Home Automation
From Fozzee.net
For quite a while, now, I've been interested in various aspects of "home automation", whatever that means. Basically, to me, home automation falls into one of these categories:
- A/V Distribution
- Security Monitoring
- Closed Circuit TV
- Remote Control of home systems (lighting, heat, etc)
For my purposes, I'm going to be focusing on the first 3, because they're "passive", in that Becky needn't interact with them unless she chooses to.
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A/V Distribution
Currently, our only video provider is a dual-tuner Dish Networks DVR. The satellite signal comes into the "phone closet" and is sent upstairs to the receiver on the only coax available (long story). I've backhauled S-Video and Stereo Audio over CAT5 to the phone closet, where there's an RF modulator, which sends whatever the DVR sees over the coax to the rest of the TVs in the house (which is currently a 17" Gateway LCD with a VGA Tuner Box). The DVR already uses a UHF remote, so it can be carried to wherever you want to watch TV.
Going forward, I'd like to add an HD tuner to the RF Modulator array. I already own such a device, but I've just never tried it... The remote control would be an issue, though likely not insurmountable with an IR Repeater.
Security Monitoring
Door switches, motion sensors, etc etc. I've been interested in designing security systems since I was about 8, when I installed "keyless entry" on my bedroom, to keep my siblings out. Initially, I'd planned on implementing "security" only to make certain that we'd not forgotten to close any doors or anything, but I've gotten to wondering, why not more? By the time the sensors are in place, the actual "security" aspect is pretty simple, if you'll be acting as your own Central Station. Sorry about the sparsity of this section.
Closed Circuit TV
No hardware is currently in place, though at various times, I've had webcam solutions up and running. Initially, I'd used Camshot, but more recently, the discontinued Dorgem is my package of choice. It supports recording, image capture, FTP, and all sorts of other fanciness. The upside to this approach is that your security footage is web-accessable, and that USB webcams are cheap and readily available. The downsides are similar, in that USB Webcams are generally of very low quality, and they're USB.
Better cameras could be used, but a framegrabber of some sort would be needed. Moreover, better cameras are expensive. On the upside, composite video extends better than USB.
Eventually, I'd like to use a series of USB-attached cameras to provide perimeter monitoring (and to see when UPS drops stuff off :).
