Presented to the Engineering Division of the Graduate School
of Cornell University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Engineering (Electrical)
Eric Holmberg-Weidler & David MacLeod
Project Advisor: Prof. Bruce Land
Home automation and central control is an exciting technology that is only now becoming economically feasible. Previous approaches have required extensive remodeling of the home in order to automate the various appliances and devices. The HomeNet system differs from earlier solutions because it is a truly wireless system that will work with existing devices within the home. HomeNet provides convenient control over the household environment by allowing the user to interact with a PC, send messages over a wireless RF network, and control the function of appliances in the home. HomeNet brings practical home automation and control to your fingertips. The goal for this system is to create a low cost, centrally controlled, wireless network that can be conveniently controlled from a PC. Other design goals include using existing appliances with no modification by the user, providing a GUI interface for easy interaction with the PC, and provide long battery life for the receiver nodes on the wireless network.