Home Automation

Presentations
See UTOSC_2008/Linux_Security_and_Automation

See PLUG - Home Automation - 2009.04.08

Sprinkler Control
In-ground sprinklers are controlled with electric water valves (24V AC).

Overkill
Home Automation Intro - YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FilFCngGaR8 for more info visit: http://thecustomgeek.com/2012/01/23/automation-intro/
 * I wanted to give a tour/crash course on automation systems, so I put together a video showing some of what an automation system can do.
 * Automation Intro | The Custom Geek - http://thecustomgeek.com/2012/01/23/automation-intro/

Device Automation
Suggestion - If you’re just now dipping your toes into home automation and control, we recommend going with either ZigBee or Z-Wave. They’re both fast, wireless, have great range, and come inside of hundreds of different products. If your home is outfitted with an older x10 system, go with Insteon. It’ll allow you to go wireless; and although it doesn’t boast nearly as many compatible devices as Z-Wave or ZigBee, it does have a pretty good selection of products. 

Insteon:
 * Uses both power lines and wireless, compatible with X10
 * Insteon is designed to enable simple devices - such as light switches - to be networked together using the powerline, radio frequency (RF), or both. All Insteon devices are peers, meaning each device can transmit, receive, and repeat any message of the Insteon protocol, without requiring a master controller or routing software
 * Designed to bridge wireless home automation to powerline automation, INSTEON devices communicate over both power lines and via wireless. INSTEON is also X10 compatible, thereby adding wireless capability to an existing X10 network. Finally, INSTEON technology supports even home automation novices: even non-technical individuals can set up and add devices to the network.
 * Insteon is a home automation protocol designed to bridge the gap between powerline-based and wireless protocols, so it uses both. It’s also compatible with x10 devices, so it’s not a half bad choice if you’ve got a house filled with X10 stuff already and are looking to transition to wireless. A wide range of Insteon devices are available right now, and you can browse through the company’s entire catalog on its official Smarthome Blog.

Zwave:
 * Z-Wave is a proprietary wireless communications protocol designed for home automation, specifically to remote control applications in residential and light commercial environments. The technology uses a low-power RF radio embedded or retrofitted into home electronics devices and systems, such as lighting, home access control, entertainment systems and household appliances.
 * The original wireless home automation technology, Z-Wave set standards for wireless home automation. Z-Wave extended the usable range of home automation by making all devices double as repeaters. Its increased network reliability also enabled commercial applications. Z-Wave devices are designed for ease of setup and use, and come about as close to turnkey as the home automation industry allows, especially helpful for beginning enthusiasts.
 * Z-Wave is a wireless home automation protocol that runs on the 908.42MHz frequency band. It’s relatively new in terms of home automation protocols, but has grown quite rapidly in the past few years. The group behind it, the Z-Wave Alliance, now boasts over 1,000 different compatible devices, giving you a wide range of options when it comes to automating your home. One of the key features of Z-Wave is that it utilizes a type of network called a “mesh network,” which essentially means that one Z-Wave product will pass the signal along to another until it reaches its intended destination. This relay system greatly extends its range. It’s also extremely low power, which is ideal for devices that rely on battery power.

ZigBee:
 * This does not seem to be a real DIY standard as the most popular vendor (Control 4 offers a proprietary solution). I have included it because it seems to be a popular topic when searching for Home Automation Solutions. ZigBee is a specification for a suite of high level communication protocols using small, low-power digital radios based on the IEEE 802.15.4-2003
 * Similar to Z-Wave, ZigBee is strictly a wireless home automation technology. The technology has been slow to gain acceptance with home automation enthusiasts largely because Zigbee devices frequently have difficulty communicating with those made by different manufacturers. Zigbee is not recommended for those new to home automation, unless they intend to use only devices made by the same manufacturer.
 * ZigBee is an 802 wireless communication standard built by the IEEE. Much like Z-Wave, it’s seen significant growth in the past few years, and can be found in a relatively large number of devices. It also consumes a very small amount of power, and uses a mesh network structure to offer excellent range and speedy communication between devices. That being said, however, some users have noted that Zigbee devices frequently have difficulty communicating with those made by different manufacturers, so it might not be the best option if you’re looking for seamless interoperability.

Universal Powerline Bus (UPB):
 * Avoid
 * UPB was developed by PCS Powerline Systems of Northridge, California and released in 1999. Based on the concept of the ubiquitous X10 standard, UPB has an improved transmission rate and higher reliability.
 * Universal Powerline Bus (UPB) is similar to X10, using the home’s built in wiring to transmit home automation control signals. Developed to overcome many of the shortcoming that X10 experiences, UPB is a superior powerline technology to X10. UPB is not X10 compatible. If you have X10 compatible products and you want your UPB and X10 compatible products to work together you will need a controller that talks to both.
 * Universal Powerline Bus is a powerline-only communication protocol designed to use a higher voltage and put out a stronger signal than x10. The only problem is that, since it’s powerline only, it’s rather expensive and hard to install. Don’t worry about this one – it’s not baked into very many new devices, and there are better options out there.

X10:
 * Cheap, but obsolete. Use something else.
 * X10 has long been the standard by which other home automation technologies are measured. X10 works via home’s power line wiring and may experience problems related to wiring distances, phase differences, and line noise. Many enthusiasts believe X10 technology has become obsolete, replaced by the newer and more versatile wireless technologies. If you’re new to home automation it’s probably a good idea to start with some other technology, because X10 devices can be more difficult to configure and performance is sometimes erratic.
 * The granddaddy of home automation protocols, X10 has been around since the mid 70's. It started out as a powerline-based system (meaning it’s hard-wired into your walls), but eventually went wireless. It’s not known for great speed or communication between units. If you’re just gettting into home automation, we suggest picking up devices compatible with newer wireless standards, as X10 systems are typically more difficult to install in comparison.

Others:
 * Bluetooth
 * Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
 * Hardwired
 * Infrared (IR)
 * Wifi

Wireless Home Automation -
 * "Home automation wireless devices that communicate via mesh networks are INSTEON, Z-Wave, and ZigBee. These home automation devices communicate with every other device within range. This increases network reliability because the system finds a path to the destination. Because signal degradation can be a big problem with wireless signals, home automation wireless devices boost the signal as they pass it the next device (called a hop).
 * A big advantage to mesh networking in home automation is that if a device is turned off in the signal path (picture the accident on your normal route to work), the network simply finds an alternative route to the destination. To increase network reliability, simply add more wireless devices and you decrease the number of potential bottlenecks in your system."

References:
 * Insteon vs Zwave vs Zigbee vs UPB Comparison 2011 - Home Automation - CocoonTech.com - http://cocoontech.com/forums/topic/18390-insteon-vs-zwave-vs-zigbee-vs-upb-comparison-2011/
 * Which Technology is Best for Home Automation? - https://www.smarthome.com/sh-learning-center-what-technology.html
 * Which Home Automation Technology Is Best? - http://compnetworking.about.com/od/homeautomationbuildingblocks/a/which-home-automation-technology-is-best.htm
 * ZigBee vs Z-Wave vs Insteon: Home automation protocols explained | Digital Trends - http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/zigbee-vs-zwave-vs-insteon-home-automation-protocols-explained/#!Fji2H

Suppliers
UPB:
 * http://www.homecontrols.com/
 * http://www.smarthome.com/
 * http://www.smarthomeusa.com/
 * http://www.automatedoutlet.com/
 * http://www.webmtn.com/