Hi I've been reading this forum and am toying with the idea of doing some sort of automation for my living room lights where I have my home theater setup. Problem is I have no idea how any of this works. Just wondering if someone can give me a basic overview of what exactly I would need to get HB to say turn off/on/dimm my lights?
Obviously I need HB intalled on my HTPC.
I assume I need to buy some special type of light switch but not sure what exactly.
If I buy the "special" light switch how do I get HB to control it? Do I need some other type hardware device that controls the light switch, then get HB to control the hardware device?
Sorry if this sounds like basic questions but I did search the forum but didn't find anything that gave me a basic understanding of how to get started hardware wise.
Nube with some basic hardware questions (what do I need?)
It sounds like you have a general idea of what you need.
I'd suggest reading through the SmartHomeintroduction to Home Automation. HomeToysalso has a collection of good articles.
The majority of home automation is probably done using X10. HouseBot supports several PC interfaces to control X10 switches. I'd suggest the USB Powerlinc if using X10. X10 switches vary based on quality and capability.
Z-Wave is an alternative to X10. Currently, there isn't nearly the breath of support for various Z-wave devices as compared to X10, but it's much faster and more reliable than X10.
Once you start to dig into it, you should be able to get a general idea of what you need. Feel free to ask for more help here.
- Special switches to replace your existing switches.
- Interface that connects to PC/HouseBot to control switches.
I'd suggest reading through the SmartHomeintroduction to Home Automation. HomeToysalso has a collection of good articles.
The majority of home automation is probably done using X10. HouseBot supports several PC interfaces to control X10 switches. I'd suggest the USB Powerlinc if using X10. X10 switches vary based on quality and capability.
Z-Wave is an alternative to X10. Currently, there isn't nearly the breath of support for various Z-wave devices as compared to X10, but it's much faster and more reliable than X10.
Once you start to dig into it, you should be able to get a general idea of what you need. Feel free to ask for more help here.
Scott
HouseBot supports the USB Z-Wave computer interface made by ACT. You can see it here.
You can probably get better pricing on the Z-Wave equipment through Worthington Distribution. I don't think they have the Z-Wave stuff listed on their site, but it's in their catalog and you can call and order it.
Any of the switches and plugin modules are supported. You also need the Z-Wave remote control just to program the devices.
You can probably get better pricing on the Z-Wave equipment through Worthington Distribution. I don't think they have the Z-Wave stuff listed on their site, but it's in their catalog and you can call and order it.
Any of the switches and plugin modules are supported. You also need the Z-Wave remote control just to program the devices.
Scott