Elk M1 Roadmap

[upstatemike]

I don't think Elk, nor any other company will ever publish a roadmap or talk about a feature before it is already on the board or in Beta. Too many get burned when they talk about stuff and then for whatever reason abandon it.

OK, fair enough. Let me at least propose the roadmap I’d like to see Elk publish if they were inclined to publish one. Maybe it will give them some ideas:

ELK-INSTEON SUPPORT (available January, 2006)
M1 Firmware upgrade

Adds full support for Insteon lighting control using an ELK-M1XSP serial expander and Insteon Serial PowerLinc Controller - 2414S

FEATURES:
• Full support of all Insteon features
• Operates simultaneously with other lighting protocols


ELK-VWS SUPPORT (available February, 2006)
M1 Firmware upgrade

Adds full support for a wide variety of weather stations through a serial link between an ELK-M1XSP serial expander and a PC running Ambient Virtual Weather Station software. Will also work using an Ethernet link between an ELK-M1XEP Ethernet adapter and a LAN connected PC running Ambient Virtual Weather Station software.

FEATURES:
• User configurable link to remote PC
• User configurable file path to VWS .csv file
• User configurable data polling rate
• New data locations for storing weather station variables
• Weather station variables allow negative numbers for below zero temperatures
• Weather station variables may be embedded in ASCII messages to other devices
• Weather station variables may be displayed at any keypad
• Weather station variables may be spoken in voice messages
• New rules to trigger events when a weather station variable changes value
• New rules to trigger events when thermostat set points change value


ELK-M1TTS (available March, 2006)
M1 Text to Speech Adapter

Adds hardware based text to speech output to the M1 Gold or M1EZ8 Controls. Operates from 4-wire data bus. Up to 16 of these can be used to speak simultaneous or independent messages.

FEATURES:
• Will speak text strings in male or female voice
• Text strings may be sent to one or all adapters
• Large buffer to queue multiple text strings
• Text header determines destination, priority, and male or female voice
• New messages will queue or interrupt based on priority value
• Operates on the 4-Wire Data Bus
• DIP Switch Address Settings
• Flash Memory for Firmware Updating
• Vertical Mounting using ELK-SWG Glides(included)
• Replaces ELK MV-480 for multiple speaking zone applications.

ELK-M1XFA (available April, 2006)
M1 16 Zone Fire Alarm Expander

Adds 16 fire alarm zones (EOL resistor supervised) to the M1 Gold or M1EZ8 Controls. Operates from 4-wire data bus. Up to 12 of these can be used, increasing total zones (inputs) to 208

FEATURES:
• Supports 2-wire and 4-wire smoke detectors on all zones
• Supports integrated audible devices
• Supports supervised auxiliary power module
• Supports maintenance signals and “clean me†alerts
• Operates on the 4-Wire Data Bus
• DIP Switch Address Settings
• Flash Memory for Firmware Updating
• Vertical Mounting using ELK-SWG Glides(included)

ELK-M1XAN (available May, 2006)
M1 8 Zone Analog Input Expander

Adds 8 analog input zones to the M1 Gold or M1EZ8 Controls. Operates from 4-wire data bus. Up to 24 of these can be used, increasing total zones (inputs) to 208

FEATURES:
• 0-5V range in 255 steps
• Gain and Offset settings to scale each input to the proper range of values
• 5V supply and ground connections for powering analog devices
• Events can be triggered on any changes to analog value
• Analog input value may be embedded in ASCII messages to other devices
• Analog input value may be displayed at any keypad
• Analog input value may be spoken in voice messages
• Operates on the 4-Wire Data Bus
• DIP Switch Address Settings
• Flash Memory for Firmware Updating
• Vertical Mounting using ELK-SWG Glides(included)

ELK-M1VID (available June, 2006)
M1 Text to Video Adapter

Adds hardware based text to video output to the M1 Gold or M1EZ8 Controls. Operates from 4-wire data bus. Up to 8 of these can be used to output video modulated text to modulators and security camera feeds.

FEATURES:
• Will output text strings to composite video jack
• Has feed-through jacks so text may be overlaid onto an existing video feed
• Output can feed TVs, modulators or security monitors
• Text header determines text size, color, and position on screen
• Operates on the 4-Wire Data Bus
• DIP Switch Address Settings
• Flash Memory for Firmware Updating
• Vertical Mounting using ELK-SWG Glides(included)

ELK-xPL SUPPORT (available July, 2006)
M1 Firmware upgrade

Allows the M1 Gold or M1EZ8 Controls to transmit and receive xPL automation messages through an ELK-M1XEP Ethernet adapter.

FEATURES:
• Transmits xPL messages through an ELK-M1XEP Ethernet adapter.
• Can trigger events based on incoming xPL messages
• Supports communication with xPL enabled devices such as Tivo and SlimServer

ELK-M1XIR (available August, 2006)
M1 8 Zone IR Output Expander

Adds 8 IR output zones to the M1 Gold or M1EZ8 Controls. Operates from 4-wire data bus.

FEATURES:
• Stores 512 IR commands
• Compatible with all IR frequency ranges and formats
• Commands may be sent to one or all zones
• All zones have a return path for IR input
• Can trigger events based on IR input
• Can repeat received IR input on any or all IR output zones
• Optional voice confirmation of each IR command trnsmitted
• Operates on the 4-Wire Data Bus
• DIP Switch Address Settings
• Flash Memory for Firmware Updating
• Vertical Mounting using ELK-SWG Glides(included)

 

[elcano]

ELK-M1TTS (available March, 2006)
M1 Text to Speech Adapter

Adds hardware based text to speech output to the M1 Gold or M1EZ8 Controls. Operates from 4-wire data bus. Up to 16 of these can be used to speak simultaneous or independent messages.

FEATURES:
• Will speak text strings in male or female voice
• Text strings may be sent to one or all adapters
• Large buffer to queue multiple text strings
• Text header determines destination, priority, and male or female voice
• New messages will queue or interrupt based on priority value
• Operates on the 4-Wire Data Bus
• DIP Switch Address Settings
• Flash Memory for Firmware Updating
• Vertical Mounting using ELK-SWG Glides(included)
• Replaces ELK MV-480 for multiple speaking zone applications.

May add something to the TTS? Foreign languages supported. At least Spanish.

 

[Steve]

Sounds like a very nice albeit aggressive wish list. I'm all for it. The only one I know for absolute sure is Insteon, and Touch Screens which weren't mentioned.

 

[Guy Lavoie]

I have to agree that multilanguage support would be a good thing, and one more major feature that would distinguish the Elk from other alarm panels. I have not even installed my own Elk yet but I did download the latest flash upgrade and on a lark, I went through the binary file to look for text strings and found a whole bunch of status and commmand messages near the end, which is a good prospect for translating at least some of those into another language (french in my case...which would certainly improve WAF!).

 

[elcano]

I have to use up all the Custom voice memory slots to record custom message in Spanish because the low salary security guards at the from gate of the place where I live would not understand any message in English. The same would happen with police and all security related personnel. About 70% of the population here understand English (specially written), but I cannot assume these guards will understand it. Most probably they will become confused by the English message.

I assume the same would happen to Elk customers in Quebec.

 

[upstatemike]

Sounds like a very nice albeit aggressive wish list. I'm all for it. The only one I know for absolute sure is Insteon, and Touch Screens which weren't mentioned.

I didn't metion touch screens because they are already in the works and I don't really use them anyway. I did forget to include IR though so I'll go back and add that.

As for being an aggressive schedule, I don't agree. Smarthome introduces new Insteon products every month and most people would say they are not moving as fast as they should. Monthly products from Elk should be reasonable, especially if some are just firmware updates.

Most of these things already exist in various competing products, I just want Elk to offer them on their system and create a single universal HA platform. I think they should complete this during 2006 so they can devote their attention in 2007 to inventing cool new features not currently offered by anybody else.

 

[Spanky]

Great input Mike. Many of your suggestions are in consideration or in the talking stage.

You are talking my bosses language. Get'ur Done!!

 

[electron]

This is one of the major features I would like to see added/supported:

Proxy mode for serial devices attached to one of the XSP's:
This would allow you to specify which XSP the M1 will act as a proxy for. Doing this allows you to directly connect to the device, by connecting to the Elk main serial port. Examples:

• Ocelot: this would allow you to manage your Ocelot, update the programming, and troubleshoot the device.
• W800RF: useful for debugging, especially when trying to find out what security codes the DS10A's are sending out, so they can be used in the Elk RP software.
• UPB serial interface: now you don't have to move your interface to the computer, whenever you want to make a few small adjustments to one of the UPB devices.

I am sure there are many other reasons why this would be a good idea, but those are the ones that I could think of right away.

The Elk M1 would have to be in 'dumb mode' while you are connected to such a device, so that it doesn't bother transmitting updates etc to the main serial port, and screw things up.