How the iShit works...

First of all, the iShit runs using two computers. The first one is my internet gateway/webserver. It's an Intel Celeron 600 with 256mb ram running Windows 2000 Server. It is used only to host the site and to communicate with the second PC via PHP. When you click the light or flush button, a PHP script is executed which opens a specific port on the second PC. The second computer is a Pentium 233MMX with 32mb ram running Windows 98SE.



This box sits in cupboard in a room behind the bathroom. It's the workroom in my basement, so its allowed to be messy like that! It runs the webcam software (ChillCam) and a program that I wrote in Visual Basic (iShit v1.0a). The VB program listens for specific ports to be opened (by the webserver). When these ports are open it outputs data to the computers parallel port. Connected to the parallel port is a little interface I built, that consists of a couple IC's and relays.



This is the interface, it looks like a big mess of wires and shit, but its what does the job! =)



Now how does all this crap flush the toilet? A power door lock actuator from a Chrysler mini van is mounted behind the toilet with fishing line running from the end of it to the flap inside the toilet.



When the computer tells the interface to flush, it causes the actuator to pull down, which in turn opens the flap inside the toilet. The computer then waits about 8seconds (while the toilet flushes), then tells the actuator to go up again, closing the flap.



The light is one of those tap lights you can buy at a hardware store. This one is modified to use a 12v light bulb and runs off of a power supply instead of batteries. When you click the light button on the webpage, the computer outputs the data to the interface and turns the light on or off.

And that about sums it up.