Getting Started

What is Home automation?

Home automation is a modern technology that puts security and convenience right into your own home. In other words, home automation is a system that gives homeowners the ability to take charge and control electronic devices even if they are not physically at home.

Imagine this, if you happen to forget to turn off your air conditioner. You can turn it off with a home automation system even if you are already at the office.

How does Home Automation work?

The best home automation system comprises three components. These include microprocessor, connection center and structured wiring.

Home automation companies would install the wiring all over your home and then connect them to various hubs in your house’s connection center, which is the brain of home automation control. The connection center consists of a microprocessor, which is the common connection for all hubs which allows homeowners to operate electronic devices. You can then operate these appliances through the Internet even if you are miles away from your home.

What's in it for me?

Most people acquire home automation security. You no longer need to walk out of your room half-naked and run after burglars. If you anticipate that there may be burglars in the premises of your home, you would simply push a button that you can place in your bedside. Once pushed, it would alert your home automation security system to turn on the lights or to set an alarm, or call the police authorities.

With home automation, just the flip of a switch guarantees your safety. Even the police authorities recommend the use of these security systems. All you have to do is to install home automation products in your existing devices and you can sleep peacefully without minding possible break-ins.

Aside from security, home automation can also give you convenience. You can now save time in doing a lot of things. Before you head to the office, you would usually check all your doors and windows if they were locked. With a home automation system, with the push of a button, you can lock all doors and windows without even physically locking them. It’s all automated! You can also turn off or turn on other electronic devices automatically like your television, air conditioning and a lot more.

If you wanted to set up your own home automation system, you can contact home automation companies that can help you. These companies can also assist you with home automation design so that you can access your electronic devices conveniently without any hassle. On the other hand, if you wanted to cut your budget, you can also try DIY home automation.

With home automation, you are on the right road to security and convenience!

What is edTreeHouse?

edTreeHouse was founded with the intention of making Open Source platform independent home automation systems. Our products are designed to integrate and automate the major systems of a typical home. Those systems include lighting, heating/cooling, security, appliances, irrigation systems and Audio/Video equipment.

edTreeHouse automation systems are compatible with a wide variety of technologies and work seamlessly with automation products from industry leaders such as X10, Echelon, SmartHome and many others.

How do I get started?

The Simplest home automation system includes one device (like a lamp module) and one controller (like an infrared remote control). With this, you could turn a lamp on, dim it and turn the lamp off. Add more lamp modules and you can control as many rooms as you like. Nifty? Sure. Automatic? Not exactly, since you’re still the one controlling everything manually. What’s missing is a ‘smart’ controller. TreeHouse Automation Console is that smart controller!

Here’s what you’ll need to get started with TreeHouse:
1	TreeHouse Automation Console software and (of course) a computer to run it on.
2	A PC interface to allow TreeHouse to communicate with your devices. If you’ll be using X-10 devices, you’ll need a PC interface for each technology.
3	Devices! There are hundreds to choose from that control lighting, HVAC, security and home theater.
4	Your imagination.

What is X-10?
X-10 is a power line protocol that allows commands to be sent over your power line to control electrical devices. Special control modules are used to send and receive these commands. The device modules are addressed with a letter and number code. There are a total of 256 device codes available. Each module may be set with its own unique address using a letter in the range "A'->"P" and the number "1"->"16". You can automate all your lights and appliances without running a single wire! There are 16 commands that may be sent to devices. The most common commands include "ON", "OFF", "DIM", and "BRIGHT".

What's so great about X-10 anyway?
The best thing about X-10 is that it's inexpensive. Device modules can be had for less than $10.00. Table top controllers are less than $15.00, and the computer interface is about $49.00. See the links page for a list of X-10 distributors.

What's not so great about X-10?
The biggest problem with X-10 is that the protocol is not reliable. What this means is that there is no guarantee that the "ON" command you sent the table light really got there. Sometimes commands get lost, and you never know what happened. If two commands are sent at exactly the same time, they could collide on your power line, and they will not reach their destination. If you have a large home, the X-10 commands transmitted by the computer control module may not be strong enough to reach all your devices. You may have to install an X-10 amplifier to solve this problem.

The bottom line here is that it's best to test out your electrical system with just a few modules and see if it works OK.

Some of my modules don't respond at all to X-10 commands, but some do. What's going on?
If your home is over 4000 square feet, you should probably install an X-10 amplifier. If not, you may get away with an X-10 bridge. Your home is wired from the power company with two phases. The power arrives at you electrical panel via two big fat wires. The voltage across these wires is 220 volts. One wire runs down your electrical box on one side, the other down the other side. Thus one wire supplies 110 volts to one side of your house (or half your outlets), and the other, the other side. X-10 signals are only fed into your system through one side (a single outlet), so for that signal to get to any X-10 device on the other side, it needs to go out to the transformer on your electrical pole, then back in the other side. That's a long trip, and it's a wonder it works at all. To fix this, you can add an X-10 bridge between the two phases, that essentially couples the two phases and allows X-10 signals to pass.


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