Late 90's Smarthome Hardware
Content from circa 1998
Computer Network — Token Ring LAN
Toshiba Infinia machine (web server, smarthome server)
- Intel 200Mhz MMX Pentium processor
- 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 synthesizer 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 (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 its 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 — 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 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
- 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
Home Automation System
HomeBase with I/O expander
- 2-way X-10 with programmability
- 16 digital inputs
- 8 analog inputs
- 8 low voltage relay outputs
Passive control of bedroom: stereo, 2 fans, 2 lights. Local panels control these devices directly, but the HomeBase sees this and can respond.
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 acknowledge. A windows program I wrote provides 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 X10 signal when it is dark and there is motion; HomeBase turns on garage light, porch lights, and inside “welcome” light. Doesn’t turn off those lights until 5 minutes after no motion and all doors closed.
- The machine keeps a log of recent home activity
- 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, and voice synthesis program for voice responses. Allows me to use system hands free while getting ready in the morning. Features include:
- Check email on work computers and 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, powers down all computers, and can set home unattended/secure mode
In Progress (at the time)
- 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
- Switching to voice recognition system in bedroom that will allow voice dictation in addition to walk around the room voice command control
Future Stuff
- Leave phone message on answering machine to verify dog was walked, and allow checking from anywhere with no equipment
- 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
- Ducting from wood stove heated living room to electric heated bedroom with computer controlled fan using temp sensors
- Water sensors hooked to home automation system to detect basement water
For a “day in the life” account, see Original Smarthome (mid 90’s edition).