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iPronto and RF
This thread has 6 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Wednesday February 2, 2005 at 22:47
KenanRahmani
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I am very new to remote control programming and setup, but consider myself to be very technologically advanced. I am planning on purchasing a remote for my dedicated home theater, and am very intereseted in the iPronto. I have a wimpy ProntoNeo for my family room theater, and I didnt have too much trouble programming, although the limitations were difficult to work with.

However, my home theater will need to have RF/x10 capabilites to control lighting. I really like the iPronto, the reason being that I like to have the newest toys. If money weren't an issue, what would be the best way to set this all up. I read about using a computer, but I dont have very much programming experience (just a little Visual Basic)

Kenan
Post 2 made on Thursday February 3, 2005 at 12:27
Barry Gordon
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Controlling X10 lighting can be done strictly via IR ergo the iPronto can do it. There is a widely available device that accepts IR and puts out X10. There is a version with one house code only so it just receives the unit code/command code (IR543), and there is one that takes in house and unit codes and can execute all possible X10 commands (IR543AH). They are both small and discussed in this forum on any X10 formum. Search for X10. The IR files are located in the files section for both type of units. Go to files for the pronto and search on X10 . No need for RF.
OP | Post 3 made on Thursday February 3, 2005 at 20:35
KenanRahmani
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This is just the reply I needed. If you can just give a little more detail about the exact setup, it would be highly appreciated. It seems some complain of "erratic x10 performance"... and of your experience display this? You seem to be the iPronto guru around here so your opinion is highly credible for me. Is there anything the iPronto can't do? I would like for it to control window blinds (controllable via IR remote), but I can't put IR emmiters next to each sensor. Any way to control them with x10 or RF frequencies? I have a 802.11g network (compatible with 802.11b), and am planning to invest in the NetX in order to eliminate the IR interference issues since my A/V units are hidden behind a cabinet. However, it seems that with the NetX, the ir emitters and blasters must actually be connected to the device, as opposed to having wireless emitters.....

This is kind of strange, but my x10 lighting is controllable with a RF remote?? Is that possible or am I misunderstanding something?
Post 4 made on Thursday February 3, 2005 at 23:05
Barry Gordon
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My house was designed from the ground up to be X10 friendly. I get avsolutely no erratic X10 performance. I only use very high quality "X10" devices made by Leviton, I do not use the cheap stuff from X-10. All X10 signals come from the house's home automation system through a wired CM11A. This is a device that takes commands from a PC in serial format (RS232) and issues X10 in much the same way that the IR543AH takes commands in IR format and issues X10.

The IR543AH is just a device, relatively small, that receives IR and puts X10 commands on the power lines. I had used it in the past, but no longer do. my setup is much more sophisticated and involves a PC as the main contol device. Go to my website www.the-gordons.net and read about the Home theater to get a good idea of how it operates.

If the device (e.g. blind) requires IR, then it requires IR. RF is very "open". There are no standards and every device is different ergo there are no universal solutions.

I had a netx and sold it. It did nothing for me except introduce additional delays. It was less reliable than straight IR.

My house has a Xantech wired IR network with IR receivers strategically located. IR is received around the house and all IR signals go to the PC where the necessary actions are perfomed using X10 or RS232 or IR with any necessary protocol changes.

I do not see a big deal in putting the tiny IR emitters where ever you need to bring IR to, but you have to be willing to run/hide wires. Another approach is in each room have several very powerful IR emitters (commonly called blasters) which bathe the room in IR. This could be IR From the pronto (in another room) if the pronto is issuing IR and you are receiving it and feeding it to IR balsters in the same room, then there will probably be an interference poroblem as the IR streams will be delayed and overlap. That is why many of the IR emitters totally block the receiver/sensor they are servicing from seeing any IR other than what the emitter puts out. Checkout the Xantech line.

Hope that helps
OP | Post 5 made on Friday February 4, 2005 at 15:31
KenanRahmani
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Wow I had no idea you could do this with Visual basic. Suddenly I am interested in the computer idea. Maybe help me with the coding?
Post 6 made on Friday February 4, 2005 at 21:13
Barry Gordon
Founding Member
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You need to first get pretty proficient in VB. The rest is easy. I am working on a general purpose VB porogram that will go a long way towards simplifying the task, It is a very stripped down version of what runs my home theater. The minimum configuration is a PC a Specific IR receiver (NECIR2PC) and a Nirvis slinke. The slinke is the hard part and I may set up some output drivers for different IR emitting devices. The slinke takes RS232 commqands and puts out IR.
Post 7 made on Tuesday March 1, 2005 at 16:04
zencliff
Long Time Member
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April 2004
10
I am looking at controlling a rack of equipment that is behind the viewer and not networked to a PC - there is a RF reciever- now do I have to add a $150 card to the iProto to make it work as well?
Cliff Enz
CEDIA Certified Designer
http://avtheatre.com


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