Suggestions, plz, for computer-driven power switches for its peripherals

[LeftCoast_Dave]

Hi,
A search-engine scan of the web for "xxx switches", where "xxx" has been
several different modifiers, yields me seas of hits, but a lot of
slogging through them hasn't yielded what I seek.

I would like to be able to power up/down my printers, speakers, scanner,
external drives, and monitor from my computer.

-- Some of these, such as the speakers, printers, and scanner, I don't
normally need on; I am aware that there are programmable relays, though
what I'm finding seems expensive, and too restrictive as regards the OS.

-- The monitor and external drives need to be on early enough in booting
up to be useful, and in the case of the drives, recognized (they are
eSATA) in time.

-- My computer has several OS's, so I would want to be able to control
the switch(es) with a cross-platform language; Python would be my first
choice, or I could wing it fairly well with C. What I *don't* want is
the language to be Visual Basic (as I discovered with one company),
because of the cross-platform desideratum.

Can you /please/ point me to particular products, "switch-focused"
forums, books and/or sites to help me wade through the mess?

Many, many thanks in advance.

Regards,
DaveB

[Paul]

LeftCoast_Dave wrote:
> Hi,
> A search-engine scan of the web for "xxx switches", where "xxx" has been
> several different modifiers, yields me seas of hits, but a lot of
> slogging through them hasn't yielded what I seek.
>
> I would like to be able to power up/down my printers, speakers, scanner,
> external drives, and monitor from my computer.
>
> -- Some of these, such as the speakers, printers, and scanner, I don't
> normally need on; I am aware that there are programmable relays, though
> what I'm finding seems expensive, and too restrictive as regards the OS.
>
> -- The monitor and external drives need to be on early enough in booting
> up to be useful, and in the case of the drives, recognized (they are
> eSATA) in time.
>
> -- My computer has several OS's, so I would want to be able to control
> the switch(es) with a cross-platform language; Python would be my first
> choice, or I could wing it fairly well with C. What I *don't* want is
> the language to be Visual Basic (as I discovered with one company),
> because of the cross-platform desideratum.
>
> Can you /please/ point me to particular products, "switch-focused"
> forums, books and/or sites to help me wade through the mess?
>
> Many, many thanks in advance.
>
> Regards,
> DaveB

This device appears to work on the same concept as a BSR X-10 controller.
You use one of these in a house, and it sends commands over the A.C. wiring.
Receiving units turn the commands into A.C. switching actions. I have
no idea what language they use. Some issues with sending commands on power
lines, would be encryption and/or device address space, if a technology
like this is prevalent in your neighborhood.

http://www.smarthome.com/2414u.html

If you can figure out the standard being used for sending the commands
over the A.C. wiring, you can then use the standard name for identifying
other devices.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X10_%28industry_standard%29

Perhaps Homeplug_CC ? I don't really know which of these
standards is "winning".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_line_communication

http://www.insteon.net/%5Cspecs.html

Paul

[Beverly Howard [Ms-MVP/MobileDev]]

Most of the computer control programs are bundled with the x10 computer
hardware interfaces and there are some freeware apps and even an activex
control for x10 (too long, can't remember, google time... use X10 SOFTWARE)

The best solution I have seen was a web based application which you
could install on a computer on your home network, run the windows
"personal web server" and then control devices using any computer with a
browser which could connect to that box... which includes pocketpc's
with wifi. seem to remember that the software was about $50

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

[LeftCoast_Dave]

Thanks, Beverly.
Do you remember anything else about that software - any other attributes
that lower my search down to 100 or so its, or fewer?

And any hardware suggestions, in addition to Paul's?

DaveB

Beverly Howard [Ms-MVP/MobileDev] wrote:
> Most of the computer control programs are bundled with the x10 computer
> hardware interfaces and there are some freeware apps and even an activex
> control for x10 (too long, can't remember, google time... use X10 SOFTWARE)
>
> The best solution I have seen was a web based application which you
> could install on a computer on your home network, run the windows
> "personal web server" and then control devices using any computer with a
> browser which could connect to that box... which includes pocketpc's
> with wifi. seem to remember that the software was about $50
>
> Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

[David J. Braden]

Hi Paul,
Thanks for your suggestions.You've given me hours of good stuff to mull
over!

Regards,
DaveB

Paul wrote:
> LeftCoast_Dave wrote:
>> Hi,
>> A search-engine scan of the web for "xxx switches", where "xxx" has been
>> several different modifiers, yields me seas of hits, but a lot of
>> slogging through them hasn't yielded what I seek.
>>
>> I would like to be able to power up/down my printers, speakers, scanner,
>> external drives, and monitor from my computer.
>>
>> -- Some of these, such as the speakers, printers, and scanner, I don't
>> normally need on; I am aware that there are programmable relays, though
>> what I'm finding seems expensive, and too restrictive as regards the OS.
>>
>> -- The monitor and external drives need to be on early enough in booting
>> up to be useful, and in the case of the drives, recognized (they are
>> eSATA) in time.
>>
>> -- My computer has several OS's, so I would want to be able to control
>> the switch(es) with a cross-platform language; Python would be my first
>> choice, or I could wing it fairly well with C. What I *don't* want is
>> the language to be Visual Basic (as I discovered with one company),
>> because of the cross-platform desideratum.
>>
>> Can you /please/ point me to particular products, "switch-focused"
>> forums, books and/or sites to help me wade through the mess?
>>
>> Many, many thanks in advance.
>>
>> Regards,
>> DaveB
>
> This device appears to work on the same concept as a BSR X-10 controller.
> You use one of these in a house, and it sends commands over the A.C. wiring.
> Receiving units turn the commands into A.C. switching actions. I have
> no idea what language they use. Some issues with sending commands on power
> lines, would be encryption and/or device address space, if a technology
> like this is prevalent in your neighborhood.
>
> http://www.smarthome.com/2414u.html
>
> If you can figure out the standard being used for sending the commands
> over the A.C. wiring, you can then use the standard name for identifying
> other devices.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X10_%28industry_standard%29
>
> Perhaps Homeplug_CC ? I don't really know which of these
> standards is "winning".
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_line_communication
>
> http://www.insteon.net/%5Cspecs.html
>
> Paul

--
Please keep response(s) solely within this thread.

[Beverly Howard [Ms-MVP/MobileDev]]

smarthome is probably the best starting place, but there are a number of
X10 forums which would be better sources of information.

x10 web interface

seems to have pulled up a good list from google with likely candidates
at the top... the trick is to use _only_ "X10" or "X-10" in the search
strings... BSR died a couple of decades ago ;-)

hope this helps,
Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]