erasei
Member
After writing this post, I realize I get a little 'far out' in some of my questions or thoughts. I don't know if there is a 'dude you're too weird for us' section in this forum, but mods can feel free to move this post if they so choose.
Do any of you guys roll your own control interface for your own projects that are PC based? Meaning, instead of using the PC to interface via x10/UPB/Insteon/others do you guys run any custom-made motor/servo/sensor controls?
I'm mostly interested in the interface you use between the device and the PC. There are serial based servo controllers for PCs, they are about $25 and can control up to 8 digital devices or i think 2 or 4 analog devices depending on the model. What about remote sensors communication back over Wifi, RF, or even something lower level. Some pretty sophisticated components are available ready for the DIYer to integrate at relatively low cost.
I have several projects in mind that are either cost prohibitive to buy a pre-made solution or I just can't find a solution for... and I just enjoy DIY electronics projects. Ideally they would all tie back to the PC so that I can be alerted via the home automation system.
Project #1 The AI Humidor:
Phase 1: Humidor temp and humidity sensors. Would probably need to be battery powered since I don't want to drill into my humidor. Would only need to send back data every so often, like every 6 hours or so at the most. Needs to be really small, which is why I can't use one of the pre-made sensors.
Phase 2: Add a small actuator of some type that is strong enough to open the lid of the humidor. Cigars off-gas as they age and you need to crack the lid to let those gases escape about once a week at least. During the summer time that isn't a problem as I'm in the 'dor once a day anyway. During the winter months though, my 'dor sets untouched for months at a time. (Except the once a week i have to remember to go check it out, let it off-gas, adjust fluid levels, etc)
Phase 3: Build a distilled water and glycol tank that will automatically adjust fluid levels based on current interior conditions as reported by the sensors. This might be as simple as a gravity fed system, but that might over-hydrate the humidor and take the humidity level too high. If so, then a computer controlled dispensing system will be required. I'm guessing a micro version of a sprinkler system would work. A small electronic water valve.
Project #2 Manual curtain get automatic: Pull a small rope. I have one set of windows in my house where I can't install a motorized curtain. It's one of those curtains where you kind of gather the middle to one side. I think a small continuous rotation servo could wind the cord around a shaft that would open the curtain. This would be easy at first, but as the cord wound around the shaft it would in essence reduce the gearing of pull vs motor rotation, which would make it harder to pull the farther along into the pull. Maybe just doing a double wrap around the shaft and then dropping the cord down the wall would work. Basically work the same way without the cord building up on the shaft.
Project #3 Close the window: A 2-3' linear motion. All of the windows in my house are the horizontal type. Instead of lifting up, they slide to the side. Here in the Northwest US nobody really has Air Conditioning in the houses, so our windows stay open most of the summer. Many many nights get really cool here though, even in the summer and we wake up freezing at 2am and have to get out of bed and close all the windows. It would be REALLY helpful to have this as just another part of the automated home.
This is a complicated project though.. mainly due to the weight of the windows (probably 20-30 lbs of push force required) and the distance of travel required (2-3 feet). My best guess so far is a powerful DC motor that uses a screw drive to push the window. With a gear offset you could get by with a reasonably powerful motor without spending stupid amounts on 5 hp DC motors. Speed isn't critical so a 10 second per 6 inch travel time is acceptable. There are complications with opening the window.. would the system need a clutch of some sort to disengage the gears when someone grabbed a window and yanked it open in the afternoon? You could mount a small button switch beside the window for electric control (this would also be good for the young and the old [neither of which we have atm]).
Some of my other projects that are less complicated and pretty easy to do..
* Cat waterer, pretty easy, just basically another sprinkler installation on a small scale, with some type of "off" control.. like a float or something such.
* Turn the main tv to a specific input (front door camera) when the door bell rings. A basic reed switch as the door bell that uses an x10 power flash to relay back to the PC which then sends the right IR code to the IR Blaster on the TV (sadly my plasma doesn't have rs232 control)
I guess that's it.. I'm curious to see what projects similar to these that other users have done. Sorry if I got a little long winded.
Do any of you guys roll your own control interface for your own projects that are PC based? Meaning, instead of using the PC to interface via x10/UPB/Insteon/others do you guys run any custom-made motor/servo/sensor controls?
I'm mostly interested in the interface you use between the device and the PC. There are serial based servo controllers for PCs, they are about $25 and can control up to 8 digital devices or i think 2 or 4 analog devices depending on the model. What about remote sensors communication back over Wifi, RF, or even something lower level. Some pretty sophisticated components are available ready for the DIYer to integrate at relatively low cost.
I have several projects in mind that are either cost prohibitive to buy a pre-made solution or I just can't find a solution for... and I just enjoy DIY electronics projects. Ideally they would all tie back to the PC so that I can be alerted via the home automation system.
Project #1 The AI Humidor:
Phase 1: Humidor temp and humidity sensors. Would probably need to be battery powered since I don't want to drill into my humidor. Would only need to send back data every so often, like every 6 hours or so at the most. Needs to be really small, which is why I can't use one of the pre-made sensors.
Phase 2: Add a small actuator of some type that is strong enough to open the lid of the humidor. Cigars off-gas as they age and you need to crack the lid to let those gases escape about once a week at least. During the summer time that isn't a problem as I'm in the 'dor once a day anyway. During the winter months though, my 'dor sets untouched for months at a time. (Except the once a week i have to remember to go check it out, let it off-gas, adjust fluid levels, etc)
Phase 3: Build a distilled water and glycol tank that will automatically adjust fluid levels based on current interior conditions as reported by the sensors. This might be as simple as a gravity fed system, but that might over-hydrate the humidor and take the humidity level too high. If so, then a computer controlled dispensing system will be required. I'm guessing a micro version of a sprinkler system would work. A small electronic water valve.
Project #2 Manual curtain get automatic: Pull a small rope. I have one set of windows in my house where I can't install a motorized curtain. It's one of those curtains where you kind of gather the middle to one side. I think a small continuous rotation servo could wind the cord around a shaft that would open the curtain. This would be easy at first, but as the cord wound around the shaft it would in essence reduce the gearing of pull vs motor rotation, which would make it harder to pull the farther along into the pull. Maybe just doing a double wrap around the shaft and then dropping the cord down the wall would work. Basically work the same way without the cord building up on the shaft.
Project #3 Close the window: A 2-3' linear motion. All of the windows in my house are the horizontal type. Instead of lifting up, they slide to the side. Here in the Northwest US nobody really has Air Conditioning in the houses, so our windows stay open most of the summer. Many many nights get really cool here though, even in the summer and we wake up freezing at 2am and have to get out of bed and close all the windows. It would be REALLY helpful to have this as just another part of the automated home.
This is a complicated project though.. mainly due to the weight of the windows (probably 20-30 lbs of push force required) and the distance of travel required (2-3 feet). My best guess so far is a powerful DC motor that uses a screw drive to push the window. With a gear offset you could get by with a reasonably powerful motor without spending stupid amounts on 5 hp DC motors. Speed isn't critical so a 10 second per 6 inch travel time is acceptable. There are complications with opening the window.. would the system need a clutch of some sort to disengage the gears when someone grabbed a window and yanked it open in the afternoon? You could mount a small button switch beside the window for electric control (this would also be good for the young and the old [neither of which we have atm]).
Some of my other projects that are less complicated and pretty easy to do..
* Cat waterer, pretty easy, just basically another sprinkler installation on a small scale, with some type of "off" control.. like a float or something such.
* Turn the main tv to a specific input (front door camera) when the door bell rings. A basic reed switch as the door bell that uses an x10 power flash to relay back to the PC which then sends the right IR code to the IR Blaster on the TV (sadly my plasma doesn't have rs232 control)
I guess that's it.. I'm curious to see what projects similar to these that other users have done. Sorry if I got a little long winded.