HBus

Introduction

HBus is started as a personal project (a cheap home automation system) but with aspiration to be enough flexible to support different hardware/software platforms ranging from simpler older technologies to newest powerful hardware that continues to enter in the market every day.

First version of the protocol was written in a plc basic to implement home automation commands directly on actuator hardware.

Some sofistication were already possible as shutter automations or dynamic configuration of inputs/outputs).

Next comes a “connected” version that uses an Arduino like board s a remote interface for HBus using a webservice through ethernet connection.

Using this system every day in a “transparent” way, like a traditional system, (push the button and turn on/off lights!) proved the stability of the protocol and pushed the desire to add a new level of features to the system.

From here the version 2.0 of the protocol was born with IoT functions to handle sensor data in a subscribe/unsubscribe way and revised commands to support these new features.

A first demo of this system was showed at maker faire rome 2014

Current system is composed of several nodes connected with serial and/or ethernet

Both Arduino and Raspberry nodes can work in a standalone mode driving local outputs in response to local inputs, or work together exchange commands.

Current demo is composed of 4 nodes :

GETTING STARTED

PREREQUISITES

• Arduino Ide >= 1.6.3
• Visual studio 2015
• HBus sources from Github

ARDUINO NODE

• Copy HBus libraries into Arduino libraries folder
• Connect Arduino Mega as showed into scheme
• Take note of port name from Arduino ide into port settings
• Upload sensor_node.ino from HNode examples on Arduino mega with Arduino Ide
• Open serial terminal, if all gone well the terminal should send “node started” message.

RASPBERRY NODE

• Configure raspberry with Win10 IoT as showed in Microsoft tutorial
• Open Visual studio project with both Win10 and Windows projects and related libraries
• Configure node.config.xml into HBus.App with correct host ip address into PortTcp section:

<port type="HBus.Ports.PortTcp, HBus">

<parameters>

<parameter name="hostip" type="System.String" value="192.168.1.2" />

<parameter name="listenport" type="System.Int32" value="5000" />

<parameter name="sendport" type="System.Int32" value="5001" />

<parameter name="portnumber" type="System.Int32" value="1" />

<parameter name="asyncmessages" type="System.Boolean" value="false" />

</parameters>

</port>

“hostip” is the pc ip address

• Deploy HBus.App to raspberry node

HOST NODES

• Connect RLY816 if you want to drive real loads with configured demo otherwise disable start of console node ND002
• Configure node.config.xml into HBus.ConsoleNode and HBus.WinNode with correct ip address (same host node address) and serial port value (taken from Arduino settings)

<!-- Serial port -->

<port type="HBus.Ports.PortSerial, HBus">

<parameters>

<parameter name="portname" type="System.String" value="COM7" />

…

</parameters>

</port>

START DEMO

• Launch project execution from Visual Studio, if nodes configured correctly WinNode and ConsoleNode should start:
• You can send commands clicking on WinNode buttons or pressing from 0 to 7 into ConsoleNode window. Depending on button local or remote outputs should activate