Comments on: Apple iPad and Home Automation

By: Jarrod

Jarrod — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:26:06 +0000

MIchael: We are able to directly control C-BUS as long as you send the right commands. Someone has even created a program which sits in the C-BUS Touchscreen and can talk directly with our built in protocol, so join 1 would activate lighting group 1, etc.

Please post on our Google Group for further support (or email us directly via our contact page)

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:15:47 +0000

This looks to be a fantastic value proposition - iViewer on the Apple tablet looks to be way in front of anything available - well done.

Have you tested iViewer with Clipsal C-Bus? Does this require a plugin/module from you or is it simply a matter of assigning a task to a button to send a valid C-Bus command to the IP address:port of the C-Bus NNI?

By: James

James — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:12:19 +0000

Great.

I’m overseas at the moment. Can’t wait to get back and give it a go. (Hoping it is just like any other iPhone scrollable list!)

By: admin

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:43:09 +0000

James: iViewer supports scrolling lists - it has for quite a while now. Please see the ‘developers manual’ pdf from the Downloads page for the list protocol. Currently this only works with systems using OUR protocol (so requires a powerful backend system such as Crestron/AMX), but a release in the near future will allow parsing data to lists via ANY protocol using our powerful regular expression engine.

By: James

James — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:33:01 +0000

This opens up serious promise. The day the iPhone came out it became overtly obvious that the expensive AMX/Crestron touch panels we have been programming are now expensive junk.

Command fusion has some opportunities here to fix a few things. Most notably is scrolling lists… Please don’t leave us with having to do selects from lists by updating serial joins - this is the worst thing about AMX/Crestron touch panels. Send the whole list to the iPad and let us scroll it smooth iPhone style.

The main other problem with wifi devices is connection time… apple at least is quite fast at this. I assume command fusion knows whether it is connected.

Last issue is the apple restriction. The iPad won’t boot into the touch panel software…

Bring on the iPad. Bring on scrolling lists (don’t forget this feature - you will bury AMX/Crestron panels with it).

By: Nathan

Nathan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:01:06 +0000

Bernardo . . . If you need some help, you can reach me at goldschlager@gmail.com

By: Nathan

Nathan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:58:19 +0000

Vantage Controls can be used with Command Fusion, currently their Host commands are listed as classified. I wonder if they are anticipating lower touchscreen sales . . . Good thing I downloaded them before they were black listed.

By: Jarrod

Jarrod — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:51:49 +0000

Bernardo: Our app already works with Vantage. You just need to know the commands to send. Another Vantage user told me the commands were something like: BTN vid#\x0D, where vid# is a unique number given to each task set up in vantage.

By: Bernardo Stockder

Bernardo Stockder — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:24:53 +0000

Hi Jarrod. We are equally eager to get our hands on an iPad. We are custom installers in Mexico, recently abandoned AMX (last century´s technology with now an unreasonably high cost). But we are still selling and installing Vantage lighting control systems. Any chance that a module for Vantage will be available from you in the near future? Thanks, Bernardo.

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:58:55 +0000

Thanks Jarrod, Nice to know someone is looking into the possibility. I’m certainly not a programmer just yet but I am looking into getting into systems integration as a business in the coming years.

I would be willing to pay good money for a reliable 10p interface on a Apple Tablet….after all, a 10p is 2500 USD MAP price, and the Tablet with higher res screen (although slightly smaller), Lighter, thinner, smaller is 499USD! Worth the software costs for what would be a great product to supply to clients.

I’ll be watching the site closely for any developments with the HAI stuff.

Cheers,
Tony.