Mac Home Automation

This page is for the new MaxSonar plugin that replaced the original one in XTension 9.4.16. If you are looking for documentation for the original plugin it can be found here

The MaxSonar is a sonar rangefinder from Maxbotix with the unusual feature of an RS232 serial port making it easier to connect to a host computer rather than to a micro controller. It comes in many different configurations, ranges and accuracies. Even in a fully water proof enclosure with focusing horn.

Since they are slow speed serial they can be connected reliably over long twisted pair wires. Needing only 4 wires running back to the USB/Serial adaptor. This plugin also supports connecting them via Serial/Ethernet adaptors such as the Wiznet ethernet/Serial cards. See below for more info about the configuration options available in that case.

If connecting over a standard USB/Serial adaptor select that adaptor from the port popup after creating the new Interface. When using serial ports a separate interface will be needed for each max sonar that you wish to connect to.

For a serial connected device create a single Unit, assign it to the proper interface and make sure that the device type popup has “Distance” selected. The Address of the unit should be just the number 1 as only a single device can be connected over a single serial port. Make sure that the “Dimmable” checkbox is checked as well as the “Receive Only” and “Ignore Clicks” checkboxes.

By selecting “Remote TCP Connection” from the port popup you can make an outgoing connection to a Wiznet or other Serial/Ethernet card in Server mode. If you are using the Wiznet in server mode then you will need a separate interface for each one you wish to connect to. In the Wiznet Configurator set the serial port settings to 9600 baud, no parity, no flow control, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit. Also on the networking tab it is important to make sure it’s set for “Server” mode as this will then listen for incoming connections from XTension. You will need to configure your Wiznet card with a static IP address or a DHCP reservation in your router in order to make sure that it’s always available on the address that XTension knows about.

For an outgoing TCP connected device create a single unit, assign it to the proper interface and make sure that the device type popup has “Distance” selected. The Address of the unit should be just the number 1 as only a single device can be connected over a port this way. Make sure that the “Dimmable” checkbox is checked as well as the “Receive Only” and “Ignore Clicks” checkboxes.

Lastly you can select the “Listen For Incoming TCP Connections” from the port popup and the plugin will start a server on the entered port. The Wiznet cards and most other TCP/Serial adaptors can also be run in client mode. Meaning they will make a connection to the pre-programmed server address. Use the above mentioned Wiznet Configurator to setup the serial port settings the same as in the Connect Via TCP example, but in this case set the networking options to connect as a Client. You will also have to enter the IP address of your XTension machine and the port that you are running your server on.

When running a server, any reasonable number of max sonar devices can connect to the plugin. When a client first connects XTension will look up it’s MAC address and create a new Distance unit for you automatically and use the MAC address as the Address of the unit so that they will all be unique. In this way you can support multiple devices with a single interface instance.

The new plugin has more options for filtering than the older plugin had.

These options are identical to what they were in the older plugin. Since the value of the reading can jump around quite a bit it can be useful to do some initial filtering on it. The Hysteresis Buffer Size…

(unfinished, have to go pick the child up from school, back momentarily)