{"id":2007,"date":"2023-12-22T10:27:14","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T08:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/192.168.1.213:8088\/?p=2007"},"modified":"2024-05-01T11:51:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T09:51:11","slug":"smart-homes-smarter-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/192.168.1.213:8088\/smart-homes-smarter-data\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart Homes, Smarter Data: The Role of Telemetry in Home Automation"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
Welcome to the world where home meets automation! If you’ve been following my journey, you know that my passion for automation extends far beyond the realm of business. My home is a living testament to this passion, where every corner buzzes with the magic of smart home technology.<\/p>
Rewind to about a decade ago, and you’d find me tinkering with a Raspberry Pi, hooking it up with motion and temperature sensors. Fast forward through years sprinkled with Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays, and you’ll see how my humble setup has evolved into an eclectic mix of gadgets. I’ve gradually transitioned from DIY Raspberry Pi solutions to a diverse array of devices from various brands, each speaking a different technological language – be it 868 MHz, Zigbee, or WiFi.<\/p>
Despite their differences, there\u2019s one thing that unites all these devices: the wealth of data they generate. In this post, I’ll dive into how I capture this treasure trove of information from my smart home setup for later analysis. Stay tuned for an exciting journey into the heart of home automation telemetry!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
When it comes to managing a smart home, the first hurdle is often the diverse array of devices from different vendors. Each typically comes with its own bridge and, frustratingly, demands the use of a separate app. But who wants to juggle multiple apps just to turn on a light or adjust the thermostat? Certainly not me! So, what’s the solution? It’s simpler than you might think.<\/p>
The answer lies in a single, versatile controller capable of managing devices from various vendors. This controller needs to be flexible, extendable, and support a wide range of devices. Enter IOBroker \u2013 my go-to solution for this very purpose.<\/p>
IOBroker has been my trusty sidekick for years now, and for good reason. It boasts over 600 adapters, covering a broad spectrum of popular vendors, ensuring almost anything in your smart home ecosystem can be integrated seamlessly. It’s like having a universal remote, but way cooler!<\/p>
In my setup, I have IOBroker integrations for:<\/p>
Here’s a snapshot showcasing some of the plugins I use in IOBroker. This visual gives you a peek into the heart of my smart home’s control system \u2013 where complexity meets simplicity, and technological diversity harmonizes under one digital roof.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Continuing our journey in smart home automation, we’ve successfully tackled the challenge of unifying multiple vendors under one roof with IOBroker.<\/p>
Now, it’s time to address the next crucial step: centralizing the data produced by our sensors and devices.<\/p>
Each data point generated by our smart home devices is represented as an object in IOBroker. With an additional adapter, we are able to save the date into an external database.<\/p>
To make sense of data, we turn to tools commonly used in professional IT environments. This setup mirrors what we do for example in the data center with Nexus devices and telemetry. This brings a slice of that professional-grade technology right into our homes. \ud83d\ude0d<\/p>
I’m capturing a variety of data points, including power consumption, temperature, humidity, motion, and even the fitness data that my watch is generating. Below is a screenshot showing power consumption and temperature data. This is just the start \u2013 using these tools, I’ve created dashboards that bring this data to life, offering insights at a glance.<\/p>
This approach empowers us to make informed decisions based on real-time data, elevating our home automation experience to a new level.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t