Zer0fun Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 I have been scouring the net for days now looking for any good information about building a whole-house automation system based on CAT5 or better cable. I'm not eager to implement x10 or radio-based systems and would prefer to stay away from closed standards.Please point me in the right direction !Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegizzard Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 um.. I am no pro here.. but when you say based on CAT5 cable... i don't think that question makes sense. CAT5 is just cable. You can do many different things with it. For the most part people refer to Ethernet networking or IP communication when they speak of CAT5 or better... so is that what you mean, home automation based on TCPIP communication, which can work over CAT5 or wirelessly?I could be off base.. let a smarter guy correct me. But that's what I thought when I read your post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichbinbose Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 you can distribute audio and video over cat5 when used in conjunction with balums - HDMI, component video, composite video, analog audio and digital audiocat5 can also be used for IR control, 232 control, and TCPIP communication. One thing to keep in mind, is that when possible running an actual HDMI cable or RGB cable is more reliable and should always be considered before using a balum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zer0fun Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 New construction instalation here...I would LOVE to wire it up as pure IP network, but again I would prefer not to use any sort of wireless systems. My question was a bit more general, I guess:I need to run cable. I have no immediate plans of hooking up any equipment to it right away, but will in the next year or so.What I mean by using CAT5 cable for a whole-house automation is rather simple: I want to know if I can use CAT5 to connect the control circuitry, the nerve endings if you will, together: e.g. I'd like to turn on 120v light fixture remotely (in the case of a light fixture I would also like to be a be able to do it physically and would like for the control circuitry to notice this); I would lime to open up blinds based on some sensor or programed input; I would like to turn power on and off to any wall socket; turn on appliances; sensing of open doors and windows; sensing personal identification, etc...The brain of this system will most likely report to a Linux-based control center with ACLs and GUI.Anything that plugs into a wall socket will not be considered because it looks horrible. I was envisioning a low-voltage control circuitry in a dual-gang box with low-voltage controlling the high-voltage side.I didn't mean that I wanted to run audio and video through CAT5. I kno that there are specific cables that are used for this.The network cable that is being laid in now is CAT7 and will be separate from anything used for automation. This house will handle tons of internal traffic and CAT7 was an expensive choice, but necessary for multigigabit pipes running along the house.I am most familiar with IP networking so any hard-wired system that works as such will be the easiest choice for me. I understand that there are radio/wireless based systems that run as an IP network, but I am not interested in wireless products. I would accept a system that uses CAT5 cable, but does not yet use IP because later I can slap some RJ45 on them and connect IP-based equipment.I am a home automation newbee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Lutron and Crestron have wired lighting systems...Check out Cinemar or CQC.Good luck with your project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 The network cable that is being laid in now is CAT7 and will be separate from anything used for automation. This house will handle tons of internal traffic and CAT7 was an expensive choice, but necessary for multigigabit pipes running along the house.Not criticizing, just curious, but what is there today that uses multigigabit pipes? Uncompressed HD or 3D video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Of course, neither of those lighting systems are standard IP to the lights themselves.(i.e. He asked for 'pure' IP networks).RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danlevine Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Not criticizing, just curious, but what is there today that uses multigigabit pipes? Uncompressed HD or 3D video?iSCSI SAN Traffic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Letran Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 The network cable that is being laid in now is CAT7 and will be separate from anything used for automation. This house will handle tons of internal traffic and CAT7 was an expensive choice' date=' but necessary for multigigabit pipes running along the house.[/quote']Not criticizing, just curious, but what is there today that uses multigigabit pipes? Uncompressed HD or 3D video?"today" I would use the highest rated wire that I could afford too to future proof the house. GoGo would even fiber the whole house. As a matter a fact if you have the need for it (tons of internal traffic) now fiber might even make sense for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Not criticizing' date=' just curious, but what is there today that uses multigigabit pipes? Uncompressed HD or 3D video?[/quote']iSCSI SAN Traffic I remember that user on here that had a 150TB (or some crazy number) SAN. I think he said he had something like 90 15,000 RPM drives.That's nuts. I guess it could replace your furnace though =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.