Saturday, August 9, 2014

Home Automation


I want to be able to turn on and off lights and power outlets in my house. 



Also using this solution I will be able to turn on and of my desktop PC, control download station, and a basic video surveillance solution. Basically I can add almost any functionality in terms of digital control.

Required tools and equipments:





The Controller box(Raspberry Pi) is connected to internet via the Router. Also desktop PC is connected to the same router. Controller is running software that is able to send commands to turn on or off these power outlets. In my demo I used some lamps to demonstrate how the solution works.

The software that runs on controller offers an interface with on/off buttons that can switch the power outlets and other commands also(for example turn on/off the HomePC/NAS)

The actual solution





Above you can see control panel of the software that is running on Raspberry Pi. It can be accessed using a web browser. It can be accessed by any device connected to internet. It supports also authentication.

I added the options to turn on/off lights (ambient light, desk light and big lamp), option to turn off/on all lights in one click and also start/stop NAS station (NAS=network attached storage). I added option to start a Download Station (this a software that is running on my NAS - Transmission Daemon) and video surveillance software (Motion).

The software is configured to automatically start all lights when I cam home after 8 PM. When my wifi router detects that my phone is connected it will power on my lamps if time is past 8 PM.

How? 

Using OpenWRT I have access to DHCP server configuration on my router.When a new device gets an IP address a script is started. This script checks for current day time and if time is past 8PM it will send the command to turn on all my lights. At 23:50 all the lights will be turned off automatically.




Next:

This is work in progress. I plan to add more features to controller:

  • light sensor / temperature sensor
  • automatically weather report based on internet existent web services (i.e Accuweather)
  • door/windows sensors
  • bluetooth door looker support
  • automatic garage door open (if I will have one :D)
  • wireless motion sensor - Controller will send notifications when motion sensors will trigger
  • wireless gas/fire detection sensor support - Controller will send notifications when motion sensors will trigger
  • option to read electric/gas meter or any other indicator from different devices (i.e remote reporting) 





Thursday, July 28, 2011

Horoscop



Daca la inceput astrologia a incercat sa explice esenta fenomenelor, pur divinitoriu, mai tirziu au fost formulate in baza unor corelatii, mai mult sau mai putin matematice, intre ceea ce se petrecea in cosmosul vizibil si destinul vietii pe pamint. S-a constatat ca astrele nu numai ca influenteaza destinele oamenilor, dar se influenteaza si reciproc, inhibindu-si sau intensificindu-si actiunile asupra oamenilor. Pozitia astrelor pe bolta cereasca, care, in viziunea unor astrologi, avea imaginea unor fiinte omenesti, a unor animale sau obiecte, a dat nastere zodiacului. Zodiacul este cercul de pe bolta cereasca care contine cele 12 constelatii pe care Soarele pare sa le parcurga in cursul unui an. Acest cerc este impartit in 12 parti, desemnate prin 12 semne numite semne zodiacale, fiecare corespunzind unei constelatii.

Cele 12 zodii sunt:

* Zodia Berbecului - de la 21 martie pina la 19 aprilie inclusiv;
* Zodia Taurului - de la 20 aprilie pina la 20 mai inclusiv;
* Zodia Gemenilor - de la 21 mai pina la 20 iunie inclusiv;
* Zodia Racului - de la 21 iunie pina la 22 iulie inclusiv;
* Zodia Leului - de la 23 iulie pina la 22 august inclusiv;
* Zodia Fecioarei - de la 23 august pina la 21 septembrie inclusiv;
* Zodia Balantei - de la 22 septembrie pina la 21 octombrie inclusiv;
* Zodia Scorpionului - de la 22 octombrie pina la 20 noiembrie inclusiv;
* Zodia Sagetatorului - de la 21 noiembrie pina la 20 decembrie inclusiv;
* Zodia Capricornului - de la 21 decembrie pina la 19 ianuarie inclusiv;
* Zodia Varsatorului - de la 20 ianuarie pina la 18 februarie inclusiv;
* Zodia Pestilor - de la 19 februarie pina la 20 martie inclusiv.

Semnele zodiacale se calculeaza in sensul invers acelor de ceasornic, anul astrologic incepind cu 21 martie, momentul cind are loc echinoctiul de primavara. Parintele geografiei, grecul Strabon (63 i.Chr.-19 d.Chr.), arata ca astrologii babilonieni au facut observatii destul de exacte asupra perioadelor planetelor Saturn, Jupiter, Marte, Venus si Mercur, au stabilit planul elipticii, alegind ca puncte fixe - pentru a determina miscarea aparenta a Soarelui - cele 12 semne zodiacale dintre stelele cele mai stralucitoare. Foarte pretuita in Mesopotamia si in alte regiuni ale lumii antice, astrologia era luata in deridere de unii filosofi romani si greci. Aulus Gellius, in Noptile atice, relateaza ca filosoful roman Favorinus (sec. I d.Chr.) numea stiinta chaldeenilor, adica astrologia, un gen de inselatorie si pacaleala, inventat de scamatori. Mai mult decit atit, dupa cum ne informeaza istoricul bizantin Procopiu din Cezareea, imparatul bizantin Justinian a dus, in secolul al VI-lea d.Chr. o politica represiva contra astrologilor. La inceput si crestinismul a combatut astrologia, dar fara sa o conteste, acuzind adeptii ei nu de impostura, ci de puteri necurate (diabolice).