The eXtensible Automation Protocol, or xAP gains momentum, with support for a variety of HA controllers, output devices, and software packages.

xAP is an open protocol intended to support the integration of telemetry and control devices primarily within the home - it is the glue that supports the interconnectivity of Home Automation devices.

The primary design objectives are:

• Minimalist, elegant and simple, easy to implement/retrofit
• Suitable for use with a wide range of processing capabilities, from embedded controllers to fully fledged PC's
• Operating system agnostic
• Programming language agnostic
• Network agnostic

These are lofty design goals, and initial implementation is currently focused on IP based networks, PC's running Linux, Win/32, Rabbit and PIC embedded microcontrollers.

In addition, the chosen implementation mechanism for xAP has three further key benefits:

• it reuses existing infrastructure where possible
• it is able to co-exist on a wireless LAN
• requires no central controller, and as such it provides a highly distributed and fault tolerant architecture which allows continued operation of systems wherever possible even in the event of individual component failure.

Developer support is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukha_xap

An end-user website is under development, and will found at http://www.xapautomation.org