Thanks for the tip! I've tried to read a bit about the selector, haven't quite figured it out yet. Also, domoticz gave me some javascript errors when working with setting up the selector. I'll look at it more later, for testing I'm now using a dimmer (to get 14 different values)...

Hello!

I've finally started experimenting with MySensors in my new house – great fun! Tried a few switches, LEDs and sensors, slowly learning the system. I'm using Domoticz on a Raspberry Pi as controller.

Now I'm trying to figure out a good way of doing this: I have an arduino with an RGBW LED strip. The arduino have different effects (like a fire effect and so on). I want to choose effects (with buttons or something similar on other nodes) by using a variable, where1 is a fire effect, 2 running water and so on. How do I do this? Is there a variable type that would fit this, or should I just use something like V_PERCENTAGE?

Thanks all for the work on MySensors – seems to be easy to work with, and great fun!

Again, thanks for the replies! I've been reading your comments and trying to decide exactly what I want to do.

(There's a summary below to all the text ... )

First, lights: This is really the only thing I really want and think actually would be useful to have. I want to be able to control all lights, to be able to have an all-lights-off, be able to program scenes etc. I also want to have the ability to operate the light by normal switches, and not have a setup where the house is pre-build for a specific system (which may be obsolete in 5, 10, 20, 40 years? I'm gonna live there for a while...). I suppose the best option is to wire everything to the meter cabinet. Then I can wire without any smart things, for example if I can't afford it now or if someone later want to remove the smart things. I can also add whatever system in-between the switch and light I want to.

Second: I want to add a few mySensorthings just because I think it's fun. For example some "extra mood light" with LEDs. Unlike the normal light in the house (the "first" above), it's OK if these fail to work because the system crashes. Also, sensors for light, wind, rain etc might be nice to. To make powering all these systems easier, I'm thinking about installing a 24V or 48V power system in the house (at least 24V to be able to provide the power to run hundreds of LEDs, if need be). Powering the arduinos just requires a simple switch regulator.

Third: If I want a few other things besides lightning and my own mySensors-thinkerings (doorbell, open garage door etc), I'll go with Z-wave for those. I don't really think I want too much smart things in my home besides lights (but it's hard to know what's good to have and what the tech nerd in me thinks would be nice to have...). Therefore, I will not install a wired system.

I haven't decided on the controller yet, but probably Vera or some Raspberry pi-friendly open source thing...

Summary

• all light wires + switches to meter cabinet for flexibility
• power bus of 24V or 48V for my own arduino-things
• if need be to add something else, I'll go with Z-wave

1. Is the above correct and a good plan?

2. Do anyone have any tips for relays to use for the lights in the meter cabinet?

• it has to support having the physical button "always work", so I can use the lights even if the smart system for some reasons decides to not work
• somehow I need to be able to trigger it from the controller (I've not decided on the controller yet, though, but probably either a Vera of some kind or raspberry pi-friendly open source-variant)
• as I probably will have the controller in the meter cabinet, it maybe would be good to have wired control over these relays, seems a bit silly with wireless for a few decimeters...
• I suppose it should be something like this (but not with Insteon?): http://www.insteon.com/on-off-din-rail

1. Power bus, 24V or 48V, and pros and cons with either?

2. Power bus: what type of connector would you recommend? It should be fairly small so it's not to noticeable on the walls, as I suppose I should add connectors a little here and there (up close to the ceiling/by the star/beside normal power connectors for LED lighting, by the windows for light sensors/plant water thingies...)

Thanks for the feedback!

I think it shouldn't be too expensive to wire everything (read: at least all lighting and maybe all light switches, not sure if I'll do anything else a.t.m.) to the meter cabinet.

a. What systems (protocols by my above definition...) are available if I go the wired way?

Moshe: "There are still all kinds of considerations - do you wire for 220v or for 5v (and then you face the problem of drop in current or something) or for 24v and step down or whatever".
b) drop in current, what's that?
c) I suppose you run "normal" wiring to the lighting. Normally 220V, but I suppose it's possible to rewire in the meter cabinet if need be...
d) What kind of cable should one use for "control wires", to switches, sensors and so on? Depends on what system ones chooses? Cat6?

Might have been a bit vague, I meant that I need help choosing a good "base system" for the house (which would control for example the lights). If I decide to build a "smart" home the important functions like lightning have to be rock solid and no tinkering involved (except initial setup and configuring scenes). The tinkering part for me would be mySensors, I would use it to create input controls, a few sensors here and there... Nothing "important" with mySensors, just fun to have stuff which doesn't matter if it stops working.

Still a bit confused, so just to be sure I'll start with making this clear for me, so... Is this correct:

1. For sensors and inputs (like buttons and switches) there exists a few different "protocols" (MySensors and Z-Wave being two of them)
2. Controllers (Vera, Domoticz...) is the CPU for everything, and needs to support all the different protocols one uses in the house (which I suppose should be limited to as few as possible).

Hello!

I'll hopefully start to build a house this year, and I'm considering adding a bit of "smart home"-thingies. I don't know so much about what's available, so I'm in desperate need of some tips!

I'm not quite sure what I want to do (partly because I don't know what you can do). Primarily I want to be able to control the lighting in the house (turn off all lights with one button, have special themes, be able to reassign what a light switch does...). Also, the little hobby-tinkerer in me want to add some mySensors to the mix, already got a lot of the hardware for that.

But, I suppose there has to be some "main" network managing the whole thing, to which the mySensors connect to. Is that right? If yes, then the big question(s) is (are): What system should I use (or what systems are available)? Should I go for a wired or wireless system? Should everything (lights etc.) have cables to the "electric central" of the house?

Please point me in the right direction, so I know where to look!

Before this upgrade I was able to use the double down arrow to get to the last post (in the header, to the left of the magnifying glass). Now that button only scrolls down one browser window height...