Home Automation
I started out with home automation using X10 equipment. It worked OK in my older house which was relatively small. I tried to get X10 working in my new house, but I had problems.
Because of the way the X10 protocall works (no handshaking), if a command is not received by the device no one knows about it. This can happen due to noise on the line or a collision from two devices sending at once.
Since then I have switched over to Insteon devices to run my home automation setup. Insteon provides some sleeker devices as will like the keypadlinc which is an insteon dimmer, keypad and an insteon controller all in once sleek box that fits into a standard decora switch location.
The only gotcha with Insteon is that you need to have a neutral wire available in the box. No neutral wire, no insteon.
Power Home
The next step in my home automation adventure was to find some software to run my whole setup. I did some shopping around and a lot of the home automation software has so many features and does so much that it's hard to figure out which one to use.
I started checking out the prices of the various software packages and quickly realized they were also pretty expensive. Many packages were $150 to $250 US.
Eventually I came across PowerHome. It had a free 30 day trial and downloaded and installed it. Most important of all it had full support for Insteon devices!
Ocelot and Secu-16
Once I got Powerhome working and controlling my lights and some timers working I thought I would try and get my ocelot connected to powerhome as well. Now I could receive IR (infra-red) commands from my Home theater remote control.
I have a remote controlled screen in my home theater. It is a motorized screen that works with an RF remote. The only problem was that I had to first find this once seperate remote to make the screen go down or up. I have all the rest of my home theater working off a Harmony remote control. Which means I can use one remote to run the entire theater.
I quickly realized that if I connected a SECU-16 module which provides 8 analog/digital input and also has 8 relay contacts that I could then use the Ocelot to receive screen IR commands and use the SECU-16 to connect the system to the screen. I could then have a relay contact trigger the buttons on the screen control box to simulate a button press and voila I now had and IR controlled screen.
SECU-16
Once I got the screen working I quickly realized that I could do more with the SECU-16. The next plan to tie the SECU-16 into my alarm system which will allow Powerhome to see when various motion dectectors and door contacts trip.
Now I can do things like have the lights come on as soon as I open the door at night when I arrive home.
Motion Detectors
I had an extra DSC motion detector left over from when my alarm system was installed. The DSC detector is a pretty simple device that runs on 12V and opens a relay contact when motion is detected. My connecting a 12V power supply I could now connect additional motion detectors to the SECU-16 and have more automation potential. I now plan to add a motion detector on the front porch to trigger to outside lights when someone comes up to the front door. In this way I can have the light on very dim, and then bring them up to full bright if someone walks up to the house.
I also plan to add a motion detector in the basement to trigger the light when someone wants to grab a dring from the breakmate and an additiona detector in the upstairs hallway to trigger the hall light when someone enters the hallway.
The nice thing about having the motion detector is it eliminates lights being left on due to people forgetting to turn them off.
When motion is detected a timer starts and then when no motion is seen for more than a minute or two then light can turn off.
This technique can also be applied to the living areas where there are motion detectors connect through the alarm system. Here by using a longer timer (say 30 minutes) I can have the lights come on automatically when someone enters the room. Then if no motion is detected for a full 30 mintues the lights go off again.
Garage door
Next I plan to use either the garage motion detector or a magnetic contact switch and relay outputs of the SECU-16 to detect whether the garage door has been open for an extended period of time. I can then have Powerhome close the garage door automatically.
Last year I almost left the garage door open all night a few times and this will give me some peace of mind that it will be close on it's own.
Video Camera
I recently picked up a wireless video camera. I'm still on the process of getting this thing up and running, but the plan will be to have the two cameras that came with this setup outside watching the front door and driveway.
Eventually I'd like to be able to tie this setup in with the motion detector to have it take a photo everytime motion is detected.
The cameras can also trigger on motion, so I'll have to see what turns out to be the best way to run and use the cameras.
Created on 04/03/2007 11:23 AM by bloedorn
Updated on 04/03/2007 12:20 PM by bloedorn
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