hi,
how can I control electric devices with Linux?
I mean, for example turning on a lamp. Or controlling the light of the lamps.

If you are an electronics hobbyist you could use the parallel port to control relays. I've only built stuff for a legacy hardware port. I've seen some sites where the have used a USB adapter to bit twiddle but have never actually tried it.

There are also special USB or serial interfaces to control switches and wall plugins. This is basically a software project since all the hardware can be purchased. These devices use protocols like X-10 and Insteon.

http://as6edriver.sourceforge.net/Pa...ing-howto.html
http://home.comcast.net/~ncherry/

1 members found this post helpful.

Hello,

The only thing I know is Freeduino
http://www.freeduino.org/
or Arduino
http://www.arduino.cc/
which are open hardware platform made to act with "real world"

But I'm curious of the answers of that post, I'm interested too actually.

Thank you posting this question,
Angel.

1 members found this post helpful.

Digital : The K8055 control board http://libk8055.sourceforge.net/
http://www.vellemanusa.com/products/...=enu&id=500349

https://www.google.com/webhp#sclient...w=1152&bih=715

And LQ Search, keyword = libk8055

.

Hi,

The cheapest and easiest way is to get a printer card (parallel port) from ebay.
That is cost about 5£ ( 8$ ) and you will get 8 port that you can easily switch on and off from any programs.
Like this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PCI-IEEE-1...item43a1c7cfa1

If you want to control something like 220V AC you can get a solid state relay that can controll anything on the AC.
For example lamps, tv, anything on the AC 220V.

So the relay look like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-SSR-25...item35b561017f

Obviously you have to know how to connect them otherwise you can get killed by the electric shock, so be really carefull!!!
I used this kind of electronic kits for playing with lamps when I worked in a Theater as a lighter guy.

So the printer card has 8 output and can be triggered from a program. It has 5V output with usually 50mA or something current.
You can easily switch on LEDs or solid state relays too.

I used it ages ago on DOS system when the linux was not even around just yet
Anyway if you need more help with it just let me know.

I look around how to make some program to switch the outputs from terminal or from apache web server like php script or something.
Imagine that you can switch on the garden water tap from your mobile phone or open the garage door?
Cool init?

By the way there is the diagramm how to connect the leds: http://www.studentsharez.com/thread-1308857.html

Regards

Laz

1 members found this post helpful.

I think the X10 had linux support for maybe 10 years or more.

I found a hobbyist website full of links about Linux Home Automation ("home automation" or "building automation" is the buzzword for this sort of stuff):

http://home.comcast.net/~ncherry/

So I found this: http://www.ahmetozkurt.net/comporg/e...n2/inlinux.htm

This is explains how to switch on and off the ports and how to compile it with gcc.
If you get the actual code you can run it from Apache with php/cgi script.

As I remember you have to send out the data in hexa code.
For example if you want a running light effect like the Christmas tree you have to count one by one all the steps in hexadecimal.

This site explains how to light up leds one by one: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/vb/Por...eParallelPort1

Laz.