Just wondering about your long term plans. Do you plan on turning it into a money making business at some point? You have obviously spent a lot of time developing it and you are using a .com instead of a .org. Just would like to know before I get too hooked on it.
Thanks
Will HouseBot always be free?
Good question.
I originally wrote HouseBot for myself. I had a Crestron system that I was frustrated with having to call (and pay) the dealer every time I wanted to tweak the UI. I had some ideas and started to work on a solution for ME. Friends encouraged me to share it and one thing led to another. I then put a fair amount of work into making it more 'commercial' by adding on-line help and providing an API to add functionality.
I didn't write it for the money, and have no plans on charging for it. At some point, I may ask for donations but it would be minimal (and optional). I've had people tell me I should charge for it so others don't feel guilty
I went with .com because it is the only TLD that people use naturally. If someone heard about HouseBot, they would naturally try housebot.COM. Don't read too much into the .COM.
Scott
I originally wrote HouseBot for myself. I had a Crestron system that I was frustrated with having to call (and pay) the dealer every time I wanted to tweak the UI. I had some ideas and started to work on a solution for ME. Friends encouraged me to share it and one thing led to another. I then put a fair amount of work into making it more 'commercial' by adding on-line help and providing an API to add functionality.
I didn't write it for the money, and have no plans on charging for it. At some point, I may ask for donations but it would be minimal (and optional). I've had people tell me I should charge for it so others don't feel guilty
I went with .com because it is the only TLD that people use naturally. If someone heard about HouseBot, they would naturally try housebot.COM. Don't read too much into the .COM.
Scott
-
Automate
Sorry to hear you don't like crestron
Scott,
I'm sorry to hear you didn't like your crestron system. I'm a crestron programmer. No offense to your system at all, but the crestron programming software is very easy to use. Your dealer probably just didn't tell you that you can just go to crestron's website and download the software. I'm a self taught crestron programmer. I can honestly say that my very first crestron program was for the Chicago Police Department.
I'm rather new to housebot. I really like the concept, though I'm finding the design model a bit hard to grasp. I suppose I'm probably too used to other systems. I got into housebot to give myself a PDA interface for my AMX system. I was an AMX programmer before I started with Crestron. I've recently acquired a new crestron processor so I might migrate my system to that processor. However, I still want to have an interface on my PDA via 802.11b. I think I'm going to need housebot for that.
If you ever consider going back to crestron, so long as you continue to develop housebot, I'd be happy to help you with your Crestron system. If you have no intention of going back to crestron, I might be willing to buy your old hardware from you.
--Jon--
I'm sorry to hear you didn't like your crestron system. I'm a crestron programmer. No offense to your system at all, but the crestron programming software is very easy to use. Your dealer probably just didn't tell you that you can just go to crestron's website and download the software. I'm a self taught crestron programmer. I can honestly say that my very first crestron program was for the Chicago Police Department.
I'm rather new to housebot. I really like the concept, though I'm finding the design model a bit hard to grasp. I suppose I'm probably too used to other systems. I got into housebot to give myself a PDA interface for my AMX system. I was an AMX programmer before I started with Crestron. I've recently acquired a new crestron processor so I might migrate my system to that processor. However, I still want to have an interface on my PDA via 802.11b. I think I'm going to need housebot for that.
If you ever consider going back to crestron, so long as you continue to develop housebot, I'd be happy to help you with your Crestron system. If you have no intention of going back to crestron, I might be willing to buy your old hardware from you.
--Jon--
Jon,
Actually, I loved the Crestron system. It never let me down and did exactly what it was designed to do. My big complaint was that it was not open to me for modifications. I like to tinker with the UI. Even simple things like using a Christmas theme around the holidays. But I would have to pay the installer for a service call for even the simplest of things. It drove me crazy as a developer to pay somebody $90/hr to drop in a new bitmap.
I did get the Crestron software from their FTP site and played with it for a while. I didn't have the interface cable and was afraid of messing up the whole system. I naively thought that I could write something similar (and make it 2-way which my controller was not) in a few months. Boy did I underestimate! In hindsight, it may have been a better use of my time to explore programming the Crestron more, but HouseBot gives me my daily programming fix.
I'm still holding on to the Crestron stuff. My plan is that when I sell this house and move on, I can reinstall it if needed.
Scott
Actually, I loved the Crestron system. It never let me down and did exactly what it was designed to do. My big complaint was that it was not open to me for modifications. I like to tinker with the UI. Even simple things like using a Christmas theme around the holidays. But I would have to pay the installer for a service call for even the simplest of things. It drove me crazy as a developer to pay somebody $90/hr to drop in a new bitmap.
I did get the Crestron software from their FTP site and played with it for a while. I didn't have the interface cable and was afraid of messing up the whole system. I naively thought that I could write something similar (and make it 2-way which my controller was not) in a few months. Boy did I underestimate! In hindsight, it may have been a better use of my time to explore programming the Crestron more, but HouseBot gives me my daily programming fix.
I'm still holding on to the Crestron stuff. My plan is that when I sell this house and move on, I can reinstall it if needed.
Scott
crestron....
Now you've got me curious....Which Crestron panel do you have? I'm assuming you have a wireless panel, those are the only 1-way panels. I'm also assuming it's a LCD touchpanel because you describe having a GUI. Is it a 1700 or 1700c if it's older it might be a 1500 or 1550c? On the wireless panels, the model number is under the battery. I know what you're saying about the lack of two way. You can easily make the cable needed to program it. Also on Crestron's website, there is a file for download called "cable database". This file contails pinout drawings of every cable that crestron makes or uses. It includes all cables necessary to connect to various equipment as well. If you need a pinout diagram for your specific panel, let me know and I'll email you the pinout. All of the programming cables are 3-wire RS-232. Cables for programming the processor (except the ST-CP and ST-series) are male to female DB9 with pins 2,3 and 5 wired straight through. The touchpanel programming cables vary by model (mostly due to form factor). The wireless panels use a 2.5mm or 3.5mm TRS plug wired to a female DB9 at the computer side. If you need, I'll get you the pinout for your specific panel.
Also, I wonder which processor you are using. If it's an X-series, or 2-series processor, it can be made to be ethernet enabled. Those processors can actually host a web server. You can build a browser based interface to control the crestron system. I've built one to run on a WinCE PDA on a wireless LAN connection. This would give you two way access into your system with equipment you might already own. (except for the addition of the ethernet card if you need it)
--Jon--
Also, I wonder which processor you are using. If it's an X-series, or 2-series processor, it can be made to be ethernet enabled. Those processors can actually host a web server. You can build a browser based interface to control the crestron system. I've built one to run on a WinCE PDA on a wireless LAN connection. This would give you two way access into your system with equipment you might already own. (except for the addition of the ethernet card if you need it)
--Jon--
It's the 1550c panel. I really like the form factor. I wish there was a PocketPC manufacturer that had something similar for HouseBot Remotes.
I have no idea what processor it uses. I have a couple of "CP" modules. One for current sensing and one for IR output. I'm very ignorant of the Crestron components, so I'm going off the top of my head.
Thanks for the info on the cable pin-outs. I don't see myself doing much with it for now.
Scott
I have no idea what processor it uses. I have a couple of "CP" modules. One for current sensing and one for IR output. I'm very ignorant of the Crestron components, so I'm going off the top of my head.
Thanks for the info on the cable pin-outs. I don't see myself doing much with it for now.
Scott