Automation Overview

The Automation area of this site describes the various Automation systems that I have set up around my home, ranging from basic measurement of some physical properties such as temperature and humidity to simple status monitoring and control.

Nothing here is "cutting edge", but hopefully, the material here illustrates that it is possible to deliver an acceptable level of "home automation" at minimal cost.

The first devices that I used to measure some basic environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity were based on Dallas Semiconductor (Maxim Integrated Products) 1-Wire devices. This simple protocol supports a range of low cost devices such as temperature probes and voltage sensors.

Although simple automation projects are possible using 1-Wire devices, I decided that I wanted to use a more sophisticated home automation controller. Having looked at a number of alternatives, I opted for the HomeVision controller from Custom Solutions Inc, supplied in the UK by LetsAutomate.