upstatemike
Senior Member
This is a list of the top 5 picks for best automation controller hardware/software combinations. It is based on impressions I got from information from this site and elsewhere. It is not an objective feature comparison or a popularity ranking. It’s just a summary of the top hardware/software options for home automation controllers.
1—Omnipotence ECS / HomeVision Pro
Both ECS and HomeVision have been around long enough to prove themselves as ultra-stable, ultra-reliable platforms. They can also each claim to be at the top of their respective product categories when it comes to versatility and variety of home automation technologies supported. It is no surprise then that combining these two veteran products will produce the ultimate home automation control system. Many other systems may be slightly stronger in one area or another but nothing else can do as much, and do it as well, as these two together.
2---Homeseer / Stargate
Homeseer’s claim to fame is the large number of products it supports through its plug-in architecture, but no other single plug-in will add as much functionality and raw horsepower to Homeseer as the Stargate plug-in does. Because Stargate has such a rich variety hardware interfaces, as well as a huge pool of resources such as flags and timers and variables, Homeseer gains instant access to literally hundreds of real world inputs. And because the communication between the two is seamless, Stargate gets access to all kinds of devices it doesn’t normally support. The only down sides are the recent stability issues as Homeseer made the transition to a new architecture model and the fact that some stargate data is not exposed on the communications link between them. Fortunately data problem can be overcome by using Stargates powerful rules engine to force feed any information not already exchanged, and Homeseer is reportedly getting the stability issues under control.
3---CQC / HAI Omni Pro II
CQC has the reputation of being about the most reliable home automation program ever written. The Omni Pro II is about the most complete collection of automation hardware ever integrated into a single platform. The combination of these two products has the potential to become the ultimate combined automation system of the 21st century. Whether this turns out to be the case will depend on a couple of key factors: First, will HAI provide full access to its vast array of hardware through its serial link to CQC? Second, will CQC provide support for all the features of all those devices?
4---HAL / Ocelot
If you are looking to get the most gee whiz “bang for the buck†out of your automation system you can’t beat this combination. HAL gives you high tech voice control and support for the latest lighting technologies while the Ocelot gives you the ability to respond to real world sensors and inputs at a very reasonable price. Put them together and you can do amazing things and still stay within your budget.
5---PowerHome / Elk M1
This combination is still under development but has all the makings of being a real winner. The Elk system is extremely affordable and popular. It supports a bunch of inputs and connectivity options including support for Insteon lighting, but does not have an elegant way to manage that lighting interface. PowerHome currently (and for the foreseeable future) has the best Insteon management available. Add to that PowerHome’s super versatile architecture and rapidly expanding feature set, and the result could be one of the best hardware/software options available. You will definitely want to see how this combination plays out, especially if you are using Insteon lighting.
1—Omnipotence ECS / HomeVision Pro
Both ECS and HomeVision have been around long enough to prove themselves as ultra-stable, ultra-reliable platforms. They can also each claim to be at the top of their respective product categories when it comes to versatility and variety of home automation technologies supported. It is no surprise then that combining these two veteran products will produce the ultimate home automation control system. Many other systems may be slightly stronger in one area or another but nothing else can do as much, and do it as well, as these two together.
2---Homeseer / Stargate
Homeseer’s claim to fame is the large number of products it supports through its plug-in architecture, but no other single plug-in will add as much functionality and raw horsepower to Homeseer as the Stargate plug-in does. Because Stargate has such a rich variety hardware interfaces, as well as a huge pool of resources such as flags and timers and variables, Homeseer gains instant access to literally hundreds of real world inputs. And because the communication between the two is seamless, Stargate gets access to all kinds of devices it doesn’t normally support. The only down sides are the recent stability issues as Homeseer made the transition to a new architecture model and the fact that some stargate data is not exposed on the communications link between them. Fortunately data problem can be overcome by using Stargates powerful rules engine to force feed any information not already exchanged, and Homeseer is reportedly getting the stability issues under control.
3---CQC / HAI Omni Pro II
CQC has the reputation of being about the most reliable home automation program ever written. The Omni Pro II is about the most complete collection of automation hardware ever integrated into a single platform. The combination of these two products has the potential to become the ultimate combined automation system of the 21st century. Whether this turns out to be the case will depend on a couple of key factors: First, will HAI provide full access to its vast array of hardware through its serial link to CQC? Second, will CQC provide support for all the features of all those devices?
4---HAL / Ocelot
If you are looking to get the most gee whiz “bang for the buck†out of your automation system you can’t beat this combination. HAL gives you high tech voice control and support for the latest lighting technologies while the Ocelot gives you the ability to respond to real world sensors and inputs at a very reasonable price. Put them together and you can do amazing things and still stay within your budget.
5---PowerHome / Elk M1
This combination is still under development but has all the makings of being a real winner. The Elk system is extremely affordable and popular. It supports a bunch of inputs and connectivity options including support for Insteon lighting, but does not have an elegant way to manage that lighting interface. PowerHome currently (and for the foreseeable future) has the best Insteon management available. Add to that PowerHome’s super versatile architecture and rapidly expanding feature set, and the result could be one of the best hardware/software options available. You will definitely want to see how this combination plays out, especially if you are using Insteon lighting.
