Automation Planning

Automation is typically about "sensors" and "actors" although you will want to allow for manual override and possibly emergency interruption as well. There are many products and packages available to help you achieve aspects of home automation but before you start, ask yourself the following questions:

Analysis

What are your normal routines and which processes can be automated, it is this and perhaps more importantly the exceptions to daily routines that need to be analysed. A cost/benefit analysis includes not only the prices of the products needed but also the efficacy of the automated solution: 95% good might be acceptable provided the 5% failure rate does not cause total disruption and can be easily manually overridden.

Example: Your PIR sensors cost 50EUR so you use a single sensor to operate a room light and provide intruder detection as part of the alarm system. You accept a 95% detection rate as the light switch is still available.

Other equipment might be more problematic, power and controls for the TV and other media might cause a headache for those in the family not knowing how to override activation or if the remotes have been hidden/replaced.

Good Coding Practice

This is something that grows in importance as you change from what is essentially a hobby to something that forms part of your everyday life. Remember you would not accept not being able to get cash from a bank, neither will other members of your family accept having their routine interrupted while you figure out why your automation script is failing.

It doesn't matter if you are using simple block logic or complicated scripting languages, if you have to code for devices that affect everyday life at home you need to follow good practises:

  1. Backup the existing automation script. Nobody will appreciate interruptions to favourite TV shows because of an error in your script. Being able to quickly fall-back to the previous version of a script could be a life saver!
  2. Document your code and the changes you make. It could be a year or two before you look at the code again.
  3. Within reason, code for readability over complexity and efficiency. Processing power will likely only ever increase.
  4. Devise suitable unit tests, allow for a test mode that changes a target alarm to a flashing light or equivalent

 

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