Domoticz on a wired system

[fbafkis]

Hi everybody, I'm new here.

I have a question: do you think that is possible to create a domotic system based on Domoticz that works via cables? For example: i could put a Raspberry board that collects data from wired sensors in every room,and then plug all the raspberry boards via ethernet LAN to domoticz server. Is this system possible to create? Because I hate wireless, and the costs of a wired system are very lower than a wireless one. I already have LAN network in my hole house.


Thank you for the answers!

[stlaha2007]

hi fbafkis,

Read/Search forum...

In short Yes:
- Domoticz will run on wired/wireles system.
- Sensors can be wireless rfxcom/zwave.
- for instance MySensors are based on Arduino's etcetera... Wireless and Wired

Myself using multiple wired PI's with local sensors "shared" with ser2net to main domoticz PI or just remotely (wired) pushing values into Domoticz.

So Yes. Lot of options, depending on what you want. And my own solution comes really close to what your asking

Grtz,
Stephan

[fbafkis]

Excuse me for the stupid questions, but I'm really a newbie... So, maybe it's better if I do a detailed sketch of my project, and then I'll post that here on the forum, so I'll can collect your suggestions in a more efficent way? I'm at the first year of computer science at the university, I learned C, and I know how Arduino works, but I have no idea about how configure it to share the values from the sensor to a central unit: somebody can kindly suggest me a manual (in english) where I can learn all I need to know about Arduino to create domotic system?

Thank you, I discovered domoticz only some days ago, but I'm alredy so enthusiast!

[stlaha2007]

No question is stupid... I can understand schemas and other forummembers also i guess

An Arduinosketch i'm not familiar with.

Trying to advice you according your posts that you are running or wanna install domoticz lookup the install part in the wiki (raspberry pi sdcard image or linux parts are covert there)
Arduino sensor stuff.. No expierience with wire/wireless. However also at the wiki are supported devices/sensors arduino-based, with a look at the script examples.

All put together will give you "a lot" to read first, but also a working setup in a short time.

Grtz,
Stephan

[Jan Jansen]

Also check the WIKI at the possibilities of piface (window/door contacts, relais, energy/water use), and 1-wire. Also check the master/slave function.

[RidingTheFlow]

I evaluated couple of choices for wired setup (I don't want to use wireless unless absolutely necessary - its more expensive, slower and potential reliability&security issues, also devices need to deal with power supplying).

- 1wire is good for slow & non-critical sensors (e.g. temps). Since its polling bus its not as good for event reporting and fast reaction like motion sensing & switches, as it gets slower and slower for more devices. Also its hardware community not that huge, it almost all centered around Dallas Semi.
- Ethernet. Very good performance & all features you may need - but may be actually overkill for home automation. Fairly expensive if you counter cost of switches, also local interfaces (e.g. for Arduinos) are not cheap either. And power supply gets cumbersome (its not that hard e.g. via PoE splitters but not as easy as with USB and adds even more extra cost).

So personally I've decided to use USB (yes, plain vanilla USB 2.0) to provide wiring backbone of my home automation:
- USB cables & hubs (esp. if you just go with 2.0) are dirt cheap
- its very time-proven and obviously community & manufacturing support is massive
- its high performance & reliable. You get bidirectional high-speed communication, with asynchronous events almost instant reporting
- it provides 5V power at same time

Its fairly easy to get reasonable cables up to 5m (I recommend cables with 20AWG power supply wires which will get minimal voltage drop for low-power). For longer distances I'll just put powered hub in the middle.

I will use Arduino nanos with mysensors firmware as termination points. So basic topology is:

Code: Select all

= Pi
  -> direct-connected sensors
  => Self-powered hub ("near hub")
     => Arduino A
         -> sensor/actuator
         -> sensor/actuator
         ....
     => Arduino B
         -> sensor/actuator
         -> sensor/actuator
         ....
     => Self-powered hub ("far hub")
          => Arduino C
               -> sensor/actuator
               -> sensor/actuator
               ....
          => RFLink
          ...

Assume each => is about 5m USB cable possible, so can cover quite distance.
-> is sensor-dependant cable, but also could cover some distance, creating local "star" network of sensor/actuator coverage around each Arduino local controller.

P.S. And btw, yes, you can just put USB over existing ethernet cable pairs directly (or use active USB-ethernet adapters for some/all segments).