eControl Lite 1.3.0 and call for beta testers (serial device support)

Apps & Remote Access
1

Dear users,

Thanks for the positive comments on eControl Lite. This motivates me to go further with the development of the upcoming versions. The latest version, 1.3.0 has been accepted by Apple begin this week and is ready for download. It contains some additional ip-cam features and support for multiple locations. The change that will surprise most of you is the removal of the limitation of 10 devices and scenes per connection. As it is my intention to keep eControl Lite free forever this will make eControl Lite a very interesting app for home automation.

As eControl is still in its child phase, feedback that can help me to improve eControl is welcome. The goal of eControl is to make home automation systems accessible to everyone, so if you have difficulties with installation, please report them. A forum will be introduced soon.

Another way to support further development is to become a Beta Tester. For the moment, I’m searching for people who have connected multimedia equipment with serial communication ports to their home network (e.g. televisions like the LG TH3000 series) using a Vera and/or serial device server. I’m also specifically searching for people with a Barthelme Chromoflex controller. So, If you are one of them, please let me know!

I hope you will enjoy eControl Lite 1.3.0!

With kind regards,

Antoine Savelkoul
Extundo Apps

2

[quote=“Extundo Apps, post:1, topic:171858”]Dear users,

Thanks for the positive comments on eControl Lite. This motivates me to go further with the development of the upcoming versions. The latest version, 1.3.0 has been accepted by Apple begin this week and is ready for download. It contains some additional ip-cam features and support for multiple locations. The change that will surprise most of you is the removal of the limitation of 10 devices and scenes per connection. As it is my intention to keep eControl Lite free forever this will make eControl Lite a very interesting app for home automation.

As eControl is still in its child phase, feedback that can help me to improve eControl is welcome. The goal of eControl is to make home automation systems accessible to everyone, so if you have difficulties with installation, please report them. A forum will be introduced soon.

Another way to support further development is to become a Beta Tester. For the moment, I’m searching for people who have connected multimedia equipment with serial communication ports to their home network (e.g. televisions like the LG TH3000 series) using a Vera and/or serial device server. I’m also specifically searching for people with a Barthelme Chromoflex controller. So, If you are one of them, please let me know!

I hope you will enjoy eControl Lite 1.3.0!

With kind regards,

Antoine Savelkoul
Extundo Apps[/quote]

I did not know there was another iOS app.
Thanks Antoine , downloading and testing now.

Flo

3

Thanks for the replies.

Please note that, as a new member on this forum, I can not send personal messages. This means I can also not respond to personal messages send to me. Information about how to contact me can be found on my website, http://www.extundo-apps.com.

4

I m testing me too.

First feedback:

  • lights are working
  • i don’t see my camera under camera
  • temperatura visible only in one room. in the other two room with aeon 4-1 or the 3-1, no info
  • scenes are visible and working

I can support the beta testing, as I like the app.

I have a Vera UI5, last version of firmware.

Regards,
Matteo

5

Great idea and looks good so far.
I downloaded but I can only see scenes and no devices?
Would love to test but I don’t have multimedia setup. I have KAKU devices with RFXtrx usb (RFXCOM) and Visonic plugin with RS232.

Few suggestions:
-iCloud integration for backup and syncing settings with other ios devices.
-iPad friendly
-All Visonic plugin functions. Especially ‘status’ is not working on other apps, I only know Automator App that does the job, but that App is too rich for use by other family members. Should be as easy UI as iVera.
-Push notifications on ios

6

Thanks for the feedback Matteo and ansandro,

Matteo, which cameras do you have and can you view jpeg images from them in the Vera UI? The reason that the Aeon sensor not is shown might be because it is an 4 in 1 sensor. For some products, the Vera will send different information than for the devices I used during development. I used a Everspring Z-Wave Temperature and Humidity sensor.

ansandro, the same for the RFXCOM hardware. It uses a plugin which probably will send information about configured switches in a different way than done for Z-Wave devices. As the RFXCOM hardware seems to be quite popular under Vera users, I will consider to support them in future versions. However, because of the large amount of devices I want to support, I’m also dependent on hardware donations.

Than the other interesting suggestions. iCloud integration. Yes!!! Bringing your home automation system to the cloud will not only interesting for back-ups, but also for involving all kind of other devices in home, including the smartphones of family members. Configure once, use it on all! I considered to use iCloud, however, Apple only allows access to it from iOS devices, Mac and Windows. As I have the intention to come with Android and Windows Phone versions of the app too (also for free!!!), I’m looking at another cloud platform.

An iPad interface is also a popular feature. However, I do not have one to develop and test on. But I’m currently changing the UI implementation to support templates. These templates are in the first instance needed to support customized user interfaces for serial devices, but will be adopted in the future to support multiple scenarios like landscape v.s. portrait and smartphone v.s. tablet. This way, more advanced users will get the possibility to change the UI, for example to support a scenarios where iPads will be mounted in each room. Perhaps there will be introduced an eControl Plus version that will support additional features like installing and sharing customizations with other users.

This are just a few (and perhaps not the most stunning) features I have in mind. However, as for everyone else, my days have 24 hours, so it will be just a matter of time. All input and feature suggestions will stay welcome. As soon as I have a nice list of them, I will start a poll.

With kind regards,

Antoine Savelkoul

7

Thanks for your response. For RFXCOM, maybe plugin maker lolodomo can help you with the script, together with Bert from RFXCOM for the hardware.

8

Hi Antoine.

I like your App too. Very nice clean UI that is easy for my wife to use. A few suggestions please, if I may…?

  1. support for RFXCOM devices such as Temperature sensors
  2. ability to display Favorite devices and scenes only (or hide those I don’t want the family to accidentally operate).
  3. fix for Camera view (I use Foscam FI8910W)
  4. display of door contact status under Security (I don’t have any PIR sensors yet).

Thanks and regards.
Jason.

9

[quote=“Extundo Apps, post:6, topic:171858”]Thanks for the feedback Matteo and ansandro,

Matteo, which cameras do you have and can you view jpeg images from them in the Vera UI? The reason that the Aeon sensor not is shown might be because it is an 4 in 1 sensor. For some products, the Vera will send different information than for the devices I used during development. I used a Everspring Z-Wave Temperature and Humidity sensor.

ansandro, the same for the RFXCOM hardware. It uses a plugin which probably will send information about configured switches in a different way than done for Z-Wave devices. As the RFXCOM hardware seems to be quite popular under Vera users, I will consider to support them in future versions. However, because of the large amount of devices I want to support, I’m also dependent on hardware donations.

Than the other interesting suggestions. iCloud integration. Yes!!! Bringing your home automation system to the cloud will not only interesting for back-ups, but also for involving all kind of other devices in home, including the smartphones of family members. Configure once, use it on all! I considered to use iCloud, however, Apple only allows access to it from iOS devices, Mac and Windows. As I have the intention to come with Android and Windows Phone versions of the app too (also for free!!!), I’m looking at another cloud platform.

An iPad interface is also a popular feature. However, I do not have one to develop and test on. But I’m currently changing the UI implementation to support templates. These templates are in the first instance needed to support customized user interfaces for serial devices, but will be adopted in the future to support multiple scenarios like landscape v.s. portrait and smartphone v.s. tablet. This way, more advanced users will get the possibility to change the UI, for example to support a scenarios where iPads will be mounted in each room. Perhaps there will be introduced an eControl Plus version that will support additional features like installing and sharing customizations with other users.

This are just a few (and perhaps not the most stunning) features I have in mind. However, as for everyone else, my days have 24 hours, so it will be just a matter of time. All input and feature suggestions will stay welcome. As soon as I have a nice list of them, I will start a poll.

With kind regards,

Antoine Savelkoul[/quote]

Hi,

Thanks for the answer. I have four foscam that I can view in the ui 5, version 1.5.346.

I hope that in the future also the 3-1 and 4-1 will be managed in the app.

Thank you
Matteo