Home Control Assistant

The Home Control Assistant (HCA) is a Windows based home automation program that works with a variety of automation interfaces to control lights, appliances, irrigation, HVAC and more. With HCA's Scheduling and Green Mode features you can easily save money, reduce electrical usage, conserve water and improve safety by automating your home.

Version 10 Now Available!:

The Home Control Assistant can be operated in stand-alone mode, where a single computer runs HCA and has the attached automation interfaces, or in Client-Server mode. In Client-Server mode one computer runs the HCA server and has the attached automation interfaces. One or more clients run on other networked computers and can simultaneously access the server. These clients see the standard HCA User Interface and can control the automation design as well as make changes to it. A Touch-Screen Interface is also available to create a user-friendly simple method of controlling a selected set of devices, programs, and groups in your design. In addition to all this, a native Android application is available to act as a client to the HCA Server.

The Home Control Assistant offers three different flavors, each one has different capabilities for your home automation needs. Check out the Flavor Comparison chart for details on supported devices and features included in each flavor.

In one inclusive package HCA Plus provides for creation and operation of simple to complex automation designs. The top 20 feature list:

1. Integrates Insteon, UPB, and X10 power line technologies
2. Supports IP addressed IR interfaces from GlobalCache and BitWise
3. Supports whole-house wireless
4. Can be used in a client-server mode with multiple simultaneous read-write clients for complete local and remote access to design
5. Includes a web component for access remotely via mobile and desktop browsers
6. Client for Android phones for remote or in-house access
7. Multiple Schedules created by a visual scheduling tool
8. Unlimited number of programs to respond to events. Constructed in a graphical manner from over 60 different actions
9. Supports text based scripts in any scripting language that can utilize the extensive HCA object model
10. Touch screen interface creates a simplified control oriented user interface
11. Integrate into the HCA user Interface views of other applications: security, power management, and cameras using HTML views
12. Send email and SMS messages as part of a program action
13. Create and view Insteon scenes in a graphical manner and remotely program those scenes into Insteon devices
14. Bridge power line technologies by using multiple power line interfaces simultaneously. Create bridge maps to automatically translate between different technology commands
15. Integrates weather data from web based or weather station sources
16. Powerful "whole house modes" for quick power saving programming
17. Background design checker quickly locate design problems
18. Configurable Alert Mechanism for handling exceptional conditions
19. Many tools for creating, viewing, modifying, and documenting the design
20. HCA is well documented in an over 600 page User Guide

With Home Control Assistant some of the things you can do include:

• Turn on outside and entryway lights at dusk everyday, or before you get home from work on weekdays.
• Dim hall lights, turn on a ceiling light, and turn on the children's night light at a preset time each evening.
• Select which lights should turn off when you leave your house.
• Automatically send emails based on a schedule or event.
• Conserve water by having your irrigation system delay watering when it rains.
• Schedule the hot tub filter and/or heater to run the right amount of time depending upon the season.
• Turn on the room lights all at the flick of one switch and turn them all off again when you're done.
• Schedule your bedrooms lights to slowly come on over several minutes to awake you each week day instead of being woken by an alarm clock.
• Turn all the lights in your house on or off when you press one switch at your bedside.
• Integrate into one solution weather stations, thermostats, irrigation, programmable switches and downloadable controllers.
• Easily handle power failures by restoring the previous state of your home when power is restored.
• Control lights and appliances based upon what state your home is in: Are you home? Are you away? Are you asleep?
• And much, much more! Check out the Features section for more details.

Home Control Assistant has a user-friendly interface that employs a true Windows® approach. Drag and drop programming, quick-start wizards as well as display backgrounds allow you to place all of your devices on a floor plan just as they sit within your house. Check out the Quick Tour page for a great summary about this product, or experience the power and flexibility of HCA with a Free Trial.