HouseBot
From CT.wiki
HouseBotby CeBotics, LLC Latest stable release: 3.30.02 (April 27, 2009) Download latest stable release Price: $69.00 USD |
Contents |
About
HouseBot is a software based Home Automation solution that provides full automation and remote control for homes. It can control devices throughout the house using X10, IR, RS232, Insteon, Z-Wave, and a variety of other automation technologies.
HouseBot features optional Software Remotes to leverage Pocket PC, Windows Mobile, WinCE or Windows devices to provide a customizable 2-way user interface and full control of the automation server.
With the extensible architecture, software developers can develop their own Plugins that allow the framework to be extended to monitor or control a wide variety of equipment and services.
Features
Tasks
The heart of the automation is accomplished through user configurable Tasks. Tasks are created with a simple point-and-click task wizard to set up sophisticated events without any manual programming.
Tasks allow monitoring and control over any Device setup in the HouseBot system.
Device / Equipment Control
All physical devices that need to be controlled or monitored are setup in the system as 'Devices'. These Devices have properties that reflect their current state and allow HouseBot to control them. The actual properties that a device has depends on the abilities of the device and define what can be monitored and controlled. For example, to turn on the "kitchen under the counter light" device, simply change the "Power State" property of the "Kitchen Under Counter Light" (or whatever name you wish to give it) to "On". This will cause the light to turn on.
In addition to controlling physical devices such as switches, HouseBot can also control Software Devices. Software Devices are simply software applications running on the HouseBot server that can be monitored and controlled in the same way that physical devices are monitored and controlled. Both types of Devices contain properties and are controlled exactly the same.
HouseBot supports a growing list of automation interfaces and software. You are not confined to a single hardware interface or protocol for automating your home. HouseBot can control and monitor equipment from a variety of manufacturers in the same way. For example, you can have an X10 wireless motion detector trigger a task that will turn on Z-Wave lights.
Remote Control - Software Remotes
One of the great features of HouseBot is the ability to use Software Remotes to monitor and control the system. The Software Remote user interfaces are constructed by simple drag-and-drop editing to create interactive (2-way) control panels of the HouseBot system.
Software remotes run as native applications on a variety of Windows, Windows CE, Windows Mobile, and PocketPC platforms — no clunky web browsers required.
Supported Hardware
The HouseBot server machine can connect to a wide variety of hardware interfaces for automation of any type. The following list are the hardware interfaces that are included with HouseBot. The Software Development Kits (SDKs) can be used to create custom Hardware Interfaces allowing HouseBot to connect to virtually any equipment.
- Generic Serial - The Generic Serial hardware interface provides a configurable method to send and receive data to the RS232/COM port. It can be customized to communicate with a wide variety of RS232 attached equipment.
- ADI Ocelot / Leopard - X-10 (2-way), Infrared (2-way), Relay, Input monitor.
- Global Cache GC-100 / GC-IRE - RS-232 (2-way), Infrared (2-way), Relay, Digital Input monitor.
- Modem / Phone - Any RS232 modem that supports caller ID for incoming call detection and caller ID information.
- NetCallerID - Incoming call detection and caller ID information.
- PowerLinc USB - X-10 USB controller (2-way).
- INSTEON PowerLinc USB / Serial - X-10 (2-way), Insteon (2-way). Requires SmartHome Device Manager software.
- INSTEON PowerLinc Modem - Insteon (2-way)
- Slink-e - Infrared (2-way) - This product is now obsolete.
- USB-UIRT - Infrared (2-way) - USB attached controller.
- W800 - Receive RF X-10 signals - RS232 attached.
- X10 CM11a, CM11g - X-10 (2-way)
- X10 MR26a - Receive RF X-10 signals - RS232 attached.
- Firecracker / CM17a - Control X-10 Devices using RF
- ACT ZCU000 / ZCU001 - Z-Wave. Obsolete
- Z-Wave Serial - Support for ACT ZCS series controllers.
- Z-Wave USB - Support for Intermatic HA22, Wayne Dalton WD HD-10 USB controller and all branded versions, and ACT ZCU series controllers.
- RFXCOM - Support for RFXCOM transmitters and receivers. Note, not all RFXCOM supported equipment is currently supported in HouseBot.
Supported Software
The HouseBot server machine can also interact with software applications running on the HouseBot server. In addition to the list of supported software below, software developers can create custom support for other software applications.
- AOL IM - Control HouseBot and get status using AIM.
- Email Sender (SMTP) – send email messages.
- Email Reader (POP3) – receive email messages.
- Execute Program Devices – runs external programs, commands, or batch files.
- External Control – to control HouseBot from a command-line interface, external COM object, or IP socket.
- Null Device – can be used as a placeholder for custom-defined properties or variables.
- Playlist Manager – provides a list of tracks to organize online media.
- Script Device – allows HouseBot functionality to be extended through custom Visual Basic scripts.
- Sleep Timer – controls timed delays.
- System Time – monitors and controls the system time.
- Text-2-Speech – lets HouseBot communicate through a synthesized voice.
- WinAmp – controls the WinAmp application.
- Windows Clipboard – monitor and controls the windows clipboard.
- Windows Message Device – lets HouseBot integrate with external programs through Windows Messages.
- Device replicator – allows device control to be distributed across multiple HouseBot servers running on a network.
- Girder Bridge - allows HouseBot to control Girder.
- Voice Recognition - to control HouseBot using voice commands.
Screenshots
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