[Paper Review] Domotic Embedded System

Lidia Dobrescu|arXiv (Cornell University)|Dec 14, 2014

Embedded Systems and FPGA Design3 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents an embedded domotic system for real-time room temperature monitoring and remote control to enhance energy efficiency. It integrates 1-Wire sensors, RS-232 communication, OWFS software, and the OpenRemote interface, enabling Android-based mobile control and centralized system management through a modular hardware-software architecture.

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an original domotic embedded system for room temperature monitoring. The OpenRemote is the main software interface between the user and the system, but other software components and communication protocols are used, such as 1-Wire protocol for temperature monitoring devices, RS-232 for the central PC unit and OWFS software for remote control using Android mobile devices. The system architecture consists in hardware and software components to remote control a room temperature parameter for energy efficiency increasing.

Motivation & Objective

• To design a low-cost, embedded domotic system for continuous room temperature monitoring.
• To improve energy efficiency in residential environments through automated temperature regulation.
• To enable remote control of temperature parameters using mobile devices and standardized communication protocols.
• To integrate heterogeneous hardware and software components into a cohesive, scalable home automation solution.

Proposed method

• The system uses 1-Wire protocol to interface with temperature sensors for accurate, real-time data acquisition.
• RS-232 is employed for communication between the central PC unit and peripheral components.
• OWFS (Open Wireless File System) software enables remote access and control of 1-Wire devices from Android mobile devices.
• The OpenRemote platform serves as the primary user interface for system monitoring and control.
• A modular hardware-software architecture decouples sensing, processing, and user interaction layers.
• The system supports interoperability between embedded sensors, central processing, and mobile clients via standardized protocols.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can an embedded domotic system be designed to monitor room temperature with minimal hardware overhead and high reliability?
• RQ2 What combination of communication protocols ensures stable and secure remote control of temperature parameters?
• RQ3 To what extent can mobile device integration enhance user accessibility and system usability in home automation?
• RQ4 How can heterogeneous components (sensors, PC, mobile) be effectively coordinated in a single embedded system architecture?

Key findings

• The system successfully enables real-time room temperature monitoring using 1-Wire-based sensors with minimal latency.
• Remote control of temperature settings via Android devices is achieved through OWFS and OpenRemote integration.
• The use of RS-232 ensures stable, low-jitter communication between the central PC and embedded components.
• The modular architecture allows for scalable deployment and easy integration of additional sensors or control units.
• The system demonstrates feasibility for energy-efficient home automation through automated temperature regulation.
• User interaction is enhanced through a responsive, web-based interface accessible from mobile platforms.