Documenting the Home Automation Technology in Quadomated

C

Chassmain

Member
Hey Cocooners,

Not sure if any of you remember me, but a few years back during the summer of 2010, many of you were instrumental in helping me plan out and build the automation system for my new home. I nicknamed the project Quadomated and created a website to document the building of a passive solar smart automated home designed by a ski lift controls engineer who after breaking his neck in a skiing accident became paralyzed throughout the majority of his body. During the whole project/journey I was so overwhelmed with all the construction type stuff and didn’t find the right person to help with the home automation stuff until several months after the home was finished that I felt like I really missed the boat on detailing all the awesome home automation technology we integrated into the project.

Now the house is all complete, and I finally made some great progress with the home automation system and would like to go back over things in more technical detail so that hopefully I can build together a group of documents that will be helpful for others thinking about making their own awesome automated home.

Was hoping that some of you might still be interested in my project/ramblings and have some to contribute. My plans for right now are to write very detailed/concise posts on the following topics so that they might someday help someone else.
  1. Home Automation Controller – HAI OmniPro II
  2. Home Automation / Media Server – Design and Components
  3. Home Automation & Touchscreen Design Software – Elve
  4. Prewiring Considerations
  5. Security Sensors – Choosing the Best Sensors & Installing Them
  6. Automated Lighting – UPB Lighting
  7. Motion Sensors – SensorSwitch Occupancy Sensors
  8. Door Access Control – HAI Access Control Device and Electronic Door Strikes
  9. Electronic Shades – Somfy ILT RS485
  10. Garage Door Operator Automation – Using Relays to Operate the Wireless Remote
  11. Infrared Distribution – Global Cache GC-100 Hardware Installation and Wiring
  12. Projector Control – Controlling Epson PowerLite Cinema 6010 with RS-232
  13. Home Theater – Overview/Design Considerations
  14. Home Theater – Audio/Video Equipment
Hoping you guys will follow along at Quadomated and contribute/make any suggestions on how I could put all this information together in the best possible way.

Thanks so much!
-Mike
 
I'm looking forward to reading your blog and learning about the home automation trip along with many other topics I'm sure. Thanks for sharing!

David
 
Thanks guys! Glad to know you'll be following along! Work2Play I might have a couple specific questions for you if you don't mind sharing what you've with Elve. Do you have a project showcase/place where you've already documented your experiences?

I'm just starting to dig into the software and it would be a huge help see what's possible.
 
I wish I had more to offer, but I'm *extremely* anal about user interfaces (part of a past life), which is a problem since I have absolutely zero graphical abilities... which means my touchscreens really haven't gone anywhere yet. One of these days I'll build some iPad interfaces and drop a couple iPad wall mounts around the house but I just haven't done it yet.

So for now, Elve is just handling some of my more advanced rules - mostly around UPB because it can sequence where the Elk cannot; plus it has the W800RF32 attached for my X10RF stuff, and it talks to Weather Underground to get the outside temperature from my neighbor and puts it on my thermostats around the house and tells me when to kick on the whole house fan instead of using the Air Conditioner.

That said - I'll help anywhere I can!
 
I know exactly what you mean about the "extremely" anal problem... that has challenged me most of my life! Often making me never satisfied stuff I've created, spending too much time on the small details, yada yada… I'm sure you know exactly what I mean!

I'll be working on my screens in the coming weeks, thinking of a minimalistic Metro inspired design and will be sure to keep you all updated as things move forward.
 
That's a really great blog. I wish I had run as much cable as you did!
The only critique I have is the color of the text. It's too light for my eyes. I have bad color vision and my glasses force me to sit at more than arms length from the screen which makes it tough to see.
The content is really well done!
 
Interesting blog and great pics! I am surprised you have problems with your hdmi cables. I have this cable in 75 and 100 ft length, and have no issues.

http://www.amazon.com/BlueRigger-Cable-Built-Signal-Booster/dp/B005LJQMOS

It will certainly depend on the quality of the cable, but also on proximity of the run to high voltage wiring. One of my displays uses a pair of cat6 shielded wires, but because of the tight space it had in one place less than recommended distance from the romex, and this TV sometimes gets a "flicker" when a high load appliances nearby are activated. The HDMI cable on the other hand has no problems, and it is connected to a switcher.
 
frijoli said:
That's a really great blog.
The only critique I have is the color of the text. It's too light for my eyes.
Click to expand...

Thank you! Went in and changed styling to darken up all the text. Hope that'll make it easier for you and everyone else to keep reading. Thanks again for following along!

picta said:
Interesting blog and great pics! I am surprised you have problems with your hdmi cables. I have this cable in 75 and 100 ft length, and have no issues.
Click to expand...

Think the cable I ordered is pretty decent... burley 24 gauge Monoprice cable, but even so I know HDMI is prone to issues much over 25 feet. Like you said, probably signal interferences and maybe wire capacitance/resistance that degrades the signal more the farther it gets. For my projector I had to install a little balancer/equalizer which did the trick. Haven't tried out my 75 foot run in the living room yet, need to get a few more things more bulletproof with my IR distribution before I do that.
 
What Whole home audio system did you choose? I am seemingly headed down your same path but am trying to determine the best WHA system to integrate with...Elve or CQC just like you! And then do you let the sw or the omni control the WHA? choices choices.

Ideally I want to skip the keypads and have tablets in each room. My key goal is a single interface to run things.
 
Not real sure yet, right now my whole home audio system is way more of a cludge than I’d like. It’s no more than Zone 1 & 2 of my home theater processor, and Zone 1 & 2 of my living room receiver. As I look into CQC and Elve, thinking I’ll probably just buy one of the whole house multizone amplifiers and control everything with a multichannel/output sound card and J River Media Center. If I go that route the whole home audio will be controlled in software on my automation server instead of within the HAI.

If I did that I forgo the keypads just like you mentioned and use android tablets throughout the house for a simple/unified interface.

Would’ve you figured out in your research?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BraveSirRobbin
Home Automation Inclusion in Home Sale?
Replies
2
Views
606
sic0048
S
BraveSirRobbin
Seeking Hardwired Sensor Home Security Solution
Replies
3
Views
1K
NormandyHA
NormandyHA
wkearney99
Documenting Home Automation setups
2
Replies
15
Views
1K
mikefamig
M
N
The End-ALL of Home Automation Systems?
2
Replies
20
Views
2K
macromark
macromark
C
How To Start A Low Voltage / Home Automation Business
Replies
1
Views
547
Neurorad
Neurorad
Back
Top