Interesting all in one Home automation server

[pete_c]

Found this while googling tonight....
 
http://www.homegenie.it/
 

 
HomeGenie Do It Yourself Project 2.8" TFT Touch Panel for Home Automation

 
Using a  Raspberry Pi , like we already did in the DIY Home Automation Server project, we're now going to build a TFT Touch Panel for our Home Automation system based on HomeGenie.
 
HomeGenie Touch Panel Components Listing
 

• Raspberry Pi
• Adafruit 2.8" 320x240 TFT Touchscreen
• Mini Wi-Fi USB module
• 4GB SD Card with HomeGenie server + HomeGenie Smart Control client
• Small 5V power supply
• Flush mounting junction box 120x100x70

About the HomeGenie Touch Panel software
The software you see in these screenshot (HomeGenie Smart Control) is still under development and it will be completed by the end of June 2014.
It is currently built for running on any 320x240 Touchscreen Display.
The final relase will come on a prebuilt SD-Card image with pre-configured drivers for Adafruit TFT Touchscreen and automatic startup of HG Smart Control, so the only thing needed to make it run it will be writing the SD-Card image.
In the meantime you can already try setting up current version of HG Smart Control by following these steps:
 
http://www.homegenie.it/docs/doityourself_touch.php

 

[drvnbysound]

1) Holy large bezel!
2) Holy small screen!
 
How can you use such a small screen when every smart phone on the market today uses a screen that's probably 2x that size or better.

 

[pete_c]

Yeah; here I have issues with tiny screens.  (age thing?).  
 
Well even a couple of years back I went from playing with the 3.5" Chumby to the larger one mostly cuz of the screen size. 
 
It did though make for a small footprint "do what" alarm clock.
 
Years ago liked the HAI Omnipro 3.5" LCD mostly relating to function and discreet size; well and that it did have a smaller footprint than the keypad console.
 
I have settled on the 7-8" size home control touchscreen.  
 
The larger 17-19" in wall LCD is kind of an eyesore even though it has a lot of screen for a lot of stuff. 
 
Mine has become a virtual art display mostly.
 
Posted this more related to how much you can do with a tiny footprint LCD / board (even a DIY setup).

 

[tmbrown97]

I keep thinking we need a way to just hack/mount a bunch of kindle fire's around - at $140 for a 7" running android and beautifully thin with minimal bezel, how can you beat that?

 

[potts.mike]

The Dell Venue 8 Pro is pretty killer for this application as well.

 

[pete_c]

Yeah here have one of my little tablet top test capacitance devices totally disassembled to just the capacitance screen and board.  I've not taken apart any of my tablets; but ideally modding it such that it would run via a POE network connection would be ideal.  The original in wall HS in a clam shell Android device had rear modular connections (and USB) and was just a fold out to access which was nice.   Android is nice but I can do more right now running a light windows 8.1 or Linux touchscreen ...really though for me is having the touchscreen be managed by the mothership (whatever that is).

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Personally, I prefer a solution that works reliably today and doesn't require me to spend days/weeks tweaking. Gives me more free time to enjoy life.

http://youtu.be/26vTRyHy048

 

[pete_c]

Yup; here do not want to lock myself into any OS; even though I mentioned Windows above. 
 
I don't really want to "see" the touchscreens anymore unless I walk up to them without touching them; giving them a bit independance from the mothership; although telling the mothership that I just walked up to the touchscreen. 
 
I like tinkering with hardware though as it passes the time.  (here its been more than weeks; rather years playing).
 
I think too that now that automation is more mainstream you will see stuff (hardware) made for wall mounting rather than some means of adapting a tablet to a wall.