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bpmcgee
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| Posted: August 20 2007 at 16:54 | IP Logged
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The down side of this device as compared to the other IO boards (as I see it) is that it only works tethered to a PC.
I don't really want to start putting dozens of PCs around the house, and I don't need to install a $600 PC to tell me that my garage doors are open.
B
Edited by bpmcgee - August 20 2007 at 16:55
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onhiatus
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| Posted: August 20 2007 at 17:49 | IP Logged
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True, but which IO boards work without a PC? And I think the general idea is to use one pc (in my case the pc that is already running powerhome) and run cable to the sites (or use prewired cat5 runs).
Or do you mean you'd use an x10 type module to do this? In the case of garge doors that would work. In the case of trying to get some other kind of data - e.g. the temperature, that would not work so well...
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TonyNo
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| Posted: August 20 2007 at 19:30 | IP Logged
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There are some. I'll post some info later.
A good angle for the FusionBrain is that there are people who already have multiple PC's in their homes for one reason or another (like for touch screens, kids).
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bpmcgee
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| Posted: August 21 2007 at 08:45 | IP Logged
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onhiatus wrote:
True, but which IO boards work without a PC? And I think the general idea is to use one pc (in my case the pc that is already running powerhome) and run cable to the sites (or use prewired cat5 runs).
Or do you mean you'd use an x10 type module to do this? In the case of garge doors that would work. In the case of trying to get some other kind of data - e.g. the temperature, that would not work so well... |
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Onhiatus,
I would do things via X10 (or Insteon preferrably). There are devices such as those made by smarthomenet which will work with either dry-contact sensors such as garage door switches, or with variable resistance sensors. I haven't used them, but I believe that the smarthomenet devices can function digitally (returning on/off states based upon a setpoint) or in an analog fashion (returning sensor levels as dim-levels).
I'm not sure how happy people will be trying to run low voltage sensors on cable runs. Since these generally use voltages as their signal levels, and small wires have pretty high internal resistance, the ability to detect a meaningful signal drops pretty quickly as your wire runs get long and are affected by other high-voltage sources they may run past. Unless you go to a fancy encoding system like PCM, my understanding is that the runs need to be pretty short.
B
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TonyNo
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| Posted: August 21 2007 at 13:47 | IP Logged
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Quote:
| I'm not sure how happy people will be trying to run low voltage sensors on cable runs |
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Generally, you are correct, but don't forget about alarm system door/window switches, which can be pretty far from the panel.
As long as you implement them correctly, they will be fine.
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ginigma
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| Posted: August 21 2007 at 14:47 | IP Logged
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I was very close to pulling the trigger on the Smarthomenet EZIO interface, initially for garage door monitoring. After reading about the Fusion Brain, I decided to go in that direction. It is less expensive and has way more I/O. True, I had to run wires from my garage to the basement (server closet), but that was very simple. I am also planning on using the Brain for water sensor monitoring, temperature/humidity and presence. Places where I can't run wire down to the basement I might use the EZIO devices.
Now, if Simplehomenet OEM'd the Brain, and put an Insteon interface in front of it, that would be a huge seller!
__________________
Insteon (40 devices) ^ PowerHome (435 links) ^ Logitech Harmony 880
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onhiatus
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| Posted: August 21 2007 at 18:03 | IP Logged
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I'm not using a FusionBrain, I am using a 1-wire solution, but the device I'm using allows two 200ft runs that can each handle 16 devices - yes, there are places in a large house you cannot get to, but you can get to quite a few spots, and the cost is less than 1 universal and 1 alarm interface module.
Two issues are addressed by devices like the FusionBrain - cost and flexability.
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bpmcgee
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| Posted: August 22 2007 at 10:48 | IP Logged
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TonyNo wrote:
Generally, you are correct, but don't forget about alarm system door/window switches, which can be pretty far from the panel.
As long as you implement them correctly, they will be fine. |
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Tony,
Those are different -- they're just voltage/no voltage switches. All you have to do is detect the presence of ANY voltage.
An analog sensor is a much different beast -- you have to accurately measure how MUCH voltage is there. I'm not aware of people using these at long distances over small cables.
Of course, I'm not an expert. If there ARE people doing this, I'm interested in learning about how they succeed.
B
Edited by bpmcgee - August 22 2007 at 10:49
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onhiatus
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| Posted: August 22 2007 at 11:41 | IP Logged
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The one wire devices are addressable and use a simple microLan protocol - which is digital. Since the analog measurements (temp, humidity, voltage differences, etc) is happening at the device level there is not an issue with long(ish) wire runs.
The one wire board I use: http://www.phanderson.com/iom142/iom142.html
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TonyNo
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| Posted: August 22 2007 at 14:23 | IP Logged
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B,
If we're talking about the analog inputs, then, yes, this won't work.
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Dean
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| Posted: September 03 2007 at 22:45 | IP Logged
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So do we have a concensus on the Fusion Brain? If I'm looking to place a few temperature sensors around the house to allow Powerhome to turn on some ceiling fans when the temperature hits a certain point, Fusion Brain fit the bill?
Thanks,
-Dean
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TonyNo
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| Posted: September 04 2007 at 07:31 | IP Logged
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For just temps, I would say that a 1-wire system would be the way to go...
Unless you can't run wires. Then maybe that RF system would be better...
I do think the Fusion would be a good add-on for distributed I/O when you have multiple PC's around.
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ginigma
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| Posted: September 04 2007 at 22:18 | IP Logged
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I have a few temp sensors connected to my FB, but just for testing right now. They work fine. I'm waiting on the COM interface to get everything to work with PH. It sounds like it's going to be a few weeks before that's available and working, so if you need temperature sensors working *right now* then FB probably isn't going to cut it, unless you plan on interfacing it to PH in another way (other than COM). If that's the case, can you share how you will be doing that?
I'll be putting at least one temp sensor on a 100ft run, so I may have to do a little conversion in the temp calculation if there is too much of a voltage drop (using 22ga Cat5e cable).
HTH.
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Insteon (40 devices) ^ PowerHome (435 links) ^ Logitech Harmony 880
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Topic: USB I/O Board
