Opensprinkler vs KNX Binary Actor

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1

Hello to the guys using Opensprinkler,

I am thinking about adding automation to my garden and deploying an irrigation system. Can someone from the opensprinkler community put some light in for me.

Why would I deploy an opensprinkler instead of some rules in OH and a KNX binary actor to steer the valves?

Is there any additional benefit from opensprinkler?

Regards
Ralf

2

I don’t use either so my comments will be somewhat generic. I had the choice between coding up my own sprinkler system rules with some relays or getting a smart controller (Rachio in my case).

I chose Rachio over opensprinkler because I got a deal and it ended up being cheaper. But the factors that drove my decision were:

  • Cost. From what I’ve read KNX is expensive. Would they be cheaper than opensprinkler?
  • Capability. Do you want to have to code and configure everything like rain skip, weather integration, scheduling, etc or let the controller be smart and the integration just set the settings? Note that one very weak point is creating and managing schedules for stuff like this.
  • Do you want the controller to work independently from OH should OH it the network be down?

Some people like the control and to have the knowledge they coded everything themselves. Others are more concerned with having the capability and after willing to use something a little more self contained. Some people are more concerned with failure mitigation and others more concerned with centralization. And so on.

Personally, if rather have the “smarts” in the devices than in OH and let OH reflect status and set parameters. Companies like opensprinkler and Rachio have invested thousands of man hours in their products that I could never hope to reproduce. Also, my home automation philosophy is that everything must operate independently from OH should OH be down, should I move, or should I be no longer available to maintain the system. So for me the choice is simple, if choose Opensprinkler or Rachio over just a bunch of relays any day. But my properties may not match yours and you may come to a different conclusion.