Controller advice

[ckg1999]

All,
I am looking for advice on what controller to go with to integrate all the various pieces in the house.
 
I have the following:
- HAI OmniPro IIe (if I need to switch to Elk, I can)
- Nest Thermostats and Smokes
- Philips Hue
- UPB
- Z Wave (have a VRC0P)
- Sonos
- NAS w/ music / movies
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[signal15]

I like the Vera, it's cheap and very powerful.  However, there are currently no plugins for HAI, UPB or Sonos.  I'm using mine with an Elk, and the Elk plugin is very good.  If the UPB was controlled through the Elk, you could probably make it work pretty easily.  I'm not controlling any lighting through my Elk, so I don't know what the capabilities of the plugin are related to that.
 
It works with the other stuff you have listed.
 
One thing I really like about it is that it's a small hardware device, and doesn't require a full PC to sit there and run all day long sucking down power and making noise.

 

[ckg1999]

I looked at MainLobby, but can't get a good grasp on programming everything.  Aside from the Nest (which they say support is coming soon), it looks to be one of the better options.

 

[pete_c]

We are working with the implementation of a Leviton HAI panel plugin for Homeseer. 
 
The plugin and communications to the HAI OPII panel is still in its "infancy". 
 
That said there are already Homeseer 3 or soon to be plugins for what you are asking about.
 
Here always trying to break HS to see how much it can do and I do break it.
 
I also have MainLobby here.
 
Automation is a hobby and the house is a sandbox. 
 
I call Homeseer the "mothership" and it oversees much plus has some 20+ analog to digital connections via USB or Serial doing a bit more than turning lights on and off these days.
 
Mostly into "wired" stuff but the house lately irradiates of much RF (don't really know exactly how RF though these days).
 
- Nest Thermostats and Smokes
 
http://67.217.100.102/showthread.php?t=161674
 
- Philips Hue
 
http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=158743
 
- UPB - I have one UPB Pim connected to Homeseer and another to the Leviton HAI panel.  I can control the UPB lighting directly with the Leviton Panel, via HS to the HAI plugin and autonmously with the UPB PIM.
 
http://board.homeseer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1162
 
- Z Wave (have a VRC0P)
 
Currently have same for Z-Wave and Leviton Panel, plus Z-Troller, Aeon Stick, Almond + and a MiCasa box.   I can control HAI Z-Wave via new HS to HAI plugin or directly via HAI Leviton PIM.
- Sonos
 
http://store.homeseer.com/store/Sonos-Controller-Plug-in-for-HS2-P963.aspx
 
- NAS w/ music / movies
 
I am in the XBMC world.  That said there is an XBMC plugin such that you can remote your XBMC box.  I do now have streaming live TV MythTV and Squeezebox running on an Ubuntu 12.10 configuration.  I have lately configured multiple XBMC boxes next to the LCD TVs and mostly removed everything except for the MM receiver audio stuff. 
 
Managing the Russound Zoned audio in a couple of ways (via HAI and serial to Homeseer), XBMC boxes, MM receivers, Squeezebox players and Sonos can be done easily with Homeseer these days.
 
Latest goofing around stuff is a box or tabletop tablet which runs HSTouch, XBMC, Squeezebox player in the Linux world.  That said newest thing with these little tabletops is streaming live television (live CCTV stuff was easy).
 
-Zigbee
 
energy - The Leviton HAI panel does this and it can be controlled via the new HS3 plugin. 
automation - Zigbee automation on the Almond + which can be autonomously managed or controlled by HS3 easily enough.

 

[InspiredTim]

There will be a hai driver for the Vera shortly. Full integration.

 

[signal15]

There will be a hai driver for the Vera shortly. Full integration.

 
When I looked a month or so ago, it appeared there hadn't been any movement on that plugin since July or so.

 

[pete_c]

Yup; for the Homeseer HAI plugin I started by asking for some monies for those interested in testing the beta and granular participation.  This was over a year ago.  Personally I have always utilized the legacy serial plugin written for Homeseer from day #1 of the installation of the HAI panel here in the early 2000's.  Its still being used today with the Homeseer 2 machines.  It has its nuances though.
 
The interest in a new HS plugin goes back for many many years.
 
We didn't really collect enough monies though to purchase a new panel and accessories.  That said the developer did purchase a new HAI OPII panel promo kit on his own.  We used the collected monies for purchasing of PCA, UPB PIM, et al accessories such that he could test the plugin. 
 
The totals though have been over $1000.00; and this only to test and write the plugin. 
 
This has been a volunteer investment of both money and time. 
 
Testing has been a bit difficult because his panel is not in production and while my panels have a bunch of stuff they are not fully populated.  But everybody does different things with their panels. 
 
Like anything related to Home Automation; most folks are content with the running HAI OPII panels.  Relating to the security aspects and having the panel connected to some service also makes it a bit difficult to test with should you volunteer your panel in the testing.
 
Recently here I have been testing the running of the plugin autonomously from the "mothership" on a little Raspberry Pi.  It is quick; but still in its infancy.
 
That and it is a volunteer effort.
 
Life does get in the way; as always for these kinds of efforts (ice storms, work, family stuff).
 
Whilst the intention is to be in the Linux world; the plugin beta has been posted freely and will function fine in both the Wintel and Linux world with or without the mothership (Homeseer). 
 
We are asking for input and volunteers to test the plugin. 
 
It will not "break" your panel and is innocuous.  It is though a Homeseer 3 plugin and will only work connecting to the mothership and while it works stand alone; its functional "online" transport is to both the HAI panel and the mothership.
 
One of the questions that have come up is whether the plugin works in serial mode.  It doesn't and only works in IP mode. 
 
This has though created a conundrum because there are HAI users out there that still have first generation panels that continue to function just fine but only have serial ports.