Alternatives to z-wave/x-10
John
years - but have finally tired of the constant science project of
keeping everything talking to each other and have abandoned any active
control.
(Disparaging the product in any way usually brings out a few zealots
who explain that *they* don't have any trouble, so I must be a stupid
neanderthal. If you're ready to pounce again, please do me a favor and
spare me. Believe me, I'm glad it works well for you. I have more
noisy crap than you do, and not the time to mess with it.)
Anyway, a few months ago I noticed a startup with an RF approach and
was a little heartened. Is that z-wave, or are there others? Any with
any hope of capturing enough market to be able to offer a range of
reasonably priced products? Reading postings about z-wave made me
conclude that they weren't going to be the one.
Dave Houston
I understand that UPB products (from PCS) are about to hit the market.
Unfortunately, the only reports on the technology have come from PCS or from
distributors. I think we'll have to wait a bit to see whether it lives up to
its advance billing. It looks like it will be priced at least as high as
Z-Wave, maybe higher. It uses the powerline but in a totally different
manner from X-10. I believe it will coexist with X-10.
http://www.pcslighting.com/UPBDocumentation.htm
GE has a line (GE SmartHome) of inexpensive 1-way RF controlled light &
appliance modules. The current switches and modules are only on/off but the
literature says dimmers are coming. There are several similar 1-way RF
systems in Europe. The reports I've seen on the various European RF systems
have been positive but European regulations allow for higher RF power than
FCC rules so RF range for similar products here will likely be less than in
Europe. (GE has a repeater.) There's no computer interface for the GE
devices but I plan to release one with an RS232/RS485 interface - I've
already written the PIC code for the existing modules.
http://www.geconsumerproducts.com/smarthome/products.htm
Brandon Blackmoor
>
> Anyway, a few months ago I noticed a startup with an
> RF approach and was a little heartened.
I do not know if this is what you are referring to, but the most
interesting development in this area that I know if is Zigbee
<http://www.zigbee.org/>.
bblackmoor
2004-03-21
Robert
I have never heard of z-wave but maybe that is another great American
product that only you Americans get. From what I have ready one of the
next best automation systems is LonWorks and BACnet, I spsoe they
might be a bit excessive for home automation but I recon thats the way
to go, but wireless sounds sweet so I recon you should check the
z-wave out. Would be great to hear more about it actually.
Dave Houston
[snip]
>I have never heard of z-wave but maybe that is another great American
>product that only you Americans get. From what I have ready one of the
>next best automation systems is LonWorks and BACnet, I spsoe they
>might be a bit excessive for home automation but I recon thats the way
>to go, but wireless sounds sweet so I recon you should check the
>z-wave out. Would be great to hear more about it actually.
It came from Scandinavia.
You have Clipsal's Ulti which is similar RF product (although, 1-way, I
think).
Eric Ryherd
seem to be generating a pretty strong following. From the press releases,
they seem to have Intel interested which is the #1 thing they could do to
make it popular (IE:get it on the PC motherboard).
Zigbee is even more interesting but perhaps a bit further into the future.
Zigbee.org has some info on it. Zigbee is based on an IEEE standard
802.15.4. Being standards based is a big plus if it can gain some traction.
But the devices will need to interoperate to be successful. not an easy
thing to do. Even USB is pretty hard to get to interoperate and it's a
really simple protocol at only 12Mbs. (USB2.0 on the otherhand is quite
complex at 480Mbs).
The trick is if they can be made cheaply enough. 802.11 will probably never
be cheap compared to these due to the complexity of the radio and software
(requiring a 32-bit cpu).
"John" <use...@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:bdqr50d54h3hvr4mo...@4ax.com...
Robert L. Bass
> product that only you Americans get. From what I have ready one of the
> next best automation systems is LonWorks and BACnet, I spsoe they
> might be a bit excessive for home automation but I recon thats the way
> to go, but wireless sounds sweet so I recon you should check the
> z-wave out. Would be great to hear more about it actually.
There are international firms developing Z-Wave products already. What will
be marketed and where remains to be seen. Note that at least one of the
detractors who has posted about Z-Wave here has apparently never even seen
it. I have and IMO it is a significant improvement over X10.
Alarm and Home Automation System FAQ
http://www.bass-home.com/faq/masterfaq/faq.htm
Regards,
Robert
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=============================>
Group Moderator
From: "Robert L. Bass" rober...@comcast.net
Date: 3/22/2004 8:55 AM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id: vpidnXOCGd-...@giganews.com
Alarm and Home Automation System FAQ
http://www.clearwater.bbb.org/commonreport.html?bid=41001663
Regards,
Robert
=============================>
Bass Home Electronics
2291 Pine View Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34231
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Think again - **Consumer Beware** - You have been warned.
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John
struggles to stay afloat (these days focussing on video transmitters
and stuff that's easier for a non-techie end user to deal with) and
there is indeed no real market for an aftermarket control system. My
take is that most people don't even know anyone who'd tackle anything
as complicated as replacing a broken light switch, so X10 might as
well be alien technology. So if all 400 of us leap on z-wave or
something similar they'd still close the doors the day the venture
money ran out.
Chuck Yerkes
> Thanks to all for the replies and comments. I fear that X10 itself
> struggles to stay afloat (these days focussing on video transmitters
> and stuff that's easier for a non-techie end user to deal with) and
> there is indeed no real market for an aftermarket control system. My
> take is that most people don't even know anyone who'd tackle anything
> as complicated as replacing a broken light switch, so X10 might as
> well be alien technology. So if all 400 of us leap on z-wave or
> something similar they'd still close the doors the day the venture
> money ran out.
Um, X10.com, the company (of spammers) is just one maker/importer
of devices that speak the X10 protocol.
BSR, afair, patented it back in the 70s and that patent has expired.
Anyhow, lots of folks licensed it through the 90s (and 80s).
So the X10 protocol, annoying as it is, is still around and will
be for a while.
zwave will replace it. CEBUS was gonna kill it in '89 or so and
let our appliances all talk to each other. And many other efforts
have been "going to supplant" X10 over the years.
I don't love the protocol, it's overly simplistic. In 1978, a
1MHz CPU with some memory cost several hundred dollars in volume.
And was large. Several microcontrollers smart enough to read
a signal at speed and talk back (error correction, confirmation,
perhaps an option for external signalling) are pennies per, in
industrial volumes.
I'd love to see zwave thrive. I'd also like to see protocols
and programmability without NDAs and other ways to close it.