3 ms·

Too true, I was looking at solar charge controllers and after rejecting yet another otherwise nice looking one boldly advertising it's bluetooth communications

by somat 2y ago

Too true, I was looking at solar charge controllers and after rejecting yet another otherwise nice looking one boldly advertising it's bluetooth communications my thoughts were viscerally negative. "I don't want bluetooth and an app, I want rs485 and a specification"

zzo38computer 2y ago
I agree, I also don't want bluetooth (nor other wireless communication) and an app, I want RS-485 and a specification (that is hopefully not too complicated).
m463 2y ago
That is just about everything. No matter how compelling some product is, if I see something it is app-controlled, I just move on. Silly things. A heated coffee mug (app-controlled). An air purifier (app-controlled). A home generator (app-controlled). sigh. At costco the other day, there were gift cards for two movie chains ($50 for $39). One was just "take this card to the register", the other one was an app/website and more mess (and a hard pass)
- ascagnel_ 2y ago
  If it requires a smartphone app, no thank you. But if it’s “smarts” are really just Matter/Thread the app is an optional front-end, I’m more willing to take the leap.
- eesmith 2y ago
  I see new apartment buildings with advertisements about app-controlled HVAC, and as a gift, an app-controlled coffee maker, and I think "nope, not for me."
the_third_wave 2y ago
> "I don't want bluetooth and an app," Me neither > "I want rs485 and a specification” I want ethernet and a well-documented API. Put the thing in its own network segment which does not connect to the outside world and you get to have an the advantages of a network-connected device without any of the disadvantages. No automatic updates taking away functionality, no chance for bad actors to hijack your devices but still all the possibilities offered by having direct network access.
- M95D 2y ago
  But reading your description, it looks like you actually want rs485.
- jauntywundrkind 2y ago
  I want an open source firmware based around a popular rtos. Sell me the product, provide ok software gratis. Framework's AMD laptops notably have a Zephyr based embedded controller. Good stuff. There's definitely some strong OpenBMC efforts ongoing right now in server space. AMD says they're going to replace (closed) AGESA bring-up code with OpenSIL, so consumers might even have access to firmware it yourself too, sometime this decade.

by somat 2y ago

zzo38computer 2y ago

I agree, I also don't want bluetooth (nor other wireless communication) and an app, I want RS-485 and a specification (that is hopefully not too complicated).

m463 2y ago

That is just about everything. No matter how compelling some product is, if I see something it is app-controlled, I just move on. Silly things. A heated coffee mug (app-controlled). An air purifier (app-controlled). A home generator (app-controlled). sigh. At costco the other day, there were gift cards for two movie chains ($50 for $39). One was just "take this card to the register", the other one was an app/website and more mess (and a hard pass)

ascagnel_ 2y ago
If it requires a smartphone app, no thank you. But if it’s “smarts” are really just Matter/Thread the app is an optional front-end, I’m more willing to take the leap.
eesmith 2y ago
I see new apartment buildings with advertisements about app-controlled HVAC, and as a gift, an app-controlled coffee maker, and I think "nope, not for me."

the_third_wave 2y ago

> "I don't want bluetooth and an app," Me neither > "I want rs485 and a specification” I want ethernet and a well-documented API. Put the thing in its own network segment which does not connect to the outside world and you get to have an the advantages of a network-connected device without any of the disadvantages. No automatic updates taking away functionality, no chance for bad actors to hijack your devices but still all the possibilities offered by having direct network access.

M95D 2y ago
But reading your description, it looks like you actually want rs485.
jauntywundrkind 2y ago
I want an open source firmware based around a popular rtos. Sell me the product, provide ok software gratis. Framework's AMD laptops notably have a Zephyr based embedded controller. Good stuff. There's definitely some strong OpenBMC efforts ongoing right now in server space. AMD says they're going to replace (closed) AGESA bring-up code with OpenSIL, so consumers might even have access to firmware it yourself too, sometime this decade.