If I may suggest (just for the frequency of Google breaking things over the course of years) that some form of onsite media ¨C like a thumbdrive in the closeout documentation
or labeled and attached to the rack ¨C may be a more robust long-term solution when Google links can change, permissions can be revoked etc., etc.
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Though I have reservations about deploying Arduino in a general purpose system I will admit that for my own house I¡¯m using HID MultiClass SE readers (a mix of the RPK [keypad]
and mullion-style RP [no keypad]), each with an ESP32 behind each reader doing both Weigand translation and LED/Beeper control connected to my WiFi which runs the access control for my house¡ But I know the quality of my Arduino code and the edge-case handling
well enough to know I¡¯d never put it in a client¡¯s project as-is.
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The real answer is to move everything over to OSDP over RS485 since Wiegand is ancient but I only have a couple OSDP-capable MultiClass readers currently and OSDP has some
of its own quirks/timing requirements which means I think I¡¯d still need to run the interface on a dedicated microcontroller to keep everything happy¡and who has time for that when paying clients are waiting
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If you find me at Masters this year ask me about the pitfalls of setting credential expiration on a girlfriend¡¯s (now wife¡¯s) access token and then forgetting about that¡
From:[email protected] <[email protected]>
On Behalf Of Michael Caldwell-Waller via groups.io Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2025 10:12 AM To:[email protected] Subject: Re: [crestron] Crestron & Wiegand keypads
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You¡¯ve got my full agreement on this one
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The way I handle Arduino solutions in professional installs is to put the code and documentation in a Google drive folder and then print the link to the folder as a QR code sticker and place it next to the install.? This is necessary even
for my own guys to know what it is, if unfamiliar.
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I¡¯m just using the label printers with Bluetooth capability to get the QR codes onto a label. Copy and paste the link with iPhone.?
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Mike
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On Thu, Feb 27, 2025 at 07:57 Oliver Hall via <oliver.hall=[email protected]> wrote:
What's professional? It's easy.
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A project changes hands - either the client decides they want to work with a new integrator or the property is sold and the original integrator is a distant memory.
A new integrator comes onto the scene and, for argument's sake, the project is lacking in the documentation that we all take great pains to provide (maybe it /was/ provided, but it's been lost/thrown away).
There's an intermittent fault on the keypad - perhaps it's always been like that.? The integrator looks at an unbranded enclosure with an Arduino in it connected to the keypad, they check for basic wiring faults, and... now what?
If we take things to an extreme where ChatGPT generated code, it was pasted into the Arduino IDE and uploaded, tested on-site and it
appeared?to work. (Yay!) Even the person that installed it may not understand
how it worked.
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My argument to that isn't about "can you do xyz" (that's often just a function of time/money).? It is about whether "you should do xyz" in a supportable, maintainable way. If the client understands that they're getting code that the person
(being paid for their services) may not really understand; well fine - that's on the client (provided they WERE given full disclosure).? That's why customers pay a premium for products like Crestron - because there's a massive support infrastructure and integrator
community behind it (admitting it's not perfect, and sometimes even dysfunctional).
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As I said before, I'm not knocking the solution at all or suggesting it wouldn't work.? I'm not arguing about the quality of gear either - whether a keypad is $25 or $400 isn't the point.
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Going back to my original point; which is about ChatGPT (and similar) giving a false sense of security to developers (in general - not exclusively automation integrators).? I feel (again, my personal opinion) that LLMs shouldn't be used
as a substitute or crutch for actual understanding.
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Sorry - I've gone *way* off topic.? I'll mute myself now :-)?