IPPower 9212 Delux: Your All-IP Control Powerhouse!

My Latest Observatory Automation Upgrade: Out with USB, In with IPPower!

Hey everyone! Just a quick post about some neat little modifications I made to the observatory last weekend. I finally swapped out my old Velleman K8055 USB card, which I was using for remote power control of various devices, for an IPPower 9212 Delux home automation server. This server is fully IP-based, giving me control over 8 output relays and 8 input sensors, all without needing a dedicated computer running!

The best part? The server is directly accessible via the internet. This means I can remotely turn lights on/off, power the pier (both 12V and 5V lines), power cycle or even reboot both observatory PCs, and monitor the roof’s status (open/closed). Plus, it has built-in scheduling capabilities, so I can plan these events well in advance.

Compared to my previous USB solution (the K8055 card), the IPPower 9212 Delux offers some major advantages:

• No more wrestling with Wake On LAN to start a PC, which could sometimes be a real headache, especially behind a Livebox router.
• The ability to reboot a crashed PC – because, let’s be honest, it still happens sometimes!
• A truly 24/7 operational system, meaning no more needing to boot up a PC in advance just to access controls.
• Super simple wiring, as the relays are already integrated into the IPPower 9212 Delux modules.
• Very low power consumption, since the system is autonomous and runs on just 5V.

Late 2015 Update: I’ve since moved on to using an IPX800V3 for controlling both the observatory and the roof.