Software-based home automation controllers

[esheneman]

I've been thinking I should check out all available software-based home automation controllers - the criteria is as follows:

• Full support for UPB
• .NET based
• Allows anyone to write .NET based plug-ins
• Allows anyone to add events and such
• Supports multiple interfaces such as X10 RF and possibly Zwave

I know HomeSeer fits the description but I'm curious if there are any other that I may not be aware of?

Thanks.

 

[johnnynine]

els,

You'll probably be interested in taking a look at the J9 Automation Engine control, automation, and media management software package. It supports all of your requirements above plus touch screens, point and click event based rule building, a built-in web server, user accounts, a powerful scripting language, a touch screen interface builder application, a .NET SDK for building plug-ins/device drivers, and more. The software is currently in beta but is stable and comes with an easy to use installer program.

It sounds like you are a software developer so please take a look at the Device Driver Development Program which offers a free license to device driver developers.

Thanks,
Johnny

 

[fcwilt]

Here are a couple:

http://www.charmedquark.com

http://www.cinemaronline.com

 

[signal15]

Are there any commercial packages that run on Linux or *BSD? I've found some open source stuff, but it doesn't have near the featureset of CQC or Homeseer, or the interface looks terrible.

MisterHouse actually seems to have more functionality than much of the commercial stuff, but the interface is horrible. It has full voice control though, so you can say "Computer, Living Room lights, 50%" and stuff like that.

 

[ano]

Are there any commercial packages that run on Linux or *BSD? I've found some open source stuff, but it doesn't have near the featureset of CQC or Homeseer, or the interface looks terrible.

MisterHouse actually seems to have more functionality than much of the commercial stuff, but the interface is horrible. It has full voice control though, so you can say "Computer, Living Room lights, 50%" and stuff like that.

The original requirements were .NET based and the ability to write .NET based plug-ins. I don't think your going to find that in a Linux based or Mac based product, or in CQC.

 

[123]

Have a look at the HA Technology Comparison Spreadsheet.

Here's how Premise stacks up:

• Full support for UPB ---> Yes ... with some tweaking.
• .NET based ---> No. C++.
• Allows anyone to write .NET based plug-ins ---> Yes.
• Allows anyone to add events and such ---> Yes.
• Supports multiple interfaces such as X10 RF and possibly Zwave ---> Yes for X10 RF. No for Zwave.

To my knowledge, J9 Automation Engine and mControl are .NET based and offer an .NET API. Good luck with your search!

 

[signal15]

Are there any commercial packages that run on Linux or *BSD? I've found some open source stuff, but it doesn't have near the featureset of CQC or Homeseer, or the interface looks terrible.

MisterHouse actually seems to have more functionality than much of the commercial stuff, but the interface is horrible. It has full voice control though, so you can say "Computer, Living Room lights, 50%" and stuff like that.

The original requirements were .NET based and the ability to write .NET based plug-ins. I don't think your going to find that in a Linux based or Mac based product, or in CQC.

I should have started a new thread. I didn't mean to ask about .NET based stuff that ran on Linux, just Linux products in general. Even though the Mono project is a reimplementation of .NET that runs on other platforms.

 

[Rupp]

Are there any commercial packages that run on Linux or *BSD? I've found some open source stuff, but it doesn't have near the featureset of CQC or Homeseer, or the interface looks terrible.

MisterHouse actually seems to have more functionality than much of the commercial stuff, but the interface is horrible. It has full voice control though, so you can say "Computer, Living Room lights, 50%" and stuff like that.

HSTouch will run on Linux/Mac OSX but it still requires a Windows based system to run the base product.
HomeSeer also has voice control and it works really well. I use HomeSeer phone to issue most of my commands via my wireless handsets. If you have a whole house microphone system it works well.

 

[scriptx]

els,

You'll probably be interested in taking a look at the J9 Automation Engine control, automation, and media management software package. It supports all of your requirements above plus touch screens, point and click event based rule building, a built-in web server, user accounts, a powerful scripting language, a touch screen interface builder application, a .NET SDK for building plug-ins/device drivers, and more. The software is currently in beta but is stable and comes with an easy to use installer program.

It sounds like you are a software developer so please take a look at the Device Driver Development Program which offers a free license to device driver developers.

Thanks,
Johnny

Any chance you are working on an iPod touch/Iphone interface? I'll pay for that one and help develop drivers. Though, count me out if the code is VB.net. I prefer C# since it is closer to C!

 

[Rupp]

I've been thinking I should check out all available software-based home automation controllers - the criteria is as follows:

• Full support for UPB
• .NET based
• Allows anyone to write .NET based plug-ins
• Allows anyone to add events and such
• Supports multiple interfaces such as X10 RF and possibly Zwave

I know HomeSeer fits the description but I'm curious if there are any other that I may not be aware of?

Thanks.

HomeSeer's iPhone app is going to be released soon if this is of interest to you as well.

 

[johnnynine]

els,

You'll probably be interested in taking a look at the J9 Automation Engine control, automation, and media management software package. It supports all of your requirements above plus touch screens, point and click event based rule building, a built-in web server, user accounts, a powerful scripting language, a touch screen interface builder application, a .NET SDK for building plug-ins/device drivers, and more. The software is currently in beta but is stable and comes with an easy to use installer program.

It sounds like you are a software developer so please take a look at the Device Driver Development Program which offers a free license to device driver developers.

Thanks,
Johnny

Any chance you are working on an iPod touch/Iphone interface? I'll pay for that one and help develop drivers. Though, count me out if the code is VB.net. I prefer C# since it is closer to C!

Yes an iPod/iPhone interface is planned. I'm an iPhone user as well.

J9 Automation Engine is written mostly in C# and does not contain any Visual Basic, although it shouldn't make a difference since the driver SDK can be used with any .Net language. I prefer that drivers be written using C# from the support perspective but it isn't a requirement.

Johnny

 

[BDHall]

els,

You'll probably be interested in taking a look at the J9 Automation Engine control, automation, and media management software package. It supports all of your requirements above plus touch screens, point and click event based rule building, a built-in web server, user accounts, a powerful scripting language, a touch screen interface builder application, a .NET SDK for building plug-ins/device drivers, and more. The software is currently in beta but is stable and comes with an easy to use installer program.

It sounds like you are a software developer so please take a look at the Device Driver Development Program which offers a free license to device driver developers.

Thanks,
Johnny

If this is going to be a commercial product, what is the expected cost?

 

[johnnynine]

If this is going to be a commercial product, what is the expected cost?

Thank you for your interest. The J9 Automation Engine (beta codename) is currently in development, while regular stable beta releases are made available to anyone at no cost. When version 1.0 is released to market it will be a commercial product. The pricing and packaging strategy is currently being developed and will be announced in the future.

Thanks,
Johnny

 

[BDHall]

els,

You'll probably be interested in taking a look at the J9 Automation Engine control, automation, and media management software package. It supports all of your requirements above plus touch screens, point and click event based rule building, a built-in web server, user accounts, a powerful scripting language, a touch screen interface builder application, a .NET SDK for building plug-ins/device drivers, and more. The software is currently in beta but is stable and comes with an easy to use installer program.

It sounds like you are a software developer so please take a look at the Device Driver Development Program which offers a free license to device driver developers.

Thanks,
Johnny

Any chance you are working on an iPod touch/Iphone interface? I'll pay for that one and help develop drivers. Though, count me out if the code is VB.net. I prefer C# since it is closer to C!

Yes an iPod/iPhone interface is planned. I'm an iPhone user as well. B)

J9 Automation Engine is written mostly in C# and does not contain any Visual Basic, although it shouldn't make a difference since the driver SDK can be used with any .Net language. I prefer that drivers be written using C# from the support perspective but it isn't a requirement.

Johnny

Johnny,

What are the options for interfacing one's own code to your stuff? For example, if a user wrote some routines that were contained in a .NET dll (VB.NET or C#), can you set a reference to the dll and call the routines (including passing parameters) as you would from a normal .NET Windows program? And can the features of your program be accessed from the users code?

Thanks!
Brian

 

[AnthonyZ]

If this is going to be a commercial product, what is the expected cost?

Thank you for your interest. The J9 Automation Engine (beta codename) is currently in development, while regular stable beta releases are made available to anyone at no cost. When version 1.0 is released to market it will be a commercial product. The pricing and packaging strategy is currently being developed and will be announced in the future.

Thanks,
Johnny

That's interesting and I have been watching some of what you're doing with some interest. I am hoping to put in an HA system for my Mom's home (she's not too interested but, one, I believe in HA and two, as she gets older, my wife and I want to be able to interface with her home for monitoring and what not). With that in mind, I am looking for a reasonably powerful product that's, well, free. I can't afford to license CQC for her right now. So if one were to get started with J9 now on a beta release, what would the future hold for them? Would there be an update path that would cost? Am I out of my mind? Wait....don't answer the last one...