Re: Photos of Home Automation

[Wayne <Wayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for that Ben,
Hope you didnt mind :)

If I'm understanding this all then, the star topology is only for the
connections of the 240v side of things where each comes back to the
control unit, any 'switch' or cbus controller then sits on this (and I
guess this is where the name comes from) cbus 'lan' - almost like the
old ethernet coax networking - wouldn't at all surprise me if you had
terminators at each end of the 'pink' network :)
By this same thought - if you wanted to say add another switch - find
the nearest pink cable, break into it and add the switch? (thereby not
having to run another pink cable back to node0?)

Just back to the kit list - how many separate light circuits could that
dimmer handle?

I guess to program this from your armchair so to speak is like creating
virtual links based on events from switches - 'switch gets pressed in
kitchen -> toggle controller 1 - output 1 and output 2 (two lights in
kitchen :))' and I guess on the same event - these events could get
fired from the lan interface as well - pc control etc ( 'dial in to home
asterisk phone system with mobile - input pin - turn on lights / heating
?' - warm when we get home :) )

Thanks again,
Wayne.



Ben McCormack wrote:
> Wayne
>
> Let me try to answer those questions for you
>
> 1st thing - Cbus does not have a central 'brain' each cbus units knows
> about the others and how they are programmed.
>
> Top left hand units are for future expansion
>
> Top Middle is a larger cbus dimmer
>
> Bottom middle with 2 pink cables is the cbus to ethernet box - This
> allows me to program cbus from my armchair
>
> Yes there is a breaker for each circuit that is switched
>
> The Pink cable loops in and out of each cbus unit for cbus
communication
>
>
> So lets wire up a single room with 1 Light and 1 switch
>
> 1 Twin and earth Wire from Light back to cbus modules that you see top
> right
> 1 pink cbus cable looped through the switch
> Thats all really - Took me ages to get my head around it
>
>
> Right bottom half of the panels
>
> Left Hand side - Node Zero distribution board fed from the main
> downstairs consumer unit about 25m away - Fed using the think black
> cable you can see pictures of. Fed from 62 amp breaker downstairs.
> This will be used to power other odds and sods in the area
>
> Bottom Right - 2 Comfort Alarm Panels also have ethernet capability
> and connect to cbus
>
> At the moment I am just planning to switch lighting nothing more yet
>
> Any other questions then fire away
>
> Ben
>
>
> On 17 Jul 2008, at 18:23, Wayne wrote:
>
>
>> Hiya Ben,
>> Can I be a complete noob with this and ask some real basic (and
>> nosey!)
>> questions . :)
>>
>> Looking at http://flickr.com/photos/thinkinghouse/2674566591/
(the
>> overview of node0)
>>
>> Going across the top These look like a bigger version of a
>> distribution
>> panel - I guess the ones on the left give a nice lot of expansion!
>> being
>> as there is nothing in there yet?
>> The cbus box in the middle - is this the brains to it all? I guess
>> this
>> is the bit you plug your lan into and get at it via ip?
>> With the boxes on the right - do you have a breaker per each
'thing'
>> that gets switched? do you /need/ those or are the little control
>> panel
>> strips overly sensitive?
>> Looks like there are 16 breakers in the top of each of those
panels
>> but
>> the right most has two controllers what's the difference?
>> Am I right in thinking that each of the cbus strips that are in
each
>> panel is just using a cat5 patch lead to plug back to the brain
unit
>> (I
>> cant tell what that little box is under the brain is or where its
>> hooked
>> to).
>>
>> If this is the 'control centre' for it all - what type of wiring
is
>> needed from a switch to turn on a light? again, all wired
individually
>> back to the brain? (star topology?)
>>
>> The boxes to the lower right and lower middle - these are the
alarm
>> panels? - nuff said there :) (although - do these have a lan
interface
>> as well?)
>>
>> Lower left - looks like a regular distribution panel, any reason
for
>> that with all the other stuff up there? What size feed is coming
up
>> from
>> your main house board (I've got a spare 32amp breaker itching to
go
>> somewhere!)
>>
>> Are you just switching lighting with all this or can you do
regular 13
>> amp sockets as well?
>>
>> Sorry for the grilling - just trying to get my head around how you
go
>> about designing one of these things and how it all plugs together.
>> Hope you don't mind :-)
>>
>> Thanks
>> Wayne.
>>
>> Ben McCormack wrote:
>>
>>> All
>>>
>>> As promised here are the photos from of the building of my
node zero
>>>
>>> Luckily I have a large wall in a large loft that is perfect
for node
>>> zero. So I was able to spread things out and try and lay them
out
>>> neatly.
>>>
>>> Sorry the photos are not tagged but I am sure most of you will
>>> recognise most items
>>>
>>> So far we have
>>>
>>> Zone Zero Consumer Unit
>>> Some cbus Modules (Loads of expansion for later)
>>> 2 Comfort Panels
>>>
>>> Now comes the best bit - All of this technology and I am now
able 2
>>> switch the lights in 2 rooms on and off via cbus!!!
>>>
>>> http://flickr.com/photos/thinkinghouse/
>>>
>>> Enjoy
>>>
>>> Ben
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------
>>>
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>>
>>
>
>
>
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>
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