[slinkelist] Is there any chance of Firecracker support?

[Jon Welfringer]

I think the real benefit of the CM11a that I've not heard mentioned is
that it is a two-way device.  This means that CDJ can send and receive
X10 events.  I'm much more inclined to have CDJ receive and respond to
X10 events to generate play lists than to have it send out commands to
turn lights on and off.

The one-way nature of the firecracker means that it will only send out
commands from CDJ.  Reliability will stink because you first send the
signal through a serial port (hack) device which then sends an RF signal
to a TM751 device which then sends the command out the powerline.  IMHO,
the reliability and strength (voltage) of a powerline signal is MUCH
MUCH greater with the CM11 than it is with the TM751.

Something else to think about with the CM11a interface is the level of
integration it gives you with IR input/output combined with X10
input/output.  Using CDJ MAPS or your own program, you can get a lot of
the functionality that higher end home automation packages provide.  ie.
With the press of a button on a X10 Palmpad you can power up the amp,
select a playlist, turn on/off/dim the lights, adjust the volume, etc.

Where else can you get this kind of added home automation functionality
for under $50?

- Jon


Brian L Hunt wrote:
> 
> David, the benefit of Firecracker support is that the device is a
> passthrough device. The CM11a has no passthrough ports. Unless I am missing
> the obvious this means that the user needs two serial ports (and potentially
> a third for a modem to do the look-ups on CDDB) when using a CM11a plus
> slink-e. Adding to the problem is the use of notebooks as a common machine
> for slink-e control. Notebooks typically only have one physical serial port
> so its CM11a or slink-e.
> 
> Perhaps other users of CM11a might comment on how they are dealing with the
> serial port requirements?
> 
> Brian
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com [mailto:slinkelist-admin@nirvis.com]On
> > Behalf Of David Aue
> > Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 1:06 PM
> > To: Jay Pfaffman
> > Cc: cboles@nirvis.com; slinkelist@nirvis.com
> > Subject: Re: [slinkelist] Is there any chance of Firecracker support?
> >
> >
> > Hi Jay,
> >
> > We've considered firecracker support but it is way down on along list of
> > things and since we have CM11a it's not much of a priority.  In
> > other words
> > it might happen but I wouldn't hold my breath.
> >
> > David Aue
> > Nirvis Systems
> >
> > At 01:40 PM 1/19/00 , Jay Pfaffman wrote:
> > >I, like several on the list, bought a Firecracker package because it
> > >was really cheap.  Now I've bought a bit more X11 stuff & of course
> > >want Slinke/CDJ to control it all.  Colby, is there any chance you'll
> > >add support for the firecracker any time soon (I have no idea what's
> > >involved & don't know if it's 2 hours or 200) or should I buy a CM11a?
> > >
> > >I'm checking x10.com's site & don't see cm11a at first glance.  It's
> > >there somewhere, right?
> > >
> > >(Completely off topic: After a year of having two 200 cd changers, I
> > >had to buy a new one.  For the first time I read the manual to
> > >discover why I've never been able to get mega-control to work--set the
> > >ID of the changer to be controlled to 3.  Now I can see how it
> > >interferes with CDJ's work. Alas, my CDJ computer died & I have to
> > >wait for its repair.)
> > >
> > >--
> > >Jay Pfaffman                           pfaffman@relax.com
> > >+1-615-343-1720 (office)               +1-615-460-9299 (home)
> > >http://relax.ltc.vanderbilt.edu/~pfaffman/
> > >
> > >
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