Introducing Z-Command
- Thread starter intulon
- Start date
ChrisCicc
Active Member
intulon said:
In theory, it's best to initiate linking through software, rather than physically remove the Z-Stick and bring it around, which means your Z-Wave system is disabled while you do.
If you didn't embed a radio because you wanted one global device, that would make more sense. I wish you the best of luck (I am no fan of HomeSeer), but you're at a disadvantage to them on price and features right now. You really have to kill it on the software..!
ChrisCicc said:
Z-Command can initiate linking through software. This is available via the API, we disabled it in the web interface to avoid confusion and can re-introduce that with a simple update if users want it.
Our experience is that it is a lot more convenient to pair with the z-stick. The operation does not require a shutdown or a reboot.
pete_c
Guru
Here I find the Z-Wave stick very convenient. relating to programming devices (well like in wall light switches, light modules, appliance modules and door locks). Wireless dowats are easy when the controller is stationary.
Unrelated / related I program the Insteon and UPB stuff via software and can talk to any switch that way. There though I have to initiate the programming at the switch before the software stuff. (well old Insteon stuff).
My Leviton Z-wave remote works similarly except I leave the Z-Wave serial PIM connected then upload the changes to it via the RF device.
The original Homeseer Zee came with the Aeon Z-Wave stick. The orginal Homeseer Z-Troller came with a battery and was portable but larger than a USB stick.
Relating to Zigbee; the current Almond + is a stationary device. Its easy to program the wireless stuff but a real PITA to have to move the touchscreen device to a Z-Wave wall switch to program it. (or Zigbee).
Well too as stated above the firmware is really software anyways. I am running Homeseer 3 automation software on an SD OS that boots up Linux on the RPi (or 2). The software today manages USB connected automation hardware; IE: CM11A (X10), Z-Wave, UPB and Insteon (HSPro3 running on RPi). The event engine has a plug n play interface that you can configure via the browser interface or just manual one line script entries or scripts.
This dialog takes me back to using first version of Homeseer in the late 1990's which I had running with AT&T's text to speech/recognition stuff plus hardware connectivity on an overlocked to 600MHz AMD mobile CPU which was a single core CPU and box did have only 256Mb of memory. The AMD computer was a small footprint job; but it was much larger than an RPi.
BTW Chris; it is you that got me looking at the Kinect/Microsoft (I have switched over to Linux for Automation). I am getting ready to test out the Microsoft Kinect with the little PipoX7 that runs Windows 8.1.
Unrelated / related I program the Insteon and UPB stuff via software and can talk to any switch that way. There though I have to initiate the programming at the switch before the software stuff. (well old Insteon stuff).
My Leviton Z-wave remote works similarly except I leave the Z-Wave serial PIM connected then upload the changes to it via the RF device.
The original Homeseer Zee came with the Aeon Z-Wave stick. The orginal Homeseer Z-Troller came with a battery and was portable but larger than a USB stick.
Relating to Zigbee; the current Almond + is a stationary device. Its easy to program the wireless stuff but a real PITA to have to move the touchscreen device to a Z-Wave wall switch to program it. (or Zigbee).
Well too as stated above the firmware is really software anyways. I am running Homeseer 3 automation software on an SD OS that boots up Linux on the RPi (or 2). The software today manages USB connected automation hardware; IE: CM11A (X10), Z-Wave, UPB and Insteon (HSPro3 running on RPi). The event engine has a plug n play interface that you can configure via the browser interface or just manual one line script entries or scripts.
This dialog takes me back to using first version of Homeseer in the late 1990's which I had running with AT&T's text to speech/recognition stuff plus hardware connectivity on an overlocked to 600MHz AMD mobile CPU which was a single core CPU and box did have only 256Mb of memory. The AMD computer was a small footprint job; but it was much larger than an RPi.
BTW Chris; it is you that got me looking at the Kinect/Microsoft (I have switched over to Linux for Automation). I am getting ready to test out the Microsoft Kinect with the little PipoX7 that runs Windows 8.1.
ChrisCicc
Active Member
pete_c said:
I wasn't familiar with that unit and just checked it out. While we haven't tested that mini pc, we have tested similar CPUs and haven't had an issue. That said, that's probably the lowest level CPU in the lineup, so I'm curious how it does with the Kinect.
As a side note, to hit this price point they must be running Windows 8.1 with Bing, but they don't mention Bing, which means they are already violating their Microsoft licensing agreement lol.
Have you seen the Intel Compute Stick? HDMI stick with Windows 8.1 for $150. Plug one of those into the back of the TV, plug a Kinect into it, and you're good to go. That could be a game changer - I can't wait to get my hands on one.
pete_c
Guru
The licensing issue was my original concern relating to WIndows 8.1. It comes with Bing and 1 year of Microsoft Office 365. It's legit and I am thinking its Microsoft and Intel doing the Android and Arm thing now to win over some customers. It is a different licensing schema for this. It is now a game changer.
The Pipo X7 board has a MFG Intel number on it.
Around Christmas time I did see a few of these (Quad core Intel Atom) around at some good prices here but no operating systems. I also saw the dual core Celerons being given away. Thing is that the Quad core is a bit faster than the Celerons but you can update the Celeron CPU.
XBMC is running fine on these boxes. The plus side of this is that you can do XBMC and Netflix and AOD etc stuff in WIndows 8.1. In Linux XBMC they did get Netflix going for a bit but it changed (all that DRM stuff) and now doesn't work anymore.
There is a Homeseer user (from the Microsoft world) that started to play with the Intel Based Tablets / HDMI stick last year and specifically testing the stuff with the Microsoft Kinect. It works fine today. I am probably getting a Microsoft Intel CPU table soon. I would rather though connect the Kinect to a stand alone little box for the time being.
There is another Homeseer user today running Homeseer Pro edition on the Quad Core Atom mentioned and its doing well for him.
My original Pipo X7 with Windows was a bit under $100. That said the new one purchased was at $39.99. Well now you have a whole little mini pc in a case with OS for just a bit over the price of the RPi2 ($35). Well that and folks are working a W81 OS on a RPi2 these days. I am not sure how the or even if the Kinect will work with the RPi2 running W81 though.
ChrisCicc
Active Member
pete_c said:
Microsoft changed their licensing last year, so that Windows 8.1 with Bing costs only $15. Which is roughly the same as Windows Embedded. There are restrictions in the device though. There is no question it was in response to ARM/Android/Linux. So you'll be seeing a lot more of these Win8/10 mini PCs.
We've tested the Atom (Bay Trail), it works great but you may see a tiny bit of lag with the voice commands. Our new HUB while Celeron, uses the desktop class CPU (i3/i5/i7). For the central controller software, the atom works great, but the desktop class CPUs are better for handling multimedia tasks.
I'm glad to hear the HDMI Computer Stick works well with the Kinect, that will def open up opportunities. The RPI2 won't get Kinect support unless Microsoft builds a driver set for ARM CPUs.
macromark
Active Member
Why not? We're nice guys (and gals)!ChrisCicc said:
The Z-Stick is fine for pairing (including) simple devices but once you get into the more complicated products (door locks, multisensors, thermostats), the software really has to take over and it's best to include with the Z-Stick attached to the system; at least that's what we've found. Even under those conditions, it's still necessary to move the system withing range of the device (or vice versa), since the Z-Stick doesn't support network wide inclusion (NWI). The Z-NET Pete flashed in a previous post supports NWI, so including locks and other complex items can be done via routing slaves that have 4.5x or 6.5x ZDK onboard. BTW, Z-NET is based on the Sigma Z-Wave serial API, so any software that supports that, can use it... if you write a simple TCP driver for it.intulon said:
ChrisCicc
Active Member
macromark said:Why not? We're nice guys (and gals)!
The Z-Stick is fine for pairing (including) simple devices but once you get into the more complicated products (door locks, multisensors, thermostats), the software really has to take over and it's best to include with the Z-Stick attached to the system; at least that's what we've found. Even under those conditions, it's still necessary to move the system withing range of the device (or vice versa), since the Z-Stick doesn't support network wide inclusion (NWI). The Z-NET Pete flashed in a previous post supports NWI, so including locks and other complex items can be done via routing slaves that have 4.5x or 6.5x ZDK onboard. BTW, Z-NET is based on the Sigma Z-Wave serial API, so any software that supports that, can use it... if you write a simple TCP driver for it.
Hey Mark! Don't get me wrong, I respect you guys a lot! Long before founding CastleOS, I was a customer! I was just trying to stay impartial.
About the Z-NET, we are actually considering doing just that. We like the idea of a network addressable Z-Wave interface, rather than the USB stick. And it's series 500 rather than 300. Nice work with that!
-Chris
pete_c
Guru
Cocoontech / Homeseer forums are sister automation sites.
Today here on Cocoontech you do have may DIY Automation and security folks some primarily dealing with hardware and some dealing with software and some with both.
One of the CT admins here still runs Homeseer 1.7 which is working fine for him since around 1998.
@Sola; now you have a larger audience here.
Many of the folks here on Cocoontech and on Homeseer have been automating one way or another for many many years.
Today here on Cocoontech you do have may DIY Automation and security folks some primarily dealing with hardware and some dealing with software and some with both.
One of the CT admins here still runs Homeseer 1.7 which is working fine for him since around 1998.
@Sola; now you have a larger audience here.
Many of the folks here on Cocoontech and on Homeseer have been automating one way or another for many many years.
bucko said:
Better than 3rd party plugins, it has a REST API that you can use with almost any programming language you're comfortable with. For example, you enumerate devices by simply calling http://[your z-command IP address]/api/devices/{filter?}
{filter?} is an optional string that lets you limit the returned objects by device type, location and name.
The list of API's is here:
https://z-command.intulon.com/z-command-user-manual/api/
We will be creating blog posts about how to create 3rd party applications on different platforms over the next few weeks.
ChrisCicc
Active Member
intulon said:
One thing we all learn real quick in this industry is customers won't care about the devices you do support, but rather the devices you don't support. Someone with Z-Wave will want to connect a Nest, then what? Either you do it yourself or you build a plugin feature
