Otis wrote:...Now, I am using Trendnet Powerline AV Adapters to bring my network out to the water feature. They are simple to use —... ...Another output turns on our deer sprinklers at night... ...Very cool! Many, if not all, of the available sensors appear to be supported by the plugin...
otis, thanks for the report. Your experiences pretty much map mine as far as the reliability and range of solutions Phidgets offer.
I do have a few comments: I have been using a Netgear Ethernet over A/C adapter for a situation similar to yours. In general it works well. However, I have noticed that occasionally the SBC-2 at the far end will just disappear and need to be physically re-started. I have not been able to isolate the cause of the problem but I think it is caused by a signal loss from the EoA/C units.
Do you irrigate your deer I use my sprinklers to try to scare them away.
The plugin should support all Phidget Analog sensors that plug directly into an InterfaceKit. If not, let me know. They are easy to add. BTW, there are 3 general purpose pseudo sensors: the 999a, 999b and 999c. Respectively, their output is: voltage level, 0-5 vdc; an integer, 0-1000; or the result of a user defined formula based on a 0-1000 input value. In fact, the last one, the 999c, can pretty much duplicate the custom function encoded in the sensor specific devices (see the sensor documentation for the appropriate formulas). I am also quite willing to add support for additional standalone Phidgets if someone will send me one to test with.
And, finally, a CAVEAT: The Phidgets plugin is still very much beta. As I get more experience with the Phidgets, especially issues in my own installation, I continue to find areas for improvements. Right now, I think the weakest area is detection, notification and recovery of lost communications with a Phidget. I will be working on that this fall and winter.