This is my first post on this board. I'm getting ready to start a HA project on my new house. They are just finishing framing the place and I'll be doing all the wiring next week.
Once that part is done, I need to make a decision about which HA system to get. I am looking for a system that is easy to set up initially but is open enough to add new capabilities myself through hardware and software.
I currently work in the IT field, with lots of experience in large networks (programming, sysadmin etc) but the HA stuff is new to me. The only system I've done much looking at is the HAI stuff. It looks to be the most expensive (not a problem) and -seems- to be open to expansion, but it's hard to tell from what I've read so far. I don't want to get a system paid for, installed etc and later find out I'm locked into a system that won't do what I want and not be able to extend it myself.
I also don't want to have to develop stuff like Web UI's and low level logic from scratch ( I do enough of that stuff at work but would like to take an existing system and add to it over time as needed.
I haven't figured out the state of the art in HA (i.e. what's possible - out of the box or customized) , but the level of sophistication I would like to have is something on the order of
(pseudo-code)
On <alarm disarmed>
If <after dark> then
<activate UPB link 1>
else
<activate UPB link 2>
or something like
if time = night + 1 hour and alarm = unarmed then
<dim outside lights to 70%>
if time = night +2 hour and temp > 90 then
<set thermostart to 78>
Am I aiming too high or can I get this type of stuff today? So far I've just received a UPB eval kit and have been playing with it's capabilities - very nice.
So, any advice on what platform to start with?
Thanks,
Frank
Fort Worth, Tx
Once that part is done, I need to make a decision about which HA system to get. I am looking for a system that is easy to set up initially but is open enough to add new capabilities myself through hardware and software.
I currently work in the IT field, with lots of experience in large networks (programming, sysadmin etc) but the HA stuff is new to me. The only system I've done much looking at is the HAI stuff. It looks to be the most expensive (not a problem) and -seems- to be open to expansion, but it's hard to tell from what I've read so far. I don't want to get a system paid for, installed etc and later find out I'm locked into a system that won't do what I want and not be able to extend it myself.
I also don't want to have to develop stuff like Web UI's and low level logic from scratch ( I do enough of that stuff at work but would like to take an existing system and add to it over time as needed.
I haven't figured out the state of the art in HA (i.e. what's possible - out of the box or customized) , but the level of sophistication I would like to have is something on the order of
(pseudo-code)
On <alarm disarmed>
If <after dark> then
<activate UPB link 1>
else
<activate UPB link 2>
or something like
if time = night + 1 hour and alarm = unarmed then
<dim outside lights to 70%>
if time = night +2 hour and temp > 90 then
<set thermostart to 78>
Am I aiming too high or can I get this type of stuff today? So far I've just received a UPB eval kit and have been playing with it's capabilities - very nice.
So, any advice on what platform to start with?
Thanks,
Frank
Fort Worth, Tx