You might want to look at xAP as this is an open protocol for HA http://www.xapautomation.org/ There's code about for a variety of devices and you can use it to talk to X-10 devices and your other kit all using a single framework. There's also a Yahoo group if you want to ask technical questions. I've got some very simple xAP code for an 18F452 at http://www.monaghan.co.uk/xap/ but you might be better off looking at the spec and writing your own :-) There's a variety of interfaces being developed for a whole variety of HA systems such as C-BUS. > -----Original Message----- > From: pic microcontroller discussion list > [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Ruben vd Merwe > Sent: 05 June 2003 10:30 > To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU > Subject: Re: [PIC]: Home Automation with PICs > > > Thanks for all the feedback. > > I am just starting to build a new home and I am building it with HA in > mind, meaning that all electrical systems would be able to be wired up. > I have been investigating all the different systems, and I must agree > that X-10 is way out there. > > I have two problems with it, one being in this country and having to > import most of the stuff, it tend to be quite expensive, Secondly I have > seen lots of people having problems with it. That said so does a lot of > the other systems. Please note that I am not trashing X-10. Even the > systems that is more common here like Clipsal uses a wired system. > > I want to do this on by myself. This way I gain a lot of experience and > if something goes wrong, I know how to fix it. This also makes the > system cheap and gives me the satisfaction of my own creation. > > I have currently got a system that I made which is working fine, but the > problem is that is a parallel bus system. So all the connected items > have to be wired back to the control system. Where a serial system can > have controllers all over the place and devices just wired to the > closest controller. > > All of this taken into account, and what I have seen from looking > around, HA will most probably be a combination of a stack of different > Technologies. > > I am keen on I2c and maybe CAN, and I like the IP idea, but as pointed > out, expense in doing so. > > Some more input welcome. Thanks for all the cool replies so far! > > Ruben > > -----Original Message----- > From: Anand Dhuru [mailto:ardhuru@VSNL.COM] > Sent: 05 June 2003 09:50 > To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU > Subject: Re: [PIC]: Home Automation with PICs > > I guess the decision one has to make at the onset when automating a > house is > whether you want a wireless solution; in which case X10 would pretty > much be > an obvious choice. > > But, like you guys pointed out, if reliability is not to be compromised > at > all, other technologies might be more attractive. > > Regards, > > Anand Dhuru > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Andreas Nyholm" > To: > Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 11:07 AM > Subject: Re: [PIC]: Home Automation with PICs > > > > > For myself, I'm working towards a wired system using CAN > > > to communicate between PIC based modules in each room of the > > > house. This is NOT a simple way to go. There will be a huge > > > amount of in-wall wiring to support this. I hope I can design > > > enough useful features into my system to make it worthwhile. > > > > > Just my X-10 cents. 8^) > > > Lyle > > > > I've been thinking of something similar, but using the IP protocol. I > > think that would be a good solution for the future, easy to connect > > other devices to the same server. The biggest problem I found so far > is > > the price, the solutions I found is about $15-20. Or does anyone have > an > > idea how to build a microcontroller that communicates over IP for less > > than $10? > > > > /Andreas > > > > -- > > http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList > > mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu > > > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList > mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList > mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu > -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu