Automated home: The software
The hardware that I have selected offers the functionality that I will need for this project. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all the software that was provided with the selected hardware. PlugWise is the only one providing software with webinterfaces and some kind of webservices. The other software is simply not focused on extensions to other type of systems.
The table will give an overview of the solutions chosen for the first prototypes of my home automation system.
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Device
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Functionality of software
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Missing functionality
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Chosen alternative
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Wireless switch units
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Sending commands
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High level API
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Software based on the xPL project (RFXCOM service, .NET API etc.)
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LCD TV
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None. No software provided
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Driver with API or something similar
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Custom written API with the serial protocol implemented.
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UPnP media players
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Media server with indexing
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API to control media renderers
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Intel UPnP SDK or other (open source) UPnP API
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PlugWise
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Management, statistics, control and a kind of webservice
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API
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Custom written API to connect with webservice
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The solutions that I haven chosen will raise the abstraction level and will make it easier to integrate them. In a next phase of my project, when the first DSL will be defined, I will give a more detailed look at the APIs.