BS2 operated home
StormKing09
Posts: 29
·I'm thinking about creating a supercomputer of 20 basic stamps to automate and secure a home. I want to know what you think.▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Timothy C. Gonzales
Post Edited (thefulcrum22) : 3/20/2009 5:52:53 PM GMT
Comments
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Respectfully,
Joshua Donelson
www.parallax.com
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Mike2545
This message sent to you on 100% recycled electrons.
http://www.cc-concepts.com/hcsii/
It's what I got started with right when it was discontinued...
-dan
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Timothy C. Gonzales
How deep are your pockets?
20 BS2 @ $44.10 is $882.00
20 Carrier boards @15.99 is 319.80
$1201.00 just to get started.
You will need alot more hardware to automate and secure a house.
But it would be a nice project to do, I don't think you will need 20 stamps to do it.
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Mike2545
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Mike2545
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Say you want to turn on/off lights, start with the X-10 control, get some lights working, see what you can do with the program, tweek it, perfect it and then move to the next step.
Then you can go with temp control, maybe set up zones for heat/cool.
Security is a big issue these days, PIR and entry contact switches will do nicely.
Each of these systems can work independently of each other, maybe have one central control console to monitor and communicate with functions you want control over.
There is a lot of wiring to do with a project this big or you may chose to go wireless, another level of complexity, either way its a big undertaking.
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Mike2545
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So far it sounds too ambitious and also vague.
Keep in mind that big hobby projects have a tendency not to get finished. They either get over your head or you get bored with repetitive tasks.
Controlling one light bulb and two dozen of them is pretty much repetitive after you write the code.
How about posting a project you have completed.
Than the discussion will have more merit to it.
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Anyway, to make a long story short I designed a BS2p40-based home controller which would allow you to control any connected appliance/device in any room from any other room. Each room would have a BS2p40 controller and the necessary I/O drivers to handle the devices in that room. For my first tests I used some solid-state relays and optos for input. Each room had an LCD display which you could see the status of appliances/devices in that room or you could select a different room and you’d be presented with the status of the devices in that room as well as be able to control appliances/devices there.
So you could be in the bedroom ready for bed and realize you left the front porch light on and without going downstairs to the living room turn it off. Of course, I have the technical background, especially with the BASIC Stamps to pull this off and I experimented by adding up to four ‘rooms’ to play around with the networking code which I derived from concepts covered in an old Nuts & Volts column. Of course the project grew and I kept adding ideas until it was a little much for a BASIC Stamp. But depending on what you are aiming at, you could do it. I think too many immediately turn to the Propeller when a BASIC Stamp will do.
In all fairness my current design would most definitely benefit from the Propeller, but that’s where you have to weigh things based on functionality. One thing I added to my overall design goals is the one thing not fully designed. Imagine being in the bathroom shaving and you hear the doorbell…is it your date arriving early, or is it someone selling vacuum cleaners or magazines? With my new design I would merely press the highlighted doorbell alert icon on the touch screen and I would see live video of who is at the front door as well as hear live audio. If I wanted I could talk to them or even open (unlock) the front door from where I was. Someday…
In the mean time don’t let anyone pull your dreams down. A lot can be done with a BASIC Stamp. Trust me on this.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
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It a worthwhile project too, because its educational, inspirational,
you'll not only learn much from it, but most likely it will spark new
ideas and creativity and lead you down new and wonderful paths
that you never dreamed possible before. The value you get in
return is far greater than the cost for the stamps.
The BSS Supercomputer project began with only two Basic Stamps,
then 3, 4, and so on. After the first 2 Stamps, everything was add-on.
20 stamps have a tremendous amount of power (plus the software
to drive 20 stamps is now available so this is a good starting point for
your project).
BSS was recently increased with a mix of nearly all Stamp versions.
Mixing is a good idea because it takes advantage of specific features.
One of the applications discussed in the BSS thread is the project
that you are interested in accomplishing.
There are many other processors in this world, but given the ease
of use, the easy to use programming language (PBASIC), excellent
documentation and comprehensive support, the Basic Stamp is the
perfect choice for the BSS project.
I built one project with one stamp that controlled a house. Given the
knowledge gained from the BSS, multiple stamps would be an ideal
machine. The parallel software and clustered hardware can watch
over many sensors and be alert at all times.
There's enough ports to accomplish nearly any idea you have. One
example on the security side is a motion detector & recording video
cam, so you know who approached the house when you were gone.
You can also create virtual security windows - stamp controlled for
security, daytime and nighttime use, to vary the amount of light
entering, etc. Most of all, I'm glad to see the BSS can be an
inspiration to others in creating their own multiple stamp projects.
humanoido
Post Edited (humanoido) : 3/25/2009 3:51:48 AM GMT
thefulcrum22 said...
Those are some good ideas. But right now I'm only going to build the supercomputer because I cannot get a house yet (to young), so I'm working on getting the stuff right now. I will keep your ideas in mind though.
Getting the house would require a different set of skills.
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Mike2545
This message sent to you on 100% recycled electrons.
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