Home assistant setup

Just stumbled across this hardware platform only yesterday, and it seems to me indeed the solution I was looking for for building my own home automation system! I'd like to sum up my current idea of how to use the Rev Pi and check how feasible it would be to use it like this ...

With respect to the software, I am thinking of using home assistant (https://home-assistant.io/) for that, an open source project built in python with support for lots of integrations. I would probably model each of the inputs / outputs that I would sense / drive from this central system as MQTT nodes (https://home-assistant.io/components/mqtt/)

As for the hardware: my current thinking is:
* light switches: just read them as 24V inputs
* light actuators: use 24V outputs to drive 230VAC relays / use the DMX extension to drive LED lighting
* power outlets: ideally, I would also like to switch these similarly using relays

A downside of this is that it would require everything to be wired in a star topology towards the rev Pi; any pointers towards using e.g. a bus-like system?

Other than this, I would like to use PoE-enabled hardware (e.g. IP cameras) and have them integrate with each other using the home assistant platform. The home assistant service itself would also be hosted on the Rev Pi.

What do you think about this setup? Thanks in advance!

Hi,
your concept should work fine. There are PoE Power insertion power supplies so it's easy to use the RevPi RJ45 in such a constellation.
In Q1 we are planning to start series production of the new RevPi Compact which might be the better choice (low profile case which fits into ordinary home power installation cabinets).
DMX is a good choice for lighting facilities and you get rid of the star topology. For high voltage outlets and light you will always need to decide if central actuators are the best choice. You could run a Modbus RTU to de-central actuators and get rid of star topology. The easiest way would be using Modbus TCP over WLAN to get of the star topolgy. But using Modbus TCP nodes with WLAN as actuators will be difficult to realize (you would need to construct them on your own to fit them into wall plugs etc). It could be worth it thinking about existing wireless networks with wall plug actuators and light actuators mountable in the light cable outlet. You would then need to get a gateway solution from such a network to e.g. ethernet TCP/IP or Modbus. At least it is worth it to check such ways before deciding to have tons of copper instead of concrete in your ceiling
Good luck,
Volker.

Hi,

Thanks for your quick reply. Is there already some publicly available documentation about this new compact rev pi platform? My plan is indeed to integrate into a home power installation cabinet.

As for the star vs bus topology: thanks for the modbus / RS485 tip; it seems indeed quite commonly used, so I'll check it out further.

I actually have a background as an electrical engineer, with a main focus on digital signal processing (algorithm development for audio and image processing). Currently working as a full-stack web developer at a telco. The issue is thus that I don't have that much practical experience with this level of hardware -- but I am learning fast, thanks to initiatives like this.

Posting again here after some time; the construction of the house for which I would like to do the home automation project has started. This means I am currently looking for which gear to order.

Given your earlier remark on the revpi connect / (compact?) I am however still doubting whether I'd need to wait for this to be released. Supposedly, the revpi connect would be more suited for home automation-like projects?

What would be the key differences between the "regular" revpi core 3 and the new connect in terms of specs:

• size; fit in standard home central fuse box

• CPU, RAM, ...

• I/O: would they both again work with separate I/O modules

Please read this:
http://www.hannovermesse.de/product/iio ... 2/A167098
There is also a download of our PDF flyer.
As you may find out the RevPi Connect is not specialized for home or building automation but its central new feature is the ConBridge through which you can connect transceiver like modules. Thus it is perfect as gateway which needs to use message/event based communication instead of cyclical communication.
The RevPi compact is optimized for building automation in the sense that it does have a reduced height and fit into common used fuse boxes (mains distribution cabinets). But RevPi compact is not a modular system: it does not come with a back plane bus (but it comes with 8 digital in, 8 digital out, 2 analog out and 8 analog in. But you can add more IOs by using modbus TCP or EtherCat IOs of several 3rd party vendors.

Did you manage to install a Home Assistant on Ravolution Pi?

Thanks for the information, I will try to do the same at my home and write if it was successful