The Scissio controller is a general purpose automation controller intended for home and building automation as well as industrial control applications.  

The controller is a completely open product! The source code and electrical schematics are available from the controller download page.

In building applications, the Scissio controller can operate lighting, heating, security and other infrastructure systems. In industrial applications, the Scissio controller offers several unique features and can replace traditional PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers).

The controller accepts electrical inputs from switches, sensors, and other input devices, and uses the information to operate relays that control lighting, heating, and other electrical output devices.

For reliability, longevity, security, and universal application in an environment of rapidly changing technology, the controller is a wired (as opposed to a wireless) system. The Scissio controller has 40 inputs and 16 outputs which you can directly connect to a wide variety of standard electrical devices such as switches, sensors, and relays. A single controller is capable of supporting all the switches and lighting for a small house. To implement larger distributed systems, you can connect multiple controllers together using ethernet.

You manage a Scissio network and program its function using the Scissio Node Manager application. This runs on a host personal computer, an Apple Mac running OS X version 10.6.8 or higher, that you connect to any one of the individual controller nodes. You can make this executive connection using either USB, ethernet or wirelessly via connection through a wireless router.

Scissio based systems are designed to be robust and easy to maintain. When connecting a controller, you make all wiring to a passive mother board. An intelligent I/O module plugs into this making it unnecessary to detach wires when making a change, to upgrade, or when there is a failure.

The Scissio controller offers a number of features including:
  1. Programmable input terminations.
  2. Built in circuit breaker with automatic reset for output short circuit protection.
  3. Continuous fault monitoring.
  4. Networked firmware uploading. Upgrade software in a distributed system from a single location
  5. Autonomous and distributed operation independent of any central controller.
  6. Continuous operation during network and function reconfiguration.

Try it out

The user manual appendices contain examples of how to connect devices and program nodes. The Node Manager has several virtual devices, so you can simulate some of these examples using only the Node Manager running on a Mac. The user manual and Node Manager are free to download from this website from the controller download page.
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