MM Sensor Array

[Pete Prodoehl]

Since it was mentioned briefly at the meeting... I'm proposing a project:

    http://wiki.milwaukeemakerspace.org/projects/mmsensorarray

Let me know your ideas, or what you might want to contribute, and edit the wiki page if so desired.


Pete

[Vishal Rana]

I talked to Tom for a little bit about this yesterday and have been throwing around a few ideas in my head since. I have already ordered a couple of PIR motion sensors to get started. 

I will post them on the Wiki as my ideas become more concrete.

Vishal

Pete

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[Royce Pipkins]

Are you thinking controllers, a la JCI?

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The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.
B. F. Skinner

[Tom Gralewicz]

The PID sensors I pointed Vishal to have some smarts, you can adjust sensitivity and on-time.  Their output is 3.3V TTL, so I was thinking a triac optoisolator would let them control 24V AC to drive the relays.  

But thats just an initial suggestion.

Tom

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Tom Gralewicz
Miller Electronics Recycling
(414) 380-1716
www.deadcomputers.com

[Royce Pipkins]

Oh, OK. That's more of a reactive circuit than part of a sensor network that I thought was being considered.

But its probably a good fast place to start if the only other light controls are the breakers. We'll need something better than breakers quick. Networked smarts can wait.

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[Vishal Rana]

I was thinking about keeping the lighting control local to the room for now. PIR sensors hooked up to triacs like Tom mentioned. To monitor the lighting status, we can put CTs or Hall Effect sensors at the breaker box to add smarts right away or later down the road.

If we do decide to build a more complicated sensor network, a push button wired to an arduino in each room tripping a triac will work for now. We can add the pir and other sensors later.

Vishal

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[Ron Bean]

If/when we start putting solar heating panels on the roof, we'll want to
monitor their performance with some kind of network of sensors. I don't
know if that would be part of this project, or separate.

I think this is unlikely to happen until next spring, due to all the
other stuff we have to get done before then.

The access control system uses RS-485, right? That seems like a good
system to use for getting the signals back to a central location.

[ChrisH]

One project I've been working towards is an RS485 sensor network.

Might mesh well with this idea..

[Pete Prodoehl]

Read up on MOTHER as well...

  http://www.lvl1.org/2012/02/15/mother/

and see this image:

  http://www.lvl1.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mother-1.png

Notice things like 'MakerBot - time left for current job'

Also, do we have any home automation experts in the group?


Pete

On Wednesday, October 24, 2012 4:03:05 PM UTC-5, Pete Prodoehl wrote: