Pierre's Lab

Warning: Remember that electricity is very dangerous and will kill you in a heartbeat. Electricity can also start fires very easily, and fires can also kill you. The best way to get your home wired is by a certified professional who knows your local codes.

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Security

Home automation security can include everything from burglary to fire and flooding detection. For this project we will focus on the two first. As we selected the PowerHome, we can have as many security zones, keypads, 2-wires smoke loops, 4-wires smoke detectors, wireless detectors, wired or wireless video cameras as we want. Plenty of room to secure any house.

We will place smoke detectors in each room but the kitchen (verify your local code just in case),a CO2 detector next to the furnace and next to each fireplace, a wireless glass-break detector for each window, a wireless recessed door detector for each outside door, a wireless garage door detector for each door, one 4-button Keyfob for each family member and one vandalism proof keypad for each outside door.

Some detector will need to be wired unless we use the ITI GE Wireless Smoke Detectors associated with the Receiver for GE.

Monitoring (play room, spa, yard…)

For this project we will use a Vangard software and a NAS device which is a device that stores video and audio data via network in real-time. The Vangard Software converts the analog video signals and audio signals into digital data and compresses them for on-line transmission.
Motion sensor will be associated with each video camera so recordings start when motion is detected.

The Vanguard application can be installed stand-alone, with video viewed via its embedded web server but we will use it in conjunction with our PowerHome system so cameras can be viewed on TV, home computers and Laptops, over the Internet, or even a phone, iPod touch or iPad.

For this project we will use one Vanguard running on the same computer as PowerHome connected to a 1Tb NAS, 8 wireless cameras – one for the play room, one for the SPA, one for the front yard, one for the backyard, one for the deck, one low light for each entrances, these 6 last ones will work with motion detector and 3 axis bases.

Sprinkler system

To automate our project home automation sprinkler system we replace the existing system with a Rain8net which can drive up to 2040 irrigation zones or valves.

We will use the Pro version as all valve wires and connections are protected against lighting surges as well as the RS232 and network connections are protected against ESD and lighting – more expensive than the standard one but much more protected.

We will add a weather station to monitor the local weather to avoid watering during windy days or when the weekly total of rain is over 1” for example.

Audio distribution

For this home automation project, we will do grand and us the NuVo Grand Concerto line of products. With six audio source inputs for multi-source capability including iPod and PCs, and up to eight listening zones (expandable to sixteen zones) the Grand Concerto will offer everything we need.

We can add several NuVo OLED to control the music or use the Insteon color LCD panels.

As a source we will add a Sirius tuner, a NuVO Music server and several NuVo music ports.

We can choose any type of speakers within the Grand Concerto range.Wiring will be toughest part as speakers will need to get connected to the NuVo system.

Home theater

To build our home theater we will base it on a fix HDTV projection screen about 150” diagonal a network based HDTV projector and a NuVo based sound system. It will be pricey but the video and audio quality will be the same as a real theater.

Using network based video equipment with allow to watch web based news and movies, to switch to security cameras without leaving the theater and why not do some work while watching a game.

Spa and swimming pool management

Spas and swimming pools management is quite easy but you’ll need to have it prepared and wired by a certified professional. We will use remote wired thermostat sensors to measure the temperature, why not chemical sensor to provide dry contact as soon as the chemical level goes below a predefined point – this can set an alarm off or run a macro on the PowerHome to power on a delivery method.

Using the PowerHome input and output contact, it’s very easy to prepare macro to run pumps, heating units and alarms. This has to be done by a certified professional to make sure the installation is safe. Remember water + electricity = big problem.