PLC for Home Automation

[Firejo]

Building Automation is a very large industry with several large players including Johnson Controls and Siemens. While it may not be popular on this forum, my suggestion would be to explore that type of equipment and setup. Most importantly you will be designing and implementing a “standard” system without having to do any custom work. Another important factor is long term servicing of the system. If you create an Industrial Automation / Building Automation System (BAS) then anytime the system needs repairing and/or upgrading you will have to find someone who is familiar with, and willing to work on, both types of equipment. Having said that, it is not uncommon to find Industrial Automation equipment in a BAS system but (with my limited experience) I find that the BAS system is in control and the Industrial Automation equipment is there to supplement the BAS system. Water pumps is a good example of that. You can find Industrial Automation drives in a BAS system (why reinvent the wheel?).
On a final note, BACNet, the BAS communications protocol, is finding its way into Industrial Automation controllers so that it is easier to integrate the two. Again, I believe most of those types of applications the Industrial Automation equipment is serving the BAS systems.

 

[harryting]

Speaking of BAS, I looked into replacing a BAS system with PLC at one of my last job. what I found was that it would be very expensive to re-invent that wheel unless it's mission critical. BAS is what one would typically find in large office buildings and some assembly plants.

One big reason I recommend SmartThing or similar setup is that many people want remote control ability and that ability is well done and built in into off-the-shelf home automation scheme like SmartThing. Sure, we are all very capable of reinvent that wheel but you will not likely end up with a very supportable system that function as well as something that's already figure out all the issue associated with connecting your home system to the internet and already have the mobile platform done.

 

[Nova5]

Speaking of BAS, I looked into replacing a BAS system with PLC at one of my last job. what I found was that it would be very expensive to re-invent that wheel unless it's mission critical. BAS is what one would typically find in large office buildings and some assembly plants.

One big reason I recommend SmartThing or similar setup is that many people want remote control ability and that ability is well done and built in into off-the-shelf home automation scheme like SmartThing. Sure, we are all very capable of reinvent that wheel but you will not likely end up with a very supportable system that function as well as something that's already figure out all the issue associated with connecting your home system to the internet and already have the mobile platform done.

I wouldn't put Smarthings in control of a lightbulb.. terrible system. Great when it works but it went down to often for me with half of it being cloud processed. Home Assistant is total local the Zwave/Zigbee systems. The only cloud functions on mine are the voice command systems. Everything else can be talked to locally over the various networks.

No way in hell would ST have the nuts to handle a full BAS.

 

[JaxGTO]

Made my wife's shoe closet light up using an old PLC Direct 205.
https://youtu.be/6CmLxaD4TtQ

 

[durallymax]

There's a number of BAS systems built for this sort of thing with predefined structures setup for you already, I'd probably go that route over a PLC to avoid reinventing the wheel and being a commercial building, a bit better support geared towards BAS specifically. JCI, Siemens, Schneider and ALC are some popular companies here. Many existing devices can be integrated over BACnet. Function block type programming seems to be the most common and remote HMI access shouldn't be hard.

 

[Zimmer]

I have the "shed" connected to a couple of Siemens Logo's and a Weintek hmi.
Have a few bits on it, lighting control, an automated barrier in the driveway, two roller doors, some "timed" sockets etc. Reports air compressor pressure, shed temperature etc.
Have a couple of the roller door beam sensors "doubling" as an alarm at night.
Weinteks "Easy Access" software, gives you remote access with a virtual hmi on your phone.

Definite overkill, but it's handy for a lot of stuff and it amused me for a while, so all good.

 

[I_Automation]

There's a number of BAS systems built for this sort of thing with predefined structures setup for you already, I'd probably go that route over a PLC to avoid reinventing the wheel and being a commercial building, a bit better support geared towards BAS specifically. JCI, Siemens, Schneider and ALC are some popular companies here. Many existing devices can be integrated over BACnet. Function block type programming seems to be the most common and remote HMI access shouldn't be hard.

I agree - with one caveat.


I built my home automation system for my use, not as a commercial development to market, and used old PLC's I have on the shelf.



Also, PLC programming to me is a hobby and I do it whenever I have nothing to do or want to see if I can do something new.

 

[cjd1965]

Hi most commercial buildings are controlled by BMS such as "Trend" rather than conventional PLC