C-bus/C-gate interface possible?

[John@TunerUK]

I'm an electrical contractor, and have a few clients interested in home automation, namely the Clipsal C-bus system.
http://www3.clipsal.com/cis/portal/

I'm failry certain it's possible to get it working using linux, but to have it working through Linux MCE would be superb.

I know of a company in Nantwich, Cheshire, selling machines using Linux MCE, who have said that they could get it working, but they want £13,000 for a backend, and £750 for each media director!
It was my disgust in their rediculous prices that has spurned me on to get a system of my own up and running on a much smaller budget.
Everyone has to make a buck, but I don't believe in ripping off my clients, so I'm looking for an alternative.

Is the standard Generic Serial Device module up to the task, or would it require something more?
It's possible some financial compensation could be sorted if required.

[bulek]

I'm an electrical contractor, and have a few clients interested in home automation, namely the Clipsal C-bus system.
http://www3.clipsal.com/cis/portal/

I'm failry certain it's possible to get it working using linux, but to have it working through Linux MCE would be superb.

I know of a company in Nantwich, Cheshire, selling machines using Linux MCE, who have said that they could get it working, but they want £13,000 for a backend, and £750 for each media director!
It was my disgust in their rediculous prices that has spurned me on to get a system of my own up and running on a much smaller budget.
Everyone has to make a buck, but I don't believe in ripping off my clients, so I'm looking for an alternative.

Is the standard Generic Serial Device module up to the task, or would it require something more?
It's possible some financial compensation could be sorted if required.

Have any rs232 (or TCP) protocol document ? It depends on how complex it is... GSD could be fine, but only if you have event driven communication with automation system (otherwise GSD will poll only every few seconds, which may not suit your needs). In case of my system this is not possible, so I had to write my own driver in Perl...

Regards,

Bulek.

[Zaerc]

I know of a company in Nantwich, Cheshire, selling machines using Linux MCE, who have said that they could get it working, but they want £13,000 for a backend, and £750 for each media director!

That is pretty steep, I guess Fiire isn't that expensive after all. 

[John@TunerUK]

Well, I was introduced to this guy by my local electrical wholesalers, who are also looking into the whole media centre genre. They didn't realise how much of a mark up this guy was adding, and were surprised when I told them that I had got the same system up and running for only a few hundred pounds, with help from a linux savvy friend and this forum of course.

In fact, they most probably browse this forum, as he actually told me about the Wiimote project that is being worked on currently. (Very interested in that too BTW!!)

Apparently when the wholesalers told him what I had managed, he had a go at them for bringing a 'programmer' in to steal their work. I'm sure you can fathom from my posts that I'm no programmer

As for the C-Gate. I know you can get an rs232 interface, and if they want you to have it, they will send you a developers pack. But I'm not sure what you need to do to qualify for one of those

[wizard]

I know Convergent Living has an interface for C-bus and is studying adding MCE options.  Gauging demand, features and pricing.  Your UK bid seemed quite high, was that a development recoup?

[1audio]

I talked to Clipsal 3 years ago and they were just getting going in Europe. They have since introduced their products in the US through SquareD (a circuit breaker manufacturer) and will get some traction here. The products are very sophisticated. However they are completely new to the US and have nothing in common with any of the other systems here.