Buchanan Home Automation Introduction This page details our current (and planned) home automation implementation. The purpose of this page is to share our home control implementation with other people interested in home automation. Our current system includes wireless security and control, X10 and video generation and distribution. This page assumes a familiarity with X10 systems and modules. Sections: History of our Home Control Description of the Current System Diagram of Home Control Systems Explanation of System Diagram Example Home Monitor Screen Explanation of Home Control Monitor Screen Current Status (Updated December 17, 1997.) The Future Questions or Comments? Home Automation Links (Separate Page) Last Update: December 17, 1997. Home This material is Copyright © 1997 Craig Buchanan. History of our Home Control The evolution of our home control systems followed the path outlined below. Simple Light Scheduling Parts: X10 Computer Interface, X10 modules, X10 controllers. Top Description of the Current System Top
DIY Solar USB Charger - Altoids If we use two rechargeable AAs that put out a total of 2.4Vs we're going to need a solar panel that is at least 3 - 4Vs just to meet basic levels of charging. The higher the voltage of our solar cell (or cells) the less light we need to charge up our batteries. Now we're also trying to fit this into an Altoids Tin, so we're limited in space. I have found some great 4V solar cells that perfectly fit into Altoids Tins. Sure, a bigger and better solar cell would give us added power, but it wouldn't fit into our tin. You could also use a combination of several smaller cells to get your four volts. Just remember that when charging NiMh batteries we don't want to throw more than 10% of their capacity at them at any one time.
Projection clock The first time I saw a projection clock (a friend had shown me his projection clock, which he used to project the time on his bedroom ceiling), I knew I could easily build my own by converting a watch with an LCD display. I bought a very very ugly watch in a dollar store. So ugly that it really is unwatchable ;) At least it's easy to disassemble... Up To remove the pcb, just remove the screws: The LCD is mounted over the PCB. The LCD is not usable as-is. Remove the reflecting background sticker to let the light pass through the LCD: To get a transparent-on-opaque display, reverse the polarizing filter located on the LCD front side: See the difference? For more information on LCD technology, read the Wikipedia LCD page. In order to prevent the PCB from blocking the light, I extended the contacts on the PCB with small pieces of wire: A sufficient pressure must be applied to obtain a good contact between the wires and the conductive rubber band. The clock in darkness:
Another Altoids Solar USB Charger I drilled 2 holes in one end for the switch and the LED bezel. I also used some aviation snips to cut a bit out of the lid and side to fit the USB port. I also drilled a hole in the top of the lid near one end for the wires to come in through the solar panel. I insulated the entire interior because I think it looks a little better. I started by wiring a diode to the positive on the solar panel as well as soldering wire to the negative. The battery pack was soldered to the middle points on the dpdt switch and placed in the tin. Lastly, a resistor was wired to the positive lead on the LED and that was placed, along with the USB port, on the last 2 points on the dpdt switch. This wiring lets you either flip the switch in one direction to charge the batteries, put it in the middle to turn it off (to prevent excessive over charging), and in the 3rd position the LED comes on and power flows to the USB port.
Privacy monitor hacked from an old LCD Monitor Finally you can do something with that old LCD monitor you have in the garage. You can turn it into a privacy monitor! It looks all white to everybody except you, because you are wearing "magic" glasses! All you really have tohave is a pair of old glasses, x-acto knife or a box cutter and some solvent (paint thinner) Here is what I used: an LCD monitor of course single use 3D glasses from the movie theater (old sunglasses are just fine) paint thinner (or some other solvent such as toluene, turpentine, acetone, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate etc) box cutter (and CNC laser cutter :) but that you don't really need, I'm sure x-acto knife and a steady hand would do just fine) screwdriver or a drill paper towels superglue
5 Minute DIY Motor When I make a project, there are four things I look for. Low cost: If the project is going to cost me a million dollars (exaggerated a little bit) I won't make it. Easily accessible materials: If the materials are impossible to find (unless it is a really, really cool project) I most likely won't attempt it. However, of all the tutorials I had looked at nobody had made it simple enough so average people could do it. This would be great for classrooms because it teaches magnetism.
impBoot: Remotely Turn on a Desktop Computer While at school, I found myself needing to remote desktop or SSH into my computer quite frequently. I would send MATLAB scripts to run while I was in class or working on something else. I needed to either leave my desktop running (sucking around 200W while idle) or find a way to turn it on remotely. Wake-on-LAN (WoL) works quite well but requires a wired, Ethernet connection, and try as I might, I could not get Wake on Wireless LAN (WoWLAN) to work with my hardware. The Electric Imp with a simple switch allows for a different kind of Wake on Wireless LAN as long as you have WiFi access and a USB port that always provides power (even when the computer is off).