Home

Late 90's Smarthome Hardware

 

Computer Network - Token Ring LAN

  • Toshiba Infinia machine (web server, smarthome server)
    • Intel 200Mhz MMX Pentium procesor
    • 4G IDE hard disk
    • Lynx x-10 coprocessor for home automation system access
    • S3 Virge DX video with 2M RAM
    • Toshiba DVD drive with DVD MPEG2 video/audio decoder card
    • Nec quad speed  4 CD-ROM changer
    • Winnovision Videum video capture card
    • SCSI card (for occasional CD-R drive connection)
    • US Robotics Sportster Voice external modem
    • This is the only machine powered on all the time
  • Homebuilt Pentium class machine- living room machine
    • AMD K6 233Mhz processor
    • 8.4G IBM IDE hard disk
    • 4.5G F/W SCSI hard disk
    • SB 16 Pnp sound with Roland SCDB-15 MIDI daughter card
    • 8X SCSI CD ROM drive
    • Ricoh MP 6200S SCSI CD-RW Drive - external for portability
    • Exabyte 8200 8mm Tape Drive
    • Matrox Mystique video card with 4M RAM
    • Matrox Rainbowrunner Studio Video Capture Card with TV tuner
      • also has hardware MPEG1 and video output
    • Microtek E3 scanner
    • 64M RAM
    • US Robotics 33.6 Modem
    • Andrea Electronics noise cancelling microphone - for voice dictation
    • Runs Win98, Linux
    • Artisoft LANtastic networking software
  • Homebuilt 486-100 - machine on cart to wheel anywhere in house
    • AMD 5x86 P75 processor
    • 16M RAM
    • IBM 1.7G hard disk
    • SoundBlaster 16 with CSP chip
    • 2X CD ROM Drive
    • IBM 28.8 modem
    • Runs Win98
    • Home Automation system can power this machine on and off
  • Homebuilt 486-66 - Computer room
    • Intel 486 DX2-66 processor
    • 8M RAM
    • 500M disk space
    • SoundBlaster 16
    • NEC 4x4 CD ROM changer
    • Epson Stylus Color printer
    • US Robotics 14.4 modem
    • old hardware voice synthesisor built as a college project
      • low quality, but VERY easy to use
      • for higher quality voice I use TextAssist from Creative Labs
    • HomeBase home automation system with I/O interface
      • This is the main access computer to program and control the home automation system.
      • This unit is also sold as the JDS TimeCommander Unit
    • This machine can power itself and others on and off
  • IBM 486-33 machine - portable
    • Win95 machine
  • Upgraded IBM AT - computer room
    • 80286-8Mhz processor
    • 228M hard disk
    • this machine can be powered on and off via the home automation system
    • experimental machine for interfacing minor hardware projects
      • controls a traffic light hooked to it's parallel port
        • I can change the lights under software control
        • no practical value at all, but it's fun.
      • have done experiments with receiving IR signals from TV remote controls
  • HP200LX Palmtop PC for computing while away - my back pocket
    • Intel 80186 processor
    • runs on 2 AA batteries for 20+ hours
    • fits in my back pocket
    • hooks to one of my desktop machines for transfer with my other computers
    • hooks to my work machine for data transfer
    • I can take notes while shopping or in meetings and send them anywhere
  • In total:
    • 10G online hard disk,
    • 3 single disk CD's, 1 DVD
    • one 4-slot CD changer
    • Epson Stylus Color printer - can print photos!
    • three machines have modems for Internet capability
    • I can do multiplayer network gaming in my house!
    • only the Toshiba machine powered up all the time, on demand power to the other machines
    • dedicated computer phone line for data/fax
    • personal email and web site from my ISP
    • machines run various combinations of DOS, Win 3.1, Win 95, and Linux

Video Network

  • outside cable goes to master bedroom
  • gets split to the bedroom TV, 2 VCR's, and an output switch
  • the output switch determines what the rest of the house gets
  • vcr1, vcr2, or raw cable

Audio Network

  • Line outs of master bedroom stereo connected to aux of livingroom stereo
  • listen to stereo videos and any stereo facilities without duplication
  • Line out also connected to line in of a VCR so I can use all the TV's in the house as extra music speakers
  • great for parties

IR Network

  • Powermid transmitters in computer room, kitchen, livingroom, shop receive IR signals for stereo system and VCR's
  • transmits them to master bedroom where they control the devices
  • I can tune every TV in the house to ch3 and walk around the house with my remote to change channels on all the TV's in the house at once

I have PhotoCD's made from all my film

  • very high quality
  • can print out photos with my Epson printer

Home Automation System

  • - HomeBase with I/O expander
    • - features
    • - 2 way x-10 with programmability
    • - 16 digital inputs
    • - 8 analog inputs
    • - 8 low voltage relay outputs
  • - passive control of bedroom stuff
    • - stereo
    • - 2 fans
    • - 2 lights
    • - local panels control these devices directly, but the HomeBase sees this and can respond.
    • - my alarm clock
    • - cheap beeper plugged into appliance module
    • - HomeBase turns it on on right days/time
    • - pressing all units off once kills alarm and sets HomeBase snooze mode
    • - reactivates in 10 minutes
    • - pressing all units off 3x in 5 sec cancels alarm, turns on light over bed, and resets for the next day, also turns on Personal Info System
  • - Active control of living room lights
    • - I press wall buttons for moods, not lights
    • - around Christmas I program some buttons to control Christmas lights
    • - the computer also turns them on/off automatically
    • - RF remote allows light control from chair
  • - Active control of computer network
    • - main computers in house are plugged into X-10 appliance modules
    • - RF remotes in bedroom and living room can cause the network servers to power up and flash a light in the room where the remote was from to ack.
    • - mostly server machine powers up it's display when first turned on
    • - if the default dedicated server boot up is used the display is powered off
    • - without having an energy aware monitor!
    • - if a workstation mode is selected, light on desk turned on
    • - A windows program I wrote provides an icons for powering down all the computers.
    • - the client machine asks the server machine with home automation access to shut down and turn everyone off.
  • - security/safety /comfort
    • - door detectors on every entrance
    • - computer knows when a door is or has been opened
    • - motion detector on garage
    • - sends x-10 signal when it is dark and there is motion, sends signal to HomeBase
    • - HomeBase turns on garage light, porch lights, and inside "welcome" light
    • - always come in to a lit home.
    • - doesn't turn off those lights until 5 minutes after no motion and all doors closed
    • - no coming back from backyard dog walks in the dark.
    • - the machine keeps a log of recent home activity
    • - if my Mother comes over when I'm gone I can tell when it happened
    • - if I ask someone to walk my dog when I'm away, I can verify that it was done when agreed.
    • - temp sensor capability (working on it) to have computers know key room temps, turn on fans and stuff
    • Home Automation system control of electric door opener
      • computer knows when door open/closed
      • computer can open/close door

Personal Info System

  • bedroom computer powered up in special mode because of alarm cancel or button press on RF remote
  • special front end software I wrote in Visual Basic
  • starts up voice recognition program for voice interface to system
  • also starts up voice synthesis program for voice responses
  • allows me to use system hands free while getting ready in the morning
  • check email on work computers
  • check email from personal IP account
  • surf the Internet
    • pull up weather report, New York Times, InfoSage, Dilbert, or movie/tv listings
  • control lights via voice commands
    • "computer, lights on!" works in my bedroom
    • "computer, shut down, the house" powers down lights and appliances in the house, powers down all computers, and can set home unattended/secure mode. I give this command and walk out the front door without touching anything.

Interesting software I have

  • Delorme mapping products
    • Street Atlas
    • Map'N Go
    • Phone Search USA
    • With these programs I can look up someone in the phone book anywhere in the country (even if all I have is a phone number), and have Street Atlas show me a map of where they are
    • I can get computerized driving directions from almost anywhere to anywhere in the country as well as detailed street maps for the entire country.
  • MS Visual Basic
    • I do most of my home automation and windows utility development in this.
  • IBM VoiceType Control and VoiceType Dictation
    • voice recognition for controlling windows apps hands free, or dictating documents.
  • network capable video games
    • network head to head competition inside my house!
  • Internet software
  • Netscape for finding everything on the web

In progress

  • I have no air conditioning, so active computer control of window fans.
    • if it is hot inside and it is cooler outside and house occupied, then power up window fan until any of those factors change
    • I have everything I need to build this and am working on it
  • switching to voice recognition system in bedroom that will allow voice dictation in addition to walk around the room voice command control
  • IBM VoiceType Dictation for Win 95

Future Stuff

  • Stuff to be done soon
    • leave phone message on my answering machine to verify dog was walked, and allow me to check from anywhere with no equipment with me
      • great for low tech vacations.
    • active control of electric hot water heater
      • computer knows when house is occupied and when hot water is usually not needed
      • big relay controls power to water heater
  • Stuff that is farther off
    • would be fairly easy to have machine dial ISP, check email, and do computer or home automation stuff in response, then power down
    • ducting from wood stove heated living room to electric heated bedroom with computer controlled fan using temp sensors:
      • if it is cold in the bedroom AND heat is available near living room ceiling, then turn on ducting fan.
    • water sensors hooked to home automation system to detect basement water

If you would like to read about a typical "day in the life" with my CyberHome, click here.

If you have comments or suggestions, contact me