usb to serial

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  • Paul_B
    Automated Home Legend
    • Jul 2006
    • 608

    #16
    Chadjo,

    Bootcamp allows you to dual boot, that is the Macbook will either run Windows XP or MacOS but not at the same time, i.e. you boot into one OS OR the other.

    Parallels or VMware Fusion are virtualisation products which allow you to run one OS at the same time as another. So in your case you'd run MacOS as the host AND Windows XP as the guest. Because Windows XP is running as a virtual machine the hardware may or may not work in the virtualised OS.

    Paul

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    • chadjo
      Automated Home Jr Member
      • Nov 2009
      • 13

      #17
      Virtualisation....

      Paul,

      Thanks - I am a frequent bootcamp XP user, albeit grudgingly, and did use Virtual PC a few years ago, so I understand the guest/host concept in your post.

      So the question that needs answering is not whether Cortex will work under Bootcamp, but whether under the Parallels or VMware Fusion virtualisation, the hardware is supported well enough for Cortex to run reliably in the background...?

      Presumably the likelihood of it working is much higher with the Starter kit than with a fuly fledged whole house multi module setup, due to lower numbers of packets being sent over the IDRANet?

      Which is very relevant I suppose because no one wants to use one of their Intel Mac's to run XP in bootcamp 24/7, do they? Kind of defeats the point!

      I think my way ahead will be to get the system set up running bootcamp - check it communicates fine via the USB - Cortex certainly works fine under Bootcamped XP whilst not connected, then get a copy of Parallels...or maybe VMware Fusion... Is either vastly superior or is it just personal preference?

      Any thoughts? Heading off to wire up some modules now....

      Chad

      Comment

      • Paul_B
        Automated Home Legend
        • Jul 2006
        • 608

        #18
        Chadjo,

        Didn't mean to insult your intelligence difficult to gauge people's knowledge until you know them well on forums.

        I'm a PC user and owe my career to Microsoft so have a slightly different bias as you can imagine. When I first started my career in IT I worked with Macs (that was 7.6 and first generation G4) but haven't touched them for years until a few weeks ago. Now I'm playing again and trying to shift back to a Mac way of thinking to compare.

        As for virtualisation I only have experience of VMWare, I can confirm VMWare Workstation 7.0 for PC can pass-through the serial port of the host to the guest and Cortex can use it successfully.

        Over to you ;o)

        Comment

        • chadjo
          Automated Home Jr Member
          • Nov 2009
          • 13

          #20
          Paul,

          No insult taken at all - Whilst an experienced PC/Mac user, I am a newbie from an HA/Idratek perspective...

          I'd be happy just to have the STK connected at all at the moment - Too busy stripping 109 year old lead paint off skirting boards!!


          Chad J.

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          • chadjo
            Automated Home Jr Member
            • Nov 2009
            • 13

            #21
            RE: Parallels or VMWare Fusion comparison

            Chris - thanks - so I think it's time to flip a coin! Looks to me from the specs that both should allow Cortex to work properly. I wonder what performance level is possible in OSX without it degrading Cortex' ability?

            Chad

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            • pdwarriner
              Automated Home Jr Member
              • Nov 2008
              • 25

              #22
              Paul,

              On the PCA, it intentional to omit fixing screws for the CBA/CBD. We felt there was a risk of the cable being 'tripped' over. Hence, the cable will release without a) hurting someone and b) the risk of pulling the PC to the ground.

              Regards,
              Peter.

              Comment

              • chris_j_hunter
                Automated Home Legend
                • Dec 2007
                • 1713

                #23
                >performance level is possible in OSX without it degrading Cortex' ability ...

                our experience of OSX is that the three things that really grab RAM & often slow other applications down significantly are MS Office when files get big, Rosetta (used to run PowerPC app's), and Flash (invoked by browser, eg: Safari) ... at least, that's our interpretation of what Activity Monitor tells us ! Anything involving video, too, probably, 'though we tend keep that separate (on another Mac) ...

                Chris
                Our self-build - going further with HA...

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                • chris_j_hunter
                  Automated Home Legend
                  • Dec 2007
                  • 1713

                  #24
                  if the USB interface is almost with us, how about this for the low-power PC :



                  (noticed it because it was mentioned in the latest GeekbriefTV)
                  Our self-build - going further with HA...

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                  • spellinn
                    Automated Home Sr Member
                    • Dec 2007
                    • 53

                    #25
                    Fit-PC

                    Originally posted by chris_j_hunter View Post
                    if the USB interface is almost with us, how about this for the low-power PC :

                    Strangely enough, that's exactly what I've ordered (diskless version as I'm using a SSD with it)

                    Cheers

                    Neil

                    Comment

                    • chadjo
                      Automated Home Jr Member
                      • Nov 2009
                      • 13

                      #26
                      PCU works fine...

                      After a few excellent emails of support from Karam - great that he works nights!! - I finally got the PCU to work last night using a MacBook Pro with Bootcamp XP. There were a few issues getting the PCU working with V24 - needed a PCIF code to initiate it but after that, commissioning was fine. None of the issues were MacBook related - I had the same problems using my Compaq too.

                      IDRATEK are using V25 at work and had not noticed the problems I was having using V24 - kind of implies that V25 is due for release soon - I wonder what other goodies it has.... ?

                      I might get Parallels this next week, but looking at the last post - I might just get a Fit2PC!

                      Chad
                      Last edited by chadjo; 6 December 2009, 12:36 AM. Reason: Grammar....

                      Comment

                      • chris_j_hunter
                        Automated Home Legend
                        • Dec 2007
                        • 1713

                        #27
                        beware, though - might be worth checking it still makes sense when all the "extras" have been added to the headline Fit2PC price - and that it can be got with an adequate version of the OS, too - eg: you might need 'XP Pro rather than 'Home, to get full capability ! 'wonder how a Mac mini approach would compare (cost & power, etc) ?

                        Chris
                        Our self-build - going further with HA...

                        Comment

                        • Paul_B
                          Automated Home Legend
                          • Jul 2006
                          • 608

                          #28
                          I was quite surprised how much the Fit2PC costs, if you look at the components and then build something similar using linitx.com I'm sure it would cost much less (although I acknowledge it'll probably use a bit power).

                          So first confirmation of v25 existing and must be close to release if it is being used internally. I'm hoping for some new features, but ultimately I'd like to see Cortex be a little less "fussy" on the OS requirements. I'll update a thread I started about my new Cortex server but it hasn't been a pleasant experience becuase I can't use Windows 2008 R2

                          Paul

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                          • chadjo
                            Automated Home Jr Member
                            • Nov 2009
                            • 13

                            #29
                            XP in Parallels and the PCU works fine

                            As it says in the title...

                            Loaded up a trial version of Parallels 5 into the MacBook Pro this evening, after a fair bit of time setting itself up, Cortex loaded fine and my Starter kit works without problem... Not sure how it would work with a large system, but at least the USB is good.

                            Will do a screenshot tomorrow when I have downloaded the right widget onto this Mac...

                            Chad.

                            Screenshot now added FWIW!!
                            Attached Files
                            Last edited by chadjo; 9 December 2009, 10:43 PM. Reason: Screenshot added

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                            • Paul_B
                              Automated Home Legend
                              • Jul 2006
                              • 608

                              #30
                              Chadjo,

                              Don't know how I missed this post on 8th December!

                              Very useful information about Mac running a virtual Windows OS. I have now received a PCU from Karam and setting up was pretty easy although Karam indicated it would become even easier with some software updates.

                              Just to set the scene for my setup. I have a Jetway Atom (dual-core) based motherboard running Windows 2008 R2 (Cortex won't run natively under this OS as their is no such thing as a console session anymore). I then have VMWare Workstation 7.0 running as the virtualisation software with Windows Home Server as the guest OS. Cortex runs under Windows Home Server (which is a customised version of Windows 2003 Small-Business Server).

                              I didn't load any drivers into the host OS just passed the USB device straight through to the guest where I loaded the USB drivers to make the PCU appear as a serial port and get a COM port address. Seems to be working ok. Only slight issue is a slight lag in Idratek responding to some events (i.e door opening light takes a second to come on whereas before it was instant)

                              Paul

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