File this under: Would be nice
By john on Jun 18, 2008 in Home Automation, Home Security, featured
So last night I was able to get some neat stuff going to integrate my alarm system (provided by an awesome company called FrontPoint Security – check them out if you’re looking for an alarm system) using it’s native X10 signaling and my home control server’s ability to understand it.
Tonight I wanted to play around with it to see what all the X10 commands are it sent out – primarily to see if what I would LIKE to do is possible (it’s not, yet).
Since the panel basically acts as a giant X10 controller, I was hoping to find that when I opened a door, an X10 signal would be sent. Specifically, a UNIQUE X10 command. Were that the case, then I could do a LOT more with the home automation (like, make it truly automated).
The scenario that I dreamt up was having the system set up such that when I opened an external door, the panel would send an X10 signal for that door being opened. That signal would be interpreted by my home control server to mean that it should turn on a light or set of lights near that door. The neat part (and part that Indigo would excel at) is putting conditions on that such that it only happened after sunset and before sunrise ( kinda like how I have my outside lights now, they come on a certain period of time before sunset and go off a certain period of time after sunrise (5 minutes, I think, for both). The server knows when sunrise and sunset is, so there would be no need to constantly update the system – it does it for you.
Adding that kind of control in, I could open the door, have the lights come on so I don’t have to fumble for a light switch before heading over to the wireless panel to disarm the system.
From what I gather, it looks like Alarm.com (and others) are looking into ways to improve the home automation aspects of these kinds of systems. I really hope they make great strides in that endeavor, as I can guarantee I would find a use for that kind of stuff. I’ve definitely been bitten by that bug and am anxious to see what new and wonderful things they can come up with.
I kinda wish they had a beta program like there are with software – but I’m a tech geek, so of course I’d feel that way 
Anyways – this system has definitely proved itself to be pretty awesome. This is a *minor* disappointment, but in the grand scheme of things doesn’t change my feelings about the system. This was a “it’d be really cool if” kind of feature, but just goes to show that just because I can dream it doesn’t mean it’ll work
Regardless, Kudo’s to the FrontPoint, and Alarm.com teams for some great tech.
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