CQC is a software based automation system for home automation or commercial automation, based on the Windows operating system - Version 7 and above. It can control lights, thermostats, sprinkler systems, security systems, home theater equipment, manage your media, and much more. It makes those controlled devices available in various ways, such as touch screens, voice control, and remote controls
CQC is composed of a number of cooperating programs, some of which run in the background and provide continuous monitoring of devices and user interactions. Others are administrative tools used to configure CQC and create customized content. Some are for the end user of the final custom solution created.
You can install CQC on one or multiple computers in your network. One of them (the first one installed) must be the Master Server. This must be available at all times because it acts as the central coordinator for all other CQC enabled devices.
Trial Mode
When you first install CQC, you will be in Trial mode, which will be good for 40 days. If you decide to purchase, you can either remove this version and start over or you can just license this system you already have been customizing.
If you decide to purchase, the Master Server is the only machine that must be licensed. All other CQC enabled devices will implicitly be licensed by being part of that same CQC network.
System Tiers
CQC is a scalable product. This is true in the sense that its various components can be spread around your network to spread the load. But also in terms of the features and capacities of the system. So CQC is available as a set of layered tiers, each of which has more capacity and capabilities, and and accordingly higher price (though with significant discounts.) This allows you to start small and scale up over time, or to just select a system of appropriate capacity for your needs.
Each tier includes more 'clients' which are touch screen or voice control clients you use to interact with CQC, and 'device drivers', which are what CQC uses to interface to and control your devices. The lower two (Bronze/Silver) tiers don't include some of the more advance features.
Features in All Tiers
| Name | Description |
| Admin Tools: | Configure, customize, monitor, and manage your CQC network and devices |
| Windows Client: | Flagship Windows touch screen client |
| CQC Voice: | Our all-local voice control system. Amazon Echo is also an option |
| Event Server: | Have CQC do things on a schedule or in response to changes in devices under its control |
| Web Server: | Create your own HTTP/WebSockets based clients based on our web server |
| Tray Monitor: | Monitor CQC background services, iTunes Control |
| Driver Tools: | Develop CQC device drivers in our PDL and CML languages |
Features in Gold and Up
| Name | Description |
| Logic Server: | Combine existing device values to create new, composite values, graph values, etc... |
| XML Gateway: | Create custom clients using an XML over Sockets interface. |
| App Control: | Adds application control option to the Tray Monitor. |
| Year of Upgrades: | Gold and higher systems get a free year of upgrades. |
When you first install CQC your system will be at the Gold tier. This tier has all available functionality, so you will not be constrained in your evaluation of CQC, other than the number of clients and drivers that the Gold tier supports, which are more than ample for evaluation. If you decide to purchase a lesser tier than Gold, just be aware that your system capacities will go down, and some of the components will not be available.
Unlike many automation companies, we do not charge separately for device drivers. The price of other products may seem lower but in fact end up higher by the time you factor in a price for each driver you need.
To increase your client or device driver capacities you can upgrade to a higher tier, or just purchase individual client/driver capacity if you only need a small incremental increase.
Upgrades
You can purchase upgrades individually if you choose, but no one ever does. We offer a $95/year maintenance plan that gives you access to any new releases that come out in that covered period. Given that we put out two or three significant releases a year, this comes out to at most $47.50 USD per new version, which is considerably less than the invidual upgrades ($75 USD.) And these fees accumulate towards tier upgrades as well, making it a doubly good deal.
* Note that Gold and higher tiers include a complimentary year of free upgrades as well, as a thank you!
Support
Support for DIY customers is solely through our forum, a link is at the bottom of this page. Our support is always prompt. DIY customers are of course expected to it themselves, but there is plenty of help available, and we can point you at the answers to whatever you are missing, or provide the answers if they themselves are missing.
There is an ever growing set of videos available, which cover many topics. And there is also extensive written documentation. Links to those are also available at the bottom of this page. The videos are higher level in nature, then the written documentation picks up from there.
Getting started with CQC involves the following basic steps:
Videos
At the bottom of this page you will find a link to a set of video playlists on Youtube, which provide a high level tutorial for CQC. Each playlist covers different aspects of the product, or different paths you might want to take as you move forward. You will generally want to just start in the Tutorial playlist. This will take you from installation up through customization.
Once you have gotten through the Tutorial playlist far enough to have installed device drivers and learned some basics of how CQC works, you may choose to move over to the Quick Start playlist. This will show you how to use our auto-generation system to generate a nice set of touch screen interfaces. And the same information you configure in order to generate those touch screens is also used by our CQC Voice system, which provides basic voice control over your system.
Note that you can use some of our simulator drivers instead of drivers for your actual hardware, to make it easy to evaluate CQC in a standalone sort of way. The tutorial videos do it this way to be sure everyone can follow along exactly the same if desired.
There is also a set of 'Spot Topic' videos, each of which digs a bit deeper into some specific topic. So check that playlist for topics that you might want to know a bit more about once you have gotten started.
Documentation
Once you have installed CQC, when you load the Administrative Interface, there will be a /Help section in the main browser window. That will provide access to extensive written documentation. The written documentation is also linked to below at the bottom of this page, but use the documentation that comes with your CQC installation, since it will be correct for the version you have and will be faster to load. The link below is for use by potential customers for pre-install evaluation.
Download the Installer
Use the link below to download the current CQC installer. It is a self-extracting program. When you run it, it will extract out a basic self-extractor, which will in turn extract out the actual installer which it will then run. You will likely get a prompt when the actual installer runs because of course it needs administrative privileges in order to install CQC.
If you have downloaded CQC and determined that it is the product that meets your needs, we would love to welcome you to the CQC user community. All sales are final. Please take advantage of the 40 day trial period to be sure you want to purchase the product. Read the End User Agreement below. If you don't agree with the provisions of the EULA, don't make the purchase. If you do, then press the "I Agree" link below to continue with the purchase process.
CQC is sold in the form of a set of 'tiers', each of which includes more capability and capacity. Pick the tier that best suits your needs.
CQC is purchased through PayPal. The Purchase button on the next page will open the PayPal shopping cart in another browser or tab. Adjust quantities within the shopping cart as desired.
End User Agreement
1. We grant you one license to install and use this software on a single computer or local area network at a time. If you do not agree to the following terms of this license, please uninstall and remove all copies. CQC is provided with an unencumbered 40 day trial mode. During the 40 day trial you may purchase a license for CQC. If the trial period ends and you have not purchased a license you must uninstall and remove all copies of CQC.
2. The product is networked, and only the Master Server is licensed. You may install other clients or secondary servers as required, subject to license limits. Each Master Server must must be licensed. You may make back-up copies of the software for archival purposes. Transfer of the license to another user is not currently provided for, though it may be allowed in certain circumstances at the sole discretion of Charmed Quark Systems, Ltd. Otherwise, all sales are final.
3. The software is protected by the copyright laws of the U.S. and other countries, and we retain all intellectual property rights in the software. You may not separately publish, sell, market, distribute, lend, lease, rent, or sublicense the software code. However, this license is not to be construed as prohibiting or limiting any fair use sanctioned by copyright law, such as permitted library and classroom usage or reverse engineering.
4. Support for DIY customers is purely on a best effort basis, through the support forum. Support for professional installers is controlled by a separate agreement, and end customers of professionally installed systems are purely supported by the installer who installed the product, not by Charmed Quark Systems, Ltd, unless otherwise agreed to in writing.
LIMITED WARRANTY
5. We warrant that the software will provide the features and functions generally described in the product specification on our website when you purchased it and in the product documentation. Media on which the Software is furnished, if any, will be free from defects in materials and workmanship.
6. We have taken all reasonable steps to keep the software free of viruses, spyware, back door entrances, or any other harmful code. We will not track or collect any information about you, your data, or your use of the software except as you specifically authorize. We will not intentionally deprive you of your ability to use any features of the software or access to your data.
7. We do not warrant that the software or your ability to use it will be uninterrupted or error-free. To the extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY
8. Your exclusive remedy under the above limited warranty shall be, at our option, either a full refund of the purchase price or correction of the defective software or media. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim all liability for indirect or consequential damages that arise under this license agreement. Nothing in this agreement limits our liability to you in the event of death or personal injury resulting from gross negligence, fraud, or knowing misrepresentation on our part.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
9. If any part of this agreement is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms will stay in effect. This agreement does not prejudice the statutory rights of any party dealing as a consumer.
10. This agreement will be governed by the laws, including Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, of Maryland. Maryland has enacted the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA), said statute shall not govern any aspect of this agreement and instead the law as it existed prior to such enactment shall govern.
11. This agreement does not supersede any express warranties we made to you. Any modification to this agreement must be agreed to in writing by both parties. Charmed Quark Systems is a registered corporation in Delaware, USA.
Select the appropriate options in the list on the lower level. You will see information about the selected option. Use the Purchase link to invoke the PayPal shopping cart for the selected item. The initial quantity will be 1, adjust that as desired.
After making your purchase, you should receive a response from us within 24 hours. If not, contact us since e-mail is of course not always the most reliable of communications media. You will provide us with the 'install key' from one of the nag screens, and we will then send you your license. So you should have already installed and tested CQC before you purchase, to insure that it is what you want, and to have the install key ready.
