After a few days of refactoring and optimizing code, I’ve been able to get by with two of the most needed devices in any controller. They are the analog input and output. They are based on the primitive capabilities of Arduino to read any electrical potential between 0 and 5 volts with 12 bits of resolution in any of the 6 inputs prepared for it, and to modulate using pwm potentials between 0 and 5V. At the moment I have managed to register the two new devices and have developed the functionality, although I have not yet started the tests.
I have big plans for analog inputs. At home they will be very useful reading the values of instantaneous electricity consumption, which will help me to adapt the use of electrical appliances to the conditions of the current electricity rate. I will also use analog inputs to obtain the pressure of the water connection, which will help me detect possible leaks or unexpected consumption. I have various humidity, gas, and ambient light sensors ready for testing in the workshop… They all make sense with an analog input like the one that has just come into operation.
The pwm outputs will be used to drive servos (I still have to figure out what to do with them), control dimmable lights, and any other use I can think of.
The next day I will start to develop digital counters, which I will need to measure fluid flows, on and off counts to do preventive maintenance… Certainly much remains to be done. Now is when I have the pieces beginning to fit and where the imagination must establish the limits.