Smart home projects

[Nobece]

hey ladies and gents,

Recently i've been getting into smart home tech, and have been going down a fun and costly rabbit hole.

After buying a few things like an amazon echo, sonoff controllers, lights and some smart plugs i feel like i've gotten a good grip of understanding so far and am ready for the next challenge.

Does anyone have any cool little projects you've done and wouldn't mind sharing for inspiration, along with any ways it has made your life easier?

Thanks in advance

 

[dank69]

I don't frequent the Home and Garden subforum here, but if there isn't a thread in there dedicated to teaching your home to fight kaiju by now I'll eat my shorts.

 

[Fritzo]

I've Tony Stark-ed my entire house. Favorite things:

- Smart switch added to garage door opener: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L5DPK8P/
- Chromecasts for popping video on any TV/receiver
- Nest Theromostat and Home Protect Smoke/CO2 detectors: https://store.google.com/us/category/connected_home
- Smart ceiling fan remotes: https://www.amazon.com/Ceiling-Control-Treatlife-Assistant-Schedule/dp/B086PPRWL7
- and of course, the whole Philips Hue ecosystem: https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us/explore-hue/propositions/personal-mood-lighting

 

[Red Squirrel]

Been meaning to get more into it, but right now I only have hvac control, as well as monitored mouse traps, server room battery and hydrogen levels.

I hate cloud/proprietary stuff so I just made all my own stuff and coded the back end. Don't need to worry about relying on any 3rd parties for anything to keep working. I do want to totally redesign this stuff so it's more modular though, right now it's mostly hard wired/hard coded.

Older pics/screenshots:

HVAC:







Monitoring:



DIN rail with controller server (the one under the firewall) :
And yeah that firewall is totally a Pentium 3. It's not there anymore though, I have a newer box there now.



Arduino that does the alarm point monitoring:





Temp sensor and relay controller for HVAC:




Lot of it is a little "how you doing" along with some stuff flapping around in the breeze and kinda thrown together but my eventual goal is to build a more modular system where the monitoring and control is all done from one system that is expandable. Been kind of brainstorming it in my head over time but I have other stuff I want to finish before I start on it. I'll eventually get my own PCBs manufactured and probably use DIN mounted cases and setup a proper cabinet. The server rack seemed like a good idea at first but it's kind of a waste of U space when I can just have a separate cabinet on a wall. Crazy to look at these dates and realize that this has been running for like 8 years untouched. It was suppose to be a temp solution until I make something better.

 

[Fritzo]

Been meaning to get more into it, but right now I only have hvac control, as well as monitored mouse traps, server room battery and hydrogen levels.

I hate cloud/proprietary stuff so I just made all my own stuff and coded the back end. Don't need to worry about relying on any 3rd parties for anything to keep working. I do want to totally redesign this stuff so it's more modular though, right now it's mostly hard wired/hard coded.

Older pics/screenshots:

HVAC:







Monitoring:



DIN rail with controller server (the one under the firewall) :
And yeah that firewall is totally a Pentium 3. It's not there anymore though, I have a newer box there now.



Arduino that does the alarm point monitoring:





Temp sensor and relay controller for HVAC:




Lot of it is a little "how you doing" along with some stuff flapping around in the breeze and kinda thrown together but my eventual goal is to build a more modular system where the monitoring and control is all done from one system that is expandable. Been kind of brainstorming it in my head over time but I have other stuff I want to finish before I start on it. I'll eventually get my own PCBs manufactured and probably use DIN mounted cases and setup a proper cabinet. The server rack seemed like a good idea at first but it's kind of a waste of U space when I can just have a separate cabinet on a wall. Crazy to look at these dates and realize that this has been running for like 8 years untouched. It was suppose to be a temp solution until I make something better.

I went down that rabbit hole---concluded I was reinventing the wheel. Cloud providers can do things 1000% better than I can, give more features, work with more things, and it ends up being cheaper equipment-wise and time-wise in the end.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I went down that rabbit hole---concluded I was reinventing the wheel. Cloud providers can do things 1000% better than I can, give more features, work with more things, and it ends up being cheaper equipment-wise and time-wise in the end.

And then they shutdown or get bought out or do some really big change you don't like, and you're dead in the water. Kinda what happened with Nest a while back.

Not to mention the privacy aspect. With mine everything is done local and is not relying on anything I have no control of. Lot of this stuff also requires phone apps, phone apps are the absolute worse when it comes to future proof because phones keep being updated constantly and the app needs to keep up. Phone life cycles are super short too. Minute they decide to not support a certain phone anymore, you're screwed.

 

[Fritzo]

And then they shutdown or get bought out or do some really big change you don't like, and you're dead in the water. Kinda what happened with Nest a while back.

Not to mention the privacy aspect. With mine everything is done local and is not relying on anything I have no control of. Lot of this stuff also requires phone apps, phone apps are the absolute worse when it comes to future proof because phones keep being updated constantly and the app needs to keep up. Phone life cycles are super short too. Minute they decide to not support a certain phone anymore, you're screwed.

::blinks::...my Nest products aren't supposed to work anymore? Been going strong for 4+ years.

Put Ring cameras in 3 years ago and they're still working perfectly too. Maybe you're assuming things that aren't quite true?

 

[Red Squirrel]

::blinks::...my Nest products aren't supposed to work anymore? Been going strong for 4+ years.

Put Ring cameras in 3 years ago and they're still working perfectly too. Maybe you're assuming things that aren't quite true?

I thought the Nest service ended a while back but maybe it was something else. Either way, you're still at the mercy of a 3rd party you have no control of and who knows what kind of spying and data collection they do. My DIY system has been running for about 8 years and it's probably good for 8 more, and even longer. Basically it's not relying on anything outside my control just commodity hardware. I need to switch that to a RPI though, the 1U Atom server is a bit overkill. It uses 75w of power when a RPI uses like 5-10.

 

[Muse]

hey ladies and gents,

Recently i've been getting into smart home tech, and have been going down a fun and costly rabbit hole.

After buying a few things like an amazon echo, sonoff controllers, lights and some smart plugs i feel like i've gotten a good grip of understanding so far and am ready for the next challenge.

Does anyone have any cool little projects you've done and wouldn't mind sharing for inspiration, along with any ways it has made your life easier?

Thanks in advance

Just made a great purchase and I'm using it right now. Cost me about 15 bucks. Portable FM radio that uses a couple AAA's (I've got Eneloops in it), am using it with Etymotic Research ER4S earbuds. Sounds fantastic, perfect stereo, no noise, no static, is 10x better than my Samsung Galaxy S9's FM functionality with its static and dropouts. I can go from room to room, outside, and not have to turn off a radio, turn another on, or grab one of my shitty portables. Beyond this, my favorite home robots are blender, toaster oven, microwave, bread making machine... I have others.

My new fab cheapie portrable radio:

Amazon.com: Portable Radio, ZHIWHIS FM Digital Tuner with Best Reception, Pocket Transistor Receiver with Stereo Sound, Battery Operated Walkmen with Scan and Preset Function: Electronics

Buy Portable Radio, ZHIWHIS FM Digital Tuner with Best Reception, Pocket Transistor Receiver with Stereo Sound, Battery Operated Walkmen with Scan and Preset Function: Personal Radios - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[Captante]

Aside from a couple wifi-lights I have zero interest in exposing my home to the internet, especially for any security-related stuff.

 

[dank69]

Aside from a couple wifi-lights I have zero interest in exposing my home to the internet, especially for any security-related stuff.

My wife and I put on a show every night for our NSA guy.

 

[drnickriviera]

Check out home assistant. Can do a lot of stuff with esphome, grafana, node red etc

 

[highland145]

My wife and I put on a show every night for our NSA guy.

Hope she's staying calm.

 

[Fritzo]

I thought the Nest service ended a while back but maybe it was something else. Either way, you're still at the mercy of a 3rd party you have no control of and who knows what kind of spying and data collection they do. My DIY system has been running for about 8 years and it's probably good for 8 more, and even longer. Basically it's not relying on anything outside my control just commodity hardware. I need to switch that to a RPI though, the 1U Atom server is a bit overkill. It uses 75w of power when a RPI uses like 5-10.

Nest was bought by Google, who introduced even more features and capabilities.

 

[KillerCharlie]

I've been weaning myself from Amazon. My latest project is switching to Mycroft, an open source voice assistant with way more privacy. Sometimes its a buggy mess, but it's better than Amazon listening to everything. Programming your own response to voice commands is easy if you know basic python.

I also have a Logitech harmony hub, which fires off a list of commands to reconfigure my entertainment system for various purposes. With one voice command I can turn everything on to the proper inputs and start up a specific xbox game. You may be able to do this by patching your own stuff together, but what I like about the harmony hub is that is linked to my harmony controller, plus it can control IR devices (i.e. not "smart" with bluetooth or wifi), which helps me control an older stereo receiver.

Home Assistant is becoming extremely powerful for managing everything and passing commands around.

 

[sdifox]

My wife and I put on a show every night for our NSA guy.

We know

 

[bbhaag]

Interesting thread. I can kind of see where Red Squirrel is coming from wanting to host his own smart home functionality instead of being reliant on the cloud services that most of the manufacture of these devices offer. Nest is one example with their thermostats and doorbell systems being good about the longevity of the service they offer but we all know a lot of other companies aren't.

I know this place isn't really fond of Linus but he just did a video on something similar to this regarding his garage door openers. If you're interested check it out.

 

[Nobece]

Interesting thread. I can kind of see where Red Squirrel is coming from wanting to host his own smart home functionality instead of being reliant on the cloud services that most of the manufacture of these devices offer. Nest is one example with their thermostats and doorbell systems being good about the longevity of the service they offer but we all know a lot of other companies aren't.

I know this place isn't really fond of Linus but he just did a video on something similar to this regarding his garage door openers. If you're interested check it out.

thank you, i will check this out

 

[Nobece]

I've been weaning myself from Amazon. My latest project is switching to Mycroft, an open source voice assistant with way more privacy. Sometimes its a buggy mess, but it's better than Amazon listening to everything. Programming your own response to voice commands is easy if you know basic python.

I also have a Logitech harmony hub, which fires off a list of commands to reconfigure my entertainment system for various purposes. With one voice command I can turn everything on to the proper inputs and start up a specific xbox game. You may be able to do this by patching your own stuff together, but what I like about the harmony hub is that is linked to my harmony controller, plus it can control IR devices (i.e. not "smart" with bluetooth or wifi), which helps me control an older stereo receiver.

Home Assistant is becoming extremely powerful for managing everything and passing commands around.

I have to admit, i'd never heard of Mycroft before. Interesting name, Mycroft Holmes is the elder brother of detective Sherlock Holmes, he is a government official. I wonder if they took inspo from that

It's cool that it can be installed onto a Pi. It's something I will have to look into more.

The harmony hub looks very good. I'm impressed by the level of control you seem to have on it - but damn, the high tech controllers are super pricey! I know what you mean. I'm currently trying to cut everything down to 1 controller, but it's easier said than done! Looks like I need to be saving up ahaha.

 

[Nobece]

Check out home assistant. Can do a lot of stuff with esphome, grafana, node red etc

Thank you. The Esphome site seems to have quite a bit of sonoff compatibility, so will give this a look.

 

[Muse]

thank you, i will check this out

I just watched that whole ~17 minute video. Suffice to say, home automation is a RABBIT HOLE.

 

[Nobece]

Been meaning to get more into it, but right now I only have hvac control, as well as monitored mouse traps, server room battery and hydrogen levels.

I hate cloud/proprietary stuff so I just made all my own stuff and coded the back end. Don't need to worry about relying on any 3rd parties for anything to keep working. I do want to totally redesign this stuff so it's more modular though, right now it's mostly hard wired/hard coded.

Older pics/screenshots:

HVAC:







Monitoring:



DIN rail with controller server (the one under the firewall) :
And yeah that firewall is totally a Pentium 3. It's not there anymore though, I have a newer box there now.



Arduino that does the alarm point monitoring:





Temp sensor and relay controller for HVAC:




Lot of it is a little "how you doing" along with some stuff flapping around in the breeze and kinda thrown together but my eventual goal is to build a more modular system where the monitoring and control is all done from one system that is expandable. Been kind of brainstorming it in my head over time but I have other stuff I want to finish before I start on it. I'll eventually get my own PCBs manufactured and probably use DIN mounted cases and setup a proper cabinet. The server rack seemed like a good idea at first but it's kind of a waste of U space when I can just have a separate cabinet on a wall. Crazy to look at these dates and realize that this has been running for like 8 years untouched. It was suppose to be a temp solution until I make something better.

Wow thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this Red Squirrel dude!

That's a heck of a project. 8 years running you say? I guess that speaks for itself.

I'm not sure i have the knowledge to hardcode something like that from scratch, maybe a bit beyond my experience at this point

Do you use it solely for your HVAC, or for other areas of your house too? Unfortunately in my situation the server would be way overkill, i live in a relatively small apartment so space is already tight, without a server rack whizzing behind my ear while i try watch TV haha

I spot an Arduino though. Do you use this to set everything up?

 

[Nobece]

I've Tony Stark-ed my entire house. Favorite things:

- Smart switch added to garage door opener: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L5DPK8P/
- Chromecasts for popping video on any TV/receiver
- Nest Theromostat and Home Protect Smoke/CO2 detectors: https://store.google.com/us/category/connected_home
- Smart ceiling fan remotes: https://www.amazon.com/Ceiling-Control-Treatlife-Assistant-Schedule/dp/B086PPRWL7
- and of course, the whole Philips Hue ecosystem: https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us/explore-hue/propositions/personal-mood-lighting

Thank you, do you have a hub or central system. What do you run it all off?

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Most things are "smart" devices to a certain extent these days:
-Thermostats are wifi, so I can change them via American Standard app anytime.
-Smart Garage - can open/shut with app (or a keypad that is just outside of it)
-Ring Doorbell - to see/record anyone that comes to the door.
-Rachio - Smart Sprinkler system that connects to wifi for weather service to determine daily if it should run or not.


I don't care for:
"Smart" Refrigerators
"Smart" Washer/Dryer
"Smart" bulbs or lighting switches. I really don't care to buy new light-switches and bulbs (which we probably have 40+ all around the house) just to be able to turn a light on/off with an app.
other things that ultimately don't serve any kind of major purpose.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Wow thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this Red Squirrel dude!

That's a heck of a project. 8 years running you say? I guess that speaks for itself.

I'm not sure i have the knowledge to hardcode something like that from scratch, maybe a bit beyond my experience at this point

Do you use it solely for your HVAC, or for other areas of your house too? Unfortunately in my situation the server would be way overkill, i live in a relatively small apartment so space is already tight, without a server rack whizzing behind my ear while i try watch TV haha

I spot an Arduino though. Do you use this to set everything up?

Right now it's only really for hvac, and it's honestly kinda cobbled together, but I really want to redesign it so it's more modular with professionally done PCBs and where the software is plug and play. I've been brainstorming how I want it to work and I may even make it commercially available, though selling stuff is a huge pain, having to deal with sales tax for every single jurisdiction so if I do it I'll probably only sell it in Ontario. The idea I have in mind is it would be a bunch of nodes daisy chained together and only one can speak at a time on a common bus, the nodes as far as the system is concerned just have a list of variables that can be read and/or set. These can be values from a sensor, or turning a relay on/off, or even setting RGB colours on something. The system won't care. The actual devices will then connect to the node to load up the available variables. From the front end software you will be able to see all the variables from all the sensors and basically make them do what you want. I've just been lazy to actually start on this, but it's also given me lot of time to think about how I want it to work. And yeah the server is a bit overkill, I would have it run on a RPI. Basically just needs a Linux OS to run the front end software and the back end data acquisition via serial.

All this would be browser based too, no apps to worry about.