Home Ctrl 28

A project by Klaus Pintoffl, Jan 2013
Get Home Automation onto your Android device!

Home Ctrl 28

Home Ctrl 28 vs Eight Control

Programming and assembling

Downloads and Manual

Questions and Answers

Home Ctrl 28

Home Ctrl is an professional IP based remote control for home automation and small businesses. One part (the client) is a program that runs on a standard Android phone or tablet. The program is available on Google Play. The other part (the Server) is an Arduino Mega microcontroller board in conjunction with an Ethernet Board. The Server connects to a LAN network. Optiolal components are a Real Time Clock and temperature sensors. The end user is encuraged to customize the server program to his needs, which distinguishes this project from many others. There is another advantage of Home Ctrl 28 over some comparable systems: If you compare prices (for example on eBay) it should be possible to build this advanced home control system for less than 100 Euros.
The author does not take responsibility for any damage, injury, malfunction, malicious attack, loss of data or property, or other risks associated with this application or its electrical installation.

Home Ctrl vs Eight Control

The main advantages of Home Ctrl 28 are:

Multi-user capabilities: Up to 16 user keys, of which some are reserved for administrators (they can for example syncronize server time). Private and public functions, server configuration allows to set up allowed functions for each user. 3 Profiles for each user (user could for example switch to connect to one server at home, and to one server at work, each having a differnt set of network settings and functions).
Central configuration: All function names and user functions, are set up on the server. Almost no function configuration on the phone- only press the synchronize button. This avoids mistakes on the user side.
Increased functionality: Server includes a Real Time Clock and possibility to connect digital temperatur sensors. Alarms times can be configured from the client.
Security: EC uses AES encryption when accessing functions on the server, which makes it completely safe. EC Star fully encodes all data exchanged between client and server (also status information, value reading....). Also, measures against accidently ececuting functions (security dialog, PIN dialog) are now supported.

Functionality / Version	Eight Control	Home Ctrl 28
True multi-user system (1)	No	Yes
Total number of functions	8	28
Functions per user	8	up to 16 out of 28
Multiple encryption keys	No	Yes, 16 (Admin and normal user keys available)
Multiple user profiles (connect to multiple servers)	No, just 1 profile	Yes, 3 profiles (green, blue, orange buttons)
Configuration of function names and security levels	On Client	On Server
AES encryption	Yes, function execution only	Yes, full and bidirectional, AES128
Board	Uno/Duemilanove/Ethernet	Mega/EtherMega
Real Time Clock	No	Yes, 4 Alarms, 2 daily on/off times
Digital Temp. reading possible	No	Yes, 4 DS18S20 sensors implemented in SW
Send Values to Server	No	Yes (Pro-Tab)
Names of values transmitted	No, setup on phone	Yes
Delay and SaveState for each function	Yes	Yes
Advanced function Properties and PIN protection	No	Yes, for every function/every user
Memory for additional code on server	No, almost all program mem used	more than 75 % of program memory available

Programming and assembling

Programming: Please refer to the Eight Control homepage http://klaus30.bplaced.net/eightcontrol/ for loading the program into the Arduino Mega board of the EtherMega 2560. Hoever as board you have to select Tools --> Board --> Arduino Mega 2560/Mega ADK. The libraries to be imported are in the download section. The process is exactly like discribed for Eight Control.

If no additional hadware (RTC, temperature sensors, buzzer) is used, the code does not have to be changed! Also, if no, 1,2,3 or 4 DS18S20 senors are used, the code will handle that without any changes (only a restart is needed if their number has changed).

Assembling:
1. Stack the Ethernet Shield on top of the Arduino Mega board (if you do not use a freetronics EtherMega 2560 as "all in one" solution.)
2. Optionally connect a DS1307 based Real Time Clock module: SDA on pin 20, SLC on pin 21. +5V and groud have to be connected to Arduino pins as well.
3. Optionally connect an active buzzer to pin 6 (positive) and ground.
4. Optionally connect 1 to 4 DS18S20 temperture sensors to pin 2. A resistor is needed between +3.3 volts and pin 2. If more than 1 sensors are used, they are simply parallel to the 1st one. The sensores have an electronic unique ID so that the system can query their values independently. This is a nice tutorial on how to connect the chip: http://bildr.org/2011/07/ds18b20-arduino/
5. Connect relay boards to the output pins. See the table below to correlate function number (top row) to pin on the Arduino Mega board (buttom row). All output pins used are on the right side of the board.. Refer to my images for how this could look like: http://klaus30.bplaced.net/eightcontrol/.
6. Refer to the manual creating the Settings.txt file.
7. Insert the microSD card with the Settings.txt file, power the board and connect the network cable.
8. Test everything using the following test Settings.txt file (like described in detail in the manual):

IP=192.168.1.5
MAC=0x60-0xA3-0xD5-0x00-0x6F-0x22
Port=80
Gateway=192.168.1.1
Subnet=255.255.255.0
KeyA=A
KeyB=B
FunctionsA=1,2,3,10
FunctionsB=1,2,4
Name1=Light
Name2=Garage open
Name3=Garage down
Name10=Arduino Pin 31
Properties2=npl
Properties3=nnl
PINA=1234
PINB=777
Update=3

RTC

RTC module with DS 1307 chip, using the I2C bus.
The Pin table allocates Function number 1 to 28 to Arduino Pins.

EtherMega

The easy connection of peripherals (RTC, temp sensor, buzzer) on the 2 variants of board. Software is exactly the same.

Downloads and manual

Under these links you can find the server (Arduino) program, all needed libraries, and a user manual for Home Ctrl 28. The Android application has to be obtained from Google Play.

Manual only

Everything you need

Questions and Answers

Why does Home Ctrl 28 use an Arduino Mega board, which costs slightly more?
One of the limits of Eight Control was the size of the program memory. The server program almost completely fills the 32 KB memory of the "smaller" board. Home Ctrl 28 has more functionality, although it does not even require 1/4 of the memory the Mega board offers (256KB). Home Ctrl 28 also uses a higher number if I/O pins (28 vs 8).

Will Home Ctrl 28 become available for the iPhone?
Unfortunately not, due to limited resources. There might be alternatives available.

Can Eight Control and Home Ctrl be installed at the same time on one device?
Yes. They have different packages and are therefore two independent applications.

Where can I ask or give feedback?
Please send your suggestions, feedback, questions, bug reports to klpdevelop@gmail.com . I will try to help.