RE: Home Automation Integration and touchscreen front end

["Paul Gordon" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yeah, if your heating arrangement is already "right" for
smartfit, then it =
certainly is a fairly compelling argument, as it is (compared to
Hometronic=
), massively cheaper. Unfortunately, since I have a combi boiler, and no
ho=
t water tank, Smartfit isn't designed for this arrangement, and although
so=
me research suggested it ought to be possible to bodge it in, it really
was=
a dodgy proposition with no guarantee of success.

I also, am hoping that whilst I'm hanging back from Hometronic
temporarily,=
that something else might enter the market... No sign of anything comparab=
le yet though... :-(

I hear you on the point of needing a Windows box for Homeseer... In my
case=
I already ran several Windows servers anyway, so it wasn't a big wrench. W=
hat I will say is that all the detractors who constantly spout reliability
=
problems as the big reason not to run HA on windows are not (IMHO) being
en=
tirely fair. I run Homeseer on a Windows 2003 server, built on quality
hard=
ware with RAID 5 disk, UPS'd power etc. I don't browse the web on this
mach=
ine, I don't install all manner of crapware on it, it is a dedicated
server=
, that does nothing else, and I *can't remember* the last time it failed
on=
me or had any downtime whatsoever other than entirely planned for. I built=
that server bout 2 years ago, and it has never, As far as I can recall, cr=
ashed, blue-screened, or frozen etc. I don't routinely reboot it (as I do
w=
ith some of my other XP based "servers"), although I do generally
apply the=
windows updates on each patch Tuesday and reboot then, so I guess it proba=
bly gets rebooted about once a month.

I can also confirm that Homeseer runs perfectly well on Windows Home
server=
, which, as we all know, is basically Windows 2003 server, (with all the
at=
tendant reliability that is inherent to that OS), for the princely sum of
a=
bout =A380 (or =A322 if you know a bloke who works for Microsoft & can
buy =
it in the staff shop.../GRIN)=20

I routinely run Windows 2003 server VM's with as little as 256MB memory
ass=
igned to them with no problems. Of course they do run a bit faster with
512=
MB - sweet as a nut basically. Windows Home servers' recommended memory
req=
uirement is 512MB and it definitely does run perfectly well in that.

If you're interested in the low-power Homeseer server route, then maybe
the=
Hometroller offering may be a good choice? - not sure what it costs though=
, - no doubt it's more expensive than doing it yourself, but AFAIK end
user=
s like you & me can't get hold of XP Embedded, so you'd always be
looking a=
t something of a compromise of using a "retail" OS and trying to
get it opt=
imised for low-power hardware, which is of course the raison-d'etre of XP
e=
mbedded...

In my system, Homeseer only *directly* integrates with Comfort, with my
Qua=
sar temp sensor boards, with MSN Messenger, and (via UPnP) with SONOS.
Furt=
her integration between Homeseer & CBUS is achieved through Comfort via
the=
Homeseer-Comfort plugin, & then the Comfort-CBUS UCM. This combination
is =
very powerful, and so far, extremely reliable.

Cheers.

Paul G

-----Original Message-----
From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of B=
en McCormack
Sent: 04 January 2009 19:06
To: UKHA Group
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Home Automation Integration and touchscreen front end

Paul

Smartfit for me is a simple and cheap way of integrating my heating=20=20
control. The system in the house is a regular Boiler and Hot Water=20=20
tank all piped up in an S-Plan arrangement. So the move to Smartfit
is=20=20
not too difficult. With Comfort it should give me a decent level of=20=20
integration. We have no plans for underfloor heating etc etc.

I am also sure things will move on in the next few years. I will run=20=20
Smartfit and see what comes along in the future.


I have looked at homeseer many times in the past but I am very put
off=20=20
by the need for Windows server. I currently run a Mac Mini as my home=20=20
server to run central things and by the file server. If I go to=20=20
homeseer I will need to run another server. I could try running=20=20
homeseer within a virtual machine but with only 2 Gb of RAM in the
mac=20=20
I don't think this will work.

I may take a look at the mini-itx systems for a low powered homeseer=20=20
server.

Paul - So in your system what does homeseer directly integrate with?

Ben




On 4 Jan 2009, at  18:35, Paul Gordon wrote:

> Ben,
>
> I agree with pretty much all those choices, with the exception of
> Smartfit... - the good thing about it is there is a dedicated UCM to
> integrate smartfit & comfort, but the downside is that smartfit is
a
> pretty dumb system, and is only suitable for certain Central Heating
> designs. The newer Hometronic system is far better in most respects,
> although there isn't a dedicated UCM for it unfortunately. I believe
> Cytech were (are?) attempting to make an arrangement with
Honeywell=20=20
> with
> a view to developing a Hometronic UCM, but I've heard nothing on this
> for the last 2 years or so, so I guess that idea never got off the
> ground (shame). Hometronic is, as you've noticed, significantly more
> expensive, especially if you have lots of radiators all needing the
> hometronic control valves on them, although I guess you *could*
> implement it in phases to reduce the initial impact.
>
> In case you hadn't sussed, it *is* actually possible to implement a
> degree of integration between Hometronic & Comfort, using some of
the
> Hometronic modules that provide digital input/outputs that can then be
> connected to Comfort outputs/inputs to signal discrete states, and
> enable Comfort to control Hometronic (i.e comfort could have a=20=20
> number of
> outputs connected to Hometronic, each signal line could then be
> programmed in Hometronic to set a particular "lifestyle" so
for=20=20
> instance
> Comfort would be able to turn off all heating when set to away=20=20
> mode...)
>
> I already have almost all the components of the system that you've
> specified (Comfort, CBUS, SONOS, Homeseer) and I actually settled on
> Hometronic for my heating as well, and even went as far as getting a
> quote for a system. Unforseen circumstances have repeatedly
forced=20=20
> me to
> put it on hold unfortunately, so I still haven't got round to=20=20
> purchasing
> it, although I do still intend to when circumstances allow.
>
> If you haven't already experimented with Homeseer, its worth pointing
> out that there is just about to be a new component launched for
it=20=20
> which
> is specifically designed for easy implementation of touchscreens.
> "Homeseer Touch" is in beta at the moment, and I've been
playing=20=20
> with it
> for a couple of months. It is pretty simple & straightforward, and
> integrates seamlessly with Homeseer. It's still a bit rough around the
> edges, but I believe in time it will be an extremely capable
system,=20=20
> and
> almost a no-brainer for anyone who already runs Homeseer.
>
> Using this combination of components I've been able to achieve some
> additional integration that actually isn't possible if any of them are
> omitted. For instance I can have CBUS buttons control SONOS zones so
> that my "room off" button that I have on all my CBUS keypads
can also
> stop the SONOS zone playing in that room as well, which makes for a
> nicer overall experience. This particular function uses Homeseer to
> bridge several systems via their respective plugins (signals go: CBUS
> --> Comfort --> Homeseer --> SONOS)
>
> If you'd like any further info about my experiences, then just holler.
>
> HTH
>
> Paul G.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On=20=20
> Behalf
> > Of Ben McCormack
> > Sent: 04 January 2009 16:16
> > To: UKHA Group
> > Subject: [ukha_d] Home Automation Integration and touchscreen
front
> end
> >
> > All
> >
> > As I am suer many of you are aware we have recently moved into a
new
> > house that needs renovation. This has given me the chance
to=20=20
> automate
> > the house. I have tried to use best of breed in each area where
> > possible and integrate systems as well.
> >
> > I have arrived at the following scheme
> >
> > Lighting : Cbus
> > Alarm : Comfort
> > Heating : Smartfit
> > Temp Monitoing : 1-Wire using HA7Net. This is based on recent
> > discussions.
> > All the media in the house will be supplied from my Mac Mini
Server
> > and Sonos.
> >
> > cbus and Comfort are linked
> > Comfort and Smartfit are linked
> >
> > So I have Lighting, Heating and Alarm integrated. So far
Comfort=20=20
> will
> > be my main interface so I can use Comfort keypads or the DECT
phones
> > in the house to control things.
> >
> > Now I have added 1-Wire I am starting to think how to integrate
that
> > and make intelligent decisions based on room temperature and also
> > provide temp logging and graphing.
> >
> > There is one area that I don't think I have worked out yet
and=20=20
> that is
> > the overall control mechanism. I guess ideally I would like a
couple
> > of wireless touch-screens that could display information about
the
> > house and allow me to control various functions.
> >
> > I can see that homeseer could be used as an interface. It
has=20=20
> plugins
> > for most of my components.
> >
> > Are there any other options I could look at?
> >
> > Ben
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
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> >
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
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> > 03/01/2009 14:14
>
>=20



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No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com=20
Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.1/1870 - Release Date:
03/01/2009=
14:14

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********************************************
Limited Time Offer - Free iPhone VAT Calculator
http://berble.com/index.php/component/content/article/109
********************************************=20=20