GeekZine Overview

By Artstein - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Part One: The Ingredients

Have you ever gotten tired of someone around the house saying "Don't forget to turn off the light!"? Well, in this day and age, that's a job which can, and probably should, be handled by someone (or something rather) that is unable of forgetting to do it.

This was part of my inspiration towards home automation. Another part was the fact that my 100+ yr old house has maybe 5 light switches, in total. We have one issue with the old house: We must keep the modifications to the house itself to a minimum. No cutting into the walls and no adding switches or wiring in the walls. This has to be non-invasive.

Using X10 was surely going to be the way to go. X10 uses a technology called PLC (Power Line Carrier). PLC uses RF signals transmitted through the AC power lines of the house. These X10 devices include plug-in modules to control lamps and applicances with remote controls small enough to put on a keychain. You also can use something as elaborate as a touchscren controller.

We now have the basic backbone of the system. Consider these modules as the first ingredient.

1.) X10 Lamp Modules, Appliance Modules, Trancievers and Stick-on wall controllers

This gives us the basics. The ability to control lights and appliances from a stick-on wallpad, keychain or other X10 compatible remote control.

"But how's the light going to turn off automatically?" you say. This brings us to ingredient 2, the PC. This is the heart of the system.

2.) Windows 2000/XP/Vista PC machine running Homeseer automation control software.

This PC also has a couple of "accessories" attached to it as part of the automation system. For example, I'm using an ACT TI103 X10 controller. This controller sends and receives X10 signals from the power line. It connects to the PC via a serial port (not the fastest interface, but fast enough for this). The PC also has an IR controller attached which allows for remote control by the PC of any IR capable device you wish to use (TV, VCR... VCR?? hehe, DVD player, MS Media Center, whatever you want to control). We'll call these extra attachments ingredient 3.

3.) ACT TI103 X10 PLC controller and SmartHome IRLinc 1623

You still want to know "How the hell is it going to turn off the lights for me?". Okay, we'll go this far. I've built a tracking system using the "secret ingredient". Shhhh.... motion sensors. X10 has a line of compatible motion sensors that send commands similar to the wallpad and keychain remotes. Using the remotes and some VBScripting, I managed to design a simple "tracking system". This system, using Homeseer virtual devices as data holders, can track my movement around the house. Of course, since the PC can send PLC signals to X10 modules, it can turn on and off lights. So the tracking system knows when I'm in a room or have left a room. Hence, when I'm done in the bathroom and come back to the computer room, the system knows it's supposed to turn on the computer room lights and turn off the bathroom lights!

Now you know how to turn off the lights!

Be sure to come back soon for Part Two: Cooking it Up. I'll be covering advanced controls souch as touchscreens, ASP and Flash control interfaces.

"Geek Pad - Recipie for the Automated Home" is an informational series of articles exclusive to GeekGirlsOnline.com. Artstein is an IT professional at an Indianapolis publishing company and has been working with home automation for 5 years. If this article, whole or in-part, is being used on any other site, please notify the author using the email address in the byline.