethernet devices universal remote comports.

Post by **b_weijenberg** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:47 pm

Chak,

Use the RS232 Serial Interface module for this connection.
http://www.rfxcom.com/transmitters.htm#77000

Bert

Post by **TANE** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:54 pm

Bert,
This means I can simple add this and will have an extra comport for connecting ctx35 to the RFXcom ethernet?
and on my PC I simple connect an extra comport via CPR?

What are the experience's with this kind of connections?

Enver

Post by **DMB** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:26 pm

Chak,

I've tested the serial interface in the RFXCOM USB interface (Not the ethernetinterface) together with the CTX35 and homeseer.
Everything looks well but after 1 day the connection was lost.
Maybe because of a buffer overflow. I did not figure out the reason.
According to me the CTX35 only uses the RX and TX and no handshaking.

In combination with the ethernetinterface it is possible to define some additional parameters. Bert can tell you more about it.

DMB

Post by **TANE** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 3:28 pm

@DMB
thanks for the info.