Help me brain storm, cutting the power to a device

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) Hardware Interfacing
1

Hey guys,

I have a floor lamp I want to be able to turn on and off with the arduino.

Right now I have my window blinds controlled by my voice using the arduino.

I'm trying to figure out the best setup to control the floor lamp. Should I make some type of wall wart looking device that you plug the lamp into (and have the lamp turned on the whole time?). Where can I find stuff like that?

Any ideas?

Thanks!

2

Good idea.

But I think I'm going to use a X10 and send it a message using my arduino.

I think the RF the X10 receives is 310 Mhz, but all I see sold at Sparkfun is 315 mhz. Will that work?

Thanks!

3

You might want to check out an X10 "firecracker".

4

Whats all this ZigBee, XBee, stuff I'm reading.

It says its used for home automation, but the only ones I can find are for the European power outlets.

Why is X10 the only one used in America? I would think there would be another brand competing...

5

I'm wondering if I could buy a z-wave, bust open the remote and connect it to my arduino..

okay I'm getting crazy here...lol

6

Oh ZigBee and XBee seems to be a different format, but I read on wikipedia that it is used in home automation like X10, but all I see is the european plug-in formats online

7

wired solutions:
get the powerswitch tail and wire it to the arduino
geta relay and hook it in line to the lamp and hook that to the arduino

wireless solutions:
get a SuperSwitch (http://www.amazon.com/DSI-Outlet-Wireless-Remote-Outlets/dp/B000G80V28/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275535181&sr=8-1) and wire relays to each button pad on the remote circut board... you will even have two more left for other things