Projects at home!

What are some PLCs projects at home that you guys have in mind that would be useful in your lives? Also where can i buy parts for a decent price from? Automation direct? I am wanting to learn more by doing projects at home. Ethernet devices, HMI's, strike my interest!

I've had a lot of ideas, but I always remind myself when I go to sale the house anything I do needs to be ripped out.

Also, add that hardware/software is part of the business but when its personal money. $10k for a PLC (I know you can get cheaper but I'm also ignoring the rack and modules and panel) or $10k just for licenses for SCADA starts to add up real quick. Plus, if your PLC dies, do you keep a spare? Depending how advanced you get... you might not be able to turn on your lights until you have a running PLC.

Made my wife's shoe closet light up using an old PLC Direct 205.
https://youtu.be/6CmLxaD4TtQ

I've used the Automation Direct Click PLCs. The software isn't fantastic, but it's quite usable, particularly if you have a fairly simple project, and it's free.

I've also used some of their older HMIs, which again were quite usable. I would imagine their newer ones are decent. I think the software for their HMIs runs a hundred bucks, plus of course the cost of the HMI itself.

I haven't played with Allen Bradley's Micro 800 series, but they seem to be cheap as well (I've seen them new surplus for $150) and the basic version of the software is free. I should probably download it at some point just to take a look.

I have a few SLC's running things at my house:


Security lights in 5 rooms with seemingly random on/off times
Flood detector that shuts off the incoming water
Incoming water pressure monitoring
House voltage monitoring & log power failures (under 89 volts) and restorations (that SLC is on a UPS)

Control of most outside outlets
2 have Battery Charger mode that powers an automatic charger on for 2 hours, then resets for 30 seconds and stops at 7:00AM
One has Slow-Cooker mode that runs a slow cooker for times entered, then pulses at the percentage entered until stopped (or Midnight)

Many, many Christmas and Halloween lights
Monitor solar battery bank for voltage, charge current & used current. Turn on a battery charger if the voltage drops below a minimum level
Monitor temperatures outdoors, 2 rooms indoors and a few thermocouples in the furnace and hot water system
Automatic floodlights if gate opened at night
Air conditioner compressor power control & automatic switchover to higher cost electricity if Edison turns off the reduced rate controlled meter (for electric water heaters this doesn't make a difference but for air conditioning it does matter)
Water flow switches the shut off water to toilets if run too long

AdvancedHMI running a full control system on a PC and a mini version on a Windows tablet.



And, as stated earlier, none of this will be left if I sell the house, I only did it for me and my (130#) 'puppy'.

The Click PLC software is actually quite good and you can do online editing with the new Ethernet processors I hear and they are cheap.
The software for the new AB 800 series is painful and if you want to do anything useful you have to buy the full version - do not ask - just finished a job with them. Never again! LOL
Finish my project for an automated orchid growing shade house system that I started 6 years ago - been too busy since - very busy now as well. Booked for the next 4 months.

In most cases seems a waste of time, costly, power consumption for example, a cheap time switch for pseudo random lights as a burglar deterrent or infra red detectors are far more efficient I like the idea but unless you are going to totally automate everything, curtains, doors etc. but then I'm sure there are cheaper options out there.

VAN said:

I've had a lot of ideas, but I always remind myself when I go to sale the house anything I do needs to be ripped out.

Also, add that hardware/software is part of the business but when its personal money. $10k for a PLC (I know you can get cheaper but I'm also ignoring the rack and modules and panel) or $10k just for licenses for SCADA starts to add up real quick. Plus, if your PLC dies, do you keep a spare? Depending how advanced you get... you might not be able to turn on your lights until you have a running PLC.

Click to expand...

Also, instrumentation and actuators are more expensive than if doing the same with SBC or microcontrollers...

A BME280 runs at 5£ in the UK, a sensor to connect to a PLC to measure pressure, temperature and humidity is far more expensive.

Also, houses in the UK don't really have space to put a PLC rack on the wall. Though they are perhaps easier to run additional wiring than in continental Europe.

I am building a model railroad layout using a PLC. I am doing this as a learning tool to do programming. This was the last program I wrote with my old setup.


https://youtu.be/PCPA4QjvoE0


I am currently rebuilding it with a better PLC.



Mike

I use a SLC and AdvancedHMI to run my home brewery. I recently moved and am in the process of setting everything back up.

Rain barrel

I just installed a rain barrel. I am planning to use a Nano 10 from Trilogic that I have laying around to monitor water level. This will also control a pump for the front lawn irrigation system. Capacitive prox for water level and a couple solenoid valves.

The Nano 10 has a web-server so wired ethernet to my router and I can control the system from my smartphone.

Buy your favorite brand from E-Bay

Maxkling said:

I use a SLC and AdvancedHMI to run my home brewery. I recently moved and am in the process of setting everything back up.

Click to expand...

Do you have a CIP (clean in place), and can you share what you've done?

My old man use to make beer at home and I've seen some automated stuff but I've never really pulled the trigger on trying to make it.

I can't edit, but I just came across this randomly, I don't know if it'll be useful.

https://circuitmaker.com/

parky said:

In most cases seems a waste of time, costly, power consumption for example, a cheap time switch for pseudo random lights as a burglar deterrent or infra red detectors are far more efficient I like the idea but unless you are going to totally automate everything, curtains, doors etc. but then I'm sure there are cheaper options out there.

Click to expand...

Not really a waste of time. Controlling temperature, humidity, watering, fertilising, insecticide, fungicide - that is where it is heading. I often work away and have started putting it all into a free SCADA system and I can hook in via TeamViewer wherever I am. Have quite a bit of it running now.