Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ask Slashdot: Options For Cheap Home Automation?

Posted by timothy on from the fan-blows-out-the-candles dept.

New submitter goose-incarnated writes I'm looking at cheap and simple home automation. Unfortunately I'm not too clued up on what my options are. There are such a wide array of choices, none of which seem (to me) to be either cheap or simple. I'd like to: Turn switches on/off (lights, wall sockets, general relays, etc); Read the status of on/off switches; Read analog samples (for example, temperature sensors); 'Program' switches based on analog samples/existing switches (for example, program a relay to come on at 30C and go off at 25C, thereby controlling the temperature); Similarly, program switches to go on/off at certain times; Record the samples of analog or digital inputs for a given time . I'd like to do the above using smartphone+bluetooth (for when I'm in the vicinity of the room), or smartdevice+WiFi (for when I'm in the house, somewhere), or even in a pinch, using HTTP to access a server at home from 600km away (which is what I'm willing to do). I'm definitely not willing to stream all my requests/data/responses through a third-party so third party cloud subscription solutions, even if free, are out of the question. Finally (because I know the Slashdot crowd likes a challenge :-)), I'd like something that is easily reprogrammable without having to compile code, then reflash a device, etc. What languages for embedded devices exist for home automation programming, if any. A quick google search reveals nothing specially made for end-users to reprogram their devices, but, like I said above, I'm clueless about options.

4 of 189 comments (clear)

  1. Bah ... by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bah, do what people have been doing for centuries ... have kids and make them get up and do it.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    1. Re:Bah ... by Dunbal · · Score: 5, Funny

      Total cost of ownership is way too high nowadays. And they've even taken away the "ownership" part. If you read the TOS it's scary as hell. You just can't whip them anymore.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    2. Re:Bah ... by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Funny

      He said he wanted cheap home automation.

      Sounds like he's already willing to spend far more than it will save him, so clearly efficiency is not a constraint. :-P

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    3. Re:Bah ... by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Funny

      So.. Where do you find the OWNER'S MANUAL for kids?

      Well, think of it like open source. A few people have taken a stab at a manual, but they don't mention any of the problems you mention, and it's grossly out of date. You can look on the internet, but the support forums aren't very helpful and often contradictory. And there's always a guy telling you to switch to the stuff they use.

      In the end, you give up on the whole thing.

      My advise, release them into the wild, and let them go feral. ;-)

      Of course, I'm pretty sure I'm the last person you want to take parenting advise from.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.