8 replies to this topic

[dayland]

The Netduino Plus Home Automation project is designed to proivde a communication platform from various consumer based home automation products that offer a common web service endpoint. This will hopefully create a low cost DIY alternative to the expensive ethernet interfaces. We want this to become a community driven development effort with additional interfaces being added to our project on CodePlex so that DIY fans can choose the products that work for them. In addition to the Web Services and interfaces, we would like to begin to develop a WPF application for use on your home PC or wall mount touch screen, and mobile platform applications for on the go control. If you are interested in adding an interface and web services, contact us here on this forum and we will begin assinging users to the codeplex site. http://netduinoplush...o.codeplex.com/

[VincentA]

What features you want to provide? Heres a similar project http://www.netmf.com...e5-3044050e6227 though it works on a different board This seems to be nice idea. I can work on sound operated stuff.... I've ordered my netduino plus yesterday and it will be shipping out on 30th nov. so I'll have to wait till then to get started. Vincent

[Michel Tol]

Hi, I'll follow this topic, it is exactly what I would like to do with the netduino family. I'm a general C# developer without any embedded experience. @VincentA : where did order your netduino+... couldn't find it yet @sparkfun.

[Chris Walker]

@VincentA : where did order your netduino+... couldn't find it yet @sparkfun.

Hi Michel,

Welcome to the Netduino community!

We shipped a batch of "early" Netduino Pluses at MakerFaire NY in late September. The official release will be sometime in the next few weeks.

Chris

[Fred]

I'm currently working on a home automation project using a Netduino Plus, but I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to achieve with this.

Are you aiming for a standard web service interface for devices based on the Netduino Plus? If you are then to be honest that's not really the tricky bit. It's the hardware around the device that's tricky.

Obviously if I come across anything useful I'm happy to contribute. I'll keep updating the web server stuff here as I come across anything useful. My project will have this returning some simple XML and I'll eventually knock up an Android client to front end it.

The thing that I think would be really useful would be a wireless light switch that could respond to commands (over Zigbee or similar) and also report back its status. Lots of commercial products out there that can respond to RF commands, but the reporting is always missing. The Netduino Mini looks like a good candidate for this, but I've got loads of other stuff keeping me busy before I could get round to that.

[Fred]

OK - havinf read you post properly it makes a bit more sense. If we define a common interface then any devices we create or front ends we write will be interoperable. Happy to help, but I'm so busy with a new job and other stuff that I may not be able to add much. My current Netduino Plus project is on the back burner at the moment.

My initial thoughts are to keep it as simple and light weight as possible. Too much peripheral stuff going on with stuff like web services for a small device. My half-finished device is responding to URLs like /garage/light/on and replying with a raw block of XML such as:

<status time="20 Nov 2010 11:39">
  <rooms>
    <room name="garage>
      <switch name="garage light" status="on"/>
      <door name="garage door" status="closed"/>
    </room>
  </rooms>
</status>

All this needs is an agreed XSD.

Current stumbling block - My webserver code seems to reply nicely to Firefox, but can be unresposive to IE9 beta and the standard browser in Android. Probably something simple but not had time too look yet.

[Update: Took a look and it was because I was returning XML even if the request was for /favicon.ico. I responded with a "404 Not Found" for that and now all's good.]

[VincentA]

Hi Michel, I backordered @proto-advantage. They said it will shipping out at the end of this month. @Chris, Any idea about exact date when they'll get their next stock? Vincent

[Chris Walker]

Any idea about exact date when they'll get their next stock?

The current estimated delivery date is "early December." Since the Netduino Pluses are made in China, we patiently wait on Chinese customs etc. Two batches are being assembled there now and will be shipped here via airplane, so hopefully very soon.

Chris

[dayland]

Hello everyone, sorry for my not being responsive for a while... I have been busy with the holidays, my new Winodows Phone 7, and finishing my first WP7 app to get published on the marketplace. I am glad to see the interest in this project. Here are some responses... @Vincent, My initial efforts are targeting an Elk M1 Grand system for security, Leviton Vizia RF+ z-wave lighting controls, and a Rain8 sprinker control box. @Fred, I think you are right. The idea is to keep the communication simple, just have a standard way of doing it for many different products, that way UI layers can easily consume the data as new brands\products come online. Eventually having a UI for Windows Phone 7, iPhone, Android, and PC. I will be picking back up actively on this project in January after holiday travel ends. Please keep the ideas comming. Thanks, Daylan