CENTRO-M

[cv27]

September just went by. Just wondering if DemoPad has a delivery date for the Centro-8M pre-orders?

[Mike DemoPad]

Preorders for the Centro-8M will be shipped around October 20th. 2016. The delivery lead time for PCB's was underestimated but everything is now on track. Everyone who has ordered will be contacted just prior to shipment. Mike Cain DemoPad.

[cv27]

Great news! Thanks for the update.

[cv27]

... Given that a project needs to be uploaded to the Centro, it seems any device (PC, IOS, Android), without requiring a local copy of the project, that initiates a Web communication with the Centro would have access to the project (similar to terminal mode).

There is no way to access the .pad project file, no. An app without the project file will be able to send basic commands (IR, relay etc) but would have no details of timed events, flags etc. If by 'web' communication you mean the browser interface, this can be password protected, but only gives the user interface similar to the app....

To configure the Centro-8M, I need to connect to it from the DemoPad Designer, using the configured IP address at initialization (step 1): that I get.

You mentioned "If by 'web' communication you mean the browser interface, this can be password protected, but only gives the user interface similar to the app". Does this mean I can use any browser (Chrome, Edge...) to establish an HTTP connection to the Centro-8M's Web server and:

• I will get back a display identical to what I see when the project is loaded on an iPad (via the CentroControl app)?
• I will be able to interact the same way as I would with the CentroControl app, clicking/pressing buttons (gestures might be an issue)?

If so, then a few more questions:

• Given the Centro-8M can operate several different projects simultaneously, how would I request a specific project from the Web server?
• Is that port the standard 80, or can it be changed?
• Is there anything in the Centro-8M that would prevent remote access, for configuration or to the web server (given appropriate firewall rules and router port forwarding)?
• You mentioned the possibility of a password: does the Web server use HTTPS or would the password be transmitted in clear?
• Is that password separate from the one used to configure the Centro-8M?

The reasoning behind those questions is that I may need to configure and control my home automation remotely, from a device capable of HTTP but without the benefit of the CentroControl app.

P.S. Is there any more detailed documentation available on the Centro's?

[DemoPad]

You mentioned "If by 'web' communication you mean the browser interface, this can be password protected, but only gives the user interface similar to the app". Does this mean I can use any browser (Chrome, Edge...) to establish an HTTP connection to the Centro-8M's Web server and:

• I will get back a display identical to what I see when the project is loaded on an iPad (via the CentroControl app)?
• I will be able to interact the same way as I would with the CentroControl app, clicking/pressing buttons (gestures might be an issue)?

Yes - pretty much. There are a few caveats, eg app specific drivers which don't operate through the browser, and gesture actions (swipe-able subpages work) but yes, basically, you get the same interface (landscape) as the app.

• Given the Centro-8M can operate several different projects simultaneously, how would I request a specific project from the Web server?
• Is that port the standard 80, or can it be changed?

The Centro-8M cannot really operate several projects at once, it only has 1 project loaded & current. However, apps running different projects can send commands to the Centro-8M to operate IR, relays etc.

[*]Is there anything in the Centro-8M that would prevent remote access, for configuration or to the web server (given appropriate firewall rules and router port forwarding)?
[*]You mentioned the possibility of a password: does the Web server use HTTPS or would the password be transmitted in clear?
[*]Is that password separate from the one used to configure the Centro-8M?[/list]

Absolutely, you can communicate with the Centro-8M with the browser using HTTPS with appropriate ports forwarded (with a separate browser specific username/password). The port is 8081, it cannot currently be changed. You can also send HTTP/HTTPS POST commands to the Centro-8M directly to operate it from outside the app/browser interface if you wish - this is how it integrates with IFTTT. This uses the password you use to configure the device.

More documentation will be available next week.

[cv27]

...The Centro-8M cannot really operate several projects at once, it only has 1 project loaded & current. However, apps running different projects can send commands to the Centro-8M to operate IR, relays etc...

I guess I misunderstood the Centre-8 documentation (step 2) when it states

There are no limits to the number of projects which can be loaded onto a Centro processor

In any case, thanks, your reply clarifies several important points for me.

[DemoPad]

...The Centro-8M cannot really operate several projects at once, it only has 1 project loaded & current. However, apps running different projects can send commands to the Centro-8M to operate IR, relays etc...

I guess I misunderstood the Centre-8 documentation (step 2) when it states

There are no limits to the number of projects which can be loaded onto a Centro processor

In any case, thanks, your reply clarifies several important points for me.

Step 2 relates to the authorisation of the Centro with a particular project, the statement is intended to convey the idea that you are not restricted to loading just one authorised project onto a Centro and it is then locked to that project, you can load many different ones whenever you wish, and they can all be authorised. But only 1 project is current at once. Hope that clarifies.

[cv27]

The current Centro-8M documentation at http://centro8m.docs.demopad.com/centro ... iguration/ states "Note: DHCP is not the recommended mode of IP assignment when using the Centro Control App".

I would suggest adding the following to that sentence: ", unless using DHCP reserved IP addresses for the Centro-8M".

The benefit of DHCP reserved addresses is central management of IP addresses, DNS, etc.

[cv27]

I received my Centro-8M today.

I tried over the last month to get ahead by going through the Centro-C manual. I realize now patience would have been better. The Centro-8M configuration has its differences.

I managed to get the physical part going fairly easily. Configuration went well, except for Chrome not trusting the Centro-8M in https. A few questions:
1- What are the red and green lights internal to the unit? Red is solid, green is periodically blinking
2- Do the included IR emitters have blaster capability? If not, then are the iTach blasters supported by the Centro-8M?
3- The unit seems to use the serial number as licence key; is there a further activation step (as with the Centro-C)?

I got stuck early though on the software/app part. I can add a new Centro-8M, but it pretty well stops there:
- I don't see the 'Upload to DemoPad Processor' tab
- Variables in my project show no means of selecting them for management by the Centro-8M
- For my IP devices, I don't see that section on the ribbon where I can 'Link to a processor' or 'Route commands via the processor'
- When trying to create macros for the Centro-8M, using 'When a variable changes', I only see: Flags, Labels, Numbers, but the tree does not expand to my variables

Designer v2.303, Centro-8M 1.4.8

Any help to get me pass this obstacle would be appreciated

[cv27]

On a first iPad with Centro Control, I loaded my project ok. Then on a second iPad with Centro Control, when loading the same project, I get "error loading system, please reload from app settings".

On that second iPad loading my project with DemoPad Control, all is fine.

For each test, I first cleared the app from memory.

Any insights?

[DemoPad]

I received my Centro-8M today.

I tried over the last month to get ahead by going through the Centro-C manual. I realize now patience would have been better. The Centro-8M configuration has its differences.

I managed to get the physical part going fairly easily. Configuration went well, except for Chrome not trusting the Centro-8M in https. A few questions:
1- What are the red and green lights internal to the unit? Red is solid, green is periodically blinking
2- Do the included IR emitters have blaster capability? If not, then are the iTach blasters supported by the Centro-8M?
3- The unit seems to use the serial number as licence key; is there a further activation step (as with the Centro-C)?

I got stuck early though on the software/app part. I can add a new Centro-8M, but it pretty well stops there:
- I don't see the 'Upload to DemoPad Processor' tab
- Variables in my project show no means of selecting them for management by the Centro-8M
- For my IP devices, I don't see that section on the ribbon where I can 'Link to a processor' or 'Route commands via the processor'
- When trying to create macros for the Centro-8M, using 'When a variable changes', I only see: Flags, Labels, Numbers, but the tree does not expand to my variables

Designer v2.303, Centro-8M 1.4.8

Any help to get me pass this obstacle would be appreciated

The Red LED is power, green is OS disk activity.

The IR emitters are high power yes, we recommend only using the IR blasters supplied with the unit.

There are no further steps to activate the Centro-8M, as there is with the Centro-8, they are activated before they are shipped.

Anyone who is not using the pro software needs to email [email protected] to obtain an activation code to enable the Centro menus - upload to processor / link to processor / use flags on the processor etc

[DemoPad]

On a first iPad with Centro Control, I loaded my project ok. Then on a second iPad with Centro Control, when loading the same project, I get "error loading system, please reload from app settings".

On that second iPad loading my project with DemoPad Control, all is fine.

For each test, I first cleared the app from memory.

Any insights?

We've had similar reports when loading the app from iTunes. The solution seems to be to remove the app, then reload it from iTunes. When it reloads, choose the 'Open' option immediately. This appears to be an iOS issue.

[cv27]

... Anyone who is not using the pro software needs to email [email protected] to obtain an activation code to enable the Centro menus - upload to processor / link to processor / use flags on the processor etc

Today's release of Designer v2.306 resolved the issue for me.

[Stik]

I've been learning how to configure the Centro-M and have come up with my first question.

I would like to have a custom number action trigger across all devices when changed on one. I have set the Centro-M as the primary processor and put a check mark in the appropriate number box, but it appears that Custom Number Actions may behave similar to how they work with feedback and not fire in these cases. I understand why this is required with feedback in order to avoid issues with circular logic, but have the option to set the number to itself in the feedback when appropriate and I want it to trigger.

Can someone confirm that this is, in fact, how Custom Number Actions work with the primary processor as well? If so, is there an other way to force these actions to occur across devices when desired?

Thanks,

Andy

[DemoPad]

I've been learning how to configure the Centro-M and have come up with my first question.

I would like to have a custom number action trigger across all devices when changed on one. I have set the Centro-M as the primary processor and put a check mark in the appropriate number box, but it appears that Custom Number Actions may behave similar to how they work with feedback and not fire in these cases. I understand why this is required with feedback in order to avoid issues with circular logic, but have the option to set the number to itself in the feedback when appropriate and I want it to trigger.

Can someone confirm that this is, in fact, how Custom Number Actions work with the primary processor as well? If so, is there an other way to force these actions to occur across devices when desired?

Thanks,

Andy

Custom number actions do not currently fire on the Centro-8/8M, only on the app. You can however create a macro which fires if a variable changes - a number, flag or label. This is done in the macros/timers section.