Rabbit® Brings the Home to You

Stealth Laboratories uses the RCM3720 for home automation and remote monitoring.

In our industry, being
first to market is very important. I was able to have a working prototype in just a few weeks, due to all of Rabbit’s sample
applications.

—Joseph Ellis, Stealth Laboratories, Inc.

The concept of home automation has been around for decades. Since its inception, the technology has improved greatly and now offers users the ability to control every aspect of their home. Home automation used to be limited to the on-site location, and was mainly controlled with a PC. Now with the Internet and wireless communication, home automation control can be done from anywhere in the world. Embedded technology has also helped to streamline home automation, reducing the need for PCs and complicated software.

Stealth Laboratories based in Hickory, North Carolina, specializes in security products for commercial, industrial, government and residential locations. The company offers a wide range of products from power supplies to video over UTP surveillance, for professional level home automation and security. Using Rabbit’s Dynamic C® and RCM3720 RabbitCore®, Stealth Laboratories has achieved the next level of home automation and monitoring with the IC-88 Internet Commando.

The IC-88 Internet Commando is a dedicated I/O module that enables network-based automation applications and is compatible with X10 home automation controllers. It has the ability to monitor eight inputs and control eight on-board outputs (two SPDT relays and six open collector low current outputs). Both inputs and outputs have optional email or text message notifications that can be delivered to a cell phone if the system or devices have changed. The IC-88 has the added feature of generating intelligent emails that clearly express certain assignable actions. Systems in the past have provided the notification function, but did not indicate anything meaningful.

“Automatically-generated emails often don’t make a lot of sense. We wanted the Internet Commando to generate intelligent emails that clearly stated which input(s) changed and what the current state was,” explained Joe Ellis, Engineering Manager at Stealth Laboratories. “Instead of the default, ‘INPUT 1 IS HIGH’ or ‘INPUT 2 IS LOW,’ the user can enter descriptive text for each input. The result is a much clearer email, such as ‘Control Panel is Armed’ or ‘Security System is IN ALARM!”

At the heart of the IC-88 is the RCM3720 RabbitCore, which provides the processing power, I/O and web configurability.

“The RCM3700 family had everything we needed at an affordable price: small form factor, 0.1 inch pin spacing, 5 V tolerant I/O and a royalty-free TCP/IP stack,” said Ellis.

Stealth Laboratories has eliminated the need for bulky PCs and extensive software for home automation. The RCM3720’s web capability makes the IC-88 accessible and configurable via a web browser, enabling users to configure and monitor systems from remote locations, without extra software.

The Internet Commando is ideal for individuals who need to monitor or control devices at a remote location. The support of X10 modules gives users the ability to control lights and appliances in their homes, vacation cottages or businesses. Devices such as temperature sensors can be added to the system and configured to trigger an email notification when a specified threshold point has been reached.

Stealth Laboratories has used Rabbit products for past projects and appreciated their ease of use.

“My boss was adamant that I try a microcontroller from another manufacturer that was recommended by our FAE. I couldn’t get the product to do anything. We had the FAE come in and try…we got an engineer from the manufacturer on the phone…nothing worked! Rabbit’s Dynamic C was so much easier to use. There was just no contest,” Ellis said.

Ellis added, “In our industry, being first to market is very important. I was able to have a working prototype in just a few weeks, due to all of Rabbit’s sample applications.”

Rabbit’s Dynamic C and proven hardware gave Stealth Laboratories an edge in their industry. Dynamic C and the library of sample software give customers a platform to quickly and easily develop their applications. The RCM3720 enabled Stealth Laboratories to combine monitoring and control in one clean package. The on-board Ethernet and web serving capabilities helped to take remote home automation and monitoring to the next level.

Learn more about the RCM3720 RabbitCore

For more information about Stealth Laboratories, please visit: www.stealthlabs.com

Submit your design application success story to press@rabbit.com