Home Automation Software

["Graham Howe" <graham@xxxxxxx>]

There has been some discussion recently about pros and cons of
software available in the Home Automation market. It strikes me that
this is a pretty fundamental discussion for both newcomers and old
hands in HA, so I am starting this thread to group together facts and
experiences, which could then be put on to a web page for others to
refer to.

To start the ball rolling, off the top of my head, here are some
applications I am aware of and my (limited) knowledge of what they do
and how they are marketed.

1. Homeseer
This is a commercial application that has been developed over the
past few years. It is now one of the more expensive applications,
especially when considered with multiple add-on modules, but it is
also one of the most established. It requires no more hardware than
the CM12 module and there is a great deal of user community
development of scripts and other supporting technology. To make full
use of it does seem to require a bit of technical knowledge but there
is a good support community for the new comer.

2. Autom8it
This is a quite recent development by UK based HA enthusiasts and it
has recently become a commercial product. It is cheaper that Homeseer
but obviously not as mature, however it's use of plug-ins does
encourage further expansion on the same basis as Homeseer. There is a
limited user community at present, but some of the beta testers (and
the developer) are regulars on the ukha_d group and could certainly
offer assistance.

3. xAP
This started out as a communication protocol for use in HA
applications. It has now expended to include many xAP enabled plugins
and apps for use independently or in conjunction with other HA
hardware and software. xAP is developed un GPL licence and therefore
will remain free for all non-commercial applications.

4. xPL
This started out as an alternative to xAP, focussing on a more
limited feature set to allow more appropriate use with devices such
as PICs. It to has expanded now to provide numerous applications and
plugins including xPLHAL which is a free piece of home automation
software supporting scripting.

5. HomeAutomator
This software comprises two components, one being an ASP/Access
driven front end and the other a connector to the HomeVision
software. The software is being developed by two members of the
ukha_d list and will always be free for personal use. The software
should be considered more of a control interface rather than true
automation software as it does not support scheduling or scripting.
However it is intended to be very flexible and easily customisable by
the user without them requiring and software skills. Future
developments are expected to provide control over home automation
hardware and software other than HomeVision.

Please add more information to this thread so we can build up a list
of options.