Hardware Device Detection Suggestion for more detail

Product Wishlist
1

I know your company is not really into making hardware, but here’s my suggestion.

Can a device be made fairly cheaply that emits a serial # code in the the waveform that your AI detects to help identify each device? The user should be able to program the device with a number or the device should have a unique number that you can assign to a power using device.

I know this is not really your goal, to make hardware, but isn’t tracking each device’s power, what you are trying to offer?

I bought sense for the whole home for a reason. That is to know how much each device is using for power, how long it’s using that power, and how much it’s costing me.

I want to be able to track everything in the house, down to the smallest power wart.

It could be as simple as a unit that sits in the base of a light bulb socket to and outlet plug that you plug a lamp in. You still can use the normal way for all the bigger draw items.

I’m not willing to pay $50 for a WeMo Insight that may only work for a year. I know there is another unit out there, 110 or something like that. I’ll have to check if it’s compatible with my system and my iPhone.

2

This is a really good idea and should be patented if it hasn’t been already. A low cost pass through plug device could easily inject a unique PLC signal onto the line when its connected load turns on. Unfortunately, the lowest cost version of this would only work well for loads that use a consistent amount of power throughout their on cycle.

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3

As a former hardware guy, I’m not sure Sense could build what you describe for less than what a cheap power-sensing smatplug costs. You can get a pair of TP-Link HS110s for 25$ with current deals. And the HS110 supplies far more info to Sense, than a simple “I’m On/I’m Off coding”. It supplies a stream of actual power info at 2x / sec. Still not appropriate for every wall wart because of size and cost, but I’m guessing we’ll see better form factors and prices as time goes on.

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