Hi All,
I have been playing with different temperature devices over the last few weeks and the one I am working with now is the 24channel One Wire Ethernet Server [url=http://www.embeddeddatasystems.com/OW-SERVER–1-Wire-to-Ethernet-Server_p_152.html]http://www.embeddeddatasystems.com/OW-SERVER--1-Wire-to-Ethernet-Server_p_152.html[/url].
The x-300 had 8 channels of temperature for over $200 dollars and this one has up to 24 channels for $100 dollars. ;D
I have written a PC program to chart and log the OWServer and I am working on a virtual thermostat that uses one of the temperature channels for input and a standard binaryswitch for the output. The input and outputs will be assignable in the plugin.
Here are screen shots of the PC side to compliment the OWServer. If anyone is interested I can compile the PC software and post it for download.
Regards
Tim Alls
AllSeas Yachts
Very interesting, keep up updated!!! I am looking for something similar to control my whole house fan in the summer, but at the same time log different temps throughout the house such as the basement, attic, and bedrooms.
Great post! Good to know! I was wondering why there would be such a big difference in prices …
it looks like OW-SERVER-2 has more in the hardware side (by being able to hook up more sensors), but might offer a little less in the software and looks like it is mostly limited to monitoring-unless you write custom software like you did, which looks way slick! The X-300’s hardware is limited to 8 sensors, but it looks like it comes with a lot more flexibility in the software-you can use it as a thermostat (7-day schedule), logging, events, real-time monitoring, supports basic script, etc. (specs- [url=http://www.controlbyweb.com/x300/]http://www.controlbyweb.com/x300/[/url]). So it looks pretty robust! But all in all, it probably just depends on what you want to do that would determine which product to use.
I’m interested to! Keep em coming!
I’ve written a plugin for the OW-Server for Vera (MiOS Apps). It’s reasonably extensive and supports most of the EDS sensors and is relatively easy to add more sensors…
OW-Server 2 is (I believe) basically the same as the original, it just has 3 OW busses where the original only had 1 bus (but 3 connectors). That gets around bus impedance issues, so is a lot nicer if you have a lot of sensors. You can still use it to control things (some of the EDS sensors have relays, and some allow you to connect up other devices).
I certainly recommend the OW-Server. It’s relatively low cost, and works well…
Chris
Thanks Chris,
It was your plugin that pointed me to the One Wire Server!
It is a great way to watch lot’s of temperatures without spending a fortune. I buy the temperature chips for 5 buck and then solder my own wires to them…very easy and very cheap…but still .1 degree accuracy! Hard to beat. We currently use the One Wire Server to monitor the temperatures on every space of our 92 foot yachts…works great.
I still use the Control by Web (controlbyweb.com) product more because they have so many more features…The combination of the One Wire Bus and relays that can programmed based on a temperature going above or below a value…a built in web server that can be customized…it’s hard to beat. We just finished a 15 ton chiller package that uses the X-300 control by web module and it replaced 10 commercial Johnson HVAC Controls and it gives us a multistage HVAC system with our own private web page for monitoring it…pretty cool stuff.
Thanks for the plugin…they are lot’s of work!
Regards
Tim Alls
AllSeas Yachts
@Chris & All who are reading this…
I’m interested to go down the one wire route (like hitmanhite) so I can monitor the temperature of rooms in the house .
Do you have any screen shots of how your device looks/works under UI5 and also how you use it?
As a complete noob, your advice would be appreciated in what I would need to buy too.
Not really - but the One-Wire plugin installs child devices for each sensor, and they look exactly the same as a standard Z wave (or other) temperature/humidity device. For example, if you get one of the EDS temperature/humidity sensors, you will end up with a two child devices for temperature and humidity. Both of these provide a resolution of 0.1 deg or 0.1%.
In an ideal world, a nice wireless system would be what we’d all want. It would provide great resolution on our sensors, and you would never need to replace batteries or worry about radio interference. Unfortunately, I’m yet to find this “ideal” sensor. I’ve got some of the Z-Wave ST814 temp/humidity sensors. They suck batteries a bit more than I’d like, and they are quite big, and due to MCVs implementation, you only get 1 deg/1 % resolution. I’ve also used the Oregon weather sensors - these seem quite good - battery life is good, range is ok, but they do have some issues with addressing.
The One-Wire option seems quite good. Unfortunately it has to be wired, and you do need to be a little careful with how this is done if you have a lot of sensors to avoid issues with impedance matching that might screw the bus up. There are ways around this - EDS sell a bus splitter (I’m about to get one to give it a try) which is meant to reduce/eliminate the matching problem, and the latest OW-Server has 3 separate busses (the old one had 1 bus with 3 connectors) which also reduces the potential for this problem. The accuracy of the OW temp sensors is meant to be very good (0.5deg C) - humidity sensors are always only a few %, and resolution is high (as above, I round both to 1 decimal place within the plugin).
I’ve got a number of the EDS temp/humidity sensors (because I wanted humidty), and I’ve got a temp/pressure/pressure/light sensor for outside monitoring (it’s not waterproof, so needs to be housed). These both seem very good units if you want these sensors - if you’re just after temperature, I’d take a look at the DS18B20 and wire it yourself. You can pick them up cheaply on eBay (one or two dollars I think), and this is the sensor that most of the commercial one-wire temp sensors have in it. I’ve also got a few of these monitoring things like water cylinder temperature. The EDS OW-Server works very well with all of these sensors/units.
I hope this helps - if you have any other queries, I’m happy to try and answer them.
Cheers
Chris
Not really - but the One-Wire plugin installs child devices for each sensor, and they look exactly the same as a standard Z wave (or other) temperature/humidity device. For example, if you get one of the EDS temperature/humidity sensors, you will end up with a two child devices for temperature and humidity. Both of these provide a resolution of 0.1 deg or 0.1%.
In an ideal world, a nice wireless system would be what we’d all want. It would provide great resolution on our sensors, and you would never need to replace batteries or worry about radio interference. Unfortunately, I’m yet to find this “ideal” sensor. I’ve got some of the Z-Wave ST814 temp/humidity sensors. They suck batteries a bit more than I’d like, and they are quite big, and due to MCVs implementation, you only get 1 deg/1 % resolution. I’ve also used the Oregon weather sensors - these seem quite good - battery life is good, range is ok, but they do have some issues with addressing.
The One-Wire option seems quite good. Unfortunately it has to be wired, and you do need to be a little careful with how this is done if you have a lot of sensors to avoid issues with impedance matching that might screw the bus up. There are ways around this - EDS sell a bus splitter (I’m about to get one to give it a try) which is meant to reduce/eliminate the matching problem, and the latest OW-Server has 3 separate busses (the old one had 1 bus with 3 connectors) which also reduces the potential for this problem. The accuracy of the OW temp sensors is meant to be very good (0.5deg C) - humidity sensors are always only a few %, and resolution is high (as above, I round both to 1 decimal place within the plugin).
I’ve got a number of the EDS temp/humidity sensors (because I wanted humidty), and I’ve got a temp/pressure/pressure/light sensor for outside monitoring (it’s not waterproof, so needs to be housed). These both seem very good units if you want these sensors - if you’re just after temperature, I’d take a look at the DS18B20 and wire it yourself. You can pick them up cheaply on eBay (one or two dollars I think), and this is the sensor that most of the commercial one-wire temp sensors have in it. I’ve also got a few of these monitoring things like water cylinder temperature. The EDS OW-Server works very well with all of these sensors/units.
I hope this helps - if you have any other queries, I’m happy to try and answer them.
Cheers
Chris[/quote]
Hi Chris,
Another newbee here… Im also interested in doing the same myself… I understand the sensor and the 1-wire part and think this connects to the OW server. How does that connect to the VeraLite (just purchased one) and does the plugin run on the vera as well (don’t want to have a pc running)
sorry if these seem basic questions
Thanks inadvance
Frank
The OW-Server connects to the Vera via Ethernet. So, you just plug Vera and the OW-Server into the network, install the plugin onto Vera, and tell Vera the IP address of the OW-Server. The plugin runs on Vera, and effctively installs a number of devices into the Vera UI (temperature/huimidity sensors etc).
So, no PC needs to be run for this. If you want to log the data, then you can use the dataMine plugin to log and graph the data…
Cheers
Chris
Tim,
would you also share the Labview code , Vi’s ? That would be great because I could just modify it for my needs.
Thanks
[quote=“TimAlls, post:1, topic:170748”]Here are screen shots of the PC side to compliment the OWServer. If anyone is interested I can compile the PC software and post it for download.
Regards
Tim Alls
AllSeas Yachts[/quote]