Turning off lights/appliances using your computer

fiammanera

fiammanera

New Member
I read about the technology to use your computer to turn off lights and appliances in your home. What is that technology called and where can i learn more about it?
 
I have never heard of this, but I don't know anyway it would be possible.

I could understand being able to turn on a tv or somthing using a PSP, or a Mobo with WiFi but this is past me, theres not many houses I know of which have WiFi light switches.

Kent.
 
yeah I think I have seen that, you usually put that in when you are building, I think it would be hard to do on a house that is done

if you have a small house it doesn't really pay


sorry no links, I saw it on This Old Home if that helps
 
Alright sorry it took me so long, I have done a little research on this and heres what I have come up with.

http://blogs.msdn.com/coding4fun/archive/2006/10/31/916464.aspx

-That website has the most your looking for but there looks like you would need to program your computer to do that.. So your looking at needing experience with Visual Basic or Visual C# Express.

http://www.control4.com/company/index.htm

-They make wireless light switches... It's not really what you wanted but yeah.

Sorry I cant be any more help but I will keep looking.

Kent.
 
I knew a kid in high school who's dad was really into electronics, and he had the entire basement of the house rigged up to the computer.

The catalogs you want to look at are contractor catalogs for home-integrated A/V appliances, like in-wall speakers, IR receivers, etc. They have all sorts of controllers for lights, shades that automatically open and close (they don't actually go up and down, but they tilt to darken a room) projection screens that roll up into the ceiling. All kinds of neat toys.

I don't go back to work till friday, but they had a catalog of stuff like that in the office last week.
 
I know a guy whos computer goes spastic when someone walks through, opens, or trys to open his room door, its pretty funny to open his door when he's sleeping, and he tells me it only took him about 3 days work to set it up.

I will ask him about this, maybe he will shed some light on the situation.

Kent.
 
i can't imagine it would be too hard to do a thing like that with a room door.

set up the pc to make a noise or do whatever when it detects a usb device get connected, then take long usb cord, cut it in half, and splice the wires of both ends to a switch that can handle how ever many wires are in the cable (is it 8?). it could be a toggle switch or a pressure switch that needs to be pushed in for it to be off. easiest would be the pressure switch, just mout it over the door and screw a piece of wood onto the door that will push in the switch when its closed. plug the wire into the pc and connect an old, unneeded usb device to the opposite end (like an old digital camera).

then when somebody opens the door, the switch will be released, it'll close the circuit, the pc will detect the usb device and do whatever.
then when the door is closed the switch will break the circuit and it'll be as if the wire was unplugged from the pc.

*please note, i have not done this or tested it, so if you try it and mess up something, don't blame me. its just something that will theoretically work.


other thoughts...
probably could to do the above by just locating and putting the switch into the power wire in the cable. its easier to find a switch that handles 1 wire then oen that handles 8.
useing the one wire method, walking threw a door could trigger it if a pressure switch is used under a rug that closes the circuit when somebody steps on it
 
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sorry to kick an old topic, but this post has to do with the discussion, so its better then posting a new one :P

i was looking around for a programmable timer and i found this:
http://www.homecontrols.com/cgi-bin/main/co_disp/displ/carfnbr/158/prrfnbr/778/HAL-Deluxe-Kit

its software, etc, that you can use on your pc to program and activate things around your house. using your pc you can set up your home to even use voice control to turn on/off things, set various things on timers, etc.

from the site:
If you're ready to start automating your home and you want a state-of-the-art core system that saves some money by eliminating some bells and whistles, HALdeluxe is the product you want.

The HALdeluxe Introduction Kit gives you the ability to control all the lights and devices in your home over the power line and by voice from anywhere. This kit comes with a HAL Voice Portal so you'll be able to talk to HAL from any phone in your home or from any phone in the world!

HALdeluxe comes with HAL's industrial strength phone answering/management system as well as HAL's full Internet information retrieval service - allowing you to call home from anywhere and have HAL read you your E-mail, stock quotes, and other Internet info. You can start with HALdeluxe and upgrade to HAL2000 when you're ready to grow your system with thermostat, security and home theatre services. HAL gives you the ability to automate your home at your own pace and budget!
Click to expand...
 
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dam i hear some laziness ive learned that i have two feet and legs and a finger to turn a switch on or off or inbetween if i feel like it
 
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