• Arm/Disarm the M1.
• Enable/Disable an Output.
• Read the temperature from a keypad, thermostat, or probe.
• Perform an action when a zone is violated.
• Monitor the M1's messages.

Here's the script for arming an M1 in Away mode:

    use ElkM1::Control;
        my $elk = ElkM1::Control->new(host => '192.168.0.251', port => 2101);
        $elk->armAway(code => 1234);
        $elk->disconnect();

 It is easy to see what this command does:
$elk->disarm(code => 1234);

Here are the commands to turn off output 9, pause for ten seconds, and then turn on output 10 for ten minutes (600 seconds):
$elk->controlOutputOff(output => 9);
sleep 10;
$elk->controlOutputOn(output => 10, timeout => 600);

Here's how to get, and print, the temperature recorded by the second keypad:
$elk->requestTemperature(group => 1, device => 2);
my $msg = $elk->readMessage;
print "Temperature is ".$msg->getTemperature" if (ref($msg) eq 'ElkM1::Control::Message::TemperatureReply');

Here are the commands to activate a task and turn on device C5:
$elk->activateTask(task => 1);
$elk->turnOnPLCDevice(house => 'C', unit => 5);

What do I need to use it?
You will need the following hardware:

• Elk M1
• Elk M1XEP Ethernet Module
• PC connected to the M1XEP via a LAN.

1. ActiveState's Perl interpreter (free).
2. The attached zip archive.

• James Russo's ElkM1::Control files in the \ElkM1 folder.
• IO:Socket::SSL file in the \IO folder.
• A reference document, in MS Word 2003 format, for ElkM1::Control.

1. Download and install ActiveState's Perl interpreter in "c:\perl" (accept all defaults).
2. Unzip Perl_Modules.zip and copy the \Elk and \IO folders to "c:\perl\site\lib". Put the reference document in a convenient place on your hard-drive.

A confession ...
In order to simplify your life, my installation instructions have cut a few corners. James Russo designed ElkM1::Control to support encrypted communications, using Secure Socket Layers (SSL), via port 2601. However, this capability is lost if you follow my installation instructions.

Some Perl modules, such as ElkM1::Control, can be installed by simply copying them to the \perl\site\lib folder. However, other modules must first be "built" using tools that are not commonly found on a typical Windows PC (i.e. C compiler, C libraries, nmake utility, etc).

Proper installation of the IO::Socket::SSL module is a complicated affair because it depends on other modules that must be compiled. To avoid this headache, I cheated by creating a version of IO::Socket::SSL that is simply a copy of an existing module: IO::Socket::INET. This trick serves to satisfy the Perl interpreter, lets us talk to the M1 on an unencrypted port (2101), but eliminates the ability to successfully communicate via an encrypted port.

If you absolutely require encrypted communications, see the following article: "How to Add Support for Encrypted Communications" (posted below).

How do I use it?
Copy example #1 into your favourite text editor.

# Example 1: Say the current time
use ElkM1::Control;
    my $elk = ElkM1::Control->new(host => '192.168.0.251', port => 2101);
    $elk->speakPhrase(phrase => 238);
    $elk->disconnect();

1. Replace the host address (192.168.0.251) with the IP address of your M1XEP.
2. Save the file on your Desktop as saytime.pl.
3. Open the Command Prompt (Start | Run, type cmd and press the Enter key).
4. At the command prompt, type:

cd desktop
saytime.pl

perl saytime.pl

# Example 2: Display all M1 messages
use ElkM1::Control;
    my $elk = ElkM1::Control->new(host => '192.168.0.251', port => 2101);
    while (1) {  # Loop forever
        while (my $msg = $elk->readMessage) { # Read the M1's messages
                print $msg->toString;  # Print the messages
        }
    }

Run readmsg.pl at the command prompt. Nothing may be displayed for awhile unless you create some activity (i.e. violate a zone) or simply wait for the next Ethernet Module Test message (sent every 30 seconds).

Perl_Modules2.zip ( 96.27K )

How to add support for encrypted communications
ElkM1::Control is a useful addition to anyone's Home Automation bag-of-tricks. In order to expose ElkM1::Control to a wider audience, my installation instructions maintained simplicity by sacrificing functionality. I eliminated support for encrypted communciations because it takes some effort to install the proper Perl modules and OpenSSL on a Windows PC. However, I recognize that some people won't use the "dumbed-down" version of ElkM1::Control because they must have encrypted communications.

Background
ElkM1::Control relies on a set of Perl modules, and OpenSSL, in order to communicate via an encrypted port. The following instructions explain how to install the required modules, and OpenSSL, on a Windows PC.

ActiveState's Perl interpreter (V5.8.8) includes a utility called "ppm-shell" and it will be used to install two Perl modules and OpenSSL. The University of Winnipeg maintains a repository of Perl modules and a Windows-specific version of OpenSSL. Use of their repository simplifies the installation process.

Prerequisites

1. Ensure ActiveState's Perl interpreter has been installed.
2. Ensure the PC has an active connection to the Internet.
3. If you followed my original installation instructions for ElkM1::Control (using my zip file), you must delete the following folder and all of its contents "\perl\site\lib\IO". It contains a fake version of IO::Socket::SSL and it must be deleted.

1. Start the Command Prompt (Start | Run, type "cmd" and press the Enter key).
2. At the prompt, enter:
   ppm-shell
3. At the "ppm>" prompt , enter the following command:
   repo add http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppms/package.xml
4. Wait for the "ppm>" prompt and then enter:
   install net_ssleay.pm
5. You will be prompted several times and you should accept the default replies with the following exception:
   If the installation program finds existing copies of "libeay32.dll" and "ssleay32.dll" on your PC, it will suggest to use them and not to download fresh versions. Ignore this suggestion, and force it to fetch new versions by replying "yes" to the following prompts:
   Fetch ssleay32.dll? [no] yes
   Fetch libeay32.dll? [no] yes
6. Wait for the "ppm>" prompt and then type:
   install io-socket-ssl
7. Wait for the "ppm>" prompt and then type:
   exit

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