[vcf-midatlantic] The Swap Meet now Home Automation

[Ethan O'Toole]

> I still have X10 in my house and I use it every day.  The living room
> ceiling fixture and upstairs hallway are on a 3-way switch, and the
> dining room chandelier is on a single switch.

I used to use it, but a cheap DLP projector would block the signals. I 
then moved to this automation hardware made by a company called AMX. You 
write software for the controller and can design screens for the 
touchscreens that interact. There are tons of add ons and a lot of it is 
cheap now. It can do simple TCP/IP IO on the network, and the controllers 
usually have at least 6 RS-232/422/485 ports. They can do digital IO, IR 
blasting (with a database system of codes for devices) and all kinds of 
other stuff including their own rs-485 bus that links all the stuff.

I scaled it back, but I used to use it to push over serial and TCP to 
Cyclades PDUs and Baytech PDUs for my AV components. In our hackerspace in 
Norfolk I ran the lights and arcade games on PDUs tied to AMX along with 
video and audio matrix switches, the projector and plasma TV and RGB LED 
lighting on DMX-512. It's just so damn flexible.

At home I currently only use the AMX system to remote control Z-Wave plugs 
via the RS-232 to Zwave box. Mainly for my arcade machines and pinball 
machines. You could do the same if there is a RS-232 to X10 box of any 
sort. Maybe some of the smarter controllers can do it?

I made one of my AMX interfaces a bot that joins an IRC channel, and I can 
read the Zwave garage door status and outlets and stuff, but never figured 
out this Zwave box that is reading the current on the main wires in the 
breaker panel. That one escapes me.

There was a Crestron controller at the swap meet. If anyone buys that at 
the next swap meet hit me up and I can give you the software to develop 
for it. But I know nothing about it, I'm an AMX fan cause of the 
flexibility. Friends told me I would be dissapointed with the Crestron 
stuff, can't do IRC bots and stuff with it as easily.