Saturday, November 14, 2009

Digi Smart Plug


One of the interesting topics discussed yesterday during the Digi Webinar is a new product called the SmartPlug. It looks like one of the network extenders or routers. It includes an ambient light sensor but also a switch that allows a light or some other appliance to be plugged into it and controlled. In addition to being able to turn the appliance 'on' and 'off,' it will give a status of the appliance and also the amount of current the appliance is drawing, when 'on.' New drivers have been added to the DIA system so the Smart Plug can be controlled. See the web page above displaying the current, power and the on/off switch.

I ordered two of the Smart Plugs and when they arrive I will try them out and post additional information on them. One of my goals in my project for the house is to be able to control an air conditioning/heating duct and be able to close off one of the bedrooms during the day and force the cooler air to an area of the house that is occupied while having it go back to normal in the evening. The Smart Plug would be great at this as it could not only be controlled manually but have it flip the switch automatically based on a particular temperature or time of the day.

There were other topics discussed during the webinar and I will share those in the next few posts.

2 comments:

siegfried loeffler said...

Hi - interesting device. Where did you order these? Do you know if they exist in versions with european power connectors?

desNotes said...

I had to email a Digi contact person in order to get the order information and a data sheet. If you send your email to me at desnotes@gmail.com I can send you the data sheet (pdf) and the contact information. The one I received did not look like it was convertible to European power connectors like some of the other sensors but they might have an European compatible version available.