Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ptsfa!ames!nrl-cmf!cmcl2!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!tektronix!reed!percival!gary
From: gary@percival.UUCP (Gary Wells)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Home Automation Interest?
Summary: ISDN _not_ applicaple to home automation
Keywords: home automation, X-10, home-bus, integration
Message-ID: <1056@percival.UUCP>
Date: 16 Jan 88 23:14:17 GMT
References: <676@bucket.UUCP> <171@pasteur.Berkeley.Edu>
Reply-To: gary@percival.UUCP (Gary Wells)
Organization: Percy's UNIX, Portland, OR.
Lines: 41


In article 1818 of comp.misc Max Hauser writes:

>I wonder about the NV Philips "DDB" (Domestic Data Bus), a standard that
>has existed for years; and even the Integrated Services Digital Network
>(which seems to fill half the professional telecom magazines these 
>days). I am not familiar with these big-time domestic communications
>standards but it seems to me they could be relevant. Anyone 
>knowledgeable care to comment?

I've never even heard of the DDB, but I do know a little about ISDN.  It is
obvious from the above comment that Mr. Hauser knows nothing about ISDN
(no offense, most people don't yet).  

ISDN will be a way to cram 2 voice & 1 9600baud data channels down a standard
twisted pair of copper wire (which is what most of us have feed our telephones).
In the implementation I'm familiar with, the data channel uses a packet scheme.
A lot of the band width is devoted to telephone to switch communication.  This
makes the phone _very_ smart (identifies the calling number to you, can forward
calls based on incoming #, etc, etc).

The voice lines act line plain vanilla POTS.  You can even hook your trusty
modem up to them.

All in all, a great idea, but one which has little bearing on automating your
residence.  I can't see how the ISDN protocals could be used to advantage
in the internal home wiring, and auto-dialing modems can be used now (or with 
ISDN) to status or control the home via the DDD net.

I've seen several ads recently for security systems based on RF links between 
the sensors (even had a guy demo them in my house, works as good as he said, 
too!).  Heath (of course!) has a similar system.  This looks like a good 
idea for some of the more sensitive (those with wives know what I mean) areas.

Comments on DDB, anyone?

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still working on _natural_ intelligence.

gary@percival