Hello,
I'm planning to make some home automation with arduino. I want to start with my bathroom as I will renovate it now. The idea is to connect all the lights and sockets through relays controlled by arduino. The wall switches will be connected as input. That way I can program what will be switched depending on the situation.
Later I want to connect arduino with a server I have in the basement Then write a C program that will listen on a TCP port and act as an interface between arduino and a Java applet. That way I will be able to check and control all the relays trough a web page.
I have some question related to this. Perhaps someone already tried to do something like it?
What relays would you suggest to use?
The distance between my server and the bathroom is about 15m. I want to use UTP cables to connect arduino with a board controlling the relays. Do you think it will work?
wouldn't the x10 stuff be good place to start. there is already x10 interfacing for the arduino. and they can control lights, sockets,alarms, and alot more.
I thought about x10 previously, but i comes quite expensive. It is around 25? for a simple wall switch, and the PC interface is a few times more expensive than an arduino board.
I've had good results over UTP using chips like this: http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=296-6861-5-ND.
It's a differential driver/receiver intended for use in RS485 or RS422 devices. However, you can use it to simply get a digital signal from one end of a twisted pair to the other. With one of these chips on each end, you would use two pairs, one in each direction. You still have to figure out a protocol...maybe some variation on PWM?