HOME AUTOMATION Brook Tafel Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Kentucky Phone: | Mobile: Jacob Van Bogart ECE Mark Elliot ECE Josh Flynn ECE William French ECE Brandon Jacko ECE Sheref Lamay ECE

Background Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Kentucky specializes in installation of outdoor lighting systems Current systems rely on manual adjustment of timers, and require a service call Customers are requesting a centrally controlled system that can be accessed from a PC or smart device This would allow OLPKY to remotely manage the devices This project determines the feasibility of using an off the shelf system from Lowes called IRIS

System Description Iris is a comprehensive home automation system It allows control of lighting, thermostats, security devices, and provides home energy monitoring The GUI is accessible via a PC or smart device

Demonstration Unit

Major Components Communication Hub Actuators Sensors Graphical User Interface (GUI) Home Owner’s Network

Communication’s Hub Provides all data communications between the home automation server, end users, and the sensors and actuators Manages all devices within the home Communicates wirelessly with all devices through Zigbee and Z-wave protocol Has to be hardwired to the homeowner’s network via Ethernet 10baseT /100baseT Iris Hub

Sensors Contact Sensor Allow for monitoring for windows and doors from an application interface GUI can be programmed to trigger additional actions Motion Sensor Infra-red sensor that detects motion Communicates wirelessly to the hub when motion is detected GUI can be programmed to trigger additional actions Wireless Web Cam Allows the user to view video streams from an application interface when an event occurs For example, the camera can be programmed to automatically activate by motion or when alarm is triggered

Smart Thermostat Touch screen programmable Allows the user to control the temperature from the GUI Allows the user to control the HVAC system based on predetermined schedules

Actuators Smart Button Allows monitoring from the GUI Can be used as a Door Bell Allows logging of data, and providing automatic alerts Alarm Console Allows the user to turn an alarm system on and off using custom access codes from the GUI Provides automatic alerts when an alarm is activated Door Lock Allows access to the user’s home through programmable scheduled codes or the GUI

Actuators Dimmer Light Switch Allows control of lighting in the home at the plug level On/off/dim 120VAC Smart Plug Allows the control of branch circuits from the GUI Provides real time energy usage data

GUI – Smartphone Select Mode History AlarmCamera Thermostat Control

GUI – PC

Graphical User Interface The GUI is supported by the Automation Server Any web application can be used to access the Automation Server The server is located in San Antonio, TX The web application communicates with the Iris Hub via the Internet User Interface Provides the GUI to the end user Utilizes a web application Can be accessed via either: Carrier mobile network: 2G/3G/4G Wifi: IEEE B/G/N Local Area Network: 10/100 BaseT Automation Server

Home Owners Network Router Allows communication to the automation server via the Internet 10/100 Base T Hub Allows wired Ethernet devices to communicate Provides a gateway between wireless Ethernet and the wired 10/100 Base T network Wireless Ethernet: Wi-Fi, IEEE b,g,n Linksys WRT

Testing Approach Setup a demo system and connect all components Evaluate the performance of the system Test the system in alternate scenarios With and without an Internet connection Different networking equipment Troubleshoot performance issues

Setup Observations Wired Internet connection is required Hub must be connected to server to begin setup Setup is handled through PC GUI No local setup available Limited documentation on setup of components Wireless pairing of devices is inconsistent Pairing is not “plug and play” Unpairing requires the original Iris hub, which is not always available This makes it very difficult to move wireless components from one installation site to another There are no tools that allow determination of signal strength for wireless devices This makes it difficult to determine optimum location of the hub and whether or not repeaters are required This can be done through trial and error, but it takes a lot of unnecessary time and expense

Evaluation Once the system was properly configured, we evaluated its performance In general use, the system operated as expected once it had been successfully installed System response time is variable For example, the time delay between recording of video and viewing of the image in the GUI varies from 10 seconds to 2 minutes This is not acceptable for an alarm system

Performance Issues In order to function, the following items must be operational: Home Owner’s Network and ISP Connection DHCP Server Properly configured Firewall These item are necessary for the communication hub to establish an Internet connection

DHCP Server Dynamically assigns IP addresses on the private side of the network Network Diagram When a device boots up it acquires an IP address from the DHCP server that is running in the Linksys device

Firewall Issues Most users protect their home Wi-Fi network There are no utilities to see if the webcam has acquired a correct IP address Webcam has to be configured on the wired network to provide an SSID Most homeowners have no knowledge of network troubleshooting techniques All end users utilize private IP addressing to avoid additional cost from their ISP Static IP addresses cost money Security issues with the devices exposed to the Internet The Linksys device provides network address translation (NAT) This enhances the security of the homeowners network, BUT The Iris device must be accessible from the automation server This requires the Iris to “call home” to the automation server when it is powered up

Other Issues The wireless pairing problem becomes more pronounced in a home No line of site to the Iris hub Walls degrade the wireless signal Subject to Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) According to the manufacturer, these problems can be eliminated with repeaters Requires Trial and Error to properly locate the repeater

Troubleshooting Only online documentation is available, which is incomplete and of poor quality Tech support walks the end user through the online documentation Troubleshooting doesn’t go much beyond rebooting No service menus or manual configuration utilities Devices are not “Smart” enough to reconnect wirelessly without rebooting and repairing

Automation Server Whois When the Iris hub boots up it sends a message to an automation server By using packet sniffing we determined that the server is located in San Antonio, Texas This means that if connectivity to this server cannot be established for any reason, the system will not work Rearrange picture, make larger

Results System performance, setup, and maintenance were problematic No local debug mode or configuration menu Always-on broadband Internet connection is required for operation Intermittent wireless behavior Developed troubleshooting and setup procedures Documented all procedures Created a sample unit for use in customer demonstrations

Conclusions System performance is dependent on the Internet connection, and the wireless coverage available at a customer’s home If the internet connection between the IRIS hub and the automation server becomes congested, the GUI is unusable If wireless pairing fails, a service call is required to troubleshoot the problem Installation of the thermostat is highly dependent on the HVAC contractor

QUESTIONS?