Smart Home Blog

Finally, the repository for Nokia Internet Table Orbiter was setup (thanks to Andrew Herron from Convergent Home Technologies Ltd) to provide one click installation for Orbiter. Actually, that possibility is available for OS2008 (Chinook and Diablo) only. There is no way to specify more then one repository in Mistral (I suppose nobody use it now) and Bora (it’s used on Nokia770 only I guess). So, if you don’t have OS2008 on your device you should add Maemo and Maemo Extra repositories first.

Anyway, with new one click installation the Orbiter can be installed on your device easily and quickly.

Once I already wrote about using of Nokia Internet Tablet N800 as control panel in Elan smarthome systems. So, it’s time to make upgrade! Elan recently released a new firmware that will allow its N800 to control both the VIA!dj and its VIA!migo iPod docks. It’ll allow to access iPod info, browse songs by genre, year, cover art, and more. To upgrade your N800 you should call installer and, of course, get N800 from Elan for $1200. It’s impossible to use your own device.

In any case, Elan demonstrates a good application of N800 in the commercial home automation system.

Powerful Nokia’s Internet Tablets can be used to control embedded devices directly. You can find a few examples here (PDF, 6.4 MB). I found interesting the home automation application using 1-wire USB adapter. Personally, I prefer to do not use 1-wire anywhere except a weather station. In my opinion for home automation it has more disadvantages then merits. In any case, I saw a bunch of examples where Internet Tablets are used as control panel for various A/V and home automation systems (LinuxMCE, for example). But now I know how to use them as controllers for embedded devices to avoid using PC.

[via Kate Alhola’s Forum Nokia Blog]

Yesterday I tested Nokia770 and N800 as IP phones for LinuxMCE. I used Internet Communications Software for that. N800 was flashed by the latest OS2008 which already included it from the box. so, I just add a generic phone in LinuxMCE and setup a new SIP account on N800. After quick reload of router N800 connected to the Asterisk.

For Nokia770 I use OS2007 Hacker Edition. So, I followed by instructions from Internet Communications Software site and installed it successful regardless of the fact that the last package gave error. Finally, I added another generic phone to the LinuxMCE and configure SIP account on the Nokia770. After that I make a call from N800 to Nokia770. The quality of sound was good except a small echo (remember, I didn’t modify any options of Asterisk). But generally it was acceptable.

It’s really nice option to use Nokia770 or N800 as a SIP phone with Asterisk. But it’d be much better to integrate it into Orbiter. Maybe somebody knows howto do it.

Using Nokia770 or its next generation N800 is limited just your imagination and a little bit of hardware issue. The new Maemo application Ir Remote Control can be a good confirmation of that. The application gives a easy way to use Internet Tablet as remote control for your A/V equipment and home appliance.

The first versions of the Ir Remote Control used a dedicated PC with running LIRC server there. The latest one has its own LIRC back-end and supports IR Trance Ethernet to send IR command via LAN.

Basically, the Ir Remote Control uses LIRC client library to send desired command:

netirsend --server 'localhost' --port '8765' 'SEND_ONCE' 'Yamaha_RAV16' 'Vol+'

where
– server – IP address or service name where LIRC is running;
– post – LIRC server port;
– SEND_ONCE – LIRC directive, can be also SEND_START and SEND_END;
– Yamaha_RAV16 – the name of remote supported by LIRC (the command LIST can be used to get the list of all remotes);
– Vol+ – desired command, in that case – increasing of volume.

So, using Nokia770 or N800 together with IT Trance Ethernet and Ir Remote Control gives you an elegant and efficient way to control your IR stuff.