Home automation

[kccboy2004]

I have a couple of questions (discussion):

is there anyone out there that is interested in Home Automation ?
does anyone think that there is not enough 'convergence' in the home ?
By convergence I mean...
we have many devices that are effectively computing devices which are 'standalone'. e.g a thermostat, security system, even the temperature gauge on your oven.

These devices have displays that read back the output from sensors.

The common programmable thermostat is essentially a sensor that reads the temperature from the sensor, (built-in), and sends a signal or not to the furnace to switch on or not, when compared to a table of temperatures (depending on time of day, day of week, mode). The table could just as well be held in my home server. The display could just as well be depicted on my touchscreen, hallway monitor which also happens to show my entrance camera, or on my TV screen.

The point though, is that the display for the thermostat is redundant. The only thing that I need is a sensor and a computer.

Sure, the computer needs to be reliable, run a stable OS (unix based), have battery backup (on a GLCF945 atom based board - this battery will probably take me through 12 hours of power outages).

Does anyone understand where I am going ?

My security system...just a series of sensors around the property, linked to a PC, even a separate PC if you like, that is not open to the internet (atom processor, 256MB RAM would be overkill). Software to receive signals from it would be relatively easy ? wouldn't it ?

OK... the oven is a bit far fetched.... but just to prove a point; my very standard GE oven has an interface that allows me to program the oven in very simple terms:
- Timer
- Required Temperature
- Actual Temperature
- Time
- Electromechanical knobs (I turn the knob - I guess a rheostat controls the temperature).

I see in years to come a GUI interface on this. Controlled by my computer.
Agreed, a little 'coo key'.

Anybody else got similar ideas or views / or opposing views ? Really interested in what people think ?

[Variable]

You should look here. The X10 modules and controller software has been around many years. They have many, many new upgrades.

http://www.smarthome.com/_/index.aspx

[Paul Komski]

My security system...just a series of sensors around the property, linked to a PC, even a separate PC if you like, that is not open to the internet (atom processor, 256MB RAM would be overkill). Software to receive signals from it would be relatively easy ? wouldn't it ?

You are in reality posing two different but related questions; one is how to receive and deal with the input from such devices (commonly serial data that would traditionally be received by a COM port); the other is any feedback mechanisms to the devices themselves to make them respond/react appropriately. Both are feasible and done all the time but the complexities of responding and programming the robotic elements of the peripheral or distant devices can obviously get more and more elaborate and complicated.

I have actually written both Windows GUI and DOS based applications to react to serial COM inputs for "security type" applications for another peep on these boards. I am also in the process of setting up a robotic responder for a wind turbine run by a local enthusiast using a picaxe chip (http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/). He wants to be able to change the parameters of the output in response to differing wind conditions (input) to make the turbine more efficient.

Both the DOS and Windows programmes I have written have a very small footprint and would run on very legacy hardware. This is a new and very interesting departure for me so any discussion about such elements could well be mutually productive.