NOTICE
My involvement with xPL has come to an end. Automation has moved on considerably over the past few years, and it is now possible to buy a stand-alone controller off the shelf for a reasonable price, without having to spend hours writing your own code.
This website is being maintained as a record of my xPL development work up until 2011.
I have released the full source code of all my xPL projects into the public domain. You can download the archive from here.
Mal
The xPL hub and the Z-Wave, RFXCOM and W800RF32 services have all been updated to use new networking code, to fix a couple of bugs and handle the more unstable wireless networks.
The RFXCOM service now also supports the new format RFXMeter sensors, the Oregon Scientific BWR102 Scales and has been tested with the new Byron HomeEasy range of dimmers. Note that the keyfob remote and devices from the Ultimate range are not yet supported.
The ability to send xPL messages from within web pages is an oft requested feature. An xPL ActiveX control does exist, but using this restricts the choice of operating system and web browser, and because it is a client-side solution, requires that the browser be running on a PC that is part of an xPL network.
For remote control, and to allow browsing by any client, a server-side solution is required. This article will demonstrate a method using PHP to send xPL messages. Read more...
The new ACT USB Z-Wave controllers cannot be automatically detected by the ControlThink SDK. xPLZWave has been updated to request the serial port the first time that the xPLZWave configuration program is run. This change also enables the use of the old ACT RS232 Z-Wave interfaces.
The xPLRFX and xPLW800 services have been updated to fix the following issues:
1. Bluetooth drivers could prevent programs connecting to USB devices via virtual serial ports.
2. Failure to connect to RFXCOM devices containing only one receiver module.
3. Electrisave messages for Phases 2 and Phase 3 not being sent.
Hosted at xPLMonkey on behalf of fellow xPL developer Tim Walls, the xPL K8055 service for Windows provides support for the Velleman K8055 interface board.
The MAL vendor plugin for xPLHal Manager has been updated to include the xPL schemas used by the Media Center, RFXCOM and Z-Wave services. To get the latest version, select the "Update Plug-in Library" option under the "Help" menu in xPLHal Manager.
The xPLRFX service has been updated to add support for the Oregon Scientific PCR800 rain gauge, and to fix an issue with invalid packets sent by certain Oregon temperature sensors.
The xPLZWave service has been rebuilt using the lastest ControlThink SDK. This fixes an issue where CPU usage would gradually climb to 75%.
The xPLRFX service for Windows has been updated to add support for the Oregon Scientific UVN800 Ultraviolet sensor, and to deal with the occasional odd-sized packet from the Electrisave Cent-a-Meter.
The xPLRFX service for Windows has been updated to add support for the ATI Remote Wonder II, and the Oregon Scientific RTGR328N temperature/humidty sensor and atomic clock
Two bugs have also been fixed - Oregon sensors now show negative temperatures correctly, and the service no longer crashes if a receiver or transmitter is missing.
xPL now includes native support for RFXCOM transmitters and receivers.
RFXCOM offer a range of USB RF transmitters and receivers that are compatible with a large number of common wireless Home Automation protocols.
With the xPLRFX service for Windows, devices using these protocols can now be included in your xPL network.
xPLZWave has been updated to fix a number of minor bugs.
The configuration application has also been improved to show the current brightness levels and to allow devices to be turned on and off.
The C++ xPL SDK has been updated to include helper classes and functions for XML, registry settings and the Windows event logs.
The package now also includes the full source code for the W800RF32 service, as a real-world example of using the SDK to create an xPL application.
xPL now includes support for Z-Wave RF devices. Based on the Z-Wave SDK from ControlThink, the xPLZWave service for Windows 2000, XP, MCE and Vista provides full control and status reporting of activity in a Z-Wave network. Operating in conjunction with other xPL applications, it is now possible to fully integrate Z-Wave devices into a home automation system.
xPLZWave also includes a configuration application providing full management of a Z-Wave network, with support for inclusion and exclusion of devices and the editing of groups and device parameters.
