Abstract
To date, the Internet has been a network connecting
mostly desktop PCs, but soon all kinds of intelligent
devices containing a small microprocessor will exchange
data over the Internet. This will have a big impact on
buildings and their technical systems, which now include
a number of processor-based devices. Internet
connectivity implies a totally new way to control and
manage these devices. The potential benefits will be
significant. Therefore, the need to design low-cost
Internet appliances is worldwide today, and many
commercial products are already available. This paper
proposes a new technical approach to connect small
processor devices to the Internet. The approach makes
possible a connection both through the Public Switched
Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Global Systems for
Mobile Communications (GSM) network. The connection is
based on networking software programmed in the processor
device and a gateway server, which together transfer data
between the PSTN and other communication networks. The
data communication utilizes the Short Message Service
(SMS) and the Extended Machine Interface (EMI) protocol.
Besides the low cost, the proposed system has several
benefits, such as uncomplicated structure and operation,
standardized data transfer, and an ability to be embedded
in an 8-bit processor device. Yet, the approach does not
require high-speed data communication. Thus, it is
especially suitable for applications controlling slow and
non-critical building processes. The proposed system was
demonstrated by designing a microprocessor device
interfaced to an Air Handling Unit (AHU). Sensor data
from the AHU was transferred to the Internet through the
PSTN and the GSM networks. In addition, a Web-user
interface was created for the remote control of the AHU.
The results of the pilot project were encouraging and
will be used as a basis for further development of the
system.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 45-56 |
Journal | Electronic Journal of Information Technology in Construction |
Volume | 7 |
Publication status | Published - 2002 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- technical systems of buildings
- HVAC
- internet appliance
- web appliance
- remote control
- monitoring