[an error occurred while processing this directive]

A self-contained Voice Recognition Thermostat would be a super product. My grandmother lives by herself and will not move. She is 95yrs old and is in great shape except she is blind. She has Macular Degeneration. The only problem she has now is setting her thermostat. 

My very best friend is paralyzed from the chest down. He cannot see the setting on the thermostat in his home, from his wheelchair. this would also be a great device for him.

By the way I wouldn't mind owning one myself. I know their are self-contained systems out their. I bought my grandmother a voice recognition telephone. She just picks up the receiver says our name and it automatically dials the pre-programmed number. She won't use a computer so it has to be self contained like the thermostats in homes today. I wouldn't think it would cost more than a few hundred dollars.

Homeseer watchdog timer using Ocelot Dan Butterfield  dan@butterfields.net

A common combination of software and hardware for automation these days is Homeseer running on a Windows based PC connected to an Ocelot. The Ocelot is an intelligent I/O controller that allows Homeseer to send and receiver X-10, IR, as well as control / detect digital and analog outputs / inputs. The last part is done using an add-on to the Ocelot, called a SECU-16.

This is an inexpensive relatively reliable combination of hardware and software with extensive capabilities (voice control, IR and X-10 macros, web interface, etc). Unfortunately, the fact that Homeseer runs on Windows says that in very rare circumstances, the machine Homeseer is running on can lock up and stop working. When this happens, if much of your automation is based on this combination (as is mine), your house can come to a dead stop until you find out about the problem and restart your PC (which could be a while if you are away from home).

I have dealt with this problem by implementing a watchdog timer in the Ocelot. Even while Homeseer is interfacing to the Ocelot to do IR, X-10, and other functions, the Ocelot can run its own internal program entirely independently. Since the Ocelot is a dedicated controller, with non-volatile memory for program information, it is much more reliable than a PC. With this watchdog timer, the Ocelot keeps an eye on the PC running Homeseer and restarts the PC automatically if it locks up.

To implement this watchdog, I connected one of the relay outputs of the SECU-16 in parallel with the wires coming from the PC's reset switch. This required me to cut the wires leading to the reset switch in the PC case, and splice wires from the SECU-16 relay output in parallel with these wires, that then run out of the PC case through a vent hole. This way, when the Ocelot closes its relay, it closes the reset switch circuit, and appears to the PC motherboard as if the end user is pressing the hardware reset switch. This allows the Ocelot to reboot the PC when needed.

Inside the Ocelot, a program runs to do the watchdog function. A documented sample of this program (using Dave Alden's excellent C-like language compiler for the Ocelot - http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~alden/ocelot/compiler.html ) is attached. This program runs a timer that counts for 10 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes, it sets an agreed upon Ocelot variable to a specific value, in my case 1. Homeseer has an event which is triggered by this agreed upon variable going to the value 1. In the Homeseer event, it sets the same variable to 9. The Ocelot program sees that, and knows Homeseer is running and not hung, so it restarts the 10 minute timer count.

If after the Ocelot sets the variable to 1 and 30 more seconds go by with no response from Homeseer, the Ocelot sets an internal flag to indicate Homeseer may be dead, and then restarts the 10 minute count. If Homeseer STILL does not respond to the Ocelot variable change the second time, the Ocelot knows Homeseer is dead. Two passes are used in the remote circumstance that somehow Homeseer was so busy running events with the first variable change that it was not able to respond to the Ocelot within the 30 second time window.

Finally, when the Ocelot knows Homeseer is dead, it closes the SECU-16 relay output that is connected in parallel with the PC reset switch for 3 seconds. This causes a hard reset on the PC. Windows must be set up to restart Homeseer on a reboot automatically.

I added a couple more features to make this really useful. First, the whole watchdog sequence only runs in the Ocelot while another agreed upon variable is set to 1, and stops whenever this other agreed upon variable is set to a value other than 1. This allows Homeseer to start the monitoring in its own startup script, and stop the monitoring in its shutdown script. This way if you stop Homeseer to do some maintenance on your PC, it won't be rebooted by the Ocelot after 20 minutes!

Finally, I also added a variable that the Ocelot sets to 1 when it resets Homeseer. Homeseer checks this variable in its startup script, and logs a message to its Homeseer log about the fact that a reset occurred. This way you can see in the log when one of these resets was needed. I've had about one a month after setting this up.

List of Components:
* PC
* Homeseer software
* Ocelot
* SECU-16

Approximate Total Cost of Components
* PC: $?? (note: you probably already have this if you're reading this)
* Homeseer software: $80 (note: you probably already have this if you're reading this)
* Ocelot: $150 (note: you probably already have this if you're reading this)
* SECU-16: $80 (note: you may already have this)
* Wire: $1

On the exterior of most homes (I've seen), regardless of the cost, are cables stapled, painted over or even drooping their way to the service provider's NID. The reasons:

1. homeowners believe it is normal to have this arrangement of cables on the outside of their homes (I suppose one benefit would be that it provides a support strand for hanging Christmas lights),

2. the cost to conceal wires has proven to be too costly for most homeowners,

3. NO pathways have been installed for future needs.

Future proofing is a must for any residential installation. However, it does not have to come in the form extra individual cable runs or expensive bundled (composite) cables. Many if not most of the extra cables will never be put into action by the typical home owner. Bundling cables may also change the characteristics of each cable. Bundled or composite cables have their own testing requirements.

Structured cabling is a difficult sell as it is. It is made even more difficult when trying to convince the homeowner or builder that they "need" a bunch of extra cables for future needs. How do we know what the future holds for cable technology. What will replace cat5e, cat6, cat6e? If fiber is installed now, what will the core diameter standard be in five years?

The best future proofing advice is to add a pathway that allows for easy upgrades. Building codes of course will vary, but they should allow for the use of a Listed Conduit. Electrical Non-Metallic Tubing or ENT (sometimes referred to as Smurf tube due to Carlon's Blue ENT) is available through electrical distributors and many home repair stores. Plan for at least a 2" conduit from the distribution device (DD) to the nearest accessible area, the basement, crawl space or attic. From here, consider at least a 3/4" conduit from the outlet to the nearest accessible area. This is a must when there are multiple levels with either no basement or attic.

Though available in other diameters, the price for 3/4" is roughly .34 per foot. Compare this per foot price to 2 each cat5e, RG6 and/or multimode fiber at well over $1.00 per foot and this approach looks very economical. Termination cost (labor and material) at the outlet and DD are reduced considerably as well.