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  • Types of Smart Home Systems

    themovingforwardguy 9:12 pm on January 1, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , Mini-timer, , , X10


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    There are two types of smart home systems; time- based and parameter-based that can ber used individually or combined. A time-based smart home is where a particular service would occur at a set point during the day, for example, in the hallway the lighting may be set to become active at 6pm or relaxing music could be set to play at a time when the homeowner returns from work.

    If you are interested in setting up a time controlled system, check out the x10 mini-timer, which allows you to schedule the times for up to eight lights and it also consists of a very handy all on/off switch. You will of course need to have your lights etc plugged into x10 receivers.

    A parameter- based smart home system can become active at any point but requires a trigger of some kind to set it off. The temperature of a home may alter depending on outside conditions, you might even consider your household alarm a parameter-based system because it typically works via motion sensors.

    Please visit http://smarthomeguru.blogspot.com for more on smart homes.

     

  • Pc- Based Smart Home Controllers

    themovingforwardguy 9:11 pm on December 31, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Computers, , , , X10

    Today I’m going to discuss a range of X10 compatible PC controllers that the budding smart home enthusiast could take advantage of. These devices allow for the control of appliances by set times or through the sending of immediate commands. Before choosing a controller it is necessary to weigh up the limitations of each, with special consideration given to the relaibility, as well as, how easy a custom application could communicate with…the device, should you wish to make one.CM12U The most widely used controller is the CM12U. It connects to the PC via serial link and when batteries are placed into the device it is capable of storing user defined settings, for example if the home owner wanted the lights to turn on at 6pm, this can easily be accomplished by the CM12U even when the computer is turned off. A major limitation surrounding the CM12U is the fact that it uses a serial port for communication, which most PC’s do not support these days. When I tried out a CM12U I purchased a serial to USB (Universal Serial Bus) adapter with the hope that it could work on my USB only laptop but to no avail. I assumed that this was due to the fact the CM12U has been around for a long time without much advancement, therefore compatibility even with a supposed adapter has not truly been considered. CM15A The CM15A is essentially an evolution of the CM12U and makes use of a USB connection, rather than serial. This eliminates the problem of only being able to use the device on certain computer systems. It also consists of a wireless transceiver, thus providing a more elaborate means of communication. On first glance it might seem obvious to choose this device over the CM12U; however the device is known to be unreliable, not just with the additional wireless capbilities but also with the sending and receving of signals over the household wiring, which the CM12U actually does rather well.SmartHome PowerLinc Controller 1132CU The PowerLinc controller developed by SmartHome connects to a PC via USB, just like the CM15A and is also capable of initiating pre-defined settings when the computer is switched off just like the previously mentioned devices. The built in backup battery has a 10 year lifespan, a good advantage over the other two components. If you wanted to create your own custom application the PowerLinc is not a good one to choose because it is a lot harder to program than the other two devices, down to the fact there isn’t much in the way of support for the development of your own application using this device.

    Please visit http://smarthomeguru.blogspot.com for more on smart homes.

     

  • Smart Home Features

    themovingforwardguy 9:06 pm on December 16, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , X10

    It’s about time I go to the nitty gritty about what kind of features you might want in a smart home. Both x10 and INSTEON have products that can suit these needs. Anyway here are the most common features you might choose to have in a smart home:Lighting

    As lighting is an integral part of a building. The user would be able to choose the time of activation, for example, in the home 7pm when it starts to get dark might be a sensible option. If the user wishes to further customise the lighting settings there should be an option available to implement motion detection, which would involve a person actually stepping into a room, in order for the lights to be activated. This could include a specific room in the home or all the rooms. In a voice controlled format the user could check if the lights were on in any room of the house by speaking into a Bluetooth headset. The system could then ask the user is the lights are in the required state.Security

    With the advancements of smart technology, it makes sense to include security fetures. The user would be able control the arming and disarming of the alarm, as well as edit specific settings of the alarm, such as the key code. The user could also have the option to configure intrusion detection settings. This would work firstly by outside lights detecting motion and then the system would warn the security personnel or house owner of any windows or doors being forced open, through the use of electronic sensors that are connected to the system.Temperature

    The user would be able to control the heating and cooling of the home, through the use of both time and parameter-based functions. The user may choose for the heating to come on when outside conditions drop below a certain temperature, there would be heat-sensitive sensors placed outside to detect varying conditions.Appliances

    The power supply to all appliances in the home could be controlled using the smart system. In a large home this would be a very convenient feature because there may be a lot of electrical appliances that are left on standby, hence the system should contain a feature, which searches all power supply links in the home to determine where energy can be saved.Entertainment

    For a fully capable smart home, entertainment features would be an innovative feature to include. The most widely used aspect of entertainment features would probably be the ability for subtle music to air throughout the household, this would be very welcoming especially if a resident has had a stressful day at work.System Status

    It is worth having an option to verify the current status of the system. This kind of feature would provide the user with the ability to scan the entire system or just parts of it for errors.Vehicle Detection

    When a vehicle approaches the driveway of a home, the system should be able to alert the homeowner. This is only possible if certain types of smart home technologies are used. It would work very well with a Bluetooth headset because the system announce the arrival of the visitor to the homeowner. It would also work well with more long-range wireless standards, such as, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) because the homeowner could receive an SMS (Short Message Service) when someone arrives at the home, which is especially useful when away from the home.Phone set-up

    A home-based system should be able to initiate with a mobile-phone when the house is empty. The system should provide the ability for the user to enter the name and model number of the phone so it can be verified for use. The user will be able to communicate with the system when approaching home to switch the television or the oven on and any other electrical appliances the house owner may wish to make use of.Wake up

    A useful feature in a home-based smart system would be alarm clock functionality, for example, the user would be able to choose from a selection of wake up sounds from more pleasant sounds to more piercing types. At the weekend the more pleasant ones are likely to be selected.

    Please visit http://smarthomeguru.blogspot.com for more about smart homes.

     

  • Speech- Enabled Smart Homes

    themovingforwardguy 9:10 pm on December 14, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Bluetooth, Communication, , Ict, , , , Speech, , X10

    Smart homes technologies are and will remain a new idea for quite some time. Research is taking place to understand the potential advantages that smart homes can achieve, however So far most of the research has centered around graphical interface control, with very little thought going into alternate user interfaces, the most notable being the use of voice, which would prove to be a very convenient method of automating your home appliances. When using a GUI the homeowner can usually only controls appliances from a display screen and is unable to automate the smart home technology elsewhere in the household. For a voice application Bluetooth is a good wireless standard to use because it can connect easily to a PC and as long as the user stays within 10-100 metres of the computer the smart home application can be controlled.

    Voice control would be particularly advantageous to those with disabilities, for example, a visually impaired user would find it difficult to use a GUI and somebody with motor impairments would have a tough time using a keyboard and mouse, however deaf users would clearly struggle to use a speech-enabled system, so I would recommend including a GUI and voice control functionality.

    There are a number of voice applications out there in industry, for instance, when you top up your mobile phone or telephone the bank you are taken through a series of steps and can select from a number of options that were programmed into an automated voice application. Typically these applications are designed using VoiceXML on a standard PC, which can then be accessed from any telephone via a pre-determined number.

    Maybe there is potential here to control your appliances simply by picking up a phone and selecting from a series of options. I hope this gives you something to think about at least.

    Please visit http://smarthomeguru.blogspot.com for more on smart homes

     

  • Possible Smart Home Connections

    themovingforwardguy 10:27 pm on November 12, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , Phone Line, Power Line, Radio, , Structured Wiring, , X10, Z-wave, Zigbee

    There are several methods for networking your appliances in your home, with some being a lot simpler and more practical than other. The type of connection you choose depends partly on your budget and partly on the strutural state of your home. The following is an overview of the choices available:Power line- This type of connection allows the homeowner to connect appliances together through the homes own mains electrical line. X10 and Insteon make use of this kind of infrastructure. Phone lines- Just like power lines, the infrastructure is already in place to allow for instant communication within the home and potentially phones lines could be quite a good method of home automation… because it could be used for entertainment networking amongst other things, however there are few standards to allow for this type of smart home at the moment. Radio signals- Wireless is a much more practical solution than using any of the wired connections because it canm be installed in any home and can be controlled from a number of locations easily, as long as, you are within range. Controlling appliances through radio signals is just like controlling your television with a standard infrared remote control. Zigbee and Z-wave are two protocols that use radio signals.Structured wiring- This kind of connection is perhaps the most reliable, however it ususally works out expensive because you would usually have to call in a professional electrician to install it for you and is only practical when designing a new home. It would not be suitable in an old or structurally unstable home.

    Please visit http://smarthomeguru.blogspot.com for more on smart homes.

     

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