Hello from Humboldt County, CA

[ScannerBrightly]

Hello everyone. I just want to start by saying that this forum (CocoonTech) in gold. I've already found a lot of information by searching and reading. So thanks in advance!

I'm just about to get the go on my long awaited short sale after being a renter for way too long, and I've been doing some research. I pretty much know that I'm going to want a power line system like UPB or Insteon, which will have a powerline-to-USB connection to a computer. I understand programming the switches and sockets, and I've seen a bunch of different packages that would do that (HomeSeer, CPC, LinuxMCE, UPStart) but for the life of me I do not understand what an intelligent controller box would be used for. Something like the M1-Gold or an OmniPro box is what I mean by "intelligent controller".

Please tell me if I'm wrong, but it seems more for security/rip-cord connections and processing. I see that many people have UPB/X-10 things connected to their M1-Gold, but then they connect the M1-Gold to a PC and use HomeSeer or other software to control the whole lot. What's the point of the "Intelligent" part of the controller box if you are just going to do your _real_ programming on a PC/Server?

Share the day,
Scanner

 

[Steve]

Welcome to CocoonTech!

There is no 'right' answer or one size fits all. The M1G and OmniPro are security panels first with automation functions added. If you are in need of a security system, they are the way to go and you can do all of your control with those alone. If you have no need for security and have a pc and want to run a software package for stuff then you can do all of your control that way. Or, you can also do basic control with nothing but the powerline hardware. Like you can have switches control various things via lings or you can get a plug in controller to do basic timed events and stuff. So it really depends on what you need or want.

Many people, myself included, use a hardware panel to do the majority of the control, but supplement it with software to do the ancillary stuff like TTS, CID, Weather, etc.

 

[ScannerBrightly]

Welcome to CocoonTech!
...
Many people, myself included, use a hardware panel to do the majority of the control, but supplement it with software to do the ancillary stuff like TTS, CID, Weather, etc.

Thanks for the welcome, and the answer. This makes a lot of sense. I guess since I'm retrofitting an older house, I'll start small and work my way up. I'll run CAT6 first and maybe replace some switches, working my way up to where I'll need a hardware panel.

 

[mustangcoupe]

Welcome Scanner....

I for one also have an additional hardware controller. I thought of it as a two fold.
an alarm system
a place to get all these additional inputs/sensors into...
door
window
motion
Moisture
Humidity
the list keeps going on and on...



And watch them with software to see their condition.... I do not however have my lightning connected to it, that is a direct connection to my PC and I act (via software) upon events driven from the M1Gold

HTH,