 |
| EMagazine Volume 4 Issue 4 August 1999 |
Features
Interviews
|
 |
| Home Toys Article - August99 - [HTI Home Page] |
HomeTech Hot Products Continuously Updated [Click Message To Learn More] |
The Grass
Floods in the Spring, Burns in the Summer, and molds in the fall! |
Jeff Vogel started Smart Electronics in 1994. He graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy in 1991 with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. Then, in 1994, Jeff completed his Master's degree at U of D. He's done home automation research and development for his Master's Thesis, his company, and other projects for about 6 years. VogelJC@aol.com www.smartgateway.com |
If you have a sprinkler system, you probably know of the problems that exist with optimizing your watering times.
|
This month's application will show how you can use the Smart Housekeeper to alter your watering schedules and times based on time of year, total rain, outside humidity, and temperature. We'll also show how we used the X-10 Pro wireless transmitter to aide in adjusting the sprinkler system.
The first part of any new addition to your home automation system is to set up your layout Since I already have a layout for the outside of my house, I'll just add indicators around the yard every where I have sprinklers. Then I'll assign them to the appropriate zones. I'll also add the appropriate weather measures that I intend to use while optimizing the system.
The first part of our automation is to add a basic control that advances or selects the zone upon receipt of an appropriate X-10 command. Then, we'll use the X-10 wireless transmitter to walk the yard, select the zones, and adjust the watering patterns. Each sprinkler's watering range should overlap that of the next. Wireless controls will eliminate the hassle of running back and forth to the control station. Below you'll see another layout created that includes all of the control elements we'll use for our project.
We'll begin with four watering levels based on total rain, temperature, and humidity. We've also added X-10 controls which enable direct zone control from X-10 commands received on House Code P. Lastly, we have 'Begin Watering' and 'Stop Watering' scenes which are used with the schedule command within The Smart Housekeeper to perform the traditional watering controls.
