HCS_C Home Page

Zeta Engineering designs and builds the HCS_C Home Control System, which provides home monitoring and remote control of home functions. HCS_C consists of the HCS_C base station ("HCS_C main board") and remote modules (for example, the new HCS_Combo card, along with plugins such as 16 channel relay boards, ADC and DAC boards, etc), which can be placed throughout the house for sensing, viewing, talking, or activating devices or appliances. These are connected via RS485 ("HCS_Net").

Currently HCS_C supports X10 and Insteon powerline control, HCS_NET RS485 networks, ethernet internet connectivity, analog and digital inputs and outputs, and relay switching of devices. Keyboards, LCD displays, touchscreen displays, video (LCD computer monitors) and other devices are supported both at the base station or can be connected to remote modules.

HCS_C operation is managed with a simple but very powerful command language called HCS_C Xpress. It permits easy time or date control of any sensor or any action for any length of time. Random actuation (for example of house lighting while on vacation) is easy to do.

If you want to bring your house safety and management into the 21st century, HCS_C is the only system that brings all home control functions into one integrated system under your control!

Support for the original Circuit Cellar HCS2 is being maintained by William Maton and can be found here: http://www.wfms.org/hcs/ NOTE: If you are using an HCS2, consider adding the HCS Combo card to your setup! It is accessible via network string commands and should also be accessible using the Host network command, but I haven't tried it yet, too busy getting these cards shipped out!

Zeta Engineering HCS_C Status

6/28/2008: Well, I'm back! And so is the network PC board. It's just getting turned on now, it's got a couple of small mistakes on the powerplane that require a small cut (a via that crossed two powerplanes, I have no idea why the layout design rule checks didn't catch that). But--I'm going to be gone again in a couple of months! However, I'll just be doing what I can when I can. I now have the Avnet eval kit--it doesn't come with any software at all, so it's not as good a deal as I thought for you all to migrate to for the next generation of HCS. I don't know what the answer is, but I do know HCS_C is showing its age and I'm doubting the wisdom of pouring large amounts of efforts, HW and SW, into the current platform. It just takes too long for me to get stuff done--I've already had one customer move on because of that, so I'm thinking that some radical rethinking is needed that is quicker and more supportable by you all.

5/5/2008: Down to the final stretch on PC layout for the network card. I want to get this done before taking my leave shortly, don't know if I'll finish in time. The board is coming nicely and will provide a good migration path for updating the HCS_C main board in the short run. The limitation of 16 bit processing and the need for better display formats made me realize that a better math package for HCS_C would be valuable, so the network card will have a Cirrus 9302 for coprocessing support. It also has a MAC, but I have had such good luck with the Microchip EN28J60 prototype that it will be the ethernet path for now.

NOTE: due to the increasing need for better and more consistent math support, more memory, and a variety of other issues that are coming up, and my ability to manage only one path, HCS_C standalone development has come to a stop. The network card will become a requirement for future revisions of the HCS_C FW. The standalone HCS_C needs other players besides me to carry on the FW! It's not hard, but I have more than I can manage with just one path. Be aware that the old parts on the HCS_C main board are getting hard to find, so it will be replaced before too long with an updated version. Take a look at the Xilinx Virtex-5 development board designed by Avnet for $395: onboard processor, DRAM, ethernet, RS232, Flash, USB. This is a great deal and a nice integrated module for the next generation HCS_CX. Go to the avnet.com site and select the Programmable Logic page, FPGA, then go to the bottom of the Design Center page, it is the AES-V5FXT-EVL30-G evaluation kit.

In summary, the future of HCS_C (at least as I see it, unless someone takes over, or if you all persuade me otherwise!)

1: Thruough 2008: Network card daughtercard, full system now called HCS_CE. FW for HCS_C standalone has stopped at version 1.09. Standalone HCS_C will no longer be shipped (but existing HCS_C boards will work with this ethernet card and new FW versions will support that combination). Estimated ethernet boards back and ready for turn-on and FW development in June, 2008. FW development shouldn't be too bad unless problems require another layout (it's a different FPGA and new processor, so a PC layout spin is probable), you may be able to get boards end of summer or fall 2008, although I would be prepared for considerable instability until the end of 2008.

2a: Targeted for early 2009: Update the HCS_C main board. Two approaches being considered: Re-layout of the HCS_C and ethernet daughtercard into one board called HCS_CX. This approach will be quickest and probably would begin in fall of 2008.

2b: A more forward looking approach is replacing HCS_C altogether with the virtex-5 eval board and an additional add-on PC board with the HCS IO capabilities on it. Since there is a learning curve, new tools, and different processor, this is a big change. Only one or the other of these two options will happen. I'm leaning a little toward the virtex board option.

Send me your opinions and thoughts! One thing for sure--HCS_C is showing its age, and we need to think about its replacement...

4/24/2008: I've been in PC layout for the network card--don't have enough pins on the Xilinx FPGA! Xilinx uses a 208 pin PQFP, whereas Altera uses a PQFP 240. Cheap low cost pcboards and assembly preclude the use of BGAs. My prototype network card has been online for close to a month, so I think I got most of the issues out of that implementation.

4/5/2008: Wow. This is the first time that having an installed HCS_C paid off big time. I've got a network of machines here that I keep running, and this morning, HCS_C was reporting abnormal network activity. I say, what the heck? and found one of my machines was a zombie, emitting thousands of packets continuously. I'm fairly fanatic about safe computing, so I was astonished to see this--AVG antivirus reported no virus, yet clearly the machine was obviously badly misbehaving. HCS_C reported that all the packets were "unknown" type, and would stop as soon as I disabled the offending machine's network connection. I checked all active processes, and found nothing suspicious--but that particular machine is a gaming machine, I don't get email or even do browsing on it (and only play local single player games) so I'm guessing that one of the game updates had a virus attached. There was no recourse but to format the hard drive. Unfortunately, I have no idea what caused the problem (I'm the only user on that machine), but what an enormous comfort to have a powerful unexpected benefit to HCS_C--continuous monitoring of internet activity. Even AVG couldn't catch this one--I've heard that antivirus software can't outsmart the latest breed of viruses, but HCS_C is like having a continuously running version of wireshark checking network behavior!

All is quiet on the network now--but I'm going to immediately put in local and web alarms for abnormal ethernet activity. I'm currently installing several more HCS_Mini and HCS_Combo cards, the Combo card has voice, and HCS_C is going to speak various alerts on our intercom. If the bad activity occurs at night, it will just wait until morning to report so it won't wake us up.