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  • Over the last year, I have been thinking about home automation on a higher level then Sonoff (limited lifetime) or 433mhz (limited possibilities) or even wifi (stability issues). Serious automation is usually done with a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). These come with a price-tag: a Wago PLC with software license easily sets you back € 600. Cheaper options include a Railduino or Controllino, but as the name suggests, these have to be programmed with the Arduino IDE. I guess I just miss the ease of an Espruino PLC :) How cool would it be to program a PLC with something like this:

    var ledDriver = plc.add('analogOut', A1);
    var ledDimmer = plc.add('rotary', { pinA: D1, pinB: D2, pinSw: D3, function () {
        ledDriver.setVoltage( E.clip(this.position, 0, 10) );
    });
    

    The PLC should have an ethernet-port (not wifi) to interface with (for example) Home Assistant, spitting out JSON over a websocket when the plc-class runs an event (like spinning the rotary, in the example above). And the other way around: the plc-class should be accessable over the websocket by feeding it JSON.

    For future expansions, I would opt for a module based system: a main CPU in a plastic case with a small number of inputs and outputs (analog and digital), and optional modules for specific purposes (4 x input, 4 x output, 0-10v output...). The modules would connect to eachother with a USB-like connector system.

    Gordon, any chance of an Espruino PLC happening? Or even a native ethernet Espruino? I would buy (both!) ;-) Untill that time, it seems that an Espruino Original could do pretty much everything I want it to, when combined with a WIZ550io. Does that still require the special build, even though the CC3000-support was removed from Espruino (and the lack of memory should no longer be an issue)?

    Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!

  • Fri 2019.12.27

    Okay, I'll bite @Thijsmans, but I'll need to be educated on why the current breakout boards are not already the heart of a PLC, sans the necessary connector (and possible drivers) hardware.

    https://www.espruino.com/MDBT42Q
    (would provide smart phone programability)

    Instructions for Espruino and WIZ550io here:

    https://www.espruino.com/WIZnet

    The sample code snippet provided is pretty much how all the current tutorials could be wrapped, to provide that simplicity, should they not be at that level already.

    A $10 plastic case, along with $2 connectors and the desired $4 digital or analog amplifier boards if necessary would keep the entire project well under $100.

    What is preventing the goal you seek?

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