Circuit Lake

This project shows you how to implementing your own Web/WAP enabled home automation system. It will allows you to control the on/off state of up to eight 3A appliances via either a web browser or a mobile phone.

The system is split into three functional sections. These are
1. PHP files on the internet server – These handle the front-end interface to browsers (HTML) and WAP phones (WML), and send commands to your home computer.
2. Java application on your home computer – Receives messages from Internet server, and passes them via the serial port to the automation hardware.
3. The control box – Receives signals via serial port, and actuates the eight 240vac switches. It’s built around PIC16F84.
4. Switches – 240vac relay switches.

Here are few prerequisites for the project: An always-on internet connection (or at least on while you want to control things), An always-on computer, PHP enabled Web space (or your own web server), WAP/web enabled phone if you’d like to use the mobile control features of the system. This home automation system provided is fairly cheap and effective, said Josh, the designer.