ASSEMBLING HOUSEBOT COMPATIBLE HARDWARE

[dominicv]

Good morning All,

I have always felt that an Home Automation System required the integration of Data Aquisition hardware, like Analog to digital cards and digital cards.

Several years ago, I came across this company, ( www.eeci.com ) they manufacturer all kinds of control related cards, at a resonable price, these are all RS-232 based hardware.

I also found a place where one can obtain sensors also pretty cheap ( http://www.robotshop.com/store ), they sell all kinds of sensors.

My question, since I am not too familiar with Plug-Ins, would it be complicated to put a system together that one could use that above cards, and sensors, to work with HOUSEBOT.

I figured since I need to keep a computer on all the time anyways, to operate HOUSEBOT, why should I use an OCELOT with integrated controller, it would be cheaper to use the above combination of products.

Dom

[yaccri]

That depends on what you want to do.

If you want to control a few lights and have no problem with being dependent on the computer, than you should be fine with the eeci products.

I work with a local company that produces smart home controllers. They are a bit more expensive than the eeci products, but they are designed for home automation. they have many advantages. If you are interested, I can send you specs.

Yoram

[dominicv]

Hi Yoram,

I checked your ( www.loginn.biz ) site, you have quite an impressive line of product, I especially like your IN12 card.

My Hebrew is a little rusty, but I still managed to go through the specs.

These units would be perfect for most of Europe, since they also use 220v/50/60Hz.

In Canada, we use 115 / 120V / 60Hz.

I guess you control all the automated appliances via relays, therefore you are not dependant on any speciafic protocol, which is great.

L'chaim.

Dom

[yaccri]

Hi Dom,

You are right. These controllers will not work in North America.

To answer your original question, I repeat the point: Although computers can be very reliable, it's not a good idea to totally rely on one for your home. At some point, it will fail.

I guess you control all the automated appliances via relays, therefore you are not dependant on any speciafic protocol, which is great.

Actually I do rely on a protocol (that's how I control devices from HB). However, I always use wall switches that are directly connected to the controllers. The switches will always work, regardless of whether HB is running or not.

Yoram

[Richard Naninck]

My home runs with or without HouseBot. The PC running HB just adds lots of comfort since it automates lights, curtains and what have you.
I do have lots of rs232 devices some of which I designed and built myself. If whatever you can buy has an rs232 port with somekind of (known) ascii / hex protocol you can automate it using HouseBot and the generic serial device. However if coding is not your hobby this maybe difficult to get going. All my rs232 devices are connected to HB using the generic serial device with own written scripts handling the protocol layer and all works and integrates perfectly so it can be done, but not out of the box.
Although you can and may not rely on a PC, mine is almost 100% in control all the time and when the time comes that something breaks, I just buy a new one since it's all of the shelf PC related stuff.

[dominicv]

Hey Richard,

There is one thing you have to keep in mind.

Your knowledge, experience and expertise is slightly above the average user.

There are several members on this site that do incredible work, like yourself, Edgar and Osler, it is obvious, that it will take me quite a while to achieve anything like what the three of you are doing.

But that's O.K. as long as you are willing to share your knowledge, I am sure all the members are thankful for that.

This is why I am here, to ask all the crazy questions no one else dares to ask, but that is also O.K. the more of us the more this program gets known.

I truly beleive in this program, but man its scary, when you first start, since I don't know my bits from my bites.

Dom

[Richard Naninck]

What I meant was that there has to be atleast a bit (not a byte) of knowledge to get some of the things going. You will be the judge of that. Out of experience I can tell that using the generic serial device to control third party stuff is difficult to get going so make your decisions for buying and integrating stuff wisely and maybe even a little based on that knowledge.

Btw: sticky caps lock key in the subject line

[dominicv]

Hey Richard,

You don't like my sticky caps lock in the subject line.

I'm not yelling at anybody, just trying to put as much emphasis as possible on the subject.

I hope nobody is offended by it.

Dom