I am interested in hearing any of your experiences with home automation products/projects, from DIY to commercial products. Links appreciated, but please don't just feed me what Google barfs up, I've looked at that already. I'd like to hear some first-hand accounts.
I ran into this link a ways back. The reason I found it was because it was using CAN. It seems to me that your scouting experience for a basis of starting some of your own DIY home automation. CAN is the absolute BOMB! Although it ranks in the differential serial category like USB and 1394, it's design purpose was for vehicles and industrial settings which are notorious for being high noise environments. My experience with CAN hasn't been with Caraca but it sounds like a sound project. If I were to do home automation, I would either use CAN (with Microchip's MCP2510 and Philips' PCA82C205) in starting my own project or go with something like Caraca. There's also the x10 stuff that you can get with the computer interface... Ever since they started running that ad for their camera with the photoshopped chick (looks like an adult with a 10 year-old waist), I've lost respect for them.
It's funny, I just ran into a reasonably priced CAN node kit, and that's what sparked the question. I was thinking about CAN specifically, but I wanted to not cloud the waters so to speak. Got any other good CAN links up your sleeve then?
Well, it's using both the parts I would use. Leroy's site is usually where I start for any technical information about any bus. What kind of links are you looking for? I've done tons of research on CAN (mostly unrecorded, just hopping from link to link and reading in between) and have found commercial sites (i.e. Vector) and several DIY projects. There was one other good project, but I can't seem to find it now. It was a single board with just about all embedded protocols (CAN, 1-wire, keypad, lcd, A/D, I/O, etc.)
Ideally, anyone who has made it work in the home and was presenting what it took, how much it cost etc. I'm building a house in a few months and would consider integrating it if it's possible. For values of possible that equal cheap.
If the costs work out, I could buy off on all that. I like the idea that one remote button press would set up the lights and audio so I could watch a movie. But on the other hand, for a thousand bucks I can get my ass off the couch and adjust the lights myself. I'm just thinking about it. The sourceforge site seemed to talk about HVAC applications, but I'm a little nervous about that for some reason. If I need to be educated more (like if there are commercial thermostat systems that support zones and are CAN ready) then I'm ready for that education. Edit: I'm looking at the vector site now, that's pretty good, but some specific home stuff would help me along at this stage.
Hehe, except for the cool-ness factor. Although I am sure that there has to be a system in existance for HVAC automation, but I'm not sure how much it would cost. My parents just bought a new house and converted hot-water heat to forced air with dual zone (first and second floor). The thermostats are connected via four wires (PWR, GND, and I suspect differential asyncronous serial). The two thermostats then talk to a host controller next to the furnace. I would assume this host controller <--> furnace interface is a primitive ON/OFF setup. In which case, it wouldn't take much to integrate a CAN node with remote temp sensors that talked to the furance CAN node that did the ON/OFF controlling. Well, I don't recall seeing anything specifically for home automation but then that wasn't my research interest (it was actually telemetry system for a solar/electrical vehicle). Lights wouldn't be an issue (I've seen dimmer circuits that use PWM). I'm actually working on a ethernet mp3 player system right now (just about to buy the parts for my first prototype) whose raw cost will be about $100 per node, but I digress. When I was visiting a relative in Italy for 3 weeks, I noticed one major difference between how they do house wiring in Italy and how it's done in the states. They used low VDC push buttons that toggled relays. If you don't make up your mind before building your house, you could (no I'm not pushing an all DC system ) go with something like this. It would be easy to add in automation (just add another control to the relays) after-the-fact. Depending on how complicated you want to get, I think you can do it with CAN without a whole lot of work.
Well, I'm encountering a good amount of difficulty googling for info since the word "can" is in damn near every page. But I'm getting the flavor that the automation-enabled thermostats are not CAN but RS422 or other comm standards. Feck, I want it to be as easy as Ethernet.
Best thing to do it look for "can controller" or "can transceiver" or "controller area network" or some other varient. Too bad google can't do case-sensitivity.... Well, ethernet's a lot more complex than serial
Not sure if this is what you are interested in, but have you checked Comp USA lately? I noticed the other day that they had a whole line of house sensors and home automation software/hardware in there - near the networking section. You would probably build the same thing by hand, knowing you...but it might give you some ideas. I am working on my CNA right now and Cisco is offering a class on home automation...connecting the appliances and everything in the house to a central controller, etc. They said ours was the first college to offer it...sort of a trial class. I signed up, but haven't heard anything about it yet.
for the cheap ones out there: x10 doesn't just make annoying ads, they also do home automation, which is what I've been using for a while. They've got computer control and wireless capabilities. for general stuff: http://www.smarthome.com is where I go for general Home Automation stuff, but I think they are the type of site that would be thrown up at you from google, huh? A majority of their stuff is x10, but there is a lot that isn't as well, like controlling your spa and home theater. (hopefully in different rooms, otherwise I want to watch a movie at your house!)
I haven't been to CompUSA. I may check that out. Hey, go and sign up for that class and I'll buy the book off ya. OR better yet you can just teach me. Actually I may go and prowl CCO for home automation info. (/me is a CCNA)
Doing a simple DIY Home automation project won't cost that much, unless you really want to make a complicated setup. When I was still in my thesis season in college, some of my friends' groups did the home automation thing with PCs as mediums (It's a Comp Sci major group so the PC had to be involved). Since it was only for a measly 6 months (3 months preparation and 3 months implementation), time had to be a constraint and of course the budget.
This looks promising: http://www.lutron.com/radiora/ Cisco did have some press release type of crap (they'll bury the world in press releases one day) about it, and some of the linkage in those was good stuff... /me keeps prowling
DIY Smart Home There are several home automation technologies out there depending on the requirements - many have different cabling requirements. I would recommend DIY kits. They've got a bunch of wireless and hardwired DIY kits that can be used with their inexpensive monitoring service. For a small to medium-sized townhome, a wireless kit may be good for you. A very good option would be a company called Mile High Automation. They make an integrated system called Home Automation Platinum Package: Whole-House Solution which is sold in almost every where and is very popular. It's got: * Omni Pro II Home Automation Controller * 1 Touch Screen * 2 LCD Keypads * 6-Zones of Audio * 17 Automated Light Switches * 20 Security Contacts * 2 Thermostats * Computer Control Software * Complete Programming & Support You can start with just the alarm system and grow it to a fully functional home automation system. You can also submit your floor plan and can get free estimate plan to implement DIY systems in your home. http://www.milehighautomation.com/ http://www.milehighautomation.com/free_home_automation_estimate.html Cheers Cody
I work for an Audio Video custom installer and we install Crestron controll systems, there a good base for your home automation but with the basic control processor retialing at about £1200 it's not cheap, (although you can pick up some 2nd hand bargins on ebay) you then have to think about what you want ot control, crestron and activate relays, talk to most stuff via IR, 232 or ethernet but you need something that's designed to comunicate with these sytems so things like lutron a graphic eye (at £400+) rather than standard dimmers (at £5) if your controling lights , getting a TV with descrete IR commands for ON, OFF and each AV input will rule out most of the cheap and cheerful or even better one with 232 control so you can be sure what cannel its on. and then somethhing to conrol it with a crestron wireless handheld remote will set you back at least another £2K + programming your not going to get much change for £10K for even the most basic a setup. HVAC control is an absolute nightmare and unless your buying a new heating/ airconditioning system with home automation crontol in mind I'd steer well clear. As there's absolutly no point in having it if it's not as easy to use or reliablle as your current system.
