Hello world.
Need some help to start a small project for homeautomation.
I need arduino(s) to communicate whith a *amp webbserver in a local network.
-Each board need to send/catch http commands from network, and also store logg/setting files local.
-Each arduino should handle multiply sensors and trigger relays from http commands.
-Manage to read data from NFC, Temp., etc.
Which hardware fits this?
Hi,
What's a *amp ?
Arduino UNO etc. could do this with an Ethernet shield. Or one with Ethernet built-in: http://www.freetronics.com/products/etherten
Information on Power Control here: http://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/ArduinoPower
I wouldn't call this "small" ...
As Terry says, an Uno or mega (depending on the number of sensors) with an ethernet sheild can do what you want.
There quite a few examples of logging info and pushing it to a SQL server of some sort. Try Home | OpenEnergyMonitor for some guidance.
owwe:
Hello world.
First bit: do come back and clarify on this. We do like helping, but only when people monitor their questions so we don't feel like shouting in a black hole.
Terry- I'm thinking he means LAMP or WAMP
owwe - are you a PHP developer already? Would you consider yourself VERY good at it? This is an important question, because it will GREATLY color your experience here. Skilled PHP developers tend to pick up c REASONABLY fast because the syntax and program flow are so similar. Also, your question seems to indicate that the arduinos would be acting both as web servers and as clients:
owwe:
send/catch http commands from network
This is not necessarily a problem, but it does mean that you need to make a few decisions. If you're going to be making your units into web servers (and I'm not convinced you need to), you should get an Wiznet w5100 based ethernet shield. These implement a lot of lower level functions in hardware, whereas the ENC28J60 based ones require a lot of code to be included, taking up valuable memory.
What sorts of distances are we talking about here? Have you considered going wireless with all of this? The xbee units are cheap(er than the ethernet shields) and if you choose the right unit / antenna, you can get range that covers a 4000 sqft house no problem. I've got an xbee sitting 300ft and 4 reinforced walls from another one that's been happily sending data for about 3 months.
Finally: If you do want to continue with ethernet, you will want to rethink your local settings idea. The best way to do it, usually, is to program them to look up a DNS name for the master web server then get their settings from it. The alternative is that you end up mucking about with SD cards or just reprogramming them in place every time. If you're not experienced with hardware, I'd also just say that you must mind your voltages. I've seen three other HA projects die young because guys plugged 3.3v sensors into their 5v UNOs and were supprised when they worked for about a day then died.
Thanks for replays.
Hello Terry
*AMP is like brucethehoon says, LAMP or WAMP server.
The EtherTen looks really interesting with POE and SD storage, thanks for link.
Thanks for the tip Targettio, will look into it.
Hi brucethehoon
I consider myself as a medium PHP programmer and hope to learn some c programming on the go.
I have low experience in hardware front, so I'm really happy that you people on this forum has take some time to help me.
Why I want to use Ethernet and HTTP protocol is so I can collect all communication together in same network, and its the protocol I know a little about. It also? make it easier to communicate with a android/iphone app that not need to depending on *AMP server.
Finally: If you do want to continue with ethernet, you will want to rethink your local settings idea. The best way to do it, usually, is to program them to look up a DNS name for the master web server then get their settings from it. The alternative is that you end up mucking about with SD cards or just reprogramming them in place every time.
I want to send settings to arduino over HTTP and save them local so its not depends on main server if network goes down. This will also make it more easy to update settings to each board, I hope?
Have you considered going wireless with all of this? The xbee units are cheap(er than the ethernet shields) and...
Actually I only need one arduino that can communicate with local network, and the other communicate through that one. Is it possible to have both Ethernet shield and xbee on same arduino?
If i buy 1 EtherTen, 2 arduino UNO and 3 xbee, can I then:
-Save data to SD-card on Ethernet shield from data sent over network?
-Load and read data from SD-card to arduino?
-Send data to *AMP server?
-Use arduino with xbee as I/O extension to EtherTen(if xbee can be applied)?
-Use more then one xbee connected against EtherTen?
Do i easily reach memory limit in arduino? Is it any workaround for this?
This is only for fun, but I will try to build it from scratch and scalable against a *AMP server that will stand for the heavy programming.
My first step is to find right hardware that fits my needs^^
You're really going to have to convince me on the local storage. If you're making a sensor logger, great, but going for home automation almost universally means that you need access to the server. Do you intend that the units collect a backlog of data when the server is down? Why? The amount of extra programming required to catch up from an outage should be justified.
brucethehoon:
You're really going to have to convince me on the local storage. If you're making a sensor logger, great, but going for home automation almost universally means that you need access to the server. Do you intend that the units collect a backlog of data when the server is down? Why? The amount of extra programming required to catch up from an outage should be justified.
Well, if I use RFID to open my front door I want to store keys in unit also.
Owwe, I think the scope of your project is right (for a complex HA system) and I like the idea of it being made of Open Source components.
I hope you guys will continue to discuss and develop this here. My background is more in the Sensor/Actuator I/O, and I'll be happy to collaborate on that.
LAMP - WAMP??
C'mon guys, I started working at age 16 as a Transmitter Engineer in a station that was 100% vacuum tubes.
I'm still catching up 
LAMP - WAMP??
Name for the package of commonly used open source products ...
LAMP - Linux - Apache - MySQL - PHP
WAMP - Evil Empire - Apache - MySQL - PHP
marklar:
Name for the package of commonly used open source products ...LAMP - Linux - Apache - MySQL - PHP
WAMP - Evil Empire - Apache - MySQL - PHP
]
AMP - Evil Empire - Apache - MySQL - PHP
XD
Hello Terry
I hope its not to complex to build with arduino, Its just some basic functions I want to have, like save/read => file from SD-card, send/receive commands over network and now also manage to extend the arduino that have Ethernet shield(Etherten) with xbee to other arduino with xbee. If this isn't possible with those components I need some help to choose others that can fit my needs. And will it be any I/O left for sensors/relays? Is it enough memory to control xbee, Ethernet, and any type of sensors?
Anyone who know, please tell so I order hardware that will work for this, or suggestion to do similar thing in other ways?
Thanks all for help, project finally steps to its next level.