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pandersen

PLCs in the home?

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I'm curious if many people have found a project at home that used some sort of PLC. Myself, I needed a way to top off my fish tanks while I was away on long term installs or other trips. I went to eBay and got a cheapo Micrologix 1000, a few float switches and a pump and put it all together. While I was at it, I used the Micrologix to control the lights instead of the garden timer I had. Add in some basic data collection, and it is complete. Sure, I could have done it without a PLC quite easily, but wheres the fun in that? To take it further, I am working on a .NET program that will talk to the Micrologix over serial (using code from Archie's great app available here.)and post on Twitter when the tank is low, when it is filling, and so on so I can keep track of it from afar. Overkill, maybe, but it is fun!

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Nothing yet, but I keep thinking I want to take an ML or an old scrap SLC and make the programmable thermostat from HECK. One that could switch from cool to heat based on outside temp and that had several presets per day. So on and so forth. The hunter 4/wk 2/wknd just doesn't cut it.

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Hey guys I have ML 1100 sitting at home. I was thinking about hooking it up to garge door opener and use my Iphone to open the garge over the internet. is it possible? if it is shine some light on it to how can I make that happen.

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I wound up using a Modicon Compact 984-145 to control the two staging elevators on a friend's model railroad. The elevators have three levels, driven by 12vdc gear motors through a chain drive to hanging threaded rods. The tracks are supported by long nuts that travel up and down the rotating threads. It takes about 4.5 minutes to travel the 10 inches between levels, which keeps vibrations from knocking HO scale cars off the track. The control panel has lighted call buttons for automatic operation and jog buttons for manual control. A cam operates a limit switch at each level, which triggers a timer to stop the motor when the tracks are properly aligned. This was my third design for the controls and the only one we built. I was going to use just discrete logic chips, first with a bi-directional counter and then with limit switches, but the chip count got out of hand. It's a perfect application for a microcontroller, if I had any experience with one. I finally started looking on eBay for some used PLC hardware, preferably A-B, GE Fanuc or Modicon. The interface to the track signalling system (Bruce Chubb's C/MRI) dictated less common 5 volt sinking I/O. I got lucky and hit several auctions with enough parts at the same time. I may yet switch from limit switches to a counter using the chain as a chopper, which is slow enough to be read by a spare input.

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I have a Siemens Logo which runs my pool pump. It has different routines for the early summer (12 hours a day), summer (10 hours a day), late summer (8 hours a day), and fall (4 hours a day). Saves me having to keep reprogramming a timer since the Logo has monthly and weekly timers. I also have another output programmed for the low voltage lighting on my back deck. So I can run a time routine and also verify a light sensor. If it was just on the photo eye, they'd be on all nite. So with the AND of the photo eye and the daily timer, I can tell them to shut off at midnight, and not turn on until dusk. I also planned to use another output for a sprinkler system (which I haven't even installed yet). That leaves me with one output left. But I may also switch it out for an FX3G with an Ethernet module so I can monitor or make changes remotely.

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I use an ML1100 to control my gas stove in my family room. I have a couple of various old HMIs around that are hooked in through ethernet, so we can control the stove upstairs, downstairs, through the home network (so anyplace I can connect up with using ssh), as well as locally with momentary push buttons. It is programmed with high limits and turns on a fan to add forced convection after the stove heats up. It also has two modes: one shot, where it just heats up once and then that's it, and a thermostat mode, which will come on/off as needed for an 8 hour period, then it is just off. Great for the kids: they can turn it on, but I know in 8 hours, even if left on, it will turn off by itself. The family loves it - it's the only heat in the family room, and we only had a manual switch before. So we were constantly getting up/down to turn it on/off to control the temperature. Now, we can turn it on remotely 20 minutes before we want to use the space, and it is warmed up already. The best part - my kids help me build it, so get to play with adult toys and spend time with the family at the same time! Next part: add outside temperature to the system so the HMIs display outside temperature as well as family room temperature. Just not sure how to easily stick a thermocouple outside - trying to avoid drilling holes in the house...

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The ML 1100 uses some variation on Ethernet/IP. So at a minimum you'd need a PC sitting in there talking Ethernet/IP to the ML1100, or else go DF-1 and use the serial port. Next, you'll need some way to interface to the IPhone. I have no idea what obscure protocols that thing supports so let's just suppose you might be able to use a web browser with basic access. That leads to the idea of using Linux with an application server on it. An alternative would be to use an off-the-shelf operator interface that has a built-in web server and supports Ethernet/IP. The two that jump to mind would be a Red Lion or a Parker/CTC. The Parker unit uses Adobe Flash so if that is not supported by the iPhone then you need to look at the Red Lion for compatibility reasons. I'd go for the second solution because it is so much simpler than the first one but if you run into issues with what the iPhone does and does not support, then the first solution is your only real option.

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I use a PLC to run a Halloween display. I have since stopped and switched to Christmas, but it was a BLAST when I did do it. http://www.plchalloween.com

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I've always wanted to take my security system contacts into a PLC. The junk that the security company installed (free! - right) puts about 5 contacts in series and takes them to zones. Some day... I would like to take those directly into a PLC (battery backed) and echo them back to the security system. Then I could know exactly which contact was tripped or just causing problems. I do wish the home control systems would add opc interfaces to allow connections with PLCs. Russell

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Paul. I was thinking to access my server from the iphone and then access the plc program remotely. but that's kind of pain.

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How about something like this: http://www.iphonehomecontroller.com/ There is also tons of stuff on youtube... just search for iphone remote control...

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i have a few posts around here some where on home automation. i have 2 panelview 600's and a slc5/04 controlling my house. it is an excellent energy saver

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Can you give some specifics on what you control? If I ever build a house I will want to do some automation from the ground up. It is always fun to see what other people have done.

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I am using a Micrologix 1100 to control my submersible well pump at my cabin. It is off grid and I need a 12v plc or timers to run off the battery bank. I started with Siemens logo and their 'map quest" programing and went to a micro logic. The well is a 450 ft deep low flow ~ 20 gallons per day so I pump it 2 x per day during daylight from the inverter. I plan on adding feedback from the cistern so when pump stops pumping it will stop pump timer and cut the drain on the battery's For now the pump has low water cur off built in to it so it stops when probe on pipe is above water level bit it still has some phantom draw when it shuts it self off and I would like to eliminate it. tom

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I grow orchids. The humidity in Sydney drops dramatically in summer and the temperature rises above 40 degrees regularly. I have several shade house and have purchased a fogger to increase humidity and reduce temperature. Misting is no good - the drops are too large and leave droplets on the leaves leading to fungal diseases. I plan to us a PLC with RTDs configured in a 'wet bulb, dry bulb' system to measure temperature and humidity. The fogger works at 1000 psi and effectively fills the shade house with a 'cloud'. This will allow me to adjust each shade house for different humidity levels and drop temperatures when they get too high. I also plan to use wireless or bluetooth between my computer and the PLC in the back yard - it is a very large block. Project for this summer coming up as I get time. In the meantime I am using a humidistat as a temporary measure but they are not all that accurate. I will use an Omron CJ1 with RTD input cards and digital outputs to control the foggerb and solenoid valves. Edited by BobB

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I just got into the Halloween and Christmas lighting thing a couple of years ago too. I always wanted to do something with an old PLC until I found (LOR) Light-O-Rama. My 2008 display.. http://tovtube.wtov9.com/_McKnight-Family-...98557/6692.html

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What kind of PLC did you use. roughly how many output were there. If you can post you code I'd like to look at it. Nice job by the way

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I did Halloween with a PLC, see my 2005 PLC Video: But like you, I switched to LOR for X-MAS. Here is my Christmas display with LOR (Light-O-Rama) http://www.youtube.com/user/chakorules#pla...s/6/RjwSCv3xbYs All my videos, displays, robotics.... http://www.youtube.com/user/chakorules

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I have a friend who is doing kinda what you are talking about. When he had his house built it was wired for security (window/ door sensors). He never had it tied in though. So now he is using a unitroinics plc (built in touch screen) and has wired his sensors into it. Cool part is when a sensor tripps he knows exactly which one. He is working on the internet coms now. For the price it is pretty slick. Note: His excuse/reason for doint it is his 2 year old son is getting good at opening doors and such. This way he knows exactly what is opened.

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Nice job chakorules. Great job sequencing by the way.

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