Lowe's now entering into Home Automation
- Thread starter tmbrown97
- Start date
tmbrown97
Senior Member
I'm not quite sure what you're after. Some of the more popular lighting technologies are X10, UPB, ZWave, Insteon; they've chosen Z-Wave for their light switches. You can't talk to UPB or Insteon switches from Z-Wave without something to bridge the two networks. Their controller doesn't talk UPB or X10 or Insteon.
Wifi is something our computers use - it's different than the RF communication that goes on with Insteon, Zigbee, Z-Wave.
Maybe you could clarify what you're asking to accomplish?
Wifi is something our computers use - it's different than the RF communication that goes on with Insteon, Zigbee, Z-Wave.
Maybe you could clarify what you're asking to accomplish?
ellisr63
Active Member
I have some Insteon and UPB switches, along with a Aprilaire thermostat that I would like to control via my pc and via cell phone for the cheap for now. Eventually I will move up to a ELK M1 or something similar. For the immediate time I would like to control the lighting only.
tmbrown97
Senior Member
I don't think this is the solution for you. An ISY would give you control of the lights but that thing is almost as expensive as a bare bones Elk system. One option would be to buy the bare minimum of the Elk (just don't get all the peripherals and keypads and accessories yet) and do the bare basics for integration, or consider running a PC full time and see if Elve or one of the other less expensive systems has the plugins you need.
ZBPServer is probably one of the cheapest new options. We're talking $20 for a pogo plug and $70 for an Insteon PLM. Or $120 for the dual Zigbee/Insteon interface and you can probably use all the cheap Lowes sensors with it as well as Insteon. I haven't tried it out yet though.
ellisr63
Active Member
Only runs on Linux from what I found... Haven't run Linux in 10 years. :-(
ellisr63
Active Member
I know but I would have to build another pc to run it on. Granted I might be able to build some small and super efficient one to run it on...
So I purchased a Lowe's Zigbee door sensors, and ordered a Zigbee USB stick from a company called Telegesis. I read the Telegesis docs, and was able to open up a com port to the device and using AT commands, create a PAN, and power up the Lowe's Zigbee device. I immediately see the new node attach and an SED, but it repeatedly keeps joining the network—never going stable. I imagine either I am screwing something up, or the sensor needs some command or something sent to it.
I see this on the AT terminal.
NEWNODE:8A44,000D6F00022DCB56,0000
SED:000D6F00022DCB56,8A44
NEWNODE:261E,000D6F00022DCB56,0000
SED:000D6F00022DCB56,261E
NEWNODE:C43F,000D6F00022DCB56,0000
SED:000D6F00022DCB56,C43F
What I am trying to do is get this thing to join my network—and hopefully when I change the proximity to the magnet; I would expect to see a status message come over the serial bus.
I think the sensor expects some of of register write or something, otherwise it moves on to the next Zigbee network.
I contact the Alertme people-- but I received no reply. If we can figure this thing out-- we are going to have many $20 sensors at our fingertips.
I see this on the AT terminal.
NEWNODE:8A44,000D6F00022DCB56,0000
SED:000D6F00022DCB56,8A44
NEWNODE:261E,000D6F00022DCB56,0000
SED:000D6F00022DCB56,261E
NEWNODE:C43F,000D6F00022DCB56,0000
SED:000D6F00022DCB56,C43F
What I am trying to do is get this thing to join my network—and hopefully when I change the proximity to the magnet; I would expect to see a status message come over the serial bus.
I think the sensor expects some of of register write or something, otherwise it moves on to the next Zigbee network.
I contact the Alertme people-- but I received no reply. If we can figure this thing out-- we are going to have many $20 sensors at our fingertips.
So far i have had good luck with the VERY cheap GE outlets (knock on wood). I had no problem linking them with the Honeywell Tux. Kind of sucks i paid 95 bucks for the Leviton zwave devices but they have never let me down so far. As far as the overall Iris system, I dont think this is a DIY kit and see this product going EOL. It seems over the last few months Lowes has been trying the home auto thing, but the product does not seem to move of the shelf.
If you haven't yet, you might want to check out stuff from this company:
http://www.simplehomenet.com/
I've been using some of their switches with my HAI Zigbee system. You can also control your network using their $50 USB controller.
Keep in mind when you are looking at the Lowes stuff, it does use ZigBee, but from what I heard it DOES NOT support the Home Automation Zigbee profile. That isn't to say you can never speak to it, but its going to make it much more difficult. Zigbee devices out there might use proprietary Zigbee protocol (like Control4), they can use the Home Automation profile, they can use the Smart Energy profile, or they may not use any of these. There is also RF4CE that is technically part of Zigbee as well, but it is point-to-point only and mainly is a replacement for IR in TVs and other home entertainment equipment.
http://www.simplehomenet.com/
I've been using some of their switches with my HAI Zigbee system. You can also control your network using their $50 USB controller.
Keep in mind when you are looking at the Lowes stuff, it does use ZigBee, but from what I heard it DOES NOT support the Home Automation Zigbee profile. That isn't to say you can never speak to it, but its going to make it much more difficult. Zigbee devices out there might use proprietary Zigbee protocol (like Control4), they can use the Home Automation profile, they can use the Smart Energy profile, or they may not use any of these. There is also RF4CE that is technically part of Zigbee as well, but it is point-to-point only and mainly is a replacement for IR in TVs and other home entertainment equipment.
mbreeden
Active Member
I just picked up their water detection system. (Everspring) It is Z-wave and it interfaced perfectly with Homeseer and works like a charm. It was only $27 dollars whereas HS was selling them for $51
I am going to pick up more on the way home tonight. I purchased the Fire\CO2 alarm and going to test that tonight w/HS. ($39)
You can not beat the prices for the Z-Wave stuff.
- Mike
I am going to pick up more on the way home tonight. I purchased the Fire\CO2 alarm and going to test that tonight w/HS. ($39)
You can not beat the prices for the Z-Wave stuff.
- Mike
That is the big difference between Zigbee and Z-Wave. Z-Wave is pretty much Z-Wave with one company and its licensee(s) producing chips, so all Z-Wave devices should have no problem communicating to each other. Zigbee is an open standard with many companies producing chips, supporting many different industries. Unless the "profiles" match, then things don't connect together. I believe that the Lowes system uses a proprietary profile, preventing it from working with other things. That was by their design.
You might think Z-Wave interconnectivity is a good thing, as you can "rebrand" devices for your benefit, as mbreeden said, but this can come back to bite companies as well. I remember a few years ago, Simply Automated, which was selling $75 UPB switches that professional installers generally installed, got the bright idea, to increase sales, it would sell a DIY home automation system with DIY UPB switches that would sell for the DIY price of around $35 each at Frys Electronics. Different customers, different price points. Well it didn't take long for customers that had been buying the $75 UPB switches from dealers to realize they could buy the same switches for half price at Frys.
People, including me, swamped Fry's and bought all the switches we could, while home automation dealers got quite upset that their customers were buying switches from Frys for cheaper than they were buying them for from Simply Automated. Dealers got mad. Simply Automated realized their mistake then discontinued the Frys product. The funny part was after that, Frys slashed the prices on these switches even more to get rid of them, which caused another feeding frenzy. I have maybe 15 of these switches and they have worked well.
I'm not sure how the Lowes devices were priced, and Z-wave is a bit more of a DIY standard to start with, but you may want to buy all the Lowes Z-wave devices while you still can.
You might think Z-Wave interconnectivity is a good thing, as you can "rebrand" devices for your benefit, as mbreeden said, but this can come back to bite companies as well. I remember a few years ago, Simply Automated, which was selling $75 UPB switches that professional installers generally installed, got the bright idea, to increase sales, it would sell a DIY home automation system with DIY UPB switches that would sell for the DIY price of around $35 each at Frys Electronics. Different customers, different price points. Well it didn't take long for customers that had been buying the $75 UPB switches from dealers to realize they could buy the same switches for half price at Frys.
People, including me, swamped Fry's and bought all the switches we could, while home automation dealers got quite upset that their customers were buying switches from Frys for cheaper than they were buying them for from Simply Automated. Dealers got mad. Simply Automated realized their mistake then discontinued the Frys product. The funny part was after that, Frys slashed the prices on these switches even more to get rid of them, which caused another feeding frenzy. I have maybe 15 of these switches and they have worked well.
I'm not sure how the Lowes devices were priced, and Z-wave is a bit more of a DIY standard to start with, but you may want to buy all the Lowes Z-wave devices while you still can.
