What is causing the smart home hype? Do you really need socket outlets that can be switched on by your cell phone, and if so, what is it all good for at the end of the day? Starting a Raspberry Pi project to find the answer to such questions has always proved to be a workable approach, thus far. Even if my answer to the “Do I need it?” question was, “No,” one thing is for sure, open source and Raspberry Pi can do it.
Of course, a targeted solution needs to meet a number of criteria. It should be based on standards for which sufficient numbers of different components exist, while being open source. All components need to harmonize with the Raspberry Pi, work as self-sufficient systems without any cloud contact, and avoid transmitting unnecessary data on the network. Ideally, I would want to control the whole setup in a web interface that adapts to the small format of a smartphone display.
Every home automation installation includes sensors, actuators, and a control center that evaluates everything and makes link-ups possible. Sensors and actuators not only need to be available over the counter, they should communicate with the control center wirelessly, but securely and with encryption. Rewiring the house is out of the question. Furthermore, the specifications state that the individual components must be economical and run on one battery for a long time. Last but not least, the overall solution needs to remain future-proof and expandable for many years.
Component Selection
This story is from the MakerSpace #03 edition of MakerSpace.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the MakerSpace #03 edition of MakerSpace.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Access the Raspberry Pi's GPIO Pig Pen
The wiringPi library, which many Raspberry Pi fans have grown attached to over the years, is no longer under maintenance by its developer. An alternative, in the form of Pigpio, has arrived just in time
Shell Programming in Python Snake Shell
Create lightweight Raspberry Pi scripts with Xonsh, a Python shell that lets you write scripts in Python with Bash commands mixed in
Playing old DOS games on the Raspberry Pi Retro Gamer
Play old DOS games on the Dosbian operating system, which turns the Raspberry Pi into an 80486 PC
Home Assistant makes the Raspberry Pi fit for the Z-Wave world Home Automaton
Z-Wave components, a RaZberry module, and the free Home Assistant software make the Raspberry Pi a powerful smart home control center
Water your plants with a Raspberry Pi Watering Pi
With a Pi Zero and a few components, you can build an inexpensive and reliable automatic watering system for your plants in next to no time
Raspberry Pi automated fish feeder Fish Food
Whether at work or on vacation, every pet lover worries about how to take care of their little roommates in their absence. What aquarium owners need is an automatic feeder
Integrate hardware components with pluggable systems Plugged In
Ecosystems with pluggable Raspberry Pi modules, sensors, and displays are a great choice if you don’t want to – or can’t – solder but still want to extend your hardware
Change internal logic from relays to an Arduino Redo
An electronic project at a local science center was showing its age, calling for a refresh: in this case, rebuilding it almost from scratch with an Arduino instead of relays
Get creative with the FLUX beamo laser and open source software Beam Me Up, Fluxy!
With the FLUX beamo laser and a Raspberry Pi Board B10001, you can execute your own laser cutting projects on a wide range of materials
Power your Pi Pico with solar Self-Sufficient
Powering your Pi Pico with solar may not solve the current energy crisis, but it will save you from changing or recharging batteries
