 | ||
opnode, from "open node", is the term given to the open source controllers designed by www.opnode.org for the home automation community. An opnode, being a node, is part of a network. Within this network, every opnode communicates with each other, and even with third-party nodes, forming a distributed intelligence.
Contents
This initiative intends to involve the open source home automation community in the development of low cost networked controllers for the home.
Projects
At the moment, the opnode team is working on two projects: opn-one and opn-232.
opn-one
opn-one is an embedded web home controller with 1-Wire, xAP and xPL interfaces. This controller works as 1-Wire master so that users can manage the endpoints easily from the xAP/xPL network or any web browser. Being a low-cost technology, 1-Wire is widely used in home automation, mainly for temperature monitoring and also to build home weather stations. Opn-one intends to replace those 1-Wire masters based on PCs.
opn-232
opn-232 is an embedded web home controller with RS232 and xAP. This is just a hardware design. The software is still under development and will depend on the external hardware to control. For the initial release, it will communicate with a CM11A RS232/X10 interface. As the opn-one, the opn-232 has a web interface allowing users to configure, monitor and control the system from remote locations.
opn-max
opn-max is an advanced xAP controller created upon OpenSlug for the Linksys NSLU2. This controller can manage any BSC endpoint within the local xAP network. Besides the standard features already contained in the opnode core (Event Manager, Web interface, upgrades, etc.), opn-max provides some other good functionalities:
The whole opnode project is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).
Technology
The first two opnodes are based on the Digi Connect-ME, a tiny embedded module running uClinux with Linux kernel 2.4.This device contains 4 MB of Flash and 8 MB of RAM, enough space to run uClinux, Busybox, Boa web server, FTP server and the opnode application.
opn-max is based on OpenSlug (SlugOS/BE) for the Linksys NSLU2. 133 MHz, 8MB of internal Flash and 32MB of RAM. This device needs an external USB drive in order to run opn-max and all the associated applications.
xAP and xPL are both open protocols designed to work as integration layer in Home Automation networks. Due to their simplicity, xAP and xPL are easy to implement on any platform.