HA : Global Cache what can it do ?

[Alaric]

Hi There,

Can't say i've ever dipped into this part of the forum for some strange reason...I guess i didn't realise it was here, but found it on a web search of all things...

Anyway I have a home cinema in the making, its been slowly plodding along for 5+ years, slowly evolving...On the control side i've looked at a few things along the way and i'm curently playing with a touchscreen on a second pc using a piece of software called Chipmunk and having some moderate sucess.

Along the way i picked up a Global Cache box and it has sat on top of my rack gathering dust.

A few days ago i found out a flaw in my IR plans. I have a USB-UIRT and a Barco CRT projector....Alas while the pronto can learn the IR codes for the barco, it apears something is wrong with timings, so i've been thinking about using the GC box to squirt out IR as its a bit of a waste to use RS232 for this - Also i'd need the GC box for that as my control PC has 2 serial ports used, one for the touchscreen the other is for my Yamaha Amp (which has loads of funky info returned).

Anyway I'm curious what else i can use the GC box for and what other people are doing, and to be honest quite how to do it...I'd love something to work with a doorbell as the cinema is a way from the front door and with the volume on...You miss people. I also want something for the phone, but i guess i'll do that via a modem...So many ideas !

Ta,
Lee

[charris cy]

Lee,

you can do a lot with the Global Cache Box. The GC-100s are vey powerful but what you can do with them it all depends on what automation software you are going to use. I am not familiar at all with Chipmunk. Two very powerful softwares are Charmed Quarck (CQC) and Homeseer. Also Mainlobby from Cinemar is worth a look. These softwares are all compatible with the GC-100.

With the doorbell what you can do is the following: when the doorbell rings it changs the status of a GC-SC1 Contact Closure Sensor connected in one of the sensor inputs of the GC-100. When the software sees this change of status it can be programmed to do whatever you want. The simplest is to pause the movie. Another is to pause the movie and play a wav or mp3 file through the speakers letting you know that someone is ringing the bell. You can even install a camera at the door and when the bell rings, the movie pauses, the lights turn on, the tv or projector changes to the camera input to see who is at the door. You can also use a relay to open the door from the pc or tablet.

Although a home automation software based setup can be extremely powerful we avoid to install them for our clients because basically below they are all based on a Windows PC. And we all know that windows can sometimes be very unstable.

On the other hand since you have all the hardware already and you are a diyer then what you can do is pretty much anything if you have the patience and the time.

[Alaric]

Hi There,

Chipmunk has the capability to do almost anything. Its a UK based HA style program that is tremendiously flexable. It has inbuilt Global Cache support as its actualy a GC partner...Even if it didn't, there is tcp/ip support and the ability to develop it to control almost anything - I've just done TheaterTek this way. There is also serial which i've linked to my Yamaha....An amazingly powerful and useful program and suprisingly good value, particularly compaired with CQC/Cinemar/Girder-netremote - I trialed them all and found whichever route you choose there is a lot of work to do, however Chipmunk seemed to give me more flexability and a lot less drain on the wallet

However regarding the GC, its quite how to do the hardware side that i'm trying to figure - The software side is reasonably easy as i'll get chipmunk initialy to pause things and do a popup display over my web-based remote interface. How quite do you interface between the doorbell and the GC ?

I'm intrigued by the camera idea, but i know my wife likes to see technology hidden rather than on display and the way the house is set-up outside that will be difficult. I've seen some cameras that go through the door like a spyhole which are cute (ebay), but i'd need some way of getting it onto a computer format in a reasonably descret way.

Thanks,
Lee