Beginner hardware help

[J. H.-2]

So I finally took the plunge and ordered a 2412s so that I can get a
proper start on my automation environment, and wanted to take this
chance to ask a few questions and to solicit some advice so that I can
try to get things as ready as I can before it arrives. Considering I'm
already looking at several months to a functioning system, considering
financing and parts ordering, I'd like to shave off a couple days when I
can. To recap- I am building a cage to house a Ball Python. Somewhere in
the area of 1,000+ gallon. Various systems each controlled by a
combination of time (clock time and run time), temperature and humidity.
The cage is nearly done but to be honest, starting this is a bit later
than planned... I need to move on this so as hopefully not to delay the
move in day by too much :/

For the backbone I was thinking Insteon- seems to have the best
feature/cost ratio. Reliability seems to be an issue at time, but that
almost seems to be a hardware issue not a protocol issue... X10 for low
cost, no frills functionality. And 1-Wire/iButton for the sensing.
Suggestions on other protocols that I might want to give a second or
third look at? What direction does the technology seem to be headed as
far as protocols go? Is there a Insteon challenger in the feature/cost
/reliability arena?

Suggestions on hardware I should get? I have a 2412s on the way and a
couple 2454D SocketLincs that I picked up a while back. Outside of that,
what must haves do I need to look at?  The electrical source for the
cage terminates at a single wall plug- what would be the most effective
way of connecting everything together? I don't need to worry about phase
couplers just yet do I? Should I look into a line filter or can that
wait as well? The host computer is on a UPS, and I remember reading of
issues with UPS's- was the solution just not to connect the 2412 to the
UPS through the UPS? Or was it the pass-through on the 2412? On a duplex
wall plug would the UPS into one and the 2412 into the other be OK? Or
does the UPS affect the entire phase?  What is the max cable length from
PC to the 2412?  And would plugging the cage into the pass-through on
the 2412 give the best signal?

As far as temp/humidity- 1wire doesn't do humidity does it? I saw temp
sensors, and I saw iButtons that did humidity and temperature singly and
together. Or is there a 1wire sensor for humidity somewhere else that I
missed? Suggestions for a 1wire/iButton shopping list?

Wow... OK... That question session went a little crazy and all over the
place. Sorry about that, I just have so many questions bouncing around
in here that a few of them just came tumbling out.

Thanks,
-jason

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[Brad Yarotsky-2]

Hey Jason

I am also fairly new to the hardware stuff. I have no experience with any
power line stuff, so can't help you there. I have done a fair bit with 1-wire
and weeder board. You should be able to do all of your sensing with 1-wire and
controlling if you would like as well. Humidity is done with DS2438, I have
used this and it seems to work well. Controlling could be done with a pile of
different devices (DS2405, DS2406 I think, DS2408). I would do something cool
like installing a DS2408 into a large power bar and each channel could control
a different plug in. Down side is that you have to run a cat5 cable to all of
your 1-wire devices. You could also use a weeder board to control devices, you
would need to run serial from your computer, not a big deal, this could be
done over cat5 as well. With either weeder or 1-wire additional hardware will
be needed to switch 120v, the up side is it can switch anything you want 12v
or whatever, its just a relay.

I think most people run 1-wire through something like OWFS, which I think is
the right answer. I have interfaced all of my sensors directly with MH on
Windows. So if you want to do that I can point you in the right direction.

Good luck, sounds like a fun project.

Brad Yarotsky

> So I finally took the plunge and ordered a 2412s so that I can get a
> proper start on my automation environment, and wanted to take this
> chance to ask a few questions and to solicit some advice so that I can
> try to get things as ready as I can before it arrives. Considering I'm
> already looking at several months to a functioning system, considering
> financing and parts ordering, I'd like to shave off a couple days when I
> can. To recap- I am building a cage to house a Ball Python. Somewhere in
> the area of 1,000+ gallon. Various systems each controlled by a
> combination of time (clock time and run time), temperature and humidity.
> The cage is nearly done but to be honest, starting this is a bit later
> than planned... I need to move on this so as hopefully not to delay the
> move in day by too much :/
>
> For the backbone I was thinking Insteon- seems to have the best
> feature/cost ratio. Reliability seems to be an issue at time, but that
> almost seems to be a hardware issue not a protocol issue... X10 for low
> cost, no frills functionality. And 1-Wire/iButton for the sensing.
> Suggestions on other protocols that I might want to give a second or
> third look at? What direction does the technology seem to be headed as
> far as protocols go? Is there a Insteon challenger in the feature/cost
> /reliability arena?
>
> Suggestions on hardware I should get? I have a 2412s on the way and a
> couple 2454D SocketLincs that I picked up a while back. Outside of that,
> what must haves do I need to look at?  The electrical source for the
> cage terminates at a single wall plug- what would be the most effective
> way of connecting everything together? I don't need to worry about phase
> couplers just yet do I? Should I look into a line filter or can that
> wait as well? The host computer is on a UPS, and I remember reading of
> issues with UPS's- was the solution just not to connect the 2412 to the
> UPS through the UPS? Or was it the pass-through on the 2412? On a duplex
> wall plug would the UPS into one and the 2412 into the other be OK? Or
> does the UPS affect the entire phase?  What is the max cable length from
> PC to the 2412?  And would plugging the cage into the pass-through on
> the 2412 give the best signal?
>
> As far as temp/humidity- 1wire doesn't do humidity does it? I saw temp
> sensors, and I saw iButtons that did humidity and temperature singly and
> together. Or is there a 1wire sensor for humidity somewhere else that I
> missed? Suggestions for a 1wire/iButton shopping list?
>
> Wow... OK... That question session went a little crazy and all over the
> place. Sorry about that, I just have so many questions bouncing around
> in here that a few of them just came tumbling out.
>
> Thanks,
> -jason
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Come build with us! The BlackBerry® Developer Conference in SF, CA
> is the only developer event you need to attend this year. Jumpstart your
> developing skills, take BlackBerry mobile applications to market and stay
> ahead of the curve. Join us from November 9-12, 2009. Register now!
> http://p.sf.net/sfu/devconf
> ________________________________________________________
> To unsubscribe from this list, go to:
> http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=1365
>
>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Come build with us! The BlackBerry® Developer Conference in SF, CA
is the only developer event you need to attend this year. Jumpstart your
developing skills, take BlackBerry mobile applications to market and stay
ahead of the curve. Join us from November 9-12, 2009. Register now!
http://p.sf.net/sfu/devconf
________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe from this list, go to: http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=1365