Which HomeSeer HomeTroller controller and software

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drarmstr

Member
Based on some advice I am looking at getting a HomeSeer controller to integrate with my existing HAI OmniPro II system.  I would like to expand into additional ZWave switches, sensors, door locks, etc.
 
There appears to be a few different options of controllers and software and their website isn't very good and making the differences clear.  What is the practical difference between the HomeTroller, HomeTroller-SE, HomeTroller S5, HomeTroller-SE3, etc.
 
What is the practical difference between the HS3 and HS3PRO software?
 
Historically the Homeseer Hometroller was running Homeseer software on an Embedded XPE controller. 
 
The differences between the models mentioned are mostly just hardware.
 
The original difference between HS2 standard and HS2 Pro was what was included.  One being a base package with mostly al la carte plugins.
 
The direction with HS3 is similar
 
I have integrated my HS2 stuff with my HAI OPII stuff.  That said the HS2 plugin works but a bit slow and has not been updated in many years.
 
A Homeseer peer and I are working on a new HS3 plugin for the Leviton HAI panel.  This plugin will run on an HS3 system in Linux or Wintel or will run autonmously on Linux or Wintel.  That said you can install the HAI plugin say on a raspberry pi talking to the HAI panel. 
 
Here I have X10, Z-Wave and UPB connected to my HAI panel and can control devices via my Homeseer software.  I have same hardware interfaces plus insteon on my HS2 boxes.
 
The Homeseer software allows for Homeseer touch clients to run in Android, Linux, Apple or Wintel.  That said I have automation touchscreens running on the HAI side and the Homeseer side. 
 
There is a big cost different between the different hardware units, but it's not clear what benefit you get with them.  Especially the PRO-100-S5..
 
Are you saying that it isn't even possible to currently connect HS3 with an HAI OmniPro II until this new HS3 plugin is available?  It doesn't seem to make sense to get a new system with HS2.
 
Pete, do you know which HomeSeer controllers are suitable for connecting to the HAI?  Is an S5 or PRO-100-S5 required with serial ports?
 
There is a big cost different between the different hardware units, but it's not clear what benefit you get with them.  Especially the PRO-100-S5..
Click to expand...
 
You get a small fully featured compact HS3 Pro server that is plugnplay with HS3Pro.
 
You can DIY a small compact low powered device with multiple serial ports on it plus add HS3 Pro on it for less.
 
You can go even smaller with an Intel NUC is you want a tiny footprint HA server.
 
Are you saying that it isn't even possible to currently connect HS3 with an HAI OmniPro II until this new HS3 plugin is available?  It doesn't seem to make sense to get a new system with HS2.
Click to expand...
 
Yes.
 
Personally here looking to make the HS3 HAI plugin more of an appliance with embedded Linux than historically offered Homeseer plugins.
 
It would be a first of its kind (related to Homeseer plugins) and offer better security relating to the HAI plugin.
 
I am looking to put the plugin (embedded device) inside of the Leviton HAI panel.
 
I do today have HS3 lite running on the Homeseer Zee, HS3 Pro running on a core duo machne running Ubuntu 12.04 and HS3 Pro running on a little atom based tablet running Ubuntu 12.10. (it is also running a wintel box)
 
I am leaning toward moving HS3 from Wintel to Linux and do not keep the wintel HS3 box on much these days.
 
HSTouch client testing is Android, Linux or Wintel (CE and XP sort of E).  HS2 clients are now all XP (and sort of E) and CE and Android.  I haven't played much though with HS3 HSTouch clients.
 
pete_c said:
A Homeseer peer and I are working on a new HS3 plugin for the Leviton HAI panel.  This plugin will run on an HS3 system in Linux or Wintel or will run autonmously on Linux or Wintel.
Click to expand...
 
How will this HAI plugin be licensed? Purchased? Freeware? Open Source?
 
By "run autonomously" do you mean it can be used with other software besides HS?  If so, how will 3rd party software communicate with the plugin?
 
How will this HAI plugin be licensed? Purchased? Freeware? Open Source?
Click to expand...
 
It will be purchased.
 
By "run autonomously" do you mean it can be used with other software besides HS?
Click to expand...
 
No.
 
It will be running a Homeseer Plugin which communicates to the Homeseer mothership. 
 
Looking though to have it have a simple "engine is running" status page on the device.
 
That said you can also just read the mysql db live to check on the status of the HAI panel and watch the chatter.
 
Ahh, I see!  So your "plugin" is really a separate machine running your software that has a serial connection to both the HAI and HS3?  Would you sell some embedded device like an arduino or would we have to provide a dedicated linux machine for this?  
 
This clarifies a bit of my confusion, since you kept talking about a linux plugin and yet all of the HomeSeer HomeTrollers appear to be Windows based.  Also, it sounds like the HomeTrollers are really just convenient general-purpose Windows XP (embedded) machines and really any old Windows server will do.  Well, as long as it has an available serial port to connect to your "plugin".
 
Your close.  You need to think in terms of HS3.
 
  • HS3 is your mothership, control center, etc. Just like HS2 was.
  • Plugins interface equipment to the mothership.  They are software stacks that run in addition to the mother ship.  
  • HS2 required the plugins to be PART of the mothership, i.e on the same machine and the equipment plugged into said machine (serial or tcp/ip).
  • HS3 (unlike HS2) allows the plugins to run remotely..i.e. on a machine other than the mother ship.  And these plugins communicate via the network, hence no serial connection needed.  Just TCP/IP (ethernet) connection.
  • Because of this the plugins in HS3 can be written to run on any OS on another machine.  They just have to be able "speak" to the mothership via the network.
So if people choose they can write their plugins to run on hardware with no relation to HS3 other than on the same network.  
 
Pete that raises a question.  Technically I guess its possible to have plugins run on computers across the internet eh?  That would mean you could run multiple Omni's from a single HS3 controller?  You could combine your two houses!  Think of the cool rules you could arrange from that!  ;)
 
Thank-you Bal for the HS3 explainations.  Testing HS3 on Wintel and multiple Linux machines.  Testing HS3 plugins just on Linux. 

 
Pete that raises a question.  Technically I guess its possible to have plugins run on computers across the internet eh?
Click to expand...
Yup.
that would mean you could run multiple Omni's from a single HS3 controller?
Click to expand...
Yup
 
Personally the HS3 HAI plugin is going to be configured on a separate device. 
 
That said right now I want the device to be inside of the HAI can and do more than just run the plugin but keeping the hardware simple if I can.  That and it is really an update to the HAI hardware of sorts.
 
I don't want it to run off an SD card though and make the device sort of an embedded HS3 plugin / controller for the HAI panel and a different network interface.  IE: the device would have an "IN" NIC for the HAI NIC and an "OUT" NIC for the house network.  I am now sort of doing that with my HAI network interface. (not too bad of a PITA talking to the Omnitouch 5.7e's and IP HD cameras stuff). 
 
So in your mind your setting up, say a raspberry pi, within each omni can that then connects back to your HS3 install.  Whether that be on premises, or across the country.
 
Yea so I can see where the pi would really be just a specialized piece of hardware at that point for any omni to connect to any HS3.
 
Yup and guessing it would be the first of its kind in a way functioning an embedded sort of device; sort of in the way that you plug in a zone expander or whatever to the panel.
 
I'm pushing the pi these days.  The only one I have is the Homeseer Zee. 
 
Initial testing of a remote HS3 UPB Plugin on the pi.  It does well.  I have taken it to the edge though a bit by running other "stuff" on it.
 
I think though the pi has a 700Mhz ARM CPU in it. 
 
The Pogo Plug is old these days but its a bit faster and using the Seagate Dockstar a similiar sized footprint. 
 
Doing a search for a bit more in a small package (ARM or Intel).
 
A quad core ARM CPU with maybe an SSD drive would be nice.  I've been running the Linux Mono mcsSprinklers off a CF Drive with a mini USB stick and tested a USB SSD connected drive and I liked the way it worked.
 
Thank you Automate. 
 
Yup; here I have a few boards now where the mini USB for power port has fallen off and a few months of running 24/7.
 
I baked a board a few months ago.  I did have to open windows and wife never new what I used the oven for that day.  The board did come back to life which did freak me out a bit.
 
I like the separate power input and the integrated flash on the BeagleBone Black.
 
Here is another board that has been mentioned a couple of times.
 
http://hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php
 
Pete,
 
That one seems to me to go a little to far, i.e. the headphone port.  Although I guess it could some how be used for announcements?  Could you route announcements from HS3, back to the U3, out the phone jack and into the HI-FI line input?
 
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