Datasheet

Jon Waddington

2 Review of Current Technology

Home automation refers to devices which are used to control elements in the home,

either remotely or automatically. This can include turning lights on or off remotely, by

phone, remote control or from a computer. The lights could also b e set on a schedule to

be turned on at night when it starts to get darker and switch off later at night while the

user sleeps. This method can also be used as a deterrent for burglars by giving the

impression that the residents are in the house while they are in fact absent [6].

There are currently two main technologies aimed at providing home automation. These

are X10 and Z-wave, which are described below.

2.1 X10

X10 modules communicate through the wiring inside the building [7], meaning that no

re-wiring needs to be done. This also limits the speed of communications between X10

devices, as information is only transmitted on the 0V crossover of the 50Hz AC power -

line. X10 modules act as plug sockets or light sockets which can be managed by an X10

controller. The X10 controller is operated in some way by the user to communicate with

the X10 modules, either turning the device plugged into the module on or off.

2.2 Z-Wave

Z-Wave is an alternative method of implementing home automation [8] and hasn’t been

around for as long as X10. Z-Wave devices work similarly to X10 devices but

communicate via RF waves and are therefore not limited to the slow communication

speeds by the 50Hz AC power-line.

The technology which is to be used in the Information system is X10 due to the lower

price of the modules [9] and the higher availability [10].

There are already a number of existing products available which cater towards providing

home automation using X10 modules. The list below contains a brief description of a

selection of these products.

2.3 Alternative Software (HomeSeer)

HomeSeer is a software package compatible with Windows 2000 and windows XP [11].

This software can be tricky to install for elderly or handicapped people who aren’t