SmartLabs announces first Insteon chip

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Jan. 4, 2006--SmartLabs Inc., the world's leading authority in electronic home improvement and automation, today announced availability of the first INSTEON chip. The wireline modem chip is the first of a new family of chips, for its INSTEON technology, the new standard in home control networking technology.

INSTEON uses a dual-mesh (wireline and radio frequency) communications technology to link together core home systems such as lighting, security, comfort control, security systems, home sensors, consumer electronics and appliances for remote monitoring and control.

The chips begin shipping in Q1 2006 and will be available via the INSTEON website. They are priced at $1.60 with no minimum order quantity. The INSTEON RF Chip will be available in Q2.

"We are committed to encouraging the development of electronic home improvement and automation products through the availability of a low-cost technology, INSTEON powerline modem chips are half the price of competitive offerings -- plus the technology is more versatile, reliable and simpler to use," said Dan Cregg, SmartLabs' chief technology officer. "Our development partners can pass the cost savings along to consumers, ensuring a broader market for their products."

Pricing details

-- The INSTEON powerline modem chip is $1.60 per chip

-- The INSTEON RF modem chip will be $2.90 per chip

Smart Labs will make chips available via the web with no minimum order requirements for chip purchases.

About SmartLabs Inc.

Founded in 1992, SmartLabs Inc. is the world's leading authority on electronic home improvement and automation. SmartLabs is organized into three companies: Smarthome Direct, which includes Smarthome.com, "the Amazon of electronic home improvement" (Newsweek, 2004); SmartLabs Design, creators of best-in-class home control products; and SmartLabs Technology, the pioneering architects of INSTEON. SmartLabs' INSTEON Alliance offers a focused community for developers to incorporate the INSTEON standard into their products. SmartLabs products are sold to an international customer base via the Web, phone and retail outlets, as well as to professional dealers and installers through SmarthomePro. The company's online catalog can be found at www.smarthome.com; information regarding INSTEON can be found at www.insteon.net. SmartLabs (www.smartlabsinc.com) is headquartered in Irvine, Calif.
 
Couldn't find any detailed information, but this page has an email address of a person that might be able to get that data. If you get it, please let me know, I can host the PDF files.
 
The "Insteon Compared" document is interesting reading, in that it does a nice flyover of all the HA protocols that we discuss here regularly. The technical information is mid-level and does a nice job of explaining the interoperability of the various systems. The short history blurb of each technology is also interesting. Of course, it does use a lot of sales-speak but its still a worthwhile read.

Btw, does Martin sell those Insteon developer kits or must they be bought from Smarthome?
 
I think you have to buy the developer kits from Smarthome as they track closely access to the deveolper forums that way.

I just ordered mine.

Of course I'll be kicking myself if Martin does sell them right away...
 
I'm interested in the serial kit. Does it come with a document with all the serial commands that you need to implement a controller applicaiton (such as build up a device list, send receive commands, status)?
 
Based on what I've heard the kit comes with a 2414s controller, cables and a lamplinc module. You then get access to the all the Insteon example code, developer forums, etc. I'm not sure yet if there are straight serial commands.

I can let you know more when the kit arrives...
 
SpaceCowboy said:
I think you have to buy the developer kits from Smarthome as they track closely access to the deveolper forums that way.

I just ordered mine.

Of course I'll be kicking myself if Martin does sell them right away...
Part of the order process is acceptance of their Developer License Agreement. Not an unsurmountable obstacle, but that may be why it hasn't been offered elsewhere (plus they clearly want to track that per the recent press release on how many people were 'developing' this technology).
 
Guy Lavoie said:
I'm interested in the serial kit. Does it come with a document with all the serial commands that you need to implement a controller applicaiton (such as build up a device list, send receive commands, status)?
It's been a while since I played with it, but the SDK does include documentation for the data structure for messages sent to and received from the interface.

I implemented a VERY simple interface between HS and Insteon using this documentation (basically, the ability to turn lights on and off). I ignored handshaking and error checking, though, in order to keep my interface a simple script.

My interface isn't fancy, but it's been working in day-to-day operations for several months now - although I'm only controlling 2 lights with it.
 
That's good smee, the kind of user experience I was looking for. Do you know what baud rate the serial interface operates at? I don't necessarily want to talk to it from a PC...
 
Guy Lavoie said:
That's good smee, the kind of user experience I was looking for. Do you know what baud rate the serial interface operates at? I don't necessarily want to talk to it from a PC...
Not control it from a PC? I never thought of that. :)

I don't remember the baud rate offhand - I can check later if nobody chimes in.
 
Guy Lavoie said:
BraveSirRobbin said:
smee said:
Not control it from a PC? I never thought of that. :)
Remember Guy's latest purchase smee!?!?! :)
Actually, I'm thinking microcontroller here...8051
I was thinking AVR, myself, as those are my processors of choice right now.

I got the serial version of the interface (instead of USB) for two reasons:
1) easy script interface from Homeseer
2) microcontrollers (don't want to implement a USB host and stack if I don't need to)
 
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