Re: How to connect outbuilding

Posted by vysocan on
URL: http://ohs.356.s1.nabble.com/How-to-connect-outbuilding-tp322p323.html

Hello Charlie,

thanks for the compliment. I must say the STM32 is pretty solid microcontroler, and I'm happy with it as well.

For the expansion, I have in fabrication new boards, they have 8 balanced zones and a relay. I've just recently posted on blog: https://openhomesecurity.blogspot.com/2020/12/expansion-board.html
These have possibility to expand the main board over wire RS485 or over radio RFM69. But not Ethernet. If you had an extra Cat 5  wire instead of fiber, then it would be a nice choice as RS485 works perfectly over a pair of Ethernet wire and 1 wire ground. There exists for sure an RS485 to Ethernet adapter, but what I know they usually work 8 bit. Gateway use a bit special 9 bit protocol, where the 9bit is wakes up the receiver. And a pair of them may be more expensive then a new gateway.
If it's not far, then you may try to connect them over radio. It works 200m in open environment, can penetrate walls and even concrete. But obstacles weaken the signal. I've bought a better antenna for my gateway and my garden sprinkler node that is buried in ground to achieve uninterrupted connection. Rest of my nodes work with a rubber or wire antennas. There are many options of such antennas connected to pigtails, even with long cables and mounted outdoors.

Adam