Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sun-barr!apple!bionet!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: konstan@elmer-fudd.berkeley.edu (Joe Konstan)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Interested in "Home Switch" for Electrical Instead of Phone
Message-ID: <14911@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 21 Nov 90 18:10:03 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: TELECOM Digest
Lines: 37
Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 841, Message 7 of 13


With all of the regular information about home key systems and mini
PBX's a topic came up in a discussion with someone remodeling his home
about similar equipment for electrical facilities.  Since the
technology is quite similar, and home wiring has been a topic here in
the past, I thought this might be a good place to query:

Idea:

1.  This would be a system to allow dynamic (probably computer
controlled, though hard jumpers would be an alternative) changes to a
house wiring to alterwhich lights and outlets are controlled by which
switches.  It should support two-way, three-way, etc connections of
switches and should probably handle at least 32 or 64 each of switches
and lights/outlets.

2.  This is not intended to be a remote-control facility (though I'd
be interested if that were provided) so probably the best thing is
software-controlled physical connections (hence the analogy with an
old telephone switch).

3.  The person who would program the connections is quite technically
able.  The other people in the house should just be using
lightswitches as before.

4.  No need to control everything in the house (i.e., anything
unswitched (or obvious like the garbage disposal) can either bypass
this or be configured once and left.

5.  The home is being rewired anyway (next month or two) so that is
not an obstacle.  Neither is price.

So, TELECOM-readers, any ideas?


Joe Konstan
konstan@postgres.berkeley.edu