OT: Home automation projects

[bkottaras]

Good luck selling the PLC control to anyone.
The point is, a call to J Doe in the middle of the night may get you up and running with an outlet that controls the coffee maker (addicted to coffee here).
Now... if you have to call a Rockwell Tech to get your outlet running and can wait for the next available slot well... that's it, you get the picture.
Loan oficers and banks, look at that.
I had to yank out a "Stargate" home controller (commercially available, for home automation) in order not to have issues selling my last place.

 

[Albert LaFrance]

I'm not too concerned about the resale impact of my system because it's unlikely that I'll ever move, but I do try to incorporate "downgrade-ability" into the design. For example, all of the control wiring inside the walls will be in flexible conduit and standard electrical boxes, so it can be replaced with normal line-voltage wiring just by pulling in new conductors and installing regular switches. And the control relays will be grouped in central enclosures that can become big junction boxes for replacement wiring.

 

[iraiam]

I built a PLC controlled VAWT (Vertical Axis Wind Turbine). I still have it but it's taken down due to the lack of a battery bank.A PLC was actually way more controller than it needed, but what the heck

I have also done some silly stuff with a PLC at home, such as controlling Christmas lights.

 

[Stig]

Right now I am Working on building a competition grade meat smoker similar to this:

http://www.cookshack.com/store/Smokers_4/Fast-Eddys-by-Cookshack-Model-FEC100

My good friend has that exact smoker, but there are a few features I want to add in the one I'm building such as an Auto-mop spraybar for each rack, electric damper, recipe storage, the list goes on. I have the PLC and HMI sitting around just begging me to put them to use. Been a fun project so far.

 

[rootboy]

Why don't most of you guys just use a microcontroller instead of a PLC? It's so much cheaper and it can do practically the same. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I/O is one answer. A PLC generally handles real-world I/O much more robustly. And has all of the fancy safely stickers to prove it.

Training is the next one. If all you have done is PLC programming, then that is what you will gravitate towards.