Anyone have nearly everything in their house controlled by computer?

Question

Please describe the set up and experience.
Is it better?
Does it save money?

Only answer if you really fit the question. I am tired of point scrounging. Real tired.

Answer 1

Wow - what timing. if you know a little about electricity andd elecctronics, you might consider this:

I once looked into this but found it really expensive, even if I did it myself. Them I just recently found this free software download. It allows you to use your PCs parallel port for digital I/O - 8 DO and 6 DI per parallel port, plus it briefly noted you might be able to add 4 more.

So what? Well, if you have a USB port, you can pick up powered hubs cheap (like 7 ports for $15 or less on eBay). You can pick up USB parallel port adapters for about the same amount, which means you can put together a small control system or a larger one with well over 1000 I/O for about $1 per I/O point. You won't have to bring all your wiring back to a central location - USB allows you to connect 1 hub to another provided no cable between hubs or devices is longer than 5 meters, and no devices is more than 30 meters from your PCs port. If you need higher powered outputs (you can't drive much on the 20mA safe limit using this system) you can buy either cheap small socket relays that can handle 1 or 2 amps (about the size of a PC chip), or can get a PC chip line driver to increase the power output to drive larger relays. If you want analog (variable) I/O you can connect this directly to an analog to digital or digital to analog convertor.

Assuming the software can call up other subroutines, you can add on other PC stuff, like cameras (USB cameras are cheap), voice recognition commands, automatic phone daling, etc. I am not certain what language it uses, but you can get nice free software tutorials for just about every language on the internet with a search.

Best of all, because everything is so cheap, you can set up and test a small tabletop model for something simple and useful - say a home security system - and if you like it you can pick up a cheap used PC on eBay, pay the $200 for the full version of the software, and install the real thing, then add on from there. If you don't like it, you aren't out much money.

I have never seen it deployed, but I do think there is the potential to save a lot of money if you can build the sensors and output controllers cheaply. I know from experience I saved a lot of money installing a timer on my central air and heat - I could have saved even more if I could have opened and closed vents to different rooms and move the thermostat to the room I was using at that time of day (control bedroom temp at night, living room in evening after work, bathroom just above freezing during work and when on vaction, use an attic fan instead of AC when it is cooler outside than my thermostat setting).

If you aren't used to programming, don't sweat it - whatever language it uses, software writing is easy to learn if you use a few tutorials, take some notes, and maybe read a book or 2. if you can use a soldering iron and know Ohms law, you can research simple circuits and controllers easy. And like I said, since the software is a free sample and the test playform is a few bucks, you aren't out much making a table top version for testing.

Good luck.

Here's the site. There is a nice simple description .pdf file in the downloaded zip file.
http://www.geocities.com/lalimparallel/index.html

Answer 2

I have my locks (rooms too), alarm system, fridge, tv, stereo, phones, lights, air-cons, heaters, sprinklers and water supply controlled by the main computer in my house.

Does that count?

It has its benefits. As in you get to be lazy. Since my house is also equipped w/ voice-recognization system, I get to turn on the ac, make a phone call, etc. from the comfort of wherever I am. I just need to say 'Butler' (my dad named the instruction code 'Butler') followed by the specific instructions.

And no. It doesn't save money. The main PC has to be on 24/7. Electricity bills are pretty high.

Oh, and if there's ever a black-out (that affects even your back-up power), you're doomed. You'll be locked in w/ the stupid security alarm making an annoying racket. Your phones, air-cons, heaters, etc. won't work.

So, yeah. That's about it.

Answer 3

Even the people in it, but sods law is when you have power down.

Answer 4

Bill Gates.

Ask him.

Answer 5

no