Arduino and Omni PRO II via serial - first working code.

[ubergeek]

I just upgraded to 1.6.1 today from 1.5.1 that I was learning on. I was unaware of the 1.7 plugin but will look into it...I didi notice some goodgle forums that you had posted on repenhab during my search for tutorials, etc.
 
does it propose to provide some additional functionality? My 1.6 plugin seems stable so far today.
 
I agree, also running openhab on ubuntu (desktop though in an esxi VM)...although many say it can run ok on Rpi's...I haven't felt the need yet.

 

[pete_c]

Thank-you UberGeek
 
Yeah V1.6 didn't have some stuff; IE: temperature, humidity sensor, audio stuff, etc.
 
Its really sort of difficult to find the posts relating to the requests of stuff seen on the plugin though.
 
Crawls on the RPi.  Runs OK on a dual core atom.
 
I've attached 1.7 to play with.
 
View attachment org.openhab.binding.omnilink-1.7.0-SNAPSHOT.zip

 

[ubergeek]

ah great...Thanks. Will plug it in now.

 

[pete_c]

Watch the logs; it connects fine, gets some data then disconnects. 
 

18:11:59.347 [OmniConnectionThread] DEBUG o.o.b.o.internal.OmniLinkBinding - OmniConnectionThread connected

18:11:59.456 [OmniConnectionThread] INFO  o.o.b.o.internal.OmniLinkBinding - System: SystemStatus ( timeDateValid = true    year = 15    month = 1    day = 3    dayOfWeek = 6    hour = 18    minute = 11    second = 56    daylightSavings = false    sunriseHour = 7    sunriseMinute = 19    sunsetHour = 16    sunsetMinute = 32    batteryReading = 230    alarms = {}     )

18:11:59.586 [Scanner-1] DEBUG org.eclipse.jetty.util.Scanner - scanned [/opt/openhab/webapps]: {}
18:11:59.594 [Scanner-2] DEBUG org.eclipse.jetty.util.Scanner - scanned [/opt/openhab/contexts]: {}

18:11:59.619 [OmniConnectionThread] ERROR o.o.b.o.internal.OmniLinkBinding - Could not connect to system

java.lang.NullPointerException: null
        at org.openhab.binding.omnilink.internal.ui.OmnilinkItemGenerator.generateUnits(OmnilinkItemGenerator.java:250) ~[na:na]
        at org.openhab.binding.omnilink.internal.ui.OmnilinkItemGenerator.generateItemsAndGroups(OmnilinkItemGenerator.java:159) ~[na:na]
        at org.openhab.binding.omnilink.internal.OmniLinkBinding$OmniConnectionThread.run(OmniLinkBinding.java:410) ~[na:na]

18:11:59.620 [OmniConnectionThread] DEBUG o.o.b.o.internal.OmniLinkBinding - OmniConnectionThread trying to connect

18:11:59.622 [OmniReaderThread] ERROR o.o.b.o.internal.OmniLinkBinding - OmniConnectionThread was disconnected, will try again

java.net.SocketException: Socket closed

 

[BobS0327]

@ pete_c, ubergeek.
FYI
I discussed this issue with Digital Dan via the Openhab forum.  He suggested to change omnilink:generateItems=true to false.  I followed his direction and the above problem was resolved.  I'm using the 1.61 binding
 
Also, I'm seriously considering openhab as my primary HA package.  I like it because it's open source and it uses OSGi which will allow me to write my own bindings (plugins).  I don't want to hijack this thread, so I started anothe openhab thread listed below.
http://cocoontech.com/forums/topic/27572-openhab-and-other-open-source-home-automation-packages/?p=224761

 

[pete_c]

Thank-you Bob.  It would be better to start a new thread right here under the HAI stuff.
 
Started the new thread here.

 

[vismart]

Hi, tigers!
 
How can I contact you?

 

[tigers]

you can mail me at: tigers AT europe DOT com

 

[pete_c]

@tigers,
 
Have you played with one of the little micro Arduino boards?  I am thinking they are called Trinkets?
 

 
I guess they are called pro mini's
 

 

[tigers]

the one in the second picture totally looks like a nano, and I have used them a lot. They're basically a stepped down version of the basic Arduino UNO, almost fully compatible on software level, and with very minor hardware differences (of course some tweaking is necessary if you wanto to use a regular arduino shield with it. Chinese clones are as cheap as 3/4 $. They're very good and I'd recommend them for projects where space is important. I also have managed to connect them to the internet with the very cheap ENCJ chips. With less than 10 $ you can have a full working "internet of the things" gateway.
 
I built a remote thermostat with that, connected to the web and with a temperature and humidity internet log and a web interface for setup.
 
The one in the first picture is instead an AtTiny85. It's a chip from Atmel (the same that manufactures the Arduino chip). It's only partially compatible with Arduino mainly due to very strict limitations on the hardware side. It's very tiny as the same suggests and you can do some good things with it where the space is very low (the one you posted is a board with the ATTiny and some other non necessary component on board, you could just strip it down to the main chip, but the price is just a little less than the Arduino Nano (so not worth the hassle in my opinion); also it needs a USB hardware interface for programming, while the Nano is (almost) plug and play in every PC. I never used one of these.
 
If you need help with them feel free to ask.

 

[pete_c]

Thank you Tigers.
 
I am still in the mode of the smallest device that I can fit inside of my OPII (overcrowded today) can. 
 
I have expanded HAI OPII to another can but not wanting to use it for this endeavour. 
 
I also purchased one of those new Intel based mini boards to play with for said endeavor.
 
I am still using the micro TP-Link router with an expansion board on it.  It is sort of big.  I am powering it via the OPII.
 
I want to see if I can it the mini arduino board inside of the case for the TP-link micro router. (well and still looking for a tiny RTC to fit inside of it).

 

[tigers]

If you consider the micro TP-Link "sort of big then... :blink:
 
I'd go with the Nano, that let's you do anything I wrote before. If you are going for the smallest possible solution consider that the UART communication to program the Nano can be stripped out, and it gets even smaller (but you need an external power source then, can't get it from the USB).
Also if you need ethernet connectivity for the Arduino you need something like this:
http://www.ebay.it/itm/MINI-Modulo-Ethernet-LAN-Rete-ENC28J60-compatibile-Arduino-PIC-51-AVR-LPC-STM32-/301488588924?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_101&hash=item46321ec87c
or this:
http://www.ebay.it/itm/MODULO-NETWORK-CON-CHIP-WIZNET-W5100-per-ARDUINO-/360865164002?pt=Altro_Elettronica_e_Elettricit%C3%A0&hash=item54053d6ae2
 
the w5100 is way more performing and less RAM-consuming (you have 2k on board, not much to waste!) but also a little bigger.
I'm doing perfectly fine with the ENC28J60 with my remote thermostat, but if you want reliability and performance go with the w5100.

 

[pete_c]

Thank you Tigers.
 
There is no room for much in my HAI OPII can lately.

 

[dementeddigital]

Thank you Tigers.
 
There is no room for much in my HAI OPII can lately.

 
What else do you have in there?  Pics?  (Curiosity mixed with jealousy!)
 
I'm following this thread with much interest, as I'm planning on my second OPII install.  (New house)
 
If you guys want to do any custom electronic hardware, let me know.  We can collaborate on a design.  I don't mind doing the schematic and board layout, and I know of a place where we can get inexpensive boards fabricated.

 

[pete_c]

Nothing much other stacked zone expanders and expanded panel to a second panel. 
 
I am also using a modded with DD-WRT TP-Link micro router, wireless pieces, serial pieces and powered by the panel.
 
It is velcroed over the NIC port and powered by the HAI OPII panel today.
 
The original direction with the micro router was to add an RTC clock and more programming for email stuff, except the microrouter doesn't have enough play space and is kind of slow running at 400Mhz.  I can do email with it fine.  It is kind of a miniature HAI email board/expansion board.  (3" X 3" X 1" and two NIC ports, wireless and a USB hub on it).   IE: it has both network (in and out) and serial connectivity to the OPII panel.