Introduction and Hello

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  • Duncan_M
    Automated Home Jr Member
    • Jul 2004
    • 13

    Introduction and Hello

    Hi there,

    My name's Duncan Margetts, I've just joined the forum. I work for Clipsal Integrated Systems in Adelaide, South Australia where I lead the Software Development Team.

    I'm looking forward to participating here, it's great to see an online community for C-Bus developing! C-Bus is one of the great passions of my life! (closely followed by my kids, my Bedford Trucks and my power tools :-))

    I'm currently C-Bus'ing my own home, a retrofit on a 4Bed/2BR brick veneer home, more on that later!

    Looking forward to participating in your forum.
    Cheers,

    Duncan Margetts
    Clipsal Integrated Systems.

    Personal Blog http://www.duncanmargetts.com/blog/

    Views expressed in this post are not necessarily those of Clipsal Integrated Systems.
  • Otto-Mate
    Founder
    • Jan 2004
    • 882

    #2
    Re: Introduction and Hello

    Duncan

    I've enjoyed our email "chats" so far. Many thanks for joining our CBus forum.

    It's great to have someone from the "inside" here and we look forward to tapping into that wealth of knowledge

    M.
    Editor AutomatedHome.co.uk


    www.facebook.com/AutomatedHomeUK
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    Comment

    • BeoLinker
      Automated Home Jr Member
      • Jul 2004
      • 19

      #3
      Re: Introduction and Hello

      Hi Duncan,

      Nice to see another software developer, especially one on the inside!

      Currently underway writing a user interface to combine C-Bus with multi room AV. At the moment I am trying the serial/com approach using the C-Gate server using Delphi & ASync Pro.

      Also downloaded the xPL framework although haven't as yet had time to try it; any views on the xPL Project?

      What are area of development are you based; front end, hardware etc?
      Cheers
      Greg...

      Comment

      • Duncan_M
        Automated Home Jr Member
        • Jul 2004
        • 13

        #4
        Re: Introduction and Hello

        Hi,

        No opinion on the xPL framework.

        Delphi was a GREAT choice, the new installation software is all Delphi/Indy comms. We'll have some Delphi libraries out soon after the release of V3 for tag database interfacing. I'm undecided but we may also release a Delphi library for interacting with CGate, timetables will determine what gets released.

        My development is all C-Bus front end Windows stuff. Predominately the V3 software at the moment.
        Cheers,

        Duncan Margetts
        Clipsal Integrated Systems.

        Personal Blog http://www.duncanmargetts.com/blog/

        Views expressed in this post are not necessarily those of Clipsal Integrated Systems.

        Comment

        • Otto-Mate
          Founder
          • Jan 2004
          • 882

          #5
          Re: Introduction and Hello

          Duncan - is it possible to tell us when you expect V3 to be released?

          Thanks

          M.
          Editor AutomatedHome.co.uk


          www.facebook.com/AutomatedHomeUK
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          • Duncan_M
            Automated Home Jr Member
            • Jul 2004
            • 13

            #6
            Re: Introduction and Hello

            Hi Mark,

            Soon.. sorry to be a bit unclear.. its such a large peice of work that we're treading extremely carefully.

            Because misprogramming C-Bus units can render them inoperable the volume of testing that we're undertaking with V3 is quite signifcant, especially because we're supporting almost every unit ever released. Not to mention a whole range of new units :-)
            Cheers,

            Duncan Margetts
            Clipsal Integrated Systems.

            Personal Blog http://www.duncanmargetts.com/blog/

            Views expressed in this post are not necessarily those of Clipsal Integrated Systems.

            Comment

            • Duncan_M
              Automated Home Jr Member
              • Jul 2004
              • 13

              #7
              Re: Introduction and Hello

              Mark, and others,


              Just one more thing.. when I get a few moments tomorrow I'll post a few screenshots of different features to give you a feel for whats in the package.
              Cheers,

              Duncan Margetts
              Clipsal Integrated Systems.

              Personal Blog http://www.duncanmargetts.com/blog/

              Views expressed in this post are not necessarily those of Clipsal Integrated Systems.

              Comment

              • Otto-Mate
                Founder
                • Jan 2004
                • 882

                #8
                Re: Introduction and Hello

                Duncan, that would be excellent! Thanks.

                M.
                Editor AutomatedHome.co.uk


                www.facebook.com/AutomatedHomeUK
                www.twitter.com/ottomate
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                • BeoLinker
                  Automated Home Jr Member
                  • Jul 2004
                  • 19

                  #9
                  Re: Introduction and Hello

                  Duncan,

                  Good to see some support for Delphi downunder, I look forward to any code / libraries to make the techies job easier!

                  I have just placed my 2nd phase order that include HomeGate v2, do you know if there will be an upgrade path in the UK?

                  Don't know your chosen database exactly (although looks like xBase with compound indexing - Apollo / Advantage?) but you make want to take a look at DBISAM if you haven't already. The technology is SQL based and allows you to run an application stand-alone (300k footstamp in the exe) or with the Server running making it flexible for the future. The key benefits are; inexpensive, freely redistributable (including the server), easy to integrate into Delphi and very stable.

                  No I dont work for the company! I am in completion stages of large scale application using DBISAM as the back-end (BASIS Professional) and I am very impressed with it (very easy to support). More info can be found on their website (http://www.elevatesoft.com/appsc.htm)

                  Cheers
                  Greg...
                  Cheers
                  Greg...

                  Comment

                  • rowanh
                    Automated Home Lurker
                    • Apr 2004
                    • 6

                    #10
                    Re: Introduction and Hello

                    Hi Duncan --

                    Interesting to see that the development is in Delphi ... in South Africa Delphi is a lost art <g>

                    Are you using Delphi 7 or Delphi 8 (.Net) ?

                    Go well

                    -- rowan

                    Comment

                    • BeoLinker
                      Automated Home Jr Member
                      • Jul 2004
                      • 19

                      #11
                      Re: Introduction and Hello

                      Hi Rowan,

                      Speaking for my application only, I am using Delphi 7 Studio to run on the standard Windows OS mainly due to the speed of development being a key issue.

                      I support systems in near enough every version, including some Delphi 1 16bit systems!, it depends on the client basically.

                      We are sticking with v7 for all in house commericial developments for the time being, easier to role out & support for a large customerbase. I am also looking at C# for the .net side although as yet not landed a substantial enough contract to warrant .NET!

                      Borland & Delphi are still outcasts for IT directors as they don't conform to 'Bill Gates' idium of "there shall only be 1 software company, then nobody will know what they could of had!". Saying that the part shareholding Microsoft have in Borland has only gone to strengthen the company as whole.

                      There pro & cons from any language although having tried the majority of them I can, without any reservation, say that Delphi is the best rapid application development tool there is; VB only goes to play catch-up (speeded up after MS poaching Delphi's dev team!)

                      Basically if your a manager looking to mitigate risk, Microsoft; if your a developer wanting to get the job done Delphi.

                      The reason Delphi is dying in SA is because all your developers are over here earning a fortune in Rands!

                      Cheers
                      Greg....
                      Cheers
                      Greg...

                      Comment

                      • rowanh
                        Automated Home Lurker
                        • Apr 2004
                        • 6

                        #12
                        Re: Introduction and Hello

                        Hi Greg --

                        [Warning to all: way off topic]

                        We are an in-house team developing in Delphi 6 - we couldn't justify the move to 7 - looking to go to .Net: the learning curve will be steep but it will offer us a lot.

                        Our problem at the moment is Borland.

                        Delphi 7 was supposed to have a .Net version, which eventually morphed into Delphi 8, which initial reports described as bug-laden.

                        Add to that past history - Delphi 6 (that still has bugs that existed in Delphi 3/4) had two service packs, Delphi 7 (until recently) zip - has us looking at C#.

                        For myself - I go back to assembler, so another language (or operating system) is neither here nor there <g>

                        I have just built a new house that is equipped with C-Bus & a Minder, plus lots of CAT5. Once I have finished the final bits I am thinking of a small home project, which would be to use a PDA / Wi-Fi to control to house. I am considering C# for that - VS.Net has all the PDA extensions so it shouldn't be too difficult.

                        And as for the South Africans in Australia - well, with the way that our national rugby team is playing (or not playing), we had to find some method of retaliation <vbg>

                        Go well

                        -- rowan

                        Comment

                        • BeoLinker
                          Automated Home Jr Member
                          • Jul 2004
                          • 19

                          #13
                          Re: Introduction and Hello

                          Rowan,

                          Borland claim that v7 was a lead in to .NET; what they really meant was -

                          "we don't have a clue so we will give you something irrelevant, by the time youve been led up the garden path we'll have it sussed"!

                          Aus? not me, from the UK.

                          Wish you good luck with your PDA project

                          Regards
                          Greg...
                          Cheers
                          Greg...

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