Unified Communication and Automation Cabinet.

I originally had a messy arrangement of wiring and devices hidden behind my TV. These devices are my home automation and data communications equipment. I wanted a cabinet to unify everything to provide protection and ease of maintenance.

Here's how I did this.

Wall Mounting.

The cabinet I ordered was from Amazon and it's a fire resistant type of plastic. It has 4 tabs for wall mounting. I used a concrete drill bit and wall plugs to secure the cabinet onto the wall.

Power and Metering.

My entire home automation and communications setup is powered via 25.6v dc from my solar battery bank. This cabinet provides connections for tapping power to my various devices.

I used a back-lit dc power meter to allow easy reading of usage.

Also I used a terminal strip to provide 5, 12, 25.6v dc to the equipment.

Keeping the Wiring in One Place.

Basically I moved the mess into the cabinet. Don't worry there is a method to the madness. The labjack u3 is the cornerstone for my home automation.

Communications Devices.

My cable modem and WiFi router are nicely tucked away in the cabinet. I removed all cases to save space inside the cabinet. I'm sure my Internet provider won't be happy at what I did to their modem. At least it's cooling better now.

Watchdog Timer.

I created this timer to auto reboot the pc should it crash. It simulates pressing of the reset button on the motherboard.

Home Access.

I used some infrared relays with girder 6 to direct access my home from my phone.

Cabinet Lighting.

I used a spare led strip to provide lighting within the cabinet. It is powered from the 25.6v line.