Hmm, this is an interesting solution, this would mean that any application on the network can connect to a certain ip/port to comunicate with the vellbus interface. Would be really cool to have this working, this way you could integrate vellbus complete with your home network without the need of having a pc on all the time.
Looking forward to see this working.
Idd, that’s the intention. For the moment all I got from the interface is some garbage on my socket, only when using the velbus interface. When using a simple com program (ie hyperterm) everything works fine, maybe a level mismatch. to be continued …
To “Legigi”:
another solution could be to reinstall your qnap to ie. sme server (contribs.org). Doing so will open a wide port for u to use a whole lot other software on your qnap. If I see at the specs of the T-239, it uses either an ide disk on module (normal t-239) or an usb stick in another hardware form (t-239II) as boot disk. So it is easy to replace by another disk or stick to experiment with it. By installing sme server you can to the same and even more (I don’t know what the use of your t-239 is at the moment). The processor and ram are enough to let it work smoothly. In my case a fit pc is used with an amd 500Mhz and only 256Mb ram running as web, ftp, vpn, network host, router, firewall and velbus 8) server, everything logged and monitored without a glitch, just a thought …
[quote=“jeroends”]Idd, that’s the intention. For the moment all I got from the interface is some garbage on my socket, only when using the velbus interface. When using a simple com program (ie hyperterm) everything works fine, maybe a level mismatch. to be continued …
[/quote]
wierd that it works one way, don’t think its a level mismatch because it would fail both ways then.
anyway gonna start playing with it, but i ordered a lantronix (lantronix.com/device-networking/external-device-servers/xpress-dr_dr-iap.html) din module to integrate it nicely next to the vmbrsusb module
That looks like a nice interface indeed but a bit pricy. I’d like to keep the costs as low as possible. For that amount I’ve got a mini pc in din format doing a bit more that just converting my signals …
ok,
I think I figured out what I was doing wrong (all the time). Like always I read the manualls half/half and as a result of that I read some signals wrong. With fast reading I always read RTS/CTS, so the thought was that I needed handshaking, but it is RTS/DTR (both outputs from the terminal side) that I need to feed in fact the RS232 pump (galvanic isolated). That’s the reason I was getting a lot of garbage out of the interface.
Now my question: what are the minimum levels I need? Normally RTS and DTR are +/-15v but is it enough to have one side grounded and the other side at + or - 15v? I don’t have an extra out on my interface (only RTC/CTS) that’s why I ask this.
update: apparently it’s enough to tei DTR to th ground and put RTS high. the interfcae now transmits every byte as it should be, only some frame checking has to be implemented and everything should be fine 
great,
so by connecting to a specifick ip:port combo you are able to comunicate with the vellbus interface?
thats exactly what i’m trying to acomplish.
I was planning to create an interface to control everything with a foxboard G20 and an oled display.
at the moment I’m brainstorming about a new idea (the serial/tcp has to wait, it’s not a feature I need for now since I’m doing this already with my linux server).
What I was thinking is create an application on a standalone display. The reason why I’d came on this idea is because my wife simply can’t manage the heating (right 
), but i understand her because the vmb1tc isn’t the most user friendly interface …
After searching the inet for a while and had a lot of possibilities coonsidered I think the following are the most interresting options:
the smartq V7 and the smartq V5. Why are the are very interresting (in my opinion) they are both practicly the same (the one a 7" display the other a 4,3"), they support linux, wince 6.0 and andriod and they are pretty cheap (the 5 about a 130 and the 7 abut an 170€). The only things where I’m not out is wheither to take a 5 or a 7 version. The 5 can be dismanteld and can fit in a bticino box (with some minor adjustments to do), the 7 has a stand and can be putted at any place you’d like.
But the biggest question of all: what program language to use?!? I was thinking about qt4 but thatcI’ve to learn from 0.
Anyone any suggestions or willing to participate or has some input?
I like programming but my graphical scins aren’t that well …
Hi Jeroen,
I was thinking to do the same and use some kind of web interface.
This way it would be device and OS independent
and also it would be fairly easy to implement.
that’s true but what about the dynamic interface (I’ve never worked with flash) and whay about the connection with the bus? Does a web app has direct access to hardware interfaces (a network port I know is possible to do but not everybody owns a server)?
Qt is also platform independant and can be written in C/C++.
making the interface dynamic enough maybe the hardest part,
but I think it should be possible.
Personally I wouldn’t use flash because I don’t really like it and it brings with it an extra layer of complexity/compatability etc. without real added value.
Using some ajax and javascript like jquery should do the trick.
the webapp should send only relative small request to the server which will do te real communication to the bus.
Several setups are possible,
a standalone home written program can have a direct web interface (after all it is just writing and reading some data on tcp port 80)
or a more traditional setup is possible with a real webserver (fe appache and php)
which can write and read in a database.
Another program should communicate with the bus and update/use this data.
or instead of a database a direct network link is possible.
I believe you already wrote some application able to convert the bus to tcpIP,
it should be rather easy to have a webpage sending something to this port;
And indeed you are correct that a server is needed,
but that shouldn’t be a bottleneck as only a very small pc is needed and at some point
you have to connect all your devices to the bus anyway.
(I suspect you don’t want to connect them all directly)
I wrote idd a server program, but I don’t see everyone install a server. The solution to that point is the interface I’m creating (velbus to tcp in hardwareform) but that interface can’t receive multiple connections. An other solution to that problem could be a mini embedded bord wich run the server soft I’ve written above (can receive as much connections the system is capable to).
The displays I’ve found have a wifi connection but both do also have a serial port on board wich can be used t interface directly to the bus (but requires a hardware modification wich is not always evident for everyone). Interfacing directly could be interresting when ie building the 4.3 version in wall (more modifications needed but looks nicer).
Thus when developping I think both options must be left to the end user but shouldn’t be the biggest problem.
About applications in a webbrowsers, I’m not very keen on them. The reason is that you’ll face the fact that there are to much differences between the most browsers (the one feature will not always work in the other and so on).
Now, java can also be ran out of a browser … Don’t know if ajax can (never used it before).
An other possebility could be that Stijnen Soltutions came up with a (stripped) version of their program wich run ie unther android, linux or wince and without the use of a main program wich runs unther windows (I’m not very happy with that kind of setups).
Bit more brainstorming to do I think, other ideas are always welcome …
Stijnen Soltutions should lower the price of their software, they would be selling more of them if it was around 90 or 100 euros HT.
I received a VMB1TS last week and wrote a web interface to it in python and javascript.
Just wanted to share the result.
img29.imageshack.us/img29/6198/selection001p.png
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
You can choose between comfort, day, night and anti freeze mode.
The mode will start with a sleep timer of 60 minutes.
Clicking the same button a second time will activate manual mode, a third time run mode.
Very pleasing to the eye, beautiful
(The dialog looks like JQuery…)
[quote=“VEL448”]
(The dialog looks like JQuery…)[/quote]
Thanks,
and indeed I’m using JQuery
I’m trying to create something similar like stijnensolutions system but then in a web interface and using jeroensd linux server proggy.
here are some screenshots
http://cereal.sin.khk.be/velbus/screenshots/stap1.png
http://cereal.sin.khk.be/velbus/screenshots/stap2.png
http://cereal.sin.khk.be/velbus/screenshots/stap3.png
It verry basic at the moment, the interface is verry simple html with jquery javascript and some php in the background to interface with mysql and to generate the packet and send it to jeroensd server.
The next step is to create to make the interface module specifick, so i can create some nice sliders for the dimmers, s nice slider for the dimspeed, …
This info is all coming from a simple mysql db, its even verry simple to get all the data needed for generating the packet with one sql command (except the checksum)
Well that is basically what I’m trying to do.
The front end is simple HTML with some Jquery build upon PHP.
The site is updating through some JSON requests but PHP is sending those trough to a custom back-end written in Python
I first thought to keep the status in mysql but how are you updating the status of the modules to mysql? and is it fast enhough?
Anyhow, in my implementation every module has a virtual counterpart in the back-end which tracks the state of the real module and can interact with it.
Over the JSON interface I only send simple commands and in return I get a condensed status update from all modules.
Packed generation and checksum are all done in the back-end which will also act when it receives packets on the bus for which it knows it has to do something special,
like a status update or even save a ipcamera image when a button is pressed, etc
The backend also acts as a proxy- (as the serial or usb interface doesn’t work for Velbuslink from within Wine… (I know it’s a Wine problem))
It will also have a scheduler, an interface to some IP camera’s and probably some remote Arduino based sensors and everything else I may think of 
nice to see that someone 's using my app 
.
I’m thinking of starting to write a velbus/modbus gateway. In this way it’s possible to use a lot of already existing plc/scada software. The scada packet I found is pretty huge (Proview) and free to use. I already made an i2c/modbus gateway (works ie. with the old k8000) and proview also supports the k8055, arduino, profinet/profibus, modbus etcetc.
In this way there’s no limit .
For ex. using logic funtions to create special needs (in my case the dressing lights has to go off when the lights of the bathroom go under 30% and decreasing, did this now with a script). Another ex, controlling the solar panels and heating with pid, doing some trending etcetc.
Another nice feature is that the interface wich is created to control also creates the same as page web page.
I’ll have it posted as soon it’s usable
[quote=“SilentStorm”]The front end is simple HTML with some Jquery build upon PHP.
The site is updating through some JSON requests but PHP is sending those trough to a custom back-end written in Python
I first thought to keep the status in mysql but how are you updating the status of the modules to mysql? and is it fast enhough?
[/quote]
at the moment i don’t keep track of all states, so no idea
i don’t have a backend, php is doing all necesary calculations and does a socket send to jeroensd server, so basically the overhead of a backend is removed.
how fast mysql is depends on the database design and how you connect to it. It shpould be possible (as long as the disk can follow)
never thought of keeping track of the current state and how to do it, at the moment i first want to get this up and running, so you can take all supported actions on all installed modules.
[quote=“jeroends”]nice to see that someone 's using my app ;-).
I’m thinking of starting to write a velbus/modbus gateway. In this way it’s possible to use a lot of already existing plc/scada software. The scada packet I found is pretty huge (Proview) and free to use. I already made an i2c/modbus gateway (works ie. with the old k8000) and proview also supports the k8055, arduino, profinet/profibus, modbus etcetc.
In this way there’s no limit :-).
For ex. using logic funtions to create special needs (in my case the dressing lights has to go off when the lights of the bathroom go under 30% and decreasing, did this now with a script). Another ex, controlling the solar panels and heating with pid, doing some trending etcetc.
Another nice feature is that the interface wich is created to control also creates the same as page web page.
I’ll have it posted as soon it’s usable[/quote]
Exciting app… Have you upgraded it? It will surely be very useful to me…
