Fireworks User Guide

Overview

    Fireworks is really three programs

1. Fireworks.exe - This is the part that enables the user to...
   • Configure Fireworks for your computer and your X-10 devices.
   • Enter and schedule programs to control your X-10 devices.
   • View the Event Log to see what happened when.
2. Igniter.exe - This is the part that...
   • Is run automatically by the Windows Task Scheduler.
   • Sends the commands to FireCracker.
   • Writes what happened when to the Event Log.
3. Ephemeris.exe - This is the part that...
   • Is run automatically by the Windows Task Scheduler.
   • Calculates the time of sunrise and sunset based on your latitude and longitude.
   • Changes the start time for programs that are based on sunrise and sunset.
   • Eliminates the need for dusk to dawn light sensors.

Configuration page

Critical

• If the FireCracker is not yet installed and operational, please make it so before continuing.  How?
• Make sure you computer clock is set to the correct date and time What time is it?
• Make sure the Windows Task Scheduler is installed.  How do I do that?
• Select the Comm Port to which you attached the FireCracker. If you pick the wrong one you can always go back and change it.
• Enter your Latitude and Longitude. This is required to calculate the times of sunrise and sunset. These are called ephemeris events. Click Lookup Latitude & Longitude on the web to find your location. Be careful, in the Western hemisphere Longitude is negative, in the Southern hemisphere Latitude is negative.
• Enumerate all of your X-10 devices in the Device List database.
How?
• The Device Name can be anything you want up to 20 characters.
• Use the dropdown to select the House code and Unit code to which you set the device.
• You can enter as much text as you want in the Notes box.

Optional - Leave these setting alone until you have run a Fireworks program or two. These settings are for Type-A personalities who want to fine tune this application. For everyone else just leave the default settings alone.

• Setup Button - This will allow you to set and test the Comm Port, the InterbitGap and the Command gap. Click the Setup button and follow the directions.
  • Comm Port is the serial port to which you connected the FireCracker interface.
  • InterbitGap is the time between each of the 40 bits in a command that is sent to the FireCracker interface. It is used to set the speed, similar to but different from, baud rate.
  • CommandGap is the time between commands. The FireCracker interface needs time to interpret the command and send the radio signal to the transceiver.
  • Lat & Lon helps you convert degrees, minutes, & seconds to degrees.
    
    
     
• Save Button - When you make configuration changes this button is enabled; it lets you save the settings.
• Revert Button - When you make configuration changes this button is enabled; it lets you revert to the previous the settings.
• Confirm Delete - If you click the Delete icon, , the record is deleted. With this option checked you are asked to make a confirmation. If it is unchecked the record is just deleted.
• Minimum Initial Delay - Because Igniter.exe takes a few seconds to load, the first event may run a few seconds later than its selected delay. To make the initial program event time more accurate set this value equal to or greater than the igniter load time. Check the Fireworks Forum for details.
• Check Initial Delay - If this is checked the delay of the first event is increased to the Minimum Initial Delay if it was below that value.
• Minimum Delay - Because the FireCracker interface needs time reset between commands, events may run later than its selected delay if the selected delay is too small. To make the program event times more accurate set this value a little larger than the Command Gap. Check the Fireworks Forum for details.
• Check Delay - If this is checked the delay of all events are increased to the Minimum Delay if it was below that value.
• Password Required - If this is checked the program will prompt for a Login User ID and Password to be used when a program is saved. This is required for Windows XP. If this is unchecked User ID and Password will not be modified when a program is saved.
• Ignition Delay - Because the FireCracker interface needs time to process commands, events may run later than expected. To make the program event times more accurate set this value slightly larger than zero. Check the Fireworks Forum for details.
• Keep last # events - This limits the number of lines, events, saved in the event log.
• Keep Event Log - If this is unchecked events are not logged.
• Ephemeris Calculator's Schedule - Click the text below this line to schedule when the start times for events that are based on sunrise and sunset are modified by Ephemeris.exe. For the most accuracy set the schedule to run after midnight before dawn every day. How?

Program page

Programs

• A Program is a group of operations that execute sequentially.
• You can have as many programs as you want.
• They are listed on the left side.
• Create one or more programs.
How?
1. Item number is used for sorting. Decimal number allowed.
2. Program Name can be anything you want up to 20 characters
3. If the start time of this program depends on sunrise or sunset  set the Sun value other wise leave it blank.
   • SR = sunrise
   • SS = sunset
   • SR-30 = half hour before sunrise
   • SS+15 = 15 minutes after sunset
   • Use SR or SS optionally with + or - #minutes, no seconds.
4. You can enter as much text as you want in the Comment box.
5. After you save the Program click the blue schedule line to set the schedule.
How?
• Right click to Renumber, Schedule, or Run.

Operations

• Operations are the commands that describe what is to be done.
  • You can have as many operations for each program as you want.
  • They are listed on the right side.
• Add one or more operations for each program .
How?
• Item number is used for sorting. Decimal number allowed.
• Select the Device Name from the drop down list.
• The delay is the amount of time in seconds to wait before executing the command.
  • If you add the delay to the sum of the previous delays to the start time you get the time the event will actually execute.
  • Keep the delays as short as possible. 999 seconds ( 16m39s ) is the largest.
  • If you want a delay of more than a minute or two you should create another program.
• You can enter as much text as you want in the Note box.
• Right click to Save, Revert, or Renumber.

Example

In the example above there are eight programs.

• The first program "Outdoor On" is selected.
• Its four operations are shown on the right.

Event Log page

Event Log

• Scheduled Event Date Time
• Actual Event Date Time
• Program Name
• Device Name
• Action
• Command Note

Buttons

• Refresh - Reloads the Event.Log file.
• Copy - Copies the log to the clipboard.
• Clear - Deletes the Event Log and its file.

Tech Notes

• The device list is stored in IdenMt.bin in the Fireworks installation directory
•  Other data is stored in the registry.
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microcomputing\Fireworks
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microcomputing\Igniter
• The programs are tasks visible in the Scheduled Tasks Folder.
  • The commands are stored in the tasks files.  
  • You can edit their start times in the Windows Task Scheduler.
  • If you open both Fireworks and the Task Scheduler,
    • one may over write the other,
    • you may lose modifications.