Is anyone using Premise Home Control?

[pm2000]

BTW, I have an extra VAUX LE-800AV matrix switcher for use with Premise. This is probably the best matrix switcher for use with distributed audio in Premise. The native Premise driver for Vaux has a well implemented RS232 protocol and is therefore very reliable in handling audio switching between MediaZones.

It took me almost a year to acquire one of these on eBay since they are normally only available via Vaux dealers. I finally found an LE-800AV model that was taken out of a custom modified Cadillac Escalade. The integrator who sold it to me said the switcher was used with 6 TV screens inside the car! The only downside was that the integrator had to reduce the size of the VAUX case to fit inside the limited space in the car. As a result the box is only 12in wide instead of the regular 19in wide rack mount size. I got it for a bargain price of $490. The dealer price is somewhere around 3 grand. Once connected, the switcher worked like a charm. I used it to switch MP3 and Radio audio sources to 8 locations inside the house.

Anyway, I later managed to acquire an LE-1600A model and so I am putting the LE-800AV up for sale. I am willing to sell it for the same price I paid for it - $490. This is a great switcher, and considering how rarely it comes up on eBay would be a great buy for a Premise enthusiast.

The switcher comes with a custom serial cable I made for a UDS-10. Just plug and play.

The user manual for the 8x8switcher can be found here:
http://www.vauxelectronics.com/archive/200..._manual_6_4.pdf

Send me a note or call me at 617.335.9424 if you are interested.

Patrik

 

[123]

...
The best thing about Premise is how extendable it is. You can write script or native drivers for just about any device. The GUI browser is customizable and you can implement new browsers for new devices. I installed my system a few months after it became unsupported. I would normally never use an end-of-lifed product but there just was not anything like it.
...

Your HA equipment is considerably more complex than what I currently have in place. I'm glad to hear that it works well for you because it gives me confidence that I'll be able to successfully convert my meager configuration.

I've scoured the old forums and downloaded many of the posted drivers and modules. I'm using inexpensive Audreys as touchscreens and the xbrowser/taskpad modules appear to be the easiest way to support them (given that they are not Windows-based and therefore cannot use the default AutomationBrowser using SYSconnector). Worst case, I can use the Minibroker interface to expose Premise's objects to custom .NET code and develop my own web interface.

The key Premise piece would be a driver for the Elk M1. However, although I see scripting support for serial port and IR interfaces, I don't see anything for TCP/IP. The tutorials show how to use a network-interface "dongle", a LANtronix UDS10, to interface between Premise and serial-port-based equipment. My M1 already has an Ethernet interface and I want to talk to it directly from a Premise module using scripting ... but I don't see any programming interface for Ethernet. Maybe I just need to review the docs again ...

PS
You may want to post the Vaux switcher in the For Sale forum.

 

[electron]

FWIW, I wrote a VBscript driver for the Elk M1, it should be easy to make it work with Premise. As for IP connectivity, check out the hw_vsp software. I used to use this with my VBscript driver, so I know it will work.

 

[Waynedb]

The key Premise piece would be a driver for the Elk M1. However, although I see scripting support for serial port and IR interfaces, I don't see anything for TCP/IP. The tutorials show how to use a network-interface "dongle", a LANtronix UDS10, to interface between Premise and serial-port-based equipment. My M1 already has an Ethernet interface and I want to talk to it directly from a Premise module using scripting ... but I don't see any programming interface for Ethernet. Maybe I just need to review the docs again ...

If a few people that can write drivers started using Premise it would be great, I am sure others would like an Elk M1 driver. Have you joined the Yahoo group? The guy that runs the Yahoo group wrote some nice drivers(Insteon and Upnp AV) but it still lacks support for a lot of stuff out there. Zwave support would be nice, I planned to switch all my lighting to Lutron but I keep putting off buying it. The GUI is the one area that Premise really shows its age.

 

[samgreco]

I've always thought that having the old xLobby as a frontend for Premise would have been great. Or at least anything as skinnable.

 

[Waynedb]

I've always thought that having the old xLobby as a frontend for Premise would have been great. Or at least anything as skinnable.

I read somewhere that Cinemar was working on making Main Lobby work with Premise before Motorola bought Premise, too bad they didn't ever finish it.

 

[123]

Dan,
Thanks for the tip about hw_vsp ... I might just need it if I don't find a way to open a socket within Premise. I'll check out your myElk driver to get ideas about how to develop one for Premise. I have two other sources: there's an Elk driver for Housebot (also in VBscript) and the Perl version I described in a How To. The Perl version is object-oriented and may transition nicely to Premise's object-oriented architecture.

Waynedb,
I learn best from examples and I've downloaded many of the modules and drivers posted in the Yahoo group and the original forum. There are several interesting additions that clearly demonstrate that one can continue to extend Premise's capabilities.

I'm don't dislike the default AutomationBrowser's appearance but it is simplistic compared to current offerings. Fortunately, it is completely customizable albeit programmatically and not via drag 'n drop.


BTW, do any of you Premise gurus know how to set up an HR12A (an X10 PalmPad) in Premise? I'm stumped!

I added the X10 driver in order to create an MR26 RF receiver device. In turn, I can create an HR12A sub-device. The HR12a device exposes all of the buttons (Button1On, Button1Off, etc) incuding the bright and dim buttons. However, a real HR12A is assigned a House Code whereas Premise's HR12A does not contain a property to hold the House Code. So what the heck do you bind an HR12A button to? How do you indicate the X10 code sent when a button is pressed?

In comparison, the X10 Motion Sensor device (another sub-device of the MR26 device) includes the X10_Transmitter class containing the House and Unit Code properties. You bind it with a generic Motion Sensor object, provide the codes, and you're done.

 

[DavidL]

I've always thought that having the old xLobby as a frontend for Premise would have been great. Or at least anything as skinnable.

I read somewhere that Cinemar was working on making Main Lobby work with Premise before Motorola bought Premise, too bad they didn't ever finish it.

Hmmm, I don't remember that. Not to say that we didn't start or engage in dialouge, just out of sight, out of mind

 

[Waynedb]

I've always thought that having the old xLobby as a frontend for Premise would have been great. Or at least anything as skinnable.

I read somewhere that Cinemar was working on making Main Lobby work with Premise before Motorola bought Premise, too bad they didn't ever finish it.

Hmmm, I don't remember that. Not to say that we didn't start or engage in dialouge, just out of sight, out of mind

Maybe it was one of your users then, I know I read somthing about this when I first started using Premise.
I thought I read it on your forums, I will have to do a web search.

I found this. http://www.cinemaronlineforums.com/forum/v...319786b12d5c1c7