Welcome to the Home Automation Archives

diyha writes “This article documents the removal the old mechanical timeswitch controlling my Immersion Heater and its replacement with an AD10 DIN Rail Appliance Module from X10. Although the timeswitch has been reliable for the last 10 years or so, it does have some serious shortcomings.

* No visible indication of the [...]

Gary writes “I have the following items automated (to greater or lesser extent in my home:
1. Most lights - some I have not automated just in case the computer goes down -
I want a few excluded from computer control. The lights are controlled by X-10
devices.
2. Voice Response (had Voice Recognition but not enough memory in [...]

This home features the following enhancements:
* 4 outdoor daytime color/night time B&W infrared security cameras recorded by Time-Lapse VCR, viewable from any TV in the home on internally generated channel 30 and over the Internet
* Living room DVD player viewable on any TV in the home [...]

The Nolens write “The house is automated using a JDS Time Command Plus (TC+) from JDS Technologies with a dedicated Home Automation PC. The TC+ takes care of all X10 duties and scheduling as well as all temperature controls and analog or digital input tracking and most digital output control. The dedicated PC is utilized [...]

KJ writes “kJ’s Doghouse.com’s corporate headquarters is a showcase for the somewhat intelligent home. We’ve combined 20 year-old technology and some specialized hardware and software, and linked them together with a Windows 2000 PC. Throw in some custom scripts and we’ve been able to create a nifty home automation system that sometimes seamlessly interacts with [...]

HomeSeer is a PC-based software program that allows home owners to control hundreds of home automation devices from dozens of different manufacturers using multiple technologies. Think of it as ‘control central’ for your home. With HomeSeer, you control lighting, security, HVAC and home theatre, all with different technologies, all from one common interface!
And, because [...]

Hometoys writes “HAL2000 by Home Automated Living has been around for several years and my experiences with the company have always been positive. HAL supports this software and is continuously updating and improving it. My HAL Deluxe Introduction Kit came with a HALdeluxe Program CD, HAL Internal PCI Voice Portal (modem), (1) HAL Power Line [...]

Zatrax has a really nice guide to LAN wiring, listing which cables to use when, and what all of the colors mean and more.”There is NOTHING more annoying than spending 30 minutes debugging a network problem to find it was the cable. Badly made or non-standard cabling is a foolish thing to spend time on [...]

Engaged writes: “AOpen is talking some serious smack when they blowhard about their Mac mini knockoff, the MiniPC, being a “perfect example of AOpen’s innovation.” Hell, not only does it share the same name and 6.5-inch square dimensions as the other mini, it also sports the same rear-mounted 2 x USB and 1 x [...]

This thing is really nice, I’m sure we’re going to see more of these being installed in kitchens, kids rooms and other similar places:
“How “thin” can a thin client get? How about one that fits into an existing wall-mount LAN jack box? The Jack-PC from Chip PC Technologies takes “zero desk space” by converting existing [...]

- IP Addressable, with built-in web server
- 10Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet interface
- High performance PTZ with 22x optical zoom
- Easily integrated into large systems
- Up to 10 simultaneous user access
- High-quality VGA / QVGA motion range
- Max 30 frames/sec. frame rate
- Supports TCP/IP, ARP, UDP, ICMP, HTTP, FTP & telnet
- 300º Pan / 120º Tilt
- Full auto-focus [...]

Jason Writes: Have you noticed that, no matter what Web sites you visit, it seems that every other site has an ad for VoIP provider Vonage? Well, I noticed too, and when it came time to set up a phone line after my recent move, it seemed like the perfect time for me to check [...]