Howdy world!

[Roadie]

I found this site this while I was looking for home automation SDK's. I saw some reference to the Motorola Premise software and SDK and it looks like something that I may want to try.
 
I have been interested in this since the early 70's when I bought the new X10 starter system that was being licensed by Leviton. I still have the same central controller. I have had lots of X10 gear over the years - all pretty much unstable . I'm now looking to go into full automation using something like the Elk M1 and some other (not yet determined) interface between it and UPB devices.
 
I was looking at the Universal Devices ISY994i but was told that I should stay away from Insteon. Any suggestions on some type of standalone multifunction controller that is similar to the 994i device and still allow some programming or access via an SDK?

 

[pete_c]

Welcome to the Cocoontech forum Roadie!
 
Seek here on the forum and you will find many of your answers.
 
The Elk M1 and the Leviton HAI OPII are combo security / automation central controllers; albeit a bit aged; nonetheless very functional.
 
If you are looking a pure automation single and multiple automation protocol controllers there are a few out there in automationworldlandia.
 
Then too this is relating to what your perception is of automation. 
 
You mention X-10 from the 70's.  Originally it did just do lights, then over time it did do other stuff.
 
Insteon is a hybrid of what X10 was (pure powerline) to a combination of powerline and wireless bridging.
 
UPB is pure powerline  (the transport is pure powerline).
 
Z-Wave is pure wireless with a meshing / routing wireless thing (a self serving propietary wireless spanning tree algorithm that sometimes has issues; hop skip and jump a routing table for a non existent entries).
 
Zigbee is pure wireless doing a combo coordinator, routing devices and end device thing.
 
Wireless 802.XX automation
 
Ideally a little firmware hub the size of a pack of cigarettes with an SDK that did all of the above would be a neato thing to have.
 
You can have a controller with two or three of the above these days; but not all of the above yet
 
Some folks are today automating everything with one of the above devices while others are automating everything with all of the above. 
 
Easy though to do (DIY) with the serial wired plus additional wireless stuff these days.  Playing with a tiny little microrouter that does a bunch but not everything concurrently also playing with a little microrouter / switch / wireless AP and wireless automation device with a touchscreen that does a bunch too but not everything.

 

[Roadie]

Thanks Pete.
 
I am looking for some type of tech that holds a lot of flexibility, not too expensive and with readily available SDK or developers info. I don't want to have a one or 2 of each type as I would prefer to stick with one type.  I am leaning toward insteon because of backward compatibility with X10. The command interfaces and communication process looks fairly simple via RS232. I think I have decided on using a linux server with my existing X10 (until eventually mothballing it) and Insteon and have started writing code for the same.
 
Still haven't decided on the security system yet though. I am going to try to find some type of RS232 interface info for the ELK and linux. I think I may stick with the Elk for the security system as I can offload all the security functions and basic timer ops (eg irrigation timer) to it and, hopefully, just govern it all with the Linux box.
 
Dang, UPB sure is proud of their stuff. ZWave doesn't look to be flexible enough along with a $1500(?) entry fee for their SDK? Zigbee still looks to be in the experimental stages. And now there is talk about a protocol called Wink that interconnects between appliances and the Nest thermostat. Hopefully, since Google owns Nest, they will keep it open source.
 
HA will probable be one of those things that I will always being working on and is never finished...

 

[Roadie]

I just saw you are using CCTV along with MythTV.  Are there any issues interfacing your CCTV system with Linux?